RSA CE&C 2015-2021 Group descriptions

36 4. Novel integrated reactor concepts We work on integrated reactor concepts, where reaction and separation are integrated for an efficient process with reduced waste and increased yield. In membrane reactors, for instance, either H 2 or O 2 membranes will be used for dehydrogenation and partial oxidation reaction (i.e., for ultra-pure hydrogen production or for gas-to-chemical production and for CCS and CCUS). By integrating reaction and separation, the yield and efficiency of the reaction system is increased while the process is made more compact and inherently safer. We also work on integrated chemical looping and membranes and sorption-enhanced membrane reactors. Other membrane reactor concepts to be studied foresee the use of CMS for water separation or product separation (such as in CO 2 hydrogenation to alcohols or FTS). 5. Catalysis engineering and structured reactors The research area of catalysis engineering is bringing together the fields of reactor engineering and catalysis. For optimal performance, a state-of-the-art catalyst requires a state-of-the-art reactor and vice versa. By understanding both the catalyst and the processes occurring in the chemical reactor, it will be possible to develop the most efficient system. In a reaction system in which not only the desired reaction but also the competing reactions occur (causing a loss in selectivity or a deactivation of the catalyst), understanding the entire system is especially crucial. An optimal design of the catalyst reactor system will only be possible by optimizing all of the relevant length scales, from the site of the catalyst to the mass transfer length in the catalyst to the catalyst particle size and shape (determining the external mass transfer) and the macromixing behavior in the reactor (determining the local environment of the catalyst). Within this research area, we convert the reactor concepts of rotating reactors and microreactors from the other research lines into catalytic reactors. We perform kinetic and mass transfer measurements on these catalytic systems to improve the understanding of both the catalyst and reactor and to be able to model their performance. 6. (Micro)structured reactors and devices In the research area on micro-structured reactors and devices, the SPE group focuses on microchemical systems that provide intricate geometries with characteristic length scales of 10 µm to 50 mm for optimummixing, mass and heat transfer, (catalytic) reaction and product separation. The challenge is to explore the potential benefits of these miniaturized chemical systems in terms of e.g., productivity, selectivity, energy efficiency, new reaction pathways, safety and environmentally benign manufacturing. A particularly innovative aspect is taking advantage of microfabrication technologies for integrating sensors and actuators for process monitoring and control. Areas of application include fuel processing and hydrogen production, high-throughput catalyst screening and chemical synthesis (‘process on a chip’). Research focuses on the scale-up of microreactors to industrial scale, multifunctional reactors (combining multiple reactions or reaction with separation) and the preparation of catalysts in microreactors and the expansion of chemical space through the use of unusual or underutilized activation modes such as photochemistry and electrochemistry. 7. Biomass conversion In light of sustainability, replacing fossil resources with non-edible biomass for the production of chemicals will be unavoidable in the foreseeable future.While recent biomass research has surely represented a major step forward in terms of the fundamental understanding of the chemistry behind these processes, biomass technology is still in its infancy. Now is the time for applied scientists to develop the technology that is required to realize the much-needed future bio-refineries. We design novel intensified multi-functional reactors that are key to resolving distinctive challenges during biomass conversion. Our work involves unraveling complex kinetics, understanding the interrelation of physical and chemical processes in