This thesis consists of two parts discussing modelling of heterogeneous catalytic reactors. In the first one, an industrial prototype of a fluidized bed reactor serving as a hydrogen generator based on endothermic decomposition of formic acid is studied. After initial determination of the main reactor characteristics a system of nine con- stituents is derived and, consequently, reduced to a three phase flow. The solid and bubble particles immersed in a liquid are modelled by the Basset-Boussinesq- Ossen equation. Furthermore, an averaging technique is used to derive a three phase Euler-Euler model. Finally, numerical computations with a verification towards the measurements and a CFD analysis are proceeded. The second part discusses interfacial transport phenomena between a bulk and catalytic surfaces of a reactor mediated via the boundary conditions. The constitu- tive relations, that by construction comply with the second law of thermodynamics, follow from the specification of suitable thermodynamic potentials together with an identification of the bulk and surface entropy productions. The derived model is suitable for further analysis providing clear guidelines for the incorporation of the Langmuir-type adsorption model as well as other sorption models. Keywords: Heterogeneous catalysis, multi-phase...

Nesse trabalho foi estudado a degradação anaeróbia do alquilbenzeno linear sulfonado (LAS), um surfactante amplamente utilizado na fabricação de detergentes e presente em esgoto doméstico e águas residuárias industriais. Para isso foi utilizado reator anaeróbio de leito fluidificado em escala de bancada (1,2 L) preenchido com material suporte para imobilização da biomassa. Quatro diferentes suportes foram testados previamente em reatores de leito fluidificado em menor escala (350 ml): carvão ativado (R1), argila expandida (R2), pérolas de vidro (R3) e areia (R4). Todos os reatores foram inoculados com lodo proveniente de reator UASB utilizado no tratamento de dejetos de suinocultura e alimentados com substrato sintético acrescido de LAS. Os reatores foram mantidos a 30°C e operados com tempo de detenção hidráulica (TDH) de 18 horas. Foi possível constatar que os quatro reatores foram aptos na remoção de matéria orgânica (acima de 84%) e LAS (acima de 81%), respectivamente para concentração inicial média de 550 mg/L e 16,5 mg/L. No entanto, carvão ativado e argila expandida sofreram processo de fragmentação durante a operação do reator. Assim, areia foi o material escolhido para preencher o reator em escala de bancada devido aos bons resultados de remoção do LAS (99%), menor custo e facilidade de aquisição, quando comparada a pérola de vidro. Após 270 dias de operação, com concentrações crescentes de LAS e média de 32,3 mg/L, constatou-se que o reator em escala de bancada removeu 93% de LAS. Todos os suportes adsorveram pouco LAS (máximo de 0,43 mgLAS/gargila) não interferindo significativamente no processo de remoção biológica. Exames microscópicos realizados durante a operação dos reatores mostraram que estiveram presentes microrganismos com morfologias semelhantes a espiroquetas, bacilos, bactérias filamentosas e cocos, entre outros. A biomassa presente no final da operação do reator em escala de bancada e nos reatores menores preenchidos com pérolas de vidro (R3) e areia (R4) foi submetida à técnica de clonagem e sequenciamento do gene 16S RNAr para o Domínio Bacteria. Observou-se que os reatores apresentaram clones relacionados a diversos Filos como Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia e Firmicutes, entre outros. / This work presents the anaerobic degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS), a surfactant widely used in the production of detergents and present in domestic and industrial wastewaters. It was used an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor in bench scale (1,2L) filled with support material for biomass immobilization. Four different supports were previously tested in small scale fluidized bed reactors (350 ml): activated charcoal (R1), expanded clay (R2), glass beads (R3) and sand (R4). All reactors were inoculated with sludge from a UASB reactor treating swine wastewater and were fed with a synthetic substrate supplemented with LAS. The reactors were kept at 30ºC and operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 18 h. It was possible to note that the four tested reactors were able to remove organic matter (higher than 84%) and LAS (higher than 81%), respectively, to initial mean value of 550 mg/L and 16.5 mg/L. However, activated charcoal and expanded clay both produced shearing during reactor operation. Thus, sand was the chosen material to fill the bench scale reacto because of good results of LAS removal (99%) and smaller cost and affordability compared to glass beads. After 270 days of operation, with crescent LAS concentrations and average of 32,3 mg/L, it was found that the bench scale reactor was able to remove LAS in 93%. All supports adsorb a few LAS (maximun of 0.43 mgLAS/gclay). This value does not interfere in biologic removal process. Microscopic tests done during the reactor´s operation presented microorganisms with morphologies similar to spirochetes, bacillus, filamentous, cocci and others. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of samples from the bench scale reactor and smaller reactor filled with glass beads (R3) and sand (R4) revealed that these reactors gave rise to broad microbial diversity, with microorganisms belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Firmicutes, and others.

