CFD modeling of a UV-LED photocatalytic odor abatement process in a continuous reactor

Highlights: ► A CFD model is developed for a UV-LED based photocatalytic deodorization reactor. ► Radiation field model and Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics are integrated in the model. ► The model can predict the pollutant concentration profile and the reactor performance. ► LED distance is predicted to be a critical parameter in photocatalytic reactor design. - Abstract: This paper presents a model study of a UV light-emitting-diode (UV-LED) based photocatalytic odor abatement process. It integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the gas flow in the reactor with LED-array radiation field calculation and Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction kinetics. It was applied to simulate the photocatalytic degradation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in a UV-LED reactor based on experimentally determined chemical kinetic parameters. A non-linear power law relating reaction rate to irradiation intensity was adopted. The model could predict the steady state DMS concentration profiles by calculating the advection, diffusion and Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction kinetics. By affecting the radiation intensity and uniformity, the position of the LED array relative to the catalyst appeared to be a critical parameter determining DMS removal efficiency. Too small distances might yield low quantum efficiency and consequently poor abatement performance. This study provided an example of LED-based photocatalytic process modeling and gave insights into the optimization of light source design for photocatalytic applications.