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Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange by a multi-layer rotating disk reactor

  • Photocatalysis : fundamentals and applications in JEP 2011, Bordeaux.
  • Published:
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Abstract

Introduction

Solar wastewater treatment based on photocatalytic reactions is a green process that utilizes renewable energy resources and minimizes secondary pollution. Reactor design plays an important role in promoting treatment efficiency and throughput density (based on unit volume of the reactor).

Experimental

A rotating disk reactor that significantly increases the process efficiency has been designed and evaluated for application to photocatalytic decomposition of dye pollutants in aqueous solutions. In this process, a novel multi-layer rotating disk reactor (MLRDR) was presented. Photocatalyst (TiO2) particles are immobilized on the surfaces of disks. Within each layer of the reactor, methyl orange aqueous solution is allowed to flow from the center of the disk in a radial direction along the surface of the disk, which is rotating at high speed and is irradiated with UV lamps. The effluent is then directed to the center of another layer that lies underneath. Up to four stacked layers have been tested in this study, and the effects due to the number of the layers and volumetric flow rate on reaction conversion are investigated.

Results and discussion

The efficiency of this photocatalytic reactor exhibits complex dependence on these parameters. With selected operating conditions, conversions greater than 95% can be achieved within seconds of residence time. Design equations of the reactor have been derived based on fluid dynamics and kinetic models, and the simulation results show promising scale-up potential of the reactor.

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Abbreviations

C A :

Concentration of species A (mole per liter)

C A0 :

Initial concentration of species A (mole per liter)

g :

Gravitational acceleration (meter per square second)

h :

Height of liquid film (meter)

h 1/2 :

Height of liquid film at middle of radius position of disk (meter)

I :

Light intensities at the bottom of liquid film (watts per square meter)

I 0 :

Light intensities at the surface of liquid film (watts per square meter)

K :

Adsorption equilibrium constant of reactant species

K r :

Reaction rate constant

p :

Pressure of fluid (atmosphere)

Q :

Volumetric flow rate (cubic meter per second)

R :

Radius of disk (meter)

r :

Radius coordinate (meter)

r A :

Reaction rate of species A (mole per second per cubic meter)

r 0 :

Radius of inlet (meter)

t :

Time (second)

u r :

Velocity components in radial direction (meter per second)

V :

Total liquid volume held on disk (cubic meter)

v :

Velocity of fluid (meter per second)

X :

Conversion of methyl orange

z :

Vertical coordinate (meter)

ε :

Molar absorptivity (liter per mole per centimeter)

μ :

Viscosity of fluid (kilogram per meter per second)

ν :

Kinematic viscosity (square meter per second)

ξ :

Fitted empirical parameters in

ρ :

Density of the fluid (kilogram per cubic meter)

τ :

Average residence time on disk (second)

Ω :

Angular velocity of disk (rad per second)

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Acknowledgments

The research described here was supported by Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan under grant number 98-EC-17-A-09-S1-019 and National Science Council under 98-2120-M002-004.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Chia-Nan Lin, Chih-Yi Chang & Nae-Lih Wu

  2. Instrument Technology Research Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Hsinchu, 30076, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Hung Ji Huang

  3. Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Din Ping Tsai

  4. Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Din Ping Tsai

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  1. Chia-Nan Lin
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  2. Chih-Yi Chang
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  3. Hung Ji Huang
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  4. Din Ping Tsai
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  5. Nae-Lih Wu
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Correspondence to Nae-Lih Wu.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Lin, CN., Chang, CY., Huang, H.J. et al. Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange by a multi-layer rotating disk reactor. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 3743–3750 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0765-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0765-8

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