Nesse trabalho foi estudado a degradação anaeróbia do alquilbenzeno linear sulfonado (LAS), um surfactante amplamente utilizado na fabricação de detergentes e presente em esgoto doméstico e águas residuárias industriais. Para isso foi utilizado reator anaeróbio de leito fluidificado em escala de bancada (1,2 L) preenchido com material suporte para imobilização da biomassa. Quatro diferentes suportes foram testados previamente em reatores de leito fluidificado em menor escala (350 ml): carvão ativado (R1), argila expandida (R2), pérolas de vidro (R3) e areia (R4). Todos os reatores foram inoculados com lodo proveniente de reator UASB utilizado no tratamento de dejetos de suinocultura e alimentados com substrato sintético acrescido de LAS. Os reatores foram mantidos a 30°C e operados com tempo de detenção hidráulica (TDH) de 18 horas. Foi possível constatar que os quatro reatores foram aptos na remoção de matéria orgânica (acima de 84%) e LAS (acima de 81%), respectivamente para concentração inicial média de 550 mg/L e 16,5 mg/L. No entanto, carvão ativado e argila expandida sofreram processo de fragmentação durante a operação do reator. Assim, areia foi o material escolhido para preencher o reator em escala de bancada devido aos bons resultados de remoção do LAS (99%), menor custo e facilidade de aquisição, quando comparada a pérola de vidro. Após 270 dias de operação, com concentrações crescentes de LAS e média de 32,3 mg/L, constatou-se que o reator em escala de bancada removeu 93% de LAS. Todos os suportes adsorveram pouco LAS (máximo de 0,43 mgLAS/gargila) não interferindo significativamente no processo de remoção biológica. Exames microscópicos realizados durante a operação dos reatores mostraram que estiveram presentes microrganismos com morfologias semelhantes a espiroquetas, bacilos, bactérias filamentosas e cocos, entre outros. A biomassa presente no final da operação do reator em escala de bancada e nos reatores menores preenchidos com pérolas de vidro (R3) e areia (R4) foi submetida à técnica de clonagem e sequenciamento do gene 16S RNAr para o Domínio Bacteria. Observou-se que os reatores apresentaram clones relacionados a diversos Filos como Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia e Firmicutes, entre outros. / This work presents the anaerobic degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS), a surfactant widely used in the production of detergents and present in domestic and industrial wastewaters. It was used an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor in bench scale (1,2L) filled with support material for biomass immobilization. Four different supports were previously tested in small scale fluidized bed reactors (350 ml): activated charcoal (R1), expanded clay (R2), glass beads (R3) and sand (R4). All reactors were inoculated with sludge from a UASB reactor treating swine wastewater and were fed with a synthetic substrate supplemented with LAS. The reactors were kept at 30ºC and operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 18 h. It was possible to note that the four tested reactors were able to remove organic matter (higher than 84%) and LAS (higher than 81%), respectively, to initial mean value of 550 mg/L and 16.5 mg/L. However, activated charcoal and expanded clay both produced shearing during reactor operation. Thus, sand was the chosen material to fill the bench scale reacto because of good results of LAS removal (99%) and smaller cost and affordability compared to glass beads. After 270 days of operation, with crescent LAS concentrations and average of 32,3 mg/L, it was found that the bench scale reactor was able to remove LAS in 93%. All supports adsorb a few LAS (maximun of 0.43 mgLAS/gclay). This value does not interfere in biologic removal process. Microscopic tests done during the reactor´s operation presented microorganisms with morphologies similar to spirochetes, bacillus, filamentous, cocci and others. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of samples from the bench scale reactor and smaller reactor filled with glass beads (R3) and sand (R4) revealed that these reactors gave rise to broad microbial diversity, with microorganisms belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Firmicutes, and others.

