U.S.-France Cooperative Research: CFD Simulation of Chemical Reactors: Development and Experimental Validation of Micromixing Models for Product Selectivity

Iowa State University, Ames IA

Investigators

Abstract

0129064 Fox This three-year award for U.S.-France collaboration in chemical and thermal systems involves researchers and students at Iowa State University and the University of Rouen in France. Rodney O Fox and Pascale Domingo lead the US and French efforts respectively. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) macroscopic models for liquid-phase turbulent reacting flows will be studied. Such models have potential for improving process design in the chemical process industry. The research addresses the utility of CFD models for reducing pollution and toxic byproducts caused by poor product selectivity. The collaboration's focus is code development and validation, and detailed simulations for experiments conducted on the Iowa State planar-jet reactor. The US research group will obtain data for a well-defined reactor geometry using particle-image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence. This will be complemented by the French group's studies of direct numerical simulations and large-eddy simulations of flow statistics that cannot easily be measured with the techniques used by the Iowa State group. This award represents the US side of joint proposals to the NSF and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). NSF will cover travel funds and living expenses of the US investigators and students. The CNRS will support visits to the US of the French participants. The collaboration will produce a set of detailed data for CFD model validation of liquid-phase chemical reactors.