Elucidating the gas flow dynamics in a nanomaterial synthesis solar reactor

We report unconventional flow visualization coupled with two-dimensional numerical modeling in the Heliotron solar reactor used for nanomaterial synthesis. The effect of operating conditions, such as gas ejection velocity and configurations of sweeping gas flow on the particle transport in the reactor were investigated in order to map the different flow regimes experienced during solar ablation. The experimentally observed phenomena were satisfactorily accounted for by the simulations, providing a consistent basis to explore the effects of heat transfer and flow dynamics, as well as those of particle thermal history from the vaporization zone to the condensation zone.