GOALI: Catalytic Hydrogenation Using an Actively Forced Microreactor

pi计划研究微通道反应器，利用催化剂单体实现低压降，微通道热交换器实现精确的温度控制，以及主动强迫（低振幅，低频振荡）来控制气/液分布，混合，表面润湿和传质速率。主动强迫机制具有可扩展性，适用于任何多相反应体系。他们将通过研究气/液反应模型，以及微通道的流动可视化和CFD建模，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，并协助系统进化设计和制造。智力优势：pi计划通过脉冲流研究主动作用力的影响，在催化剂单体反应体系中，脉冲流的振幅和频率都是独立变化的。基于对系统空气-水（传质，流动可视化）和á-methylstyrene加氢（反应器研究）的初步工作，他们期望增强气-液传质，更精确的温度控制（由于微型热交换器），更均匀的气体和液体流动分布，以及比现有的非均相催化气/液反应器系统更快的液体表面更新，无论是否基于结构化催化剂填料。这些基本问题将在具有多种反应途径的复杂加氢（大豆油）和高分子量和高粘度的加氢（聚苯乙烯）中得到解决。在这两种情况下，气液分布和表面润湿都强烈影响观察到的反应速率。在这些需要中间产物的系列反应中，通过活性强迫和更好的分布器设计实现的改进可以提高观察速率，减少催化剂失活，并提高选择性。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的组合进行检查。此外，简化的几何结构（相对于混沌系统，如填充床或气泡柱）允许更直接的光滑通道建模。更广泛的优点：C&amp；E News最近报道，微反应器市场正在增长到1亿美元。单体微反应器很容易从克到吨的生产规模进行扩展。目前使用微通道反应器进行快速催化剂筛选和化学品生产的努力在很大程度上忽略了催化气/液反应。该项目通过探索结构微通道反应器如何最好地应用于此类过程，为微反应器基础设施做出了贡献。食用油和大分子的催化气/液（有时是固体）反应在未来的生物燃料和生物精炼过程中占有重要地位，本项目在结构微反应器中研究这种反应系统。该项目将对研究生和本科生进行微反应器和微热交换器设计以及多相催化的培训。学生每年将在Mezzo Technologies工作几周，获得微加工的第一手经验。Mezzo Technologies将获得在微反应器系统中整合热交换器的宝贵专业知识。本科生将通过REU补充和路易斯安那州立大学校长未来领导者研究计划参加。这项工作的结果将通过教学模块和将公开的小型设计项目纳入pi教授的研究生和本科生课程。pi还将开发微反应堆技术的视频模块，以便通过现有的LSU K-12 STEM项目进行更广泛的传播。

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.