| Extended surface area photocatalytic reactors for treatment of low concentration contaminants in indoor air were examined. Near UV irradiated TiO2 has been earlier studied for use in pollutant remediation applications, however, few studies have dealt with design of practical, commercially viable, reactor systems. A computer simulation, incorporating mass transfer, kinetic, and light distribution models was developed to aid in the reactor design process. Three extended surface area reactors: a corrupted annular system, a corrugated porous media system, and a flat plate system were investigated. For each, the performance of the system was correlated with geometric parameters, UV source placement and power, and throughput. An evaluation of a select group of catalysts was also completed. The three reactors were shown to be effective for destruction of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds. Conversion efficiencies in excess of 99.9% were measured for benzene with no detectable byproducts. The performance of the flat plate design was found to be such that photocatalytic systems can be cost competitive with adsorption technologies in select indoor air applications. |
