Integrated Taylor–Couette Reactor Model for Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Degradation of AO7

Abstract

Taylor−Couette reactors have exhibited great potential for applications in heterogeneous photocatalysis. In this study, an integrated computational fluid dynamic model combining the Euler−Lagrange approach, the discrete ordinate model, the discrete phase model, and the user-defined functions was established to simulate the process of the photocatalytic degradation of acid orange 7 with titanium dioxide and to reveal the interaction among the flow field, radiation field, particle distributions, and reaction kinetics. The results show that an inner cylinder rotation speed of 11.96 rad/s and a light source intensity of over 23 W/m 2 help photocatalysts absorb more photons. The catalysts with a particle size over 300 nm and a mass concentration of 1 g/L give a higher photodegradation efficiency. With the help of this model, heterogeneous photocatalysis technology with Taylor−Couette reactors as the key component can be scaled up for industrial applications in organic pollutant removal.