Numerical Model of Formaldehyde Photo-Oxidation in a Two Dimensional Flow Field Over Cylindrical UV Light Sources

摘要

Passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments by President Bush in 1990 is placing more stringent control on VOC emissions. These emerging regulations are forcing industries to reduce VOC emissions through new manufacturing techniques or through the use of air pollution control equipment. An emerging air pollution control technology is the use of ultraviolet (UV) photochemical and radical oxidation to destroy pollutant VOCs in process gas streams. A commercial system based in part on this technology has been developed and a pilot scale version has been installed at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at The Pennsylvania State University. Research is currently being performed with the pilot scale system to determine the systems effectiveness in removing different classes of VOCs and to recommend design improvements that enhance VOC destruction throughout the system. A numerical model of the photolytic reactor in the pilot scale system has been developed in support of this research effort.