Solid−Liquid Catalytic Reactions in a New Two-Impinging-Jets Reactor: Experiment and Modeling

Abstract

Novel type of two-impinging-jets loop reactor (TIJLR) has been proposed and tested successfully for the solid-liquid catalytic reactions. The TIJLR was tested using the catalytic reaction of isomerization of D-glucose to D-fructose by immobilized glucose isomerase catalyst as a typical model system of solid-liquid catalytic reactions. The TIJLR is characterized by a high intensity reaction chamber, which is separated by a perforated plate from other parts of the reactor. The perforated plate was used as a filter to keep the catalyst particles within the reaction chamber. A compartment model with two adjustable parameters was considered to describe the pattern of flow within the reaction chamber. The compartment model proposed was based on the observation made during the experimental work. The adjustable parameters of the proposed model were determined through the experimental data by minimizing the discrepancies between the model predictions and corresponding experimental data. The influences of various operating and design parameters such as jet Reynolds number, feed flow rate, initial feed concentration, catalyst loading, and the volume of the reaction chamber on the performance capability of the TIJLR were investigated. It was found that the jet Reynolds number plays an important role in the performance capability of the TIJLR.

Industrial use of immobilized enzymes

“…In a subsequent study, the same group investigated another variation on the TIJR theme whereby the reactor included a perforated plate designed to retain the IGI particles within the high-intensity mixing zone region of the reactor. 93 The authors concluded that the jet Reynolds number was one of the more important parameters for predicting TIJLR performance.…”

Free Impinging Jet Microreactors: Controlling Reactive Flows via Surface Tension and Fluid Viscoelasticity

“…Momentum transport and reaction engineering aspects of confined micromixers with impinging jet and vortex geometries have recently been studied in great detail. − These have been applied to synthesize a variety of particles, in particular, for drug delivery and medical engineering. ,, Confined impinging streams merging inside closed channels have been applied to solid/liquid catalytic reactions, to polystyrene particle formation, and for the reactive in situ generation of block copolymers to protect colloidal particles . Moreover, this stream configuration is also of interest for emulsion formation …”

Analytical technology aided optimization and scale‐up of impinging jet mixer for reactive crystallization process

“…To avoid clogging, a design with 10° downward feed jets was selected in most of the literature . This feed method can avoid the two fluids from direct frontal collision.…”