Improved Hydrodynamics and CFD-FEM Integration for High-Performance Annular Reactors: A Comprehensive Review

Résumé fourni par la source

Enhanced hydrodynamics has emerged as a powerful strategy for improving mixing, Residence Time Distribution (RTD), and coupled mass-heat transfer within annular reactors, offering substantial benefits for both plug-flow and continuous operation modes. By promoting superior flow distribution and turbulence control, hydrodynamic intensification enables higher reaction efficiencies, improved scalability, and greater energy economy__attributes that increasingly position annular reactors as attractive platforms for chemical, environmental, and energy-related processes. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in understanding the fundamental hydrodynamic behaviour of annular configurations, driven largely by advances in high-fidelity numerical tools. This review synthesizes current developments in the field, with emphasis on the role of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and coupled CFD-Finite Element Method (CFD-FEM) frameworks in evaluating flow regimes, transport mechanisms, and reactor-structure interactions. By critically examining recent modelling approaches, design innovations, and performance metrics, the review highlights how computational insights are supporting the evolution of compact, high-efficiency, and energy-optimized annular reactor technologies. The article also identifies key challenges, methodological limitations, and future opportunities for integrating advanced simulations with experimental validation to accelerate the adoption of annular reactors in next-generation process systems.

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