La meta de esta tesis es impulsar las tendencias de desarrollo de la industria química que promueven la sostenibilidad de la misma. El objetivo es un control integrado de la contaminación que permita reducir las emisiones a fin de promover las actividades de producción sostenibles.En este sentido, el tratamiento de efluentes industriales con fluoruros consiste en una precipitación química. Sin embargo, el proceso genera elevadas cantidades de lodos con elevada humedad y bajo riqueza en fluoruro cálcico, por lo que su reutilización en la fabricación de HF no es viable técnica y económicamente.En esta tesis se presenta la recuperación de fluoruros de aguas industriales fluoradas mediante cristalización en un reactor de lecho fluidizado. Las principales ventajas de esta tecnología respecto del tratamiento convencional son la no generación de lodos, la reducción de residuos y la recuperación de fluoruro para su posterior valorización. / The aim of this thesis is to support the trends of the chemical industry development that promote sustainability. The goal is an integrated pollution control to reduce the emissions in order to promote sustainable production activities.In this sense, the common methods for fluoride removal from industrial wastewater involve chemical precipitation. The process generates large amounts of a water rich sludge requiring disposal with increasing costs. Due to the high water content and the low quality of the sludge, reuse of fluoride is not an economical option. The removal of fluoride in a fluidized bed reactor by crystallization has been presented in this thesis as an alternative to the chemical precipitation. When it is compared with the conventional precipitation process, the major advantage of this new clean technology is the elimination of sludge formation, the materials recovery and the reduction of solid waste.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 DissLRR.pdf: 1872815 bytes, checksum: ae95127410e9ecb90c079771a265f706 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / The present evaluated the influence of hydraulic retention time (HRT), cheese whey substrate concentration, temperature in thermophilic range (55 a 75oC) and cofermentation of sugar cane stillage and cheese whey in continuous hydrogen production in anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR) and expanded granular sludge bed reactor (EGSB). Seven reactors were used, being three of them in EGSB configuration in mesophilic temperature (30oC) feed in different cheese whey concentrations were inoculated with mesophilic sludge from the poultry slaughterhouse wastewater (RM5, RM15 e RM25). Other four reactors in AFBR configuration, inoculated with thermophilic sludge from the treatment of sugarcane stillage, were operated in thermophilic range. In these it was evaluated the effect of temperature in thermophilic range using as substrate cheese whey (RTS) and sugar cane stillage (RTV). Also, it was evaluated the cofermentation of stillage with cheese whey (RTCV e RTCVS). In the reactors RM5, RM15, RM25, RTS and RTV, it was observed the volumetric H2 production (HPR) and H2 content increase behavior from the HRT decrease. However, there was a decrease in H2 yield (HY) in lower HRT for all reactors, reaching a maximum of 5.51 ± 0.37 mmol.g DQO-1 (RTS). The increase in cheese whey substrate concentration favored the hydrogen production in EGSB reactors, with maximum HPR of 0.312 ± 0.026L H2.h-1.L-1 in the concentration of 25,000mg lactose.L-1 (RM25). The increase in temperature from 55oC to 75oC, the hydrogen production was reduced because of the difficult adaptation of the microbial community originally from a thermophilic sludge. The cofermentation strategy enabled the increase of HY in the HRT of 8h, with a maximum of 0.82 ± 0.07 mmol.g DQO-1 (RTCVS). The main soluble metabolites related to hydrogen production were acetic and butyric acids. On the other hand, higher lactate concentrations were observed in conditions with low hydrogen production. / Este estudo avaliou as influência do tempo de detenção hidráulica (TDH), da concentração de soro de queijo no afluente, da temperatura em faixa termofílica (55 a 75oC) e da cofermentação de vinhaça e soro de queijo na produção contínua de hidrogênio em reator anaeróbio de leito fluidizado (RALF) e em reator anaeróbio de leito granular expandido, do inglês expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB). Foram utilizados sete reatores, sendo que em três reatores foi