Design Rules, Implementation of

Micro-reaction Technology
 Design Rules
• In contrast to microelectronics, where extremely
powerful software tools and detailed design rules exist
for the development of ultra large-scale integrated
circuits, there are no corresponding comprehensive
means in micro-reaction technology available to date.
• Such design tools should comprise mathematical
modeling of flow and chemical reactions in
miniaturized systems as well as specifications for
suitable materials and simulation of manufacturing
processes applicable to the respective micro reaction
devices.
 Design Rules
• Since it will take several years to realize such an integral software
toolbox, individual approaches with separate steps have to be
applied to meet gradually the requirements of micro reactor design.
• Standard software for computational fluid dynamics is directly
applicable in this context, and there are also powerful software
tools for the simulation of special steps in micro fabrication
processes.
• However, there has been rather little experience with materials for
micro reactors, optimization of micro reactor design, and, in
particular, the treatment of interdependent effects.
• Consequently, a profound knowledge of the basic properties and
phenomena of micro reaction technology just described is
absolutely essential for the successful design of micro reaction
devices.
 Design Rules
• These aspects also determine the speed of mixing
and heat transfer and, consequently, the degree
of miniaturization required in a specific case.
• Such aspects have to be considered for a
favorable design of a micro-reaction system; in
some cases, extremely small dimensions are not
necessary to avoid unfavorable reaction
conditions resulting from hot spots or thermal
runaway effects.
 Design Rules
• If large amounts of materials have to be
transported, a favorable design should instead
consider large pumps rather than
arrangements with many micro pumps, which,
in most cases, are commercially unattractive
for cost reasons and technically less suitable
because of their comparatively low efficiency.
 Reactor engineering theory

• Reaction Kinetics

Residence time distributions (RTDs)

Real reactors’ RTDs lie between the two extremes: no PFR has an infinitely
narrow RTD, and no CSTR is perfectly mixed.
 Reactor engineering theory
• Mass transfer

• Heat transfer
The spinning disc reactor Design
 The spinning disc reactor Design
• When a liquid flow is supplied to, or near, the
centre of a rotating surface of revolution, an
outwardly flowing liquid film is generated.
• Provided the rotating surface is fully wetted, the
films generated may be very thin, typically 50
microns for water-like liquids.
• Such short diffusion/conduction path lengths
stimulate excellent heat, mass and momentum
transfer between the gas phase and the liquid,
and between the rotating surface and the liquid.
The spinning disc reactor Design
 The spinning disc reactor Design
• The Nusselt flow model
– This model assumes that there is no shear at the
gas–liquid interface, that the film is ripple-free
and that there is no tangential slip at the disc–
liquid surface.
The spinning disc reactor Design
The spinning disc reactor Design
The spinning disc reactor Design