Modeling strategy for the determination of photocatalytic reaction kinetics in supported catalyst reactors

This study proposes a modeling strategy for the determination of photocatalytic reaction kinetics in supported reactors. The packed bed studied is designed to degrade formaldehyde and is composed of TiO2-coated Raschig rings. The original nature of this work lies in model development which takes into account hydraulics, light distribution, chemical kinetics and mass transfer in the reactor. The dispersion model combined with a Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model was used to calculate concentration variation at the reactor output. Experimental data obtained for different initial concentrations were used to determine the kinetic constants. Then the dispersion model with chemical reaction has been validated under various conditions of irradiation. The modeling strategy presented could be applied to design other supported catalyst reactors with a different geometry or packing.