A refined model for ozone mass transfer in a semibatch stirred vessel

Abstract

The mathematical model proposed by Anselmi et al. (1984) for a semibatch stirred gas-liquid contactor is refined to describe the mass transfer of ozone absorption and decomposition in aqueous solution with the decomposition rate expression of general reaction orders (not necessarily integers). Three system equations are employed to describe the ozone concentrations in the bulk liquid (C-ALb), the hold-up gas (C-AGi), and the outlet gas in the free volume above the liquid surface (C-AGe), respectively. The effect of ozone decomposition on the mass transfer, which is reflected by the enhancement factor (E-r) defined as the ratio of mass absorbed per unit area in time t with chemical reaction (r) to that without chemical reaction or of the purely physical absorption, is considered in the refined model. Furthermore, the refined model also takes into account the variation of E-r with C-ALb, which changes with time during the course of gas-liquid contacting. Thus this analysis extends the applicability of the model of Anselmi et al. (1984) and is of special importance for ozone mass transfer in the cases of basic solutions and of low mass transfer coefficients, in which the effect of decomposition on absorption is significant, and in the system with variable liquid phase ozone concentration.