Peill, N. J. and Hoffmann, M. R. (1997) Solar-Powered Photocatalytic Fiber-Optic Cable Reactor for Waste Stream Remediation. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering - Transactions of the ASME, 119 (3). pp. 229-236. ISSN 0199-6231. doi:10.1115/1.2888024. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150821-113710825
![[img]](https://authors.library.caltech.edu/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png) |
PDF
- Published Version
See Usage Policy. 851kB |
Use this Persistent URL to link to this item: https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150821-113710825
Abstract
The design and testing of a solar-powered fiber-optic cable reactor prototype for the photocatalytic destruction of organic pollutants is presented. A concentrating collector directs sunlight into a fiber-optic cable which transmits light to a TiO_2 photocatalyst immobilized on the fibers and immersed in a reaction solution. The performance of the reactor using solar and artificial UV radiation are compared. The system is also compared to another fiber-optic cable reactor having a 50 percent higher photocatalytic surface area-to-reactor volume ratio to investigate mass transport limitations. Reaction rates for the oxidation of 4-chlorophenol of 25 and 12 μM min^(-1) were measured for solar and artificial UV sources, respectively. The faster reaction rate using solar radiation is due to a higher UV light flux compared to the artificial source. Both fiber-optic reactor systems were determined not to be mass transport limited. Relative quantum efficiencies of ⌽ = 0.014 and ⌽ = 0.020 were determined for the solar and artificial irradiations, respectively. In agreement with previous findings, enhanced quantum efficiencies are attributed to a lower absorbed light intensity-to-photocatalytic surface area ratio. The solar reactor prototype was found to degrade effectively 4-chlorophenol and may prove useful for the in situ passive decontamination of subsurface and other remote environments.
| Item Type: | Article | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Related URLs: |
| |||||||||
| ORCID: |
| |||||||||
| Additional Information: | © 1997 American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Received October 1, 1996; Revised January 1, 1997. We are grateful to ARPA and ONR (NAV 5 HFMN N000149Jl901) for financial support and to Tim Wu, Janet Kesselman, Scot T. Martin, and Wonyong Choi for scientific support. We would also like to thank 3M and Degussa for their donations of the optical fiber samples and the P25 photocatalyst, respectively. | |||||||||
| Funders: |
| |||||||||
| Issue or Number: | 3 | |||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1115/1.2888024 | |||||||||
| Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:20150821-113710825 | |||||||||
| Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150821-113710825 | |||||||||
| Official Citation: | Solar-Powered Photocatalytic Fiber-Optic Cable Reactor for Waste Stream Remediation N. J. Peill and M. R. Hoffmann J. Sol. Energy Eng 119(3), 229-236 (Aug 01, 1997) (8 pages) doi:10.1115/1.2888024 | |||||||||
| Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | |||||||||
| ID Code: | 59811 | |||||||||
| Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | |||||||||
| Deposited By: | Ruth Sustaita | |||||||||
| Deposited On: | 21 Aug 2015 20:04 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 10 Nov 2021 22:25 |
Repository Staff Only: item control page
