Experimental methodology to calculate the local relative light intensity in heterogeneous TiO2/UV-A photocatalytic reactors

• Light intensity was studied as radial distance and catalyst concentration function.
• Local relative light intensity profiles showed a forward-scattered behavior.
• A methodology to calculate the local relative light intensity is proposed.
• Calculated data approaches real values with an error less than 10%.
• This methodology can be applied to any powder on a suspended TiO2/UV-A system.

In the field of heterogeneous photocatalysis, catalyst concentration is one of the main parameters that restricts light availability, specifically in photocatalytic annular slurry reactors design. Therefore, data that describes the dependence of energy on both, distance and catalyst concentration is needed. This paper proposes the local relative light intensity (LRLI) as a quantity that represents the residual energy on radial distance. Experimental measurements of LRLI were made from 0 mm to 25 mm, using two commercial TiO2 powders in a wide range of concentration (200 to 1000 mg/L). Results show that residual energy was less than 80% at 6 mm from the source, for both catalysts in all concentrations. Furthermore, a forward-scattered behavior was detected, the LRLI profiles (LRLI vs radial distance) followed an exponential decay model. All profiles were correlated as a catalysts concentration function. Information obtained was used to develop a methodology to calculate the LRLI values at any radial distance for a settle catalyst concentration. The calculated values of LRLI approaches real data with a relative local accumulated error less than 10% for both catalysts. This methodology may be applied to calculate the energy available in any TiO2/UV-A annular slurry system.

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