Computational fluid dynamic simulations in thermal waste treatment technology—Design, optimisation and troubleshooting

The present work provides three case studies featuring applications of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the area of thermal waste treatment (TWT). The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the benefits offered by simulations in TWT technology in the design, optimisation and troubleshooting of those systems. The case studies deal with practical problems, namely a performance evaluation of a fabric filter bag with an add-on Venturi nozzle, the design optimisation of flow homogenising vanes in a heat exchanger, and finally troubleshooting in a novel volatile organic compound (VOC) treatment unit.Each case study includes an outline of the modelling approach and summary of the most important results. The flow analyses are performed using standard methods implemented in the commercial software code FLUENT. The case study on design optimisation combines decision support in the selection of the best conceptual solution and an automatic shape optimisation using the commercial code SCULPTOR. The results clearly show the usefulness and applicability of the CFD computations in the area of thermal waste treatment.