Theoretical model on the heat and mass transfer in silica gel packed beds during the regeneration assisted by high-intensity ultrasound

In the present work, a theoretical model is reported on the heat and mass transfer in silica gel packed bed during the regeneration process by using hot air combined with high-intensity ultrasound. The model consists of two parts: one is about the sound propagation in porous media; the other is about the fundamental heat and mass transfer process in the silica gel (particle) packed bed. The theoretical model is then validated by experiments in terms of the exit air temperature and humidity (kg/(kg dryair)) under different conditions of regeneration. The experimental error due to the measuring instruments is estimated to be within 0.4% and 3.5%, respectively, for the exit air temperature and humidity. The comparison between theoretical and experimental data shows that the mean relative errors (MREs) of the calculated exit air temperature and humidity compared with the experimental ones are mostly within 2.0%, which manifests the model developed in this study has a favorite agreement with the experiments. The theoretical model will help us conduct a further parametric analysis on the regeneration process in the presence of an ultrasonic field, and have a better understanding of the mechanism of enhancement of silica gel regeneration brought by the high-intensity ultrasound.