CFD SIMULATION OF A PILOT-SCALE REACTOR FOR THE REMOVAL OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCS)

This work reports preliminary results on the fluid dynamic simulation using ANSYS CFD software of a pilot scale reactor experimentally tested for the removal of VOCs (toluene, ethylbenzene, methyl ethyl ketone and xylenes). The reactor is constructed from the modification of a commercial air stripper and has been successfully evaluated for the removal of VOCs using Mn, Ce and Pt based catalysts on ceramic monoliths (bentonite). By means of ANSYS CFD simulation it was possible to represent the flow in the reactor (validating with experimental data) and to simulate the flow in the monolith channels. This information will allow us to have a better understanding of the fluid dynamics in the catalysts and to simulate the reactions with different VOCs by combining ANSYS CFD with ChemKin-PRO.