Global parameter of ultrasound exploitation (GPUE) in the reactors for wastewater treatment by sono-Fenton oxidation

Modeling of the sonochemical reactors presents a great challenge due to issues related to the experimental investigation and description of the primary effects of the ultrasound. The main idea proposed in this work was to establish an algorithm consisting of the viable laboratory analyses and basic elements of chemical reaction engineering. In this paper, a novel modeling approach is presented. Proposed approach is characterized by the following; ultrasound was investigated as an auxiliary source of energy and the kinetic constants determined for the basic oxidation reactions, i.e. Fenton type oxidation were treated as independent of the ultrasound. Sonochemical effectiveness factor is expressed as a global parameter of the ultrasound exploitation (GPUE) that was introduced in the kinetic model as the e(US) factor. Factor e(US) is modeled as a function of employed frequency, actual power of the transducer, portion of the cavitationally active zone, i.e. dimensionless active volume and the average temperature in the reactor. Lumped system has been assumed. In order to obtain all the necessary data, the experimental study included different sets of experiments. The kinetics of the sonochemical processes, e.g. US/Fe(2+)/H(2)O(2), US/Fe(2+)/S(2)O(8)(2-), US/Fe(2+)/HSO(5)(-) was investigated in the term of mineralization of model wastewaters containing different types of organic pollutants. The Weissler dosimetry and peroxodisulfate decomposition upon sonication, were used to facilitate the determination of e(US). They follow zero order kinetics, thus can be used as a model reaction to reflect all the primary effects of ultrasound and to establish the empirical correlation for e(US) calculation. Finally, GPUE has been introduced in the adequate kinetic models and the overall model was validated. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.