Toward an Agent-Based Blackboard System for Reactor Design Optimization

Abstract Current state-of-the-art development of concentrated solar power (CSP) applications target cost-effective and highly efficient processes in order to establish commercialization of these technologies. The design of solar receivers/reactors and their respective flow configuration have a direct impact on the operational performance of the solar thermochemical processes. Thermal efficiencies, reaction kinetics and other key output metrics are the intrinsic result of the chosen configuration. Therefore, reactor design optimization plays a crucial role in the development of solar thermochemical applications. In this study a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a directly-irradiated cavity receiver has been developed. The CFD-domain is coupled with incoming radiation that is obtained by using Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT). Experimental campaigns of the cavity receiver were carried out using a 7 kW High Flux Solar Simulator (HFSS) as radiative source. Temperature readings were obtained at different locations inside the cavity receiver for both wall and gas temperatures. In order to mimic naturally changing insolation conditions, the HFSS was run at different power levels. Heat flux at the aperture of the solar receiver was experimentally characterized. The acquired heat flux maps validated the intermediate results obtained with the MCRT method. The coupled computational model was validated against the measured temperatures at different locations inside the receiver. Computed temperature contours inside the receiver confirmed the experimentally observed non-uniformity of the axial temperature distribution. The validated analysis presented in this paper was then used as a baseline case for a parametric study. Design optimization efforts were undertaken towards obtaining temperature uniformity and achieving efficient heat transfer within the fluid domain. Enhanced flow circulation was achieved which yielded temperature uniformity of the receiver at steady state conditions. The outcome of this parametric analysis provided valuable insights in the development of thermal efficient solar cavity receivers. Hence, findings of this study will serve as a starting point for future solar reactor design. For example, it was found that reversing flow direction has an adverse effect on the temperature uniformity inside the receiver. Similarly, increasing the inlet angle does not positively affect the temperature distribution and hence should be chosen carefully when designing a solar reactor.

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Advances in Neutronic Capability for Fusion Reactor Design Optimization

Fusion Technology ◽

10.13182/fst96-a11963092 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 30 (3P2B) ◽

pp. 1069-1075

Author(s):

Ehud Greenspan

Keyword(s):

Design Optimization ◽

Fusion Reactor ◽

Reactor Design

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Reactor design optimization for direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide

Chemical Engineering Journal ◽

10.1016/j.cej.2010.02.027 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 160 (3) ◽

pp. 909-914 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Tomoya Inoue ◽

Yoshikuni Kikutani ◽

Satoshi Hamakawa ◽

Kazuma Mawatari ◽

Fujio Mizukami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydrogen Peroxide ◽

Design Optimization ◽

Direct Synthesis ◽

Reactor Design

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Computational modeling of UV photocatalytic reactors: model development, evaluation, and application

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrjc.2014.031 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 21-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Esteban Duran ◽

Madjid Mohseni ◽

Fariborz Taghipour

Keyword(s):

Design Optimization ◽

Reactor Design ◽

Base Case ◽

Emission Model ◽

Hydrodynamic Conditions ◽

Efficient Design ◽

Chemical Reaction Kinetics ◽

Taguchi Design Of Experiments ◽

Wide Range ◽

Uv Lamp

A computational model for simulating the performance of immobilized photocatalytic ultraviolet (UV) reactors used for water treatment was developed, experimentally evaluated, and applied to reactor design optimization. This model integrated hydrodynamics, species mass transport, chemical reaction kinetics, and irradiance distribution within the reactor. Among different hydrodynamic models evaluated against experimental data, the laminar, Abe–Kondoh–Nagano, and Reynolds stress turbulence models showed better performance (errors <5%, 12%, and 20%, respectively) in terms of external mass transfer and surface reaction prediction capabilities at different hydrodynamic conditions. A developed finite-volume-based UV lamp emission model was able to predict, with errors of less than 5%, near- and far-field irradiance measurements. Combining all these models, the integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based model was able to successfully predict the photocatalytic degradation rate of model pollutants (benzoic acid and 2,4-D) in various configurations of annular reactors and UV lamp sizes, over a wide range of hydrodynamic conditions (350 < Re < 11,000). In addition, the integrated model was used in combination with a Taguchi design of experiments method to perform reactor design optimization. Following this approach, a base case annular reactor design was modified to obtain a 50% more efficient design.

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