GOALI: Catalytic Hydrogenation Using an Actively Forced Microreactor

CBET-0754397Knopf PIS计划研究微通道反应器，利用催化剂整体实现低压降，利用微通道换热器实现精确的温度控制，并利用主动强迫(低振幅、低频振荡)来控制气液分配、混合、表面润湿和传质速率。主动强迫机制是可扩展的，适用于任何多相反应系统。他们将通过模型气/液反应的研究，以及微通道的流动可视化和CFD建模，来探索反应器潜在的传质/流体流动/动力学行为。工业合作伙伴Mezzo Technologies将提供微型热交换器，并协助系统的进化设计和制造。智力优势：PI计划通过脉冲流研究主动强迫的影响，在催化剂整体反应系统中独立地改变幅度和频率。基于对空气-水(传质、流动可视化)和α-甲基苯乙烯加氢(反应器研究)系统的初步工作，他们预计气液传质增强，温度控制更精确(由于微型热交换器)，气液流量分布更均匀，液体表面更新更快，无论是否基于结构化催化剂填充。这些基本问题将在具有多个反应路径的复杂氢化(豆油)和高分子量、高粘度的氢化(聚苯乙烯氢化)中得到解决。在这两种情况下，气液分布和表面润湿对观察到的反应速率有很大影响。通过主动强制和更好的分布器设计实现的改进相结合，可以在这些需要中间产品的系列反应中产生更高的观察速率、更少的催化剂失活和更高的选择性。可能的结果将通过动力学、传质、流动可视化和催化剂表征实验相结合来检验。此外，简化的几何结构(相对于填充床或泡沫塔等混沌系统)允许对光滑的通道进行更直接的建模。Broader优点：C&amp；E News最近报道称，微型反应器市场正增长到100 mm。整体式微型反应器很容易从克级到吨级。目前使用微通道反应器快速筛选催化剂和生产化学品的努力在很大程度上忽视了催化的气/液反应。该项目通过探索如何最好地将结构化微通道反应器应用于此类工艺，为微反应器基础设施做出贡献。在未来的生物燃料和生物精炼过程中，食用油和大分子的催化气/液(有时甚至是固体)反应将占主导地位，本项目将研究结构化微反应器中的此类反应系统。该项目将培养研究生和本科生在微反应器和微型热交换器设计以及多相催化方面的知识。学生们每年将在Mezzo Technologies工作数周，获得微细加工方面的第一手经验。Mezzo Technologies将获得在微反系统中采用热交换器的宝贵专业知识。本科生将通过REU附录和路易斯安那州立大学校长未来领袖研究计划参与其中。这项工作的成果将通过教学单元和将公开提供的微型设计项目纳入私人投资机构教授的研究生和本科生班级。PIS还将开发一个关于微反应堆技术的视频模块，通过现有的路易斯安那州立大学K-12 STEM计划进行更广泛的传播。

CBET-0754397KnopfThe PIs plan to look at microchannel reactors utilizing catalyst monoliths for low pressure drop, microchannel heat exchangers for precise temperature control, and active forcing (low-amplitude, low-frequency oscillation) to control gas/liquid distribution, mixing, surface wetting and rates of mass transfer. The active forcing mechanism is scaleable and adaptable to any multiphase reacting system. They will explore underlying mass transfer/fluid flow/ kinetics behavior of the reactors through studies of model gas/liquid reactions, with flow visualization and CFD modeling of the microchannels. The industrial partner, Mezzo Technologies, will provide the micro-heat exchangers and assist in system evolutionary design and fabrication.Intellectual Merit:The PIs plan to study the effects of active forcing via pulsed flow, varying both amplitude and frequency independently in a catalyst monolith reaction system. Based on preliminary work on the systems airwater (mass transfer, flow visualization) and á-methylstyrene hydrogenation (reactor studies), they expect enhanced gas-liquid mass transfer, more precise temperature control (due to the micro-heat exchangers), more uniform flow distribution of both gas and liquid, and faster liquid surface renewal than existing heterogeneous catalytic gas/liquid reactor systems, whether based on structured catalyst packing or not. These fundamental issues will be addressed for both a complex hydrogenation (soybean oil) with multiple reaction paths and one of high molecular weight and viscosity (polystyrene hydrogenation). In both cases, gas-liquid distribution and surface wetting strongly affect observed reaction rates. The combination of improvements made possible by active forcing and better distributor design can result in higher observed rates, less catalyst deactivation, and improved selectivities in these serial reactions, where intermediate products are desired. Possible outcomes will be examined through a combination of kinetics, mass transfer, flow visualization, and catalyst characterization experiments. Moreover, the simplified geometry (relative to chaotic systems such as packed beds or bubble columns) allows a more straightforward modeling for the smooth channels.Broader Merit:C&E News recently reported that the microreactor market is growing to $100 MM. Monolith microreactors are easily scaleable from gram to tonnage production. Ongoing efforts to use microchannel reactors for both rapid catalyst screening and chemicals production have largely ignored catalyzed gas/liquid reactions. This project contributes to microreactor infrastructure by exploring how structured microchannel reactors can best be applied to such processes. Catalyzed gas/liquid (and sometimes solid) reactions of edible oils and macromolecules figure prominently in future biofuels and biorefining processes, and this project addresses such reacting systems in structured microreactors.The project will educate graduate and undergraduate students in microreactor and micro heat exchanger design, and heterogeneous catalysis. Students will work several weeks each year at Mezzo Technologies gaining first-hand experience in microfabrication. Mezzo Technologies will gain valuable expertise incorporating heat exchangers in microreactor systems. Undergraduates will participate through an REU supplement and the LSU Chancellors' Future Leaders in Research Program. Results of this work will be incorporated in both graduate and undergraduate classes taught by the PIs, through teaching modules and through a mini-design project that will be made available publicly. The PIs will also develop a video module on microreactor technology for broader dissemination through existing LSU K-12 STEM programs.