Microreactors

Presented to- Presented by-

Dr. S.K. Gupta Rajat Kumar Sonkar
Mr. Charanjeet Singh Bagga II M.Tech
170202006
Outlines-
• What is Microreactor ?
• Channel geometries in microreactor
• Mixing pattern and channel dimensions
• Flow pattern in microreactor
• Mass and heat transfer
• Reactions
• Fabrication Material & technique
• Batch v/s Microreactor
• Biodiesel production in microreator
• Scale out Methodology
• Applications
• Advantages
• Drawbacks
• Conclusion 2
What is MICROREACTOR?
• A device in which chemical reactions take place in a confinement with
typical lateral dimensions below 1 mm
• The most typical form of such confinement are microchannels(10–
1000µm)
• It is usually a continuous flow reactor
• Fluid flow under laminar condition
• It is process intensification technique
• Unsuitable for solid reactions
• Suitable for fast and exothermic reaction
• High interfacial area (m2/m3)

3
Channel geometries in microreactor

(a) Omega-shaped (b) Tesla shaped (c) T-shaped

4
Effect of channel geometry on performance

5
Mixing pattern and channel dimensions

T – mixer J – mixer Rectangular interdigital Split interdigital

0.5 min 0.7 min micromixer micromixer
1 min 5 min

6
Flow pattern in microreactor

Flow Droplet Flow Parallel Flow Slug Flow

Total interfacial area 6.00 × 104 1.46 × 103 6.31 × 102
(m2/m3)
7
Mass and heat transfer

8
Comparison of Specific interfacial area (S/V)
Type of conventional Specific interface area Type of Microrector Specific interface area
reactor [m2/m3] [m2/m3]
Packed column Micro bubble column 5100
Counter current flow 10-350 (1100μm x 170 μm)
Co-current flow 10-1700
Bubble columns 50-600 Micro bubble column 9800
(30μm x 100 μm)
Spray columns 10-100 Micro bubble column 14800
(50μm x 50 μm)
Mechanically stirred 100-2000 Falling film 27000
bubble columns microreactor
(300 μm x 100 μm)

9
Comparison of Macro- & Micro-Heat exchanger

Parameter Shell and tube heat exchanger Microchannel Heat Exchanger

Surface-to-volume 50-100 >1500

Ratio[m2/m3]
Heat transfer coefficient(liquid) ~5000(tube side) >7000
Heat transfer coefficient(gas) 20~100 400-2000
Approach Temp ~20 <10
Flow regime Turbulent Laminar

10
Reactions
Reactions
Type A – Very fast reaction (< 1 sec)
eg – Alkylation, Chlorination, Ozonolysis, etc 8%

9%
Type B – Fast reaction (1 sec – 10 min)
eg – Oxidation, trans esterification etc 2%

Type C – Slow reaction (> 10 min)

eg – Nitration, amination, saponification,
methylation, de/hydrogenation etc

Type D – Unsuitable reaction for microreactor

due to phase and kinetics
81%

11
Fabrication Material & technique
• They may be fabricated from different materials including glass,
silicon, quartz, metals and polymers
• The most commonly used material is glass since it is chemically inert
and transparent which allows the visual inspection of microchannels
• Metal devices are often used in fast exothermic
• Fabrication techniques for microchannel production-
Photolithography
Hot embossing
Powder blasting
Injection moulding
Laser microformation

12
Batch v/s micro-reactor plant for biodiesel

13
 Biodiesel production in microreator

Al Dhubabian (2005) and Canter (2006), performed trans esterification of pre-mixed

rapeseed oil and methanol using KOH as a catalyst in quartz capillary of 0.25 mm inner
diameter and length of 30 m. At a catalyst concentration of 1% by weight and methanol
to oil molar ratio of 6:1, a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield of
98.80% was obtained in 6 min at 60 °C 14
Scale out Methodology
Means single unit

• Number of channels increases,

size of the single channel does
not
• The concept of scale-up by
replication of microreactor units
(scale-out) appears to be simple
but the areas of reactor
monitoring and control become
increasingly complex as the
parallel array size grows to a
large number of reactors

15
16
Commercial Microreactor

17
Applications
• Biodiesel production
• Synthesis of hazardous gases: chlorine, iso-cyanates, hydrogen
cyanide, phosgene
• Hydrogen production via steam reforming, partial oxidation of
methane, from higher alkanes and alcohol to syngas
• Synthesis of ethylene oxide, propylene to acrolein, oxidative
dehydrogenation of alcohols to aldehydes
• Oxidation of ammonia
• Enzyme catalyzed polymer synthesis

18
Industry wise applications
Kuwait Institute of Scientific Two units for processing light and heavy feeds
Research
Indian Oil Corporation Limited For rapid evaluation of hydro-processing catalysts
Bharat Petroleum Corporation For studies of isomerisation & reforming processes of
Limited Naphtha
Indian Oil Corporation Limited, For selective Hydrogenation, Hydro de-sulfurization, Hydro
Faridabad dewaxing & Hydro cracking,
For catalyst screening, their performance evaluation &
comparison and to extract the kinetic data
For carrying out research activities in the area of
catalytic/non-catalytic adsorption processes (for sulfur
adsorption)
For evaluation of different adsorbent systems, feed stocks
and for optimization of process parameters
Syngas microreactor system

19
Advantages
• High surface-to-volume area; enhanced mass and heat transfer
• Laminar flow conditions
• Uniform residence time, back mixing minimized (increased precision
and accuracy)
• High-throughput and use of very small amounts of materials
• Low manufacturing, operating, and maintenance costs (if mass
produced), and low power consumption
• Minimal environmental hazards and increased safety
• “Scaling-out” or “numbering-up” instead of scaling-up

20
Drawbacks
• Fast reaction rates are required due to the short residence times
• Fouling and clogging
• Maintenance, ageing, regeneration
• Lack of experience with commercial processes
• Catalyst deactivation, life on stream unknown
• Only few technology providers
• Not applicable for solid reactions
• Lack of standardized references

21
Conclusion
• Promising technology: • Some issues still remain:
enhanced mass and heat integration with sensors,
transfer actuators, and other associated
efficient process intensification equipment, such as pumps;
inherently safe operation reactor monitoring and control;
uniform residence time high activity stable catalysts
needed
Lack of standardized references

22
References
• Šalić et al.: Application of microreactors in medicine and biomedicine,
Journal of APPLIED BIOMEDICINE, 137–153, 2012
• A. Tiwari et al. : Biodiesel production in micro-reactors: A review,
Energy for Sustainable Development 43 (2018) 143–161
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2018.01.002
• Buddoo, S., Siyakatshana, N., & Pongoma, B. (2008). Micro-reactors-a
marvel of modern manufacturing technology: Biodiesel case study
• A. Peakman et al : Advanced micro-reactor concepts, Progress in
Nuclear Energy 107 (2018) 61–70
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.02.025

23
Thank You

24
Questions