utilizada a configuração EGSB em temperatura mesofílica (30oC) alimentados em diferentes concentrações de soro de queijo inoculados com lodo mesofílico proveniente do tratamento de águas residuárias do abatedouro de aves (RM5, RM15 e RM25). Outros quatro reatores na configuração RALF foram operados na faixa termofílica foram inoculados com lodo termofílico proveniente do tratamento de vinhaça de cana de açúcar. Nestes foi avaliado o efeito da temperatura em faixa termofílica alimentado com soro de queijo (RTS) e vinhaça (RTV). Também foi avaliada cofermentação de vinhaça com soro de queijo (RTCV e RTCVS). Nos reatores RM5, RM15, RM25, RTS e RTV, foi observado o comportamento de elevação da produtividade volumétrica de H2 (PVH) e na composição de H2 no biogás partir da redução do TDH. No entanto, verificou-se redução do rendimento de H2 (HY) em todos os reatores em valores reduzidos de TDH, alcançando valor máximo de 5,51 ± 0,37 mmol.g DQO-1 (RTS). O aumento da concentração de soro de queijo no afluente favoreceu a produção de hidrogênio em reatores EGSB, com PVH máxima de 0,312 ± 0,026L H2.h-1.L-1 na concentração de 25.000mg lactose.L-1 (RM25). Com a elevação da temperatura de 55oC para 75oC, a produção de hidrogênio foi reduzida devido dificuldade de adaptação da comunidade microbiana proveniente de inóculo originalmente termofílico. A estratégia de cofermentação possibilitou o aumento do HY no TDH de 8h, com valor máximo de 0,82 ± 0,07 mmol.g DQO-1 (RTCVS). Os principais metabólitos relacionados com a elevada produção de hidrogênio foram os ácidos acético e butírico. Por outro lado, foram observadas elevadas concentrações de lactato em condições com baixa produção de hidrogênio. Palavras-chave: Água residuária agroindustrial, co-substrato, vinhaça de cana de açúcar, soro de queijo, reator anaeróbio de leito fluidizado e reator anaeróbio de leito granular expandido.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:55:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4623.pdf: 1933289 bytes, checksum: 2fe0862970018a5264c75880e4d507f8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-09 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Hydrogen and ethanol production using microorganisms is a promising area of technological development from a wide variety of renewable and alternative to this production is the use of anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR). One of the factors that most influence the performance of the AFBR is the material support, which must provide abrasion resistance, porous surface conducive to colonization by microorganisms, easy to achieve fluidization and ability to promote mass transfer between the medium and biofilm. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different support materials (polystyrene - R1, grounded tire - R2 and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - R3) on producing hydrogen and ethanol using three anaerobic fluidized bed reactors. Each reactor had a total volume of 4192 cm3 and was fed with media containing glucose as the carbon source (4000 mg L-1) with an influent pH around 5.0 and an effluent pH of about 3.5, a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 8 1 h at a temperature of 23 2 ºC, with thermal treatment of the inoculum. For hydrogen production, the best performance was achieved with R2 (2.11 mol H2 mol-1 glucose), providing the highest H2 content in biogas (60%). In all reactors, the predominant soluble metabolites were acetic acid, butyric acid, lactic acid and ethanol, with small amounts of propionic acid. The reactor R2 produced more acetic and butyric acid (434.74 and 1013.61 mg L-1, respectively). However, reactor R3 showed a better performance for ethanol production (1941.78 mg L-1). / A produção de hidrogênio e etanol usando microrganismos é uma promissora área de desenvolvimento tecnológico a partir de uma ampla variedade de fontes renováveis e uma das alternativas para esta produção é a utilização do reator anaeróbio de leito fluidizado (RALF). Desta maneira, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de diferentes materiais suporte (poliestireno - R1, pneu inservível triturado - R2 e PET - R3) visando à produção de hidrogênio e etanol utilizando três reatores anaeróbios de leito fluidizado. Cada reator possuía um volume total de 4192 cm3, alimentado com meio contendo glicose como fonte de carbono (4000 mg.L-1), com tempo de detenção hidráulica (TDH) entre 8 e 1 h a uma temperatura entre 20 e 25ºC, com tratamento térmico do inóculo, utilizando culturas mistas. Para produção de hidrogênio, o melhor desempenho foi do R2, apresentando melhor rendimento de H2 (2,11 mol-H2.mol-1-glicose) e melhor conteúdo de H2 no biogás (60%). Os metabólitos solúveis predominantes em todos os reatores foram ácidos acético e butírico e etanol, havendo uma pequena produção de ácido propiônico, sendo o R2 o que mais produziu ácidos acético e butírico (434,74 e 1013,61 mg/L, respectivamente). Entretanto, o R3 apresentou um melhor desempenho para produção de etanol (2,43 mol-EtOH.mol-1-glicose). Assim, pode-se afirmar que foi possível produzir simultaneamente hidrogênio e etanol como biocombustíveis.