Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling of micromixing performance in presence of microparticles in a tubular sonoreactor

•CFD modeling of high frequency continuous flow tubular sonoreactor.•CFD modeling with and without ultrasonication and in presence of microparticles.•CFD illustration of the ability of ultrasound waves to disperse the microparticles.•CFD illustration of the effect of the number and position of wave transducers on mixing performance.

This paper reports the results of CFD modeling for evaluating micromixing efficiency in presence of polymeric microparticles in a continuous tubular sonoreactor. The studied tubular sonoreactor was equipped with four 1.7 MHz ultrasound transducers and micromixing efficiency was analyzed using Villermaux/Dushman reaction. The main objective of this study is to illustrate the simultaneous effects of 1.7 MHz ultrasound waves and polymeric microparticles on micromixing performance from the fluid dynamics point of view. In order to model the presence of these microparticles, the Eulerian multiphase model was applied based on kinetic theory of granular flow. The dynamic mesh method was used to model the vibration of 1.7 MHz piezoelectric transducers. CFD modeling results indicate the positive effects of the presence of microparticles on micromixing efficiency and more efficient velocity distribution inside the sonoreactor. This was interpreted as the ability of high frequency ultrasound waves (1.7 MHz) to move and disperse the microparticles.