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Application of empirical rate expressions and conservation equations to photoreactor design
Author(s) -
Ragonese Francis P.,
Williams John A.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690170615
Subject(s) - laminar flow , wavelength , chemistry , reaction rate , mechanics , photodissociation , rate equation , thermodynamics , optics , kinetics , physics , classical mechanics , photochemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry
An empirical rate expression was obtained for the photolysis of tetrachloroplantinic acid (TCPA). The data used to evaluate the parameters of the rate expression were obtained in an elliptical photoreactor operated at high recycle rates in order to maintain a uniform reactant concentration within the photoreactor. A low‐pressure mercury lamp provided light at a wavelength of 2,537Å. The light was assumed to enter the reactor radially and uniformly with respect to both the axial and angular directions. This rate expression was incorporated in a reactant conservation equation which was solved to obtain the predicted conversion of TCPA in an elliptical photoreactor operating in the laminar regime. Solutions of the conservation equation were obtained for photoreactors of two different diameters and for three different lengths. Experimentally observed conversions of TCPA in the laminar regime agreed well with the theoretical solutions except at conversions above 55%, where a solid precipitate apparently caused the lack of agreement.