A Theoretical Analysis of the Performance UV Banks in Series

It was found in scientific literature and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) guidelines that reactor equivalent dose (RED) additivity was assumed for reactors / banks in series, though little work had been done to substantiate the assumption, and what work had been done was inconsistent. A new ratio that characterizes the degree of reactor additivity called the reactor additivity factor (RAF) is discussed, and reactor additivity is correlated to the degree of mixing between reactors / banks in series. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of wastewater reactors is used to demonstrate calculation of the RAF in a real-world example, as well as to gage the validity of the reactor additivity assumption. It was concluded that reactors / banks in series should be placed as far apart as reasonably possible in order to achieve near perfect mixing and reactor additivity.