CFD Simulations of the Air/Water Two-phase Flow in an Annular Centrifugal Contactor

Annular centrifugal contactors (ACCs) use centrifugal force to mix and separate two immiscible liquids of different densities. The compact size, small liquid hold-up volume, short liquid residence time and high efficiency of ACCs have made them be favored for nuclear processes and destined to play a more important role for future advanced nuclear processing schemes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations can provide a more complete understanding of the flow within the ACC for further advancements in design and operation of future ACCs. In this paper, CFD simulations of the air/water two-phase flow in the mixing zone of the ACC were carried out. The flow patterns and velocity profiles of the steady-state simulations for three different rotor speeds in the annular region and under the rotor are presented.