Investigations in multiphase reactor systems for improved performance and design

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The applications of multiphase reactors are growing in a number of important areas such as production of clean and renewable fuels, environmental pollution abatement and production of new and improved drugs. The proposed program aims at identifying ways to improve performance and productivity of these reactor systems for selected industrial applications. Investigations will be conducted mostly in three- and four-phase reactors of different designs and configurations for promising applications in the areas of clean and renewable fuels and environmental remediation. Investigations in three-phase slurry and fluidized bed reactor will focus mainly on hydrodynamics, heat and mass transfer in the presence of internals. Internals of different types and configurations such as heat transfer surface, internal membranes and packings are required for a number of applications of these reactors. The presence of these internals can alter mixing pattern thus affecting reactor performance. However, judicious choice of internals design and their placement can help achieve desired performance such as low backmixing and higher radial dispersion. The applicant has identified potential applications for novel four-phase gas-liquid-solid-solid (g-l-s-s) reactor systems in the important and emerging areas of renewable fuels and environmental remediation. One promising application is in the area of biodiesel production using in situ transesterification of macerated oilseed avoiding pre-extraction of oil. This approach can reduce the overall cost of the operation and maximize product yield. Other application involves modifications of porous particles and surfaces to add or improve their desired catalytic or adsorption characteristic. Hydrodynamics behavior and heat and mass transfer characteristics of the four phase g-l-s-s reactor will be investigated in details. The development efforts will build on applicant's previous successes and experiences as well ongoing work in multiphase reactor systems. Fast response probes tested and developed in applicant's lab will be used to study dynamic behavior of these systems to gain further insights for improved performance and operation.