Mass transport and chemical reaction in Taylor-vortex flows with entrained catalytic particles: applications to a novel class of immobilized enzyme biochemical reactors

Abstract

The general problem of mass transport and chemical reaction in spatially periodic annular flows with entrained catalytic particles is in vestigated using generalized Taylor-Aris dispersion theory arguments. Generic formulas are derived for the effective solute reaction rate, mean axial velocity and dispersivity in terms of the numerous geometric, kinematic, kinetic and material physicochemical parameters defining the complex three-dimensional transport and reaction problem . The theoretical analysis constitutes a prelude to rationalizing the behaviour (and optimizing the design) of a class of immobilized enzyme biochemical reactors, in which the ‘catalytic’ enzyme is distributed over the surfaces of small entrained particles.