Effect of operating pressure on the performance of ultrasound-assisted oxidative desulfurization (UAOD) using a horn type sonicator: Experimental investigation and CFD simulation

In the present work, experimental and simulation investigations have been conducted on the pressurized ultrasound-assisted oxidative desulfurization (UAOD) of kerosene using a direct probe sonicator system. The effects of various operating parameters including pressure, ultrasonic power, and sonication time on the performance of UAOD process have been examined. The Box - Behnken design as a subset of the response surface methodology (RSM) has been employed to find the optimum conditions and to analyze the effects of different operating parameters on the performance of UAOD process. 96% sulfur removal of kerosene was achieved using operating pressure of 0.03 barg, ultrasound power of 390 W, and sonication time of 22 min followed by liquid liquid extraction. In addition, calorimetric tests have been carried out to determine the acoustic pressure amplitude at the tip of the probe. Pressure distribution and velocity magnitude of the system obtained by computational fluid dynamic (CFD) was in agreement with the calorimetric and experimental analysis results.