Abstract
There is an increasing emphasize on process intensification and development of compact, intensified reactors and separators in recent years. Significant efforts are being made to develop such intensified reactors and separators without any moving parts. Few of the recent research studies have proved that liquid – liquid extractor based on the Coanda effect and feedback oscillations exhibit excellent mixing and liquid – liquid contacting. These fluidic oscillators can potentially be used for variety of other multiphase reactions and systems demanding enhanced mixing, heat and mass transfer. In this work, we have computationally investigated flow, mixing and heat transfer in fluidic oscillators based on the Coanda effect. Available information on flow and mixing in fluidic oscillators was critically reviewed and key gaps in the available knowledge with respect to design and optimization of fluidic oscillators were identified. Computational flow models were developed to characterize key flow features like unsteady flows, secondary vortices and internal recirculation over a range of Reynolds number (Re = 90 to 1538) for three different oscillator designs. Systematic numerical studies were carried out to quantify different flow regimes, oscillations and influence of key geometric parameters on flow, mixing and heat transfer. Simulated results were critically analyzed and are presented in the form of dimensionless numbers. The approach and results presented in this work will provide useful insights and a systematic basis for extending the applications of the Coanda based feedback oscillatory devices for a wide range of engineering applications.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering |
Early online date | 25 Oct 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Keywords
- Fluidic oscillators
- CFD
- Coanda effect
- Unsteady flows
- RTD
- Heat transfer
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemical Engineering