Title: Computational study of entropy generation minimisation in continuous stirred tank reactor

Authors: Akhilesh Khapre; Basudeb Munshi

Addresses: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India ' Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India

Abstract: Entropy generation minimisation (EGM) for optimising stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is performed by considering two cases: constant wall temperature and heat flux thermal boundary conditions. Entropy generation is computed from the temperature and velocity gradients which are predicted using CFD simulation. The selected parameters for EGM are inlet Reynolds number, impeller rotation, impeller clearance and impeller blade width. The optimum inlet Reynolds number increases with the wall temperature and heat flux. The effect of impeller rotation is also found on entropy generation. The optimum impeller clearance varies with the wall temperature and is invariant with the wall heat flux. The optimum impeller blade width depends on the magnitude of the wall temperature and heat flux. Bejan number is also determined, and it shows that the entropy generation is mostly dominated by heat transfer over the fluid friction irreversibility in the present study.

Keywords: entropy generation minimisation; CSTR; continuous stirred tank reactors; CFD; computational fluid dynamics; optimisation; wall temperature; wall heat flux; Bejan number; velocity; simulation; inlet Reynolds number; impeller rotation; impeller clearance; impeller blade width; fluid friction irreversibility.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2016.074265

International Journal of Exergy, 2016 Vol.19 No.1, pp.15 - 40

Received: 22 Aug 2014
Accepted: 28 Jan 2015
Published online: 20 Jan 2016 *

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