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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Jonathan McDonough
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Plug flow characteristics are advantageous in various manufacturing processes for fine/bulk chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and waste treatment as they contribute to maximising product yield. One such versatile flow chemistry platform is the coiled tube reactor subjected to oscillatory motion, producing excellent plug flow qualities equivalent to well-mixed tanks-in-series ‘�N’. In this study, we discover the critical features of these flows that result in high plug flow performance using a data-driven approach. This is done by integrating Bayesian optimisation, a surrogate model approach, with Computational fluid dynamics that we treat as a black-box function to explore the parameter space of the operating conditions, oscillation amplitude and frequency, and net flow rate. Here, we correlate the flow characteristics as a function of the dimensionless Strouhal, oscillatory Dean, and Reynolds numbers to the reactor plug flow performance value ‘�N’. Under conditions of optimal performance (specific examples are provided herein), the oscillatory flow is just sufficient to limit axial dispersion through flow reversal and redirection, and to promote Dean vortices. This automated, open-source, integrated method can be easily adapted to identify the flow characteristics that produce an optimised performance for other chemical reactors and processes.
Author(s): Basha N, Savage T, McDonough J, del Río Chanona EA, Matar OK
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal
Year: 2023
Volume: 473
Pages: 145217
Print publication date: 01/10/2023
Online publication date: 06/08/2023
Acceptance date: 02/08/2023
Date deposited: 22/08/2023
ISSN (print): 1385-8947
ISSN (electronic): 1873-3212
Publisher: Elseiver
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.145217
DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.145217
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