Simulation Design of Separator for the Treatment of Emulsions

Authors: Irena Markovska, Dimitar Rusev, Nikolai Zaicev, Bogdan Bogdanov, Dimitar Georgiev, Yancho Hristov

Abstract:

A prototype model of an emulsion separator was designed and manufactured. Generally, it is a cylinder filled with different fractal modules. The emulsion was fed into the reactor by a peristaltic pump through an inlet placed at the boundary between the two phases. For hydrodynamic design and sizing of the reactor the assumptions of the theory of filtration were used and methods to describe the separation process were developed. Based on this methodology and using numerical methods and software of Autodesk the process is simulated in different operating modes. The basic hydrodynamic characteristics - speed and performance for different types of fractal systems and decisions to optimize the design of the reactor were also defined.

Keywords: fractal systems, reactor, separation, emulsions

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1329486

References:

[1] B.B. Mandelbrot, "Fractal: Form, Chance and Dimension", W.H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1977.
[2] B.B. Mandelbrot, "The Fractal Geometry of Nature" , W.H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1982.
[3] B.B. Mandelbrot, D.E. Passoja, and A.J. Paulley, "Fractal character of fracture surfaces of metals" Nature, no. 308, pp.721-722, 1984.
[4] Annamaria Celli, Antonella Tucci, Leonardo Esposito, Carlo Palmonari "Fractal analysis of cracks in alumina-zirconia composites", J. Europ. Ceram. Soc., no. 23, 2003, pp. 469-479
[5] R. E. Collins, "Flow of Fluids Through Porous Materials" Reinholds Publ. Corp., N.Y., 1961, p. 351.
[6] U. M. Molokovich, "Unbalance filtration and its using in petrochemical Practice", M., Nauka, 2006, p. 214
[7] V. A. Korolev, "Cleaning the grounds from contaminations", M., Nauka, 2001, p. 309.
[8] O. Reynolds, Phil. Trans. R.Soc. Land. vol.177, pp 157-234, 1886
[9] C. Neto, D. R. Evans, E. Bonaccurso et al., Rep. Progr. Phys. v. 68, pp 2859-2897, 2005.
[10] B. Lefevre, A. Saugey, J.-L. Barrat et. al., J. Chem. Pys. vol.120, pp. 4927- 38, 2004.
[11] Autodesk Simulation - "Mechanical Simulation Software", http://usa.autodesk.com/simulation-software/.
[12] M.M. Breuer, "Encyclopedia of emulsions technology" New York: Marcel Dekker, vol.2, pp.385-424, 1985.