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Flow phenomena in laminar flow through streamlined and sharp-edged short monolithic structures
Mateusz Korpyś1, Marzena Iwaniszyn2, Katarzyna Sindera2
1Institute of Chemical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bałtycka 5, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland. matkor@iich.gliwice.pl.
Scientific Reports
|September 22, 2023
Summary
Innovative streamlined reactor structures, shaped like airplane wings, significantly enhance heat and mass transport compared to classic designs. This design minimizes flow resistance while improving catalytic reactor efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Engineering
- Fluid Dynamics
- Heat Transfer
Background:
- Monolithic catalytic reactors have low flow resistance but poor heat and mass transport.
- Transport limitations hinder the efficiency of traditional reactor designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate innovative streamlined structures for intensified transport in catalytic reactors.
- To compare the performance of streamlined structures against classic sharp-edged designs.
Main Methods:
- Extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies were conducted.
- Streamlined structures were fabricated using Selective Laser Melting (SLM).
- Heat transfer experiments were performed to validate CFD results.
Main Results:
- CFD revealed more intensive heat transfer in streamlined structures compared to classic ones.
- Streamlined designs significantly reduced undesirable vortices, especially at the inlet.
- Outlet vortices in streamlined structures were found to intensify heat transport.
Conclusions:
- Streamlined, airplane wing-shaped structures offer superior heat and mass transport in monolithic reactors.
- The reduction in vortices and improved flow patterns lead to enhanced catalytic reactor performance.
- SLM is a viable method for fabricating these advanced reactor structures.
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