ABSTRACT
Dye removal from industrial wastewater is critical. Photocatalytic degradation of dyes is an excellent approach to this separation problem. Large-scale dye removal in an open tank based on the photocatalytic reaction of Methyl Blue with ZnO nanoparticles as catalyst under UV/solar irradiation was investigated in this work using advanced computational methods. A working model was developed that can simulate the system. The transient and steady-state behaviour of the process at various operating capacities and feed concentrations was analyzed. The velocity, concentration, reaction rate, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent dynamic viscosity, concentration, and mass flux profiles were obtained over time. The process was optimized for maximum dye degradation efficiency with a target product concentration of 10 ppm and a correlation for the estimation of the operating capacity for a given feed concentration was also developed. Furthermore, a dimensional analysis was also performed, and the dimensionless numbers of the process were determined. These numbers will be used for the scale-up of the process in future research. This model is a platform for future research and large-scale experiments for industrial applications.
