Mixing performances of swirl flow and corrugated channel reactors

Four different geometrical solutions for tubular reactors are compared for transfer intensification in fluid processes: (1) a compact multi-tube with helical screw-tape inserts, (2) a plain corrugated channel with a smooth bend curvature, called “wavy channel”, (3) a plain corrugated channel with a herringbone pattern, called “zigzag channel”, and (4) a plain straight pipe serving as the reference case. The single-phase mixing abilities of these four devices are compared by the chemical probe method (Villermaux/Dushman iodide/iodate system) for a range of main-flow Reynolds numbers between 100 and 4000. The chemical probe method is used here to investigate the global mixing time in the entire reactor volume, as deduced from the segregation index by a phenomenological model. Experimental results reveal better mixing performance and reduced energy expenditures in the helical-insert tube, in both the laminar and turbulent regimes.