SCATTERING EFFECTS PRODUCED BY INERT PARTICLES IN PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTORS .2. A PARAMETRIC STUDY

A model for heterogeneous (solid-fluid) photochemical reactors, previo usly developed and validated experimentally, has been used to investig ate the effects produced by absorption and scattering on different var iables associated with the reactor performance. With this purpose a pa rametric study was conducted analyzing the effects engendered by chang es in the scattering inert center concentration, scattering center cha racteristics, and radiation absorbing species concentration on the fol lowing properties of the heterogeneous system: (i) spatial and directi onal distribution of radiation intensities, (ii) local Volumetric rate of energy absorption, (iii) reactor volume averaged rate of reaction for a simple reaction occurring in the fluid phase, and (iv) radiation absorption efficiency inside the reactor. The effect of adopting diff erent models of the scattering phase function for computing the radiat ive transfer equation was also studied. Operating conditions under whi ch scattering effects may be significant were defined. It was found th at there exist combinations of the optical parameters where addition o f inert scattering centers may reduce the rate of reaction in as much as 50%.