Experimental system for the study of gas-solid heterogeneous catalysis in microreactors

摘要

An experimental system has been designed and constructed to conduct gas-solid heterogeneous catalytic reations in miroreactors. This apparatus is intended to be used for any exothermic or endothermic reaction, including those with multiple feeds. It can be used to test the effectiveness of a microreactor design for a particular catalyst or to test the behavior of the catalyst itself. The system uses a tesst block that is plumbed for multiple feeds and vacuum to hold down a standard size microreactor chip. This chip has two exit vias, which includies one for the reactor effluent and one for the exit stream form a possible reactor membrane wall. The reactors are systems of channels with a smallest cross-dimension as small as 5 micrometers. The experimental system is equipped with temperature control and automatic data acquisition. The reactors can be "stacked" in order to scale up to higher throughput. A simulator has been edevelope dthat accounts for the unique physcial aspects of reaction and flow in very small channels. Along with deisgn, it assist in determining operaitng ocnditions and interpreting experiemntal results.