EFFECTS OF RADIATION PROFILE AND INTERNAL LIGHT FILTERING BY A PRODUCT ON THE REACTION CHARACTERISTICS IN PLATE-TYPE PHOTOREACTORS

Abstract

The photolysis of aqueous potassium trioxalatoferrate(III) solution containing o-phenanthroline was conducted in plate-type batch and laminar flow photoreactors by irradiation from fluorescent lamps. The internal light filtering effect of a product on reactor performance was evaluated by the polychromatic diffuse light model (PDL-Model) which takes into account the polychromatic and diffuse characteristics of the lamp, the extent of internal light filtering, the diffusion rates of a reactant and a product, and the parabolic velocity distribution in the flow reactor.
In the low internal light filtering region, the model reduced to the monochromatic parallel light model (MPL-Model) with mean molar absorption coefficient of product, which simulated experimental results well. In the high inner filter region, however, only the PDL-Model was applicable.
Preliminary evaluation of the internal light filtering effect was made with a plate-type batch reactor containing reactants at extremely low concentration, to which a vessel containing the product solution was attached.