CFD Simulation of Two Phase Segmented Flow in Microchannel Reactor Using Volume of Fluid Model for Biodiesel Production

Author(s):  
Afiq Mohd Laziz ◽  
Ku Zilati Ku Shaari
Author(s):  
Chue Cui Ting ◽  
Afiq Mohd Laziz ◽  
Khoa Dang Dang Bui ◽  
Ngoc Thi Nhu Nguyen ◽  
Pha Ngoc Bui ◽  
...  

Microfluidic systems undergo rapid expansion of its application in different industries over the few decades as its surface tension-dominated property provides better mixing and improves mass transfer between two immiscible liquids. Synthesis of biodiesel via transesterification of vegetable oil and methanol in microfluidic systems by droplet flow requires separation of the products after the reaction occurred. The separation technique for multiphase fluid flow in the microfluidic system is different from the macro-system, as the gravitational force is overtaken by surface force. To understand these phenomena completely, a study on the hydrodynamic characteristics of two-phase oil-methanol system in microchannel was carried out. A multiphase Volume of Fluid model was developed to predict the fluid flow in the microchannel. An inline separator design was proposed along with its variable to obtain effective separation for the oil-methanol system. The separation performance was evaluated based on the amount of oil recovered and its purity. The capability of the developed model has been validated through a comparison of simulation results with published experiment. It was predicted that the purity of recovered oil was increased by more than 46% when the design with side openings arranged at both sides of the microchannel. The highest percentage recovery of oil from the mixture was simulated at 91.3% by adding the number of side openings to ensure the maximum recovery. The oil that was separated by the inline separator was predicted to be at 100% purity, which indicates that no methanol contamination throughout the separation process. The purity of the separated product can be increased by manipulating the pressure drop across the side openings. Hence, it can be concluded that the separation in a large diameter microchannel system is possible and methodology can be tuned to achieve the separation goal. Finally, the simulation results showed that the present volume of fluid model had a good agreement with the published experiment.


2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koustuv Debnath ◽  
Amartya Kumar Bhattacharya ◽  
Biswanath Mahato ◽  
Agnimitro Chakrabarti

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Krepper ◽  
P. Ruyer ◽  
M. Beyer ◽  
D. Lucas ◽  
H.-M. Prasser ◽  
...  

This paper concerns the model of a polydispersed bubble population in the frame of an ensemble averaged two-phase flow formulation. The ability of the moment density approach to represent bubble population size distribution within a multi-dimensional CFD code based on the two-fluid model is studied. Two different methods describing the polydispersion are presented: (i) a moment density method, developed at IRSN, to model the bubble size distribution function and (ii) a population balance method considering several different velocity fields of the gaseous phase. The first method is implemented in the Neptune_CFD code, whereas the second method is implemented in the CFD code ANSYS/CFX. Both methods consider coalescence and breakup phenomena and momentum interphase transfers related to drag and lift forces. Air-water bubbly flows in a vertical pipe with obstacle of the TOPFLOW experiments series performed at FZD are then used as simulations test cases. The numerical results, obtained with Neptune_CFD and with ANSYS/CFX, allow attesting the validity of the approaches. Perspectives concerning the improvement of the models, their validation, as well as the extension of their applicability range are discussed.


Author(s):  
Stamatis Kalogerakos ◽  
Mustapha Gourma ◽  
Chris Thompson

Severe limitations of the use of three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics codes (CFD) arise when trying to simulate multiphase flow in long pipes due to time constraints. 1D codes for two-phase flow, based on two-fluid models, are fast but are known to be accurate only when the velocities are within the Kelvin-Helmholtz inviscid limit [1]. An alternative is to carry out a two-dimensional CFD simulation of a channel based on the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model. 2D CFD has a wider applicability range compared to 1D, it does not have the issue of ill-posedness and it also has better turbulence models built in. Again compared to 1D the 2D VOF model has a better interface description and wall treatment. In this paper a novel method is introduced that allows swift simulations of pipeline two-phase flow in the stratified and slug flow regime, by approximating the pipe as a channel and with a methodology that solves the problem of the interfacial velocity differences, inherent in the volume of fluid model. An initial validation using the wave growth problem has already been carried out [2]. Here a set consisting of 92 experimental cases in the slug flow regime has been simulated with 2D CFD, and the simulation results showed a good agreement with experimental results. Discussions in the paper include also the question of the range of applicability for 2D CFD, and the advantages and disadvantages compared to 3D CFD and also to 1D code based on the two-fluid model. Shear stresses are then extracted from the 2D CFD simulations and used to recalibrate the friction factors [3] used in the 1D code.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1779
Author(s):  
Piotr Siwicki ◽  
Marcin Krukowski ◽  
Jan Studziński ◽  
Bartosz Szeląg ◽  
Rafał Wojciechowski

The paper analyzes the possibility of using the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) method to predict the amount of sewage remaining in siphons after a full air blast of the pressure sewer system. For this purpose, the results from measurements carried out on a laboratory installation were compared with the results obtained from modelling using a spatial model (3D) and a plain model (2D) of the installation. To determine these models, the structure of the VOF (Volume of Fluid) model was used in the CFD method. The simulation calculations carried out make it possible to state that the use of the plain model with the development of the installation modelled in the plan does not result in significant deterioration of the obtained results. The possibility of using 2D models for modelling pumped sewer systems allows for a significant shortening of the calculation time, which, in practice, results in the possibility of modelling much larger and longer installations than is possible with 3D models.


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