Simulation of Photocatalytic Reactors

Recently, the removal of recalcitrant chemicals in wastewater by photocatalysis has attracted significant attention due to its economic and environmental benefits. Despite numerous laboratory-scale studies and a few pilot-scale applications, commercialization of photocatalysis is yet to be realized. This can be attributed in part to inadequate tools for the design and optimization of photocatalytic reactors. In this respect, several studies have focused on the modeling and simulation of photocatalytic reactors. It has been observed that the distribution of light has a strong influence on photoreactor performance. Consequently, several techniques have been developed for the analysis of light distribution, including the P1, six flux, discrete ordinates, and Monte Carlo methods. In this chapter, these methods will be discussed, as well as other issues affecting reactor simulation, such as the boundary conditions, catalyst optical properties, and validation. Also, the relationship between light absorption and kinetics will be evaluated.