Keywords = Non-Newtonian
Reaction Engineering, Kinetics and Catalysts,

Investigation of Gas Hold-up and Bubble Behavior in a Split-Cylinder Airlift Reactor: Pseudo-Plastic Non-Newtonian Fluids

Volume 11, Issue 3, Summer 2014, Pages 3-15

M. Keshavarz Moraveji, S.E. Mousavi

Abstract In this research, the effect of carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) addition into pure water as pseudo-plastic non-Newtonian fluid and its concentration on bubble diameter and gas hold-up were investigated. For this purpose, four different concentrations of CMC (0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2%w/v) as the non-Newtonian fluid and five different superficial gas velocities (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1 cm/s) as the gas phase were examined in an airlift reactor. Bubble size distribution in the airlift reactor was measured by photography and picture analysis at various concentrations of CMC and various velocities of gas. Increasing in gas velocity created a wider bubble size distribution and thereby an increase in bubble diameter and gas hold-up in both riser and down-comer. However, the bubbles diameter in pure water was larger than those of the CMC solutions (in the riser and down-comer), but CMC concentration enhancement increased bubbles diameter and gas hold-up in the down-comer. Bubbles diameter expansion in the riser by CMC concentration enhancement took place from concentrations of 0.05 to0.15% (w/v) and then it suddenly decreased. Furthermore, gas hold-up decreased from
concentrations of 0.05 to 0.15%(w/v) and increased at concentration of 0.2%(w/v).The gas hold-up increases (more than that in the concentrations of 0.1 and 0.15 %) when bubbles diameter decreases in concentration of 0.2%. The overall gas hold-up trend was similar to the gas hold-up in the riser.

Transport Phenomena,

CFD Study of the Turbulent Forced Convective Heat Transfer of Non-Newtonian Nanofluid

Volume 11, Issue 2, Spring 2014, Pages 92-102

M. Moraveji, A.R. Beheshti

Abstract In this study, forced convection heat transfer of non-Newtonian nanofluids in a horizontal tube with constant wall temperature under turbulent flow conditions was investigated using computational fluid dynamics tools. For this purpose, non-Newtonian nanofluids containing three types of nanoparticles (Al2O 3, TiO 2 and CuO) with carboxymethylcellulose aqueous solution as a liquid single phase with three average particle sizes of 10, 25 and 40 nm nanofluids were investigated. Effects of nanoparticle type and Peclet number on the convective heat transfer coefficient were investigated in fully turbulent region of a horizontal tube. A correlated equation was obtained for Nusselt number using the dimensionless numbers by applying the simulation results. Results showed that the correlated data were in very good agreement with the experimental ones obtained from the literature. The maximum error was 12%.

Transport Phenomena,

Numerical Study of Non-Newtonian Flow Through Rectangular Microchannels

Volume 6, Issue 4, Autumn 2009, Pages 44-61

M. R. Mahjoob, S. Gh. Etemad, J. Thibault

Abstract A numerical investigation was carried out to solve the flow dimensionless partial differential equations through rectangular microchannels. A purely viscous power law model was used to characterize the flow behavior of non-Newtonian fluids. The flow was assumed to be steady and laminar, and slip conditions were used as boundary conditions at the walls. The problem was solved for different power law indices as well as for various rectangular aspect ratios. Results showed that the effects ofslip velocity on dilatant fluids are more pronounced than that for pseudoplastic fluids. An increase in the power law index enhances the product of the friction factor and the Reynolds number, as well as the dimensionless incremental pressure drop and the dimensionless maximum velocity, while the hydrodynamic entrance length decreases. Results emphasize the significant effects of channel aspect ratio on the hydrodynamic flow behavior through microchannels.