Análise fluidodinâmica de biorreator destinado à produção de hidrogênio utilizando CFD

Abstract

Due to the growing concern with environmental issues involving the emission of gases that enhance the greenhouse effect and other problems associated with fossil fuels, hydrogen arises as an alternative source of energy capable of promoting development on a sustainable manner. Hydrogen production via anaerobic fermentation is currently one of the most attractive routes, involving physical, chemical and biological processes with numerous interactions between gas, liquid and solid. However, current research has devoted special attention to chemical and biological characteristics. Many full-scale and laboratory-scale reactors are still dimensioned using empirical correlations, but the understanding of hydrodynamic phenomena involved in the production of hydrogen is a necessary precursor for the application in industrial scale projects. To optimize the performance of the reactor, it is critical to understand the dynamics of the phases inside. In this context, the aim of this work is to employ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques to study and optimize the fluid dynamic behavior of an anaerobic sequential batch reactor (ASBR). Thus, a two-phase, threedimensional and turbulent modeling was adopted, and simulations were conducted with the computer program OpenFOAM. Different operating conditions, geometric configurations and different models were evaluated. The results obtained in the study of interfacial forces reinforce the importance and the need to validate the simulations with experimental data, due to the large variation in the results obtained in each simulated case. Concerning geometric and operational settings, it was observed that changes in flow direction and recirculation, as well as changes in the geometry of distributors, affect significantly the velocity and the turbulent kinetic energy inside the reactor. These changes affect the mass transfer, which directly influences the reaction kinetics and enables greater production of hydrogen. The accurate establishment of the reactor behavior is a precur or to propose changes in order to improve its efficiency.