TITLE:
CFD Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamics in a Rotor-Stator Reactor for Biodiesel Synthesis
AUTHORS:
Zhuqing Wen, Jerzy Petera
KEYWORDS:
Rotor-Stator Reactor, Biodiesel Synthesis, ANSYS© Fluent, Hydrodynamics, Numerical Simulation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics,
Vol.3 No.8,
August
26,
2015
ABSTRACT: In this paper a rotor-stator spinning disk
reactor for intensified biodiesel synthesis is described and numerically simulated.
The reactor consists of two flat disks, located coaxially and parallel to each
other with a gap ranging from 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm between the disks. The upper
disk is located on a rotating shaft while the lower disk is stationary. The
feed liquids, triglycerides (TG) and methanol are introduced coaxially along
the center line of rotating disk and stationary disk, respectively. Fluid
hydrodynamics in the reactor for synthesis of biodiesel from TG and methanol in
the presence of a sodium hydroxide catalyst are simulated, using
convection-diffusion-reaction species transport model by the CFD software ANSYS?
Fluent v. 13.0. The effects of upper disk’s spinning speed and gap size are
evaluated.