Development of pilot-scale mini-fluidic technology for reacting systems involving immiscible fluids and solids

微型技术已被考虑用于燃料电池、医疗诊断、精细化学品和药品的各种应用。适用于需要快速添加/去除热量的系统和性能取决于混合程度的反应，微型反应器在单相应用中变得越来越普遍。然而，多相（气/液、液/液、液/固）的引入使反应策略、上游分配器设计、下游分离纯化、过程稳定性以及传热传质特性变得复杂。在最近的文献中，解决这些挑战的尝试主要集中在改善单个过程组件的接触和性能上，通常没有考虑将技术扩展到中试规模所涉及的挑战。因此，外围设备的高效技术（即分配器、阀门、过程控制的集成微分析、下游分离和净化）及其实施的启发式方法缺乏。这一缺陷使得许多行业对追求微型流体技术犹豫不决。该研究计划涉及多个项目，每个项目都有各自的利益，共同为构建模块化试点工厂技术做出贡献，用于气体、液体和/或固体的组合应用。最初的项目探索液-液和液-固系统的基本设计挑战，重点是开发小型振荡流动反应器，专门用于高价值生物材料结晶/凝胶化和微胶囊化过程中的粒径控制。同时开发通过传统和新型合成途径生产生物燃料的微型流体中试设施，将解决与多相系统模块化中试工厂技术相关的挑战。通过设计高效的分配器、微型流体接触器、强大的分离技术、控制系统和固体处理能力，本研究将有助于微型流体技术在多个工业部门的应用。

Mini-scale technology has been considered for a variety of applications in fuel cells, medical diagnostics, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Suited to systems requiring rapid addition/removal of heat and reactions whose performance is dependent on the extent of mixing, mini-reactors have become increasingly common in single-phase applications. However, the introduction of multiple phases (Gas/Liquid, Liquid/Liquid, Liquid/Solid) complicates the reaction strategy, upstream distributor design, downstream separation and purification, process stability, and heat and mass transfer characteristics. Attempts in recent literature to address some of these challenges have primarily focused on improving contacting and performance for individual process components, often without consideration for the challenges involved in extending the technology to pilot-scale. As a result, efficient technology for peripheral equipment (i.e. distributors, valves, integrated micro-analytics for process control, downstream separation and purification) and the heuristics for their implementation are lacking. This deficiency has made a number of industries hesitant to pursue mini-fluidic technology. This research program involves multiple projects, each with individual benefits collectively contributing to the construction of modular pilot-plant technology for applications involving combinations of gas, liquid and/or solids. Initial projects explore fundamental design challenges in liquid-liquid and liquid-solid systems, focusing on the development of mini-scale oscillating flow reactors applied specifically for particle size control during crystallization/gelation and micro-encapsulation of high-value bio-materials. Concurrent development of mini-fluidic pilot-scale facilities for biofuels production via conventional and novel synthesis pathways will address challenges related to modular pilot-plant technology for multi-phase systems. Through the design of efficient distributors, mini-fluidic contactors, robust separation technology, control systems and solids-handling capabilities, this research will contribute to increased adoption of mini-fluidic technology across multiple industrial sectors.