Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The JBR is a state-of-the-art batch fluidized micro-reactor that was designed and developed to test catalysts for endothermic reactions (PhD thesis of Dr. Mohammad Latifi). The solid particles in the micro-reactor are mechanically fluidized using a linear pneumatic actuator that moves the whole bed up and down. An external induction field heats up vertical metal wires inside the reactor bed, which generates heat rapidly and uniformly within the bed and eliminates hot spