A computational fluid dynamic evaluation of a new microreactor design for catalytic partial oxidation of methane

Abstract

A novel microreactor with embedded mixing elements that result in flow splitting and recombination is proposed and was numerically tested for its capability to enhance the catalytic partial oxidation reaction of methane. The effects of various geometrical parameters and inlet reactant Reynolds number on the transport phenomena within and reaction effectiveness of the microreactor were investigated. Optimal design of the microreactor was then selected via the use of the response surface methodology, with the reaction product selectivity and pumping power requirement as the criteria. Performance of the optimal microreactor design was compared with that of a conventional straight-channel microreactor. Methane conversion within the optimized microreactor was noted to be higher than that within the straight-channel microreactor due to the presence of secondary flow, especially at a higher Reynolds number, while CO/CO2 ratio was noted to be slightly lower.