Modeling and Simulation of Hydrodynamics and Filtration in a Membrane-Assisted Stirred Slurry Reactor

A membrane-assisted stirred slurry reactor is developed by equipping a membrane tube into a stirred tank. Liquid-solid flow is simulated by the Euler-Lagrange method with filtration and particle deposition models. Acceptable predictions on the cake mass and particle deposition patterns are achieved by comparing with experimental data. The introduction of the membrane tube generates an asymmetric flow field. Shear stress on the membrane surface has a direct influence on the particle deposition. Increasing the impeller rotating speed leads to larger shear stress and mitigates the particle deposition. The cake mass is reduced by placing the membrane tube close to the impeller. The upward liquid flow pumped by the pitched-blade impeller results in low shear stress and the vertical-blade impeller is preferable.