Husain E. Ashkanani, Naser Ali, Nawaf F. Aljuwayhel
• Aspen Plus simulated CO 2 bubble formation from effervescent tablet-based nanofluid. • The tablet composition, temperature, and pH of basefluid were varied. • Higher temperatures led to more CO 2 generation and more of the basefluid vaporized. • pH of basefluid had no significant effect on the process. • Increasing the Na 2 CO 3 composition in the tablet led to a higher CO 2 generation. The effect of basefluid temperature and acidity on the effervescent generation, suspension acidity, and phase transformation of effervescent tablet-based multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-water nanofluids was investigated. Tablets were formulated using 0.01 vol.% to 0.1 vol.% of MWCNTs and different concentrations of effervescent agents and surfactant. The tablet’s components were varied to determine the effect of salt concentration on the process. Aspen Plus software was used to simulate the generation of CO 2 from these tablets through a Gibbs reactor operating at 1 atm and temperatures from 25 to 150 °C, with a water feed of pH 5 to 12. The built-in Electrolyte-Non-Random Two-Liquid (ELECNRTL) fluid package was also used in the simulation, and the adsorption of CO 2 by the carbon material was accounted for in the process and the process was also scaled up to determine feasibility for real-world applications. Results showed that increasing the reactor temperature leads to an increase in the amount of CO 2 generated while the pH of the basefluid did not have an effect on the process maintaining it within the real-world applications range. However, increasing the temperature showed to increase the amount of water vaporization, and therefore leading to scaling in pipelines affecting the fluid dynamics. The findings can be used in predicting the suitability of water-based nanofluids for applications such as energy cooling systems and enhanced oil recovery.