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:56:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2404.pdf: 4034212 bytes, checksum: 2913adf06c11c92402ccb17ed7a97fa8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-27 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Hydrogen is a clean and renewable source of energy and it is considered the "fuel of the future", because it produces only water during combustion and when it is used as fuel and hydrogen has a high energy yield of 122 kJ/g, which is 2.75 times greater than hydrocarbon fuels. The hydrogen production using microorganisms is a promising area of technological development from a wide variety of renewable and a alternative for this production is to use the anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR), a promising reactor for hydrogen production. One of the factors that most influence the performance of AFBR is the support material, which should provide resistance to abrasion, porous surface conducive to colonization by microorganisms, easy fluidization to reach and ability to facilitate the transfer of mass between the middle and biofilm. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different support materials (polystyrene - R1, ground tire - R2 and PET - R3) for the hydrogen production, using three AFBR. Each reactor had a total volume of 4192 cm3, which was used as carbon source 4000 mg.L-1 of glucose, with pH influent around 7.0 and pH effluent of around 5.5, with hydraulic retention time (HRT) between 8 and 0.5 h, with temperature of 30 o C } 1, with heat treatment of the inoculum. The best performance was R2, giving better hydrogen yield production (HY) (2.15 mol-H2.mol-1-glucose), best H2 content in the biogas (52.97%) and showed a higher glucose conversion (90%). However, the R3 was better in the hydrogen production rate (HPR), 1.07 lh-1.L-1, a secondary parameter in the analysis of performance of the reactors. In all reactors, the production volume of hydrogen and H2 content in biogas increased with the reduction of the TDH, 8 pm to 1 HEO yield of hydrogen production increased with the reduction of the TDH, 8 h for 2 h. The major soluble metabolites during H2 fermentation were acetic acid (HAc), butyric acid (HBu), lactic acid (HLa) and ethanol (EtOH), and a small production of propionic acid and R2 was the reactor that more produced HAc and HBu (42.0% e 36.5%, respectively) . The better performance of R2 can be explained by the roughness of ground tire is larger than the other materials used, accumulating a large quantity of attached biomass, and a greater quantity of bacteria hydrogen producing. There was a predominance of bacilli like Clostridium sp. in the biofilm of all support materials. / O hidrogenio e uma fonte de energia limpa e renovavel e e considerado o combustivel do futuro , pois gera somente agua durante sua combustao e apresenta calor de combustao de 122 kJ.g-1, o que representa 2,75 vezes mais conteudo de energia do que qualquer hidrocarboneto. A producao de hidrogenio usando microrganismos e uma promissora area de desenvolvimento tecnologico a partir de uma ampla variedade de fontes renovaveis e uma das alternativas para esta producao e a utilizacao do reator anaerobio de leito fluidizado (RALF). Um dos fatores que mais influenciam o desempenho do RALF e o material suporte, que deve apresentar resistencia a abrasao, superficie porosa favoravel a colonizacao de microrganismos, facilidade para alcancar a fluidizacao e capacidade de favorecer a transferencia de massa entre o meio e o biofilme. Desta maneira, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influencia de diferentes materiais suporte (poliestireno - R1, pneu inservivel triturado - R2 e PET - R3) na producao de hidrogenio utilizando tres reatores anaerobios de leito fluidizado. Cada reator possuia um volume total de 4192 cm3, alimentado com meio contendo glicose como fonte de carbono (4000 mg.L-1), com pH afluente em torno de 7,0 e efluente em torno de 5,5, com tempo de detencao hidraulica (TDH) entre 8 e 0,5 h a uma temperatura de 30oC } 1oC, com tratamento termico do inoculo. O melhor desempenho foi do R2, apresentando melhor rendimento de H2 (2,15 mol-H2.mol-1-glicose), melhor conteudo de H2 no biogas (52,97%) e maior conversao de glicose (90%). Entretanto, o R3 foi melhor na producao volumetrica de H2, 1,07 L.h-1.L-1, um parametro secundario na analise de desempenho dos reatores. Em todos os reatores, a producao volumetrica de hidrogenio e o conteudo de H2 no biogas aumentaram com a reducao do TDH de 8 h para 1 h e o rendimento de producao de hidrogenio aumentou com a reducao do TDH de 8 h para 2 h. Os metabolitos soluveis predominantes em todos os reatores foram acidos acetico, butirico, latico e etanol, havendo uma pequena producao de acido propionico, sendo o R2 o que mais produziu acidos acetico e butirico (42,0% e 36,5%, respectivamente). O melhor desempenho do R2 pode ser explicado pela rugosidade do pneu triturado ser maior do que a dos demais materiais empregados, acumulando uma maior quantidade de biomassa aderida e uma maior quantidade de bacterias acidogenicas produtoras de hidrogenio. Houve predominancia de bacilos semelhantes a Clostridium sp. no biofilme de todos os materiais suporte.

PhD. (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / The use of solar photocatalysis for the treatment of aromatic chemicals like phenol in wastewater has attracted significant attention due to the low cost of sunlight. However, sunlight is unreliable since its intensity fluctuates during the day. This drawback can be addressed by supplementing sunlight with artificial UV lamps when the solar intensity reduces. In this work, such a hybrid solar/UV lamp reactor, internally illuminated by the UV lamp and externally by sunlight, was designed. Phenol was used as the model pollutant and the nanophase Aeroxide P25 TiO2 was employed as the photocatalyst and fluidized by compressed air. The catalyst and bubble distribution in the reactor was analysed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) while the Monte Carlo (MC) method was used to model the light distribution and reaction kinetics. Finally, a lamp controller was designed to specify the required UV lamp output as a function of the solar intensity. The CFD simulation using ANSYS CFX 17 showed that a fairly homogeneous distribution of the catalyst was achieved in the reactor. Consequently, accurate simulations of the light distribution could be achieved without considering the hydrodynamics. The MC models revealed that bubbles did not significantly influence light absorption at the optimum catalyst loading. This showed that air was a good medium for fluidization as it could provide good mixing and oxygen electron acceptor without negatively affecting light absorption. The forward scattering behaviour of the P25 TiO2 and the increase in light attenuation with catalyst loading was confirmed in this work. The optimum catalyst loading in the different reactor configurations was 0.15 g/L (tubular solar), 0.2 g/L (annular solar), 0.4 g/L (annular UV lamp), and 0.4 g/L (hybrid light). This resulted in experimental reaction rates of 0.337 mgL-1min-1 (tubular solar), 0.584 mgL-1min-1 (annular UV lamp), and 0.93 mgL-1min-1 (hybrid light). An analysis of the local volumetric rate of energy absorption (LVREA) and reaction rate profiles along the radial coordinate showed a non-uniformity which worsened with an increase in catalyst loading. The reaction order with respect to the volumetric rate of energy absorption (VREA) indicated that solar illumination resulted in a higher electron-hole recombination as compared to UV illumination. This, combined with the higher intensity of the UV lamp, resulted in a higher reaction rate under UV light as compared to sunlight, demonstrating that the UV lamp could be used to supplement sunlight. For a typical sunny day, a lamp controller was designed that could adjust the UV lamp output as a function of the solar intensity to maintain the reaction rate at a reference level while ensuring less energy consumption than an ON/OFF lamp controller. This work demonstrated the feasibility of hybrid solar/UV lamp photocatalysis reactor which could maintain the advantages of solar photocatalysis while mitigating its drawbacks.

No description available.