Modelling of UV radiation field inside a photoreactor designed for wastewater disinfection - Experimental validation

The radiation field for an annular-type photo-catalytic reactor, used for wastewater disinfection by UV radiation, has been modelled. The spatial domain was described in terms of two cylindrical coordinates and the field of direction with two angular variables. The UV radiation entering through the inner reactor wall was obtained from the extended source with volumetric emission (a UV lamp). The system parameters for the radiative-transfer equation were taken from experimental measurements. Resorting to computational experiments, the effects produced by different concentrations of radiation absorbing particles (bacteria) were investigated. We have succeeded in determining the incident radiation profiles and local volumetric rate of energy absorption profiles, both as a function of the spatial position inside the reactor. The experimental values were compared with the theoretical predictions, good agreement was obtained. The errors were never higher than 10%. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.