Design and Development of a Cavitation Reactor for Solubility Enhancement in Washing Machines

The intended project focuses on the use of cavitation technology to enhance the dissolution of detergents and improve stain removal from textiles in washing machines. Detergents, which are solutions of water and chemical compounds, play a crucial role in achieving effective cleaning. Surface-active substances, also known as surfactants, are the main components of detergents and contribute to their cleaning power. Surfactants have both polar (hydrophilic) and non-polar (hydrophobic) properties, making them capable of reducing surface tension and forming special layers at the interfaces of multiphase systems.
In this project, we aim to utilize cavitation, a phenomenon characterized by extreme conditions created during the collapse of cavitation bubbles, to facilitate the rapid dissolution of detergents in water. Cavitation generators, which exploit the physical and chemical effects of cavitation, offer several advantages such as energy efficiency, simplicity, and potential for industrial-scale operation. However, the optimal conditions for cavitation generation are still being explored, hindering its widespread application. The project involves various activities, methods, and procedures to investigate the mechanical and chemical effects of cavitation on particle size distribution and dissolution rate.
The interested students will work on practical reactor design and fabrication based on cavitation to enhance solubility performance. The developed hydrodynamic cavitation reactor will be integrated into a washing machine to assess its performance in enhancing the washing process. The scholar will take responsibility for conducting experiments together with the group, ensuring that the practical studies are systematically performed, analyzed, and optimized throughout the project.