The Influence of Laser Radiation on the Laminar Flow of a Chemically Active Gas–Dust Medium in a Narrow Circular Tube

The influence of laser radiation on the two-phase reaction flow of methane and catalytic nanoparticles in a narrow circular tube is studied in detail in numerical experiments. The study is conducted for nonoxidative reactions of endothermic catalytic synthesis of hydrocarbons from methane. The change in the thermal regime along the length of the pipe during the absorption of laser radiation in a reaction medium is investigated. It is shown that high-intensity radiation is almost 50% more efficient than heat power from the walls for methane conversion. This creates the need to search for modes of sharing radiation and heat energy from the pipe’s walls to create an energy-efficient methane conversion. Calculations are performed for various values of laser radiation power. It is found that exposure to radiation leads mainly to an increase in the yield of aromatic compounds and to an increase in the methane conversion. Relatively low laser radiation powers act with high efficiency as a controlling effect on the methane conversion process in the mode of receiving the main energy from the hot walls for the endothermic process.