Liquid Fuel Reformation in Direct Droplet Impingement Microreactors

0928716 fedorov该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。目的和方法化学处理通常需要使液体试剂汽化，混合，在固体催化剂的存在下进行非均相反应，然后进行产物分离。在传统的大型化学反应器中，每个过程通常在专用组件中进行，针对其给定功能进行优化，并连接在一起形成整个系统。这些大型化工厂的缩小版本已被考虑用于分布式应用，特别是从碳氢化合物液体原料制氢，但基于单个单元操作方法的反应器设计已被证明很快就会变得次优，特别是在空间有限的应用中。为了应对反应堆规模缩小的挑战，多功能反应堆的概念出现了，其中探索了不同单元操作的协同组合以提高性能。直接液滴撞击反应器（Direct drop impingreactor， DDIR）是高能量密度液体燃料高速率多功能化学处理的新概念，为高密度功率转换技术的发展提供了可能。本项目的重点是建立对DDIR反应堆中燃料输送、蒸发和反应之间复杂相互作用的基本理解，从而为这种新型反应堆的优化设计和运行提供一种经过实验验证的方法。将开发新的理论和实验工具，对DDIR反应堆概念进行全面研究。拟议的调查预计将产生以下贡献：(1)理论分析和模拟将产生DDIR设计地图，允许使用转化率和选择性作为性能指标确定最佳工作点；(2)理论推导的优化设计图将进行实验验证，展示DDIR反应器性能的预测趋势。实验验证将有助于建立一定程度的信心，将开发的一般理论框架扩展到其他反应系统；(3)通过实验和模拟，对DDIR反应堆的强迫非稳态运行进行探索性研究。据推测，通过改变这些强迫时间尺度相对于系统的自然时间尺度，可能会导致时间平均反应堆性能的改善。更广泛的影响如果取得成功，这项研究将为社会带来巨大的利益，并为广泛的工程应用带来潜在的变革性效益，包括开发用于便携式和分布式发电的新型反应堆技术，以及用于包括可再生能源在内的各种液体燃料的高效化学处理。这项研究将促进发现和理解，同时通过将研究成果纳入几门学术课程和通过本科生研究机会促进教学，培训和学习。扩大代表性不足群体的参与将通过吸引来自代表性不足群体的研究生和本科生来实现，包括HBMUs的毕业生：克拉克亚特兰大学院、斯佩尔曼学院和莫尔豪斯学院。这项工作将通过开发和维护PI机构的MEMS制造和表征设施，加强研究和教育的基础设施。将通过若干活动进行广泛传播，以增进对科学和技术的了解。首先，将促进工业界积极参与，使研究成果能够转化为工业实践。其次，研究成果将通过技术论文和工程论坛上的演讲，以及PI将为当地高中生组织的特别活动来传播。

0928716FedorovThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Objectives and Methods to be EmployedChemical processing frequently requires vaporizing liquid reagents, mixing, and heterogeneous reaction in the presence of a solid catalyst, followed by product separation. In traditional large scale chemical reactors each process is typically carried out in dedicated components, optimized for their given function, and linked together to form the overall system. Scaled down versions of these large-scale chemical plants have been considered for distributed applications, in particular hydrogen generation from hydrocarbon liquid feedstock, but the reactor design based on the individual unit operation approach has been shown to quickly become sub-optimal especially for space-constrained applications. To address this challenge of reactor scale-down, the concept of multifunctional reactors has emerged, in which synergistic combination of different unit operations is explored to achieve improved performance.The Direct Droplet Impingement Reactor (DDIR) is a new concept for multifunctional chemical processing of high energy density liquid fuels at very high rate, enabling development of high density power conversion technologies. This project focuses on establishing fundamental understanding of the complex interplay between the fuel delivery, evaporation, and reaction in DDIR reactors, resulting in an experimentally-validated methodology for optimal design and operation of this new class of reactors.Intellectual MeritNew theoretical and experimental tools will be developed to carry out a comprehensive study of the DDIR reactor concept. The following contributions are expected to result from the proposed investigation: (1) Theoretical analysis and simulations will yield the DDIR design map(s) that allow determination of optimal operating points using conversion rates and selectivity as performance metrics; (2) Theoretically-derived optimal design map(s) will be experimentally validated, demonstrating the predicted trends in DDIR reactor performance. The experimental validation will be instrumental in establishing a degree of confidence in extending the general theoretical framework developed to other reacting systems; and (3) Exploratory studies of the forced unsteady-state operation of the DDIR reactor will be undertaken, via experiments and simulations. It is conjectured that by changing these forcing time scales relative to the natural time scales of the system, improvements in time-averaged reactor performance may result.Broader ImpactsIf successful, this research could provide a significant benefit to society with potentiallytransformational benefits to a wide range of engineering applications, including development of a new reactor technology for portable and distributed power generation and efficient chemical processing for a broad range of liquid fuels, including renewable energy sources. This research will advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning by incorporating the research results into several academic courses and through undergraduate research opportunities. Broadening of participation by underrepresented groups will be achieved by engaging graduate and undergraduate students from under-represented groups, including graduates of HBMUs: Clark Atlanta, Spellman, and Morehouse Colleges. The work will enhance the infrastructure for research and education by developing and maintaining facilities for MEMS fabrication and characterization at the PI's institution. Broad dissemination to enhance scientific and technological understanding will be achieved through several activities. First, active industry involvement will be facilitated to enable the transfer of research results into industry practice. Second, research results will be disseminated through technical papers and presentations in engineering forums, as well as special events that the PI will organize for local high school students.