Numerical Studies of a Liquid Droplet Impacting on Single-Layer Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Wire Meshes

Abstract

To understand the mechanism of droplet dispersion, the behaviors of a droplet impacting on a single-layer wire mesh were investigated by computational fluid dynamics simulations with a detailed 3D geometry of real woven wire meshes. After validating the simulation data, the effects of different operating conditions on the liquid dispersion were systematically studied. The results showed that the cone angle of dispersion of the hydrophobic wire mesh increased by 37–103%, compared with the hydrophilic wire mesh. A more accurate dispersion angle can be obtained by the 3D simulation, compared to the previous high-speed imaging experiments with 2D photographs. The ratio of dissipated energy of the droplet impacting on the hydrophobic wire mesh was 29% lower than that on the hydrophilic wire mesh, allowing us to reveal the dispersion intensification mechanism of droplet breakage. This study provides insights into the droplet impaction and dispersion on the wire mesh packing, which can guide reactor design and optimization.

Process Intensification: Continuous Synthesis of Nitrosyl Sulfuric Acid in a Rotating Packed Bed Reactor

“…High gravity (HiGee) technology simulates the HiGee environment through the centrifugal force carried out in a rotating packed bed (RPB). − In a RPB, the liquid phase can be dispersed into numerous liquid elements with three main patterns of droplets, films, and ligaments, by the shear of the rotational packing . The micromixing and mass transfer efficiency have improved 1–3 orders of magnitude, compared to the packed column. , RPBs have been popularly applied to gas–liquid , and liquid–liquid reactions. , …”