Influence of operating parameters on photocatalytic oxidation treatment efficiency: contact time investigation

Valérie Hequet (1, 2) , Louis Olivier (2) , Vanessa Maroga Mboula (2) , Cécile Raillard (2) , Albert Subrenat (2, 1) , Laurence Le Coq (3, 2)

1 IMT Atlantique - DSEE - Département Systèmes Energétiques et Environnement
2 GEPEA-TEAM - Traitement Eau Air Métrologie
3 GEPEA-VERTE - Valorisation Energie-matière des Résidus et Traitement des Emissions

The photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of toluene was performed in a dynamic loop reactor with control of key process parameters: UV-light intensity and air flow rate. The initial concentration of toluene was fixed at 800 ppb. The relative humidity was set at 50% (i.e. 13 000 ppm) to be close to real indoor air conditions. Two photocatalytic media geometries were used in a way to optimize the contact time. Flat and pleated geometry were studied. CFD simulations were performed with ANSYS-CFX® computational fluid software. Influence of the contact time was assessed and related to the geometry of the material. The local contact time was evaluated to be 9 times higher regarding the pleated geometry. This latter impacts the global PCO efficiency; it plays a role in the contact time between the effluent and the photocatalytic material.

Mots clés: VOCs; ppb levels; Operating conditions; Contact time influence

Domaines: Génie chimique; Catalyse; Ingénierie de l'environnement

Valérie Hequet, Louis Olivier, Vanessa Maroga Mboula, Cécile Raillard, Albert Subrenat, et al.. Influence of operating parameters on photocatalytic oxidation treatment efficiency: contact time investigation. The 14th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (Indoorair 2016), Jul 2016, Gand, Belgium. ⟨hal-02368485⟩