Recent Developments in Hydrodynamic Cavitation Reactors:Cavitation Mechanism,Reactor Design,and Applications

Hydrodynamic cavitation is considered to be a promising technology for process intensification,due to its high energy efficiency,cost-effective operation,ability to induce chemical reactions,and scale-up possibilities.In the past decade,advancements have been made in the fundamental understanding of hydrodynamic cavitation and its main variables,which provide a basis for applications of hydrodynamic cavitation in radical-induced chemical reaction processes.Here,we provide an extensive review of these research efforts,including the fundamentals of hydrodynamic cavitation,the design of cavitation reactors,cavitation-induced reaction enhancement,and relevant industrial applications.Two types of hydrodynamic cavitation reactors—namely,stationary and rotational—are compared.The design parameters of a hydrodynamic cavitation reactor and reactor performance at the laboratory and pilot scales are discussed,and recommendations are made regarding optimal operation and geometric conditions.The commercial cavitation reactors that are currently on the market are reviewed here for the first time.The unique features of hydrodynamic cavitation have been widely applied to various chemical reactions,such as oxidization reactions and wastewater treatment,and to physical processes,such as emulsion generation and component extraction.The roles of radicals and gas bubble implosion are also thoroughly discussed.

Upgradation of Heavy Crude Oil Via Hydrodynamic Cavitation Through Variations in Asphaltenes

In this work,Saudi heavy crude oil(SHCO)was upgraded by the hydrodynamic cavitation technique.The collapse of cavitation bubbles instantly produces extreme conditions such as high temperature,pressure,and jet flow and strong shear forces,which can play a significant role in the upgradation process.The results revealed that the viscosity and Conradson carbon residue of SHCO decreased from 13.61 to 7.22 mm^(2)/s and from 7.16%to 6.48%,respectively.True boiling point distillation findings showed that the vacuum residue(VR)decreased by 1%.Atmospheric-pressure photoionization Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry,X-ray diffraction,dynamic light scattering,Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,and scanning electron microscopy were employed to characterize the molecular composition,crystalline structure,asphaltene aggregate particle size distribution,functional groups,and morphology,respectively,to understand the effects of hydrodynamic cavitation on asphaltenes.The obtained results demonstrate that hydrodynamic cavitation upgradation reduced the interaction forces between the asphaltene molecules,weakening the crystalline structure of the asphaltene aggregates,reducing the degree of association of the aromatic compounds in SHCO and asphaltenes,and decreasing the average particle size.The delayed coking properties of the VR were further investigated,and the cavitation treatment was found to decrease the coke yield by 1.85%and increase the liquid and gas yields by 1.52%and 0.33%,respectively.Hence,hydrodynamic cavitation can effectively enhance the processing performance of crude oil by improving the properties and structural characteristics of asphaltenes.

Hydrodynamic Cavitation Enhanced SR-Aops Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water:A Review

SR-AOP(sulfate radical advanced oxidation process)is a novel water treatment method able to eliminate refractory organic pollutants.Hydrodynamic cavitation(HC)is a novel green technology,that can effectively produce strong oxidizing sulfate radicals.This paper presents a comprehensive review of the research advancements in these fields and a critical discussion of the principal factors influencing HC-enhanced SR-AOP and the mechanisms of synergistic degradation.Furthermore,some insights into the industrial application of HC/PS are also provided.Current research shows that this technology is feasible at the laboratory stage,but its application on larger scales requires further understanding and exploration.In this review,some attention is also paid to the design of the hydrodynamic cavitation reactor and the related operating parameters.

Intensification of the degradation of Acid RED-18 using hydrodynamic cavitation

In this work degradation of Acid Red-18(AR-18)was examined in the hydrodynamic cavitation reactor.Orifice plates with different holes geometry are used to determine the optimum plate to carry out the degradation based on cavitation number.The obtained optimum orifice plate is used as a cavitating device on varying parameters like initial AR-18 concentrations,pH,temperatures,and operating pressures of the reactor.A photocatalyst(TiO2)was prepared by the sol-gel method and used in combination with H2O2 to intensify the degradation of AR-18.The obtained optimum condition of hydrodynamic cavitation was again used in the ultrasonic cavitation reactor for the comparison.Hydrodynamic cavitation(orifice)given the highest degradation as compared to Hydrodynamic cavitation(Venturi)and Ultrasonic Cavitation with and without the use of TiO2.At TiO2(300 mg/L)dose,88.1%,70.4%and 64.8%degradation is obtained in HC-O,HC-V and UC reactor at initial AR-18 concentration(15 ppm),pH(3),Operating temperature(35C),and H2O2(300 mg/L).Hence the use of an advanced oxidation process can be successfully used with hydrodynamic cavitation to intensify the degradation of Acid Red-18 under the controlled operating parameters.

An experimental study on size distribution and zeta potential of bulk cavitation nanobubbles

Nanobubble flotation technology is an important research topic in the field of fine mineral particle separation.The basic characteristics of nanobubbles,including their size,concentration,surface zeta potential,and stability have a significant impact on the nanobubble flotation performance.In this paper,bulk nanobubbles generated based on the principle of hydrodynamic cavitation were investigated to determine the effects of different parameters(e.g.,surfactant(frother)dosage,air flow,air pressure,liquid flow rate,and solution pH value)on their size distribution and zeta potential,as measured using a nanoparticle analyzer.The results demonstrated that the nanobubble size decreased with increasing pH value,surfactant concentration,and cavitation-tube liquid flow rate but increased with increasing air pressure and increasing air flow rate.The magnitude of the negative surface charge of the nanobubbles was positively correlated with the pH value,and a certain relationship was observed between the zeta potential of the nanobubbles and their size.The structural parameters of the cavitation tube also strongly affected the characteristics of the nanobubbles.The results of this study offer certain guidance for optimizing the nanobubble flotation technology.

An experimental investigation of transient cavitation control on a hydrofoil using hemispherical vortex generators

Unsteady cavitation causes noise,damage,and performance decline in the marine engineering and fluid machinery systems.Therefore,finding a method to control the cavitation and its destructive effects is important for the industrial applications.In this work,we proposed a passive method to control the unsteady behavior of transient cavitation at the medium Reynolds number.For this aim,we performed an experimental study using a high-speed camera to analyze the effects of hemispherical vortex generators(VGs)on the cavitation dynamics around a hydrofoil surface.In addition,the pressure pulsations induced by the collapse of the cavity structures in the wake region of the hydrofoil were captured with a pressure transducer mounted on the wall downstream of the hydrofoil.The results showed that the instability behaviors of the cavity structures on the hydrofoil were mitigated using the proposed cavitation passive control method.In addition,the pressure pulsations in the wake region of the hydrofoil were reduced significantly.It can be concluded that the suppression of cavitation instabilities can improve the operating life and reliability of the marine and hydraulic systems.