Esko Lahdenperä

Chemical industry is looking for processes and equipment which increase material and energy efficiency and decrease environmental load. This is accomplished by applying principles of process intensification which by novel methods and new designs leads to smaller, cleaner and material and energy efficient technology.

The main research question in this study is to examine how CFD modeling and additive layer manufacturing can be combined in development of energy efficient units for chemical engineering processes. Solution for the research question is searched by building models for mass transfer processes where either energy usage or/and material recoveries are key points in order to search better solution in view of sustainability. CFD modeling is used to provide basis for experimental runs where new designs produced by additive layer manufacturing and process conditions are tested. As a result the optimal conditions and unit geometry are to be found. As candidate processes are selected crystallization and liquid-liquid dispersions because of their wide usage and increasing importance in chemical industry.

As a result study provides new concepts and guidelines in optimization of existing equipment and design of novel equipment to satisfy requirement of sustainable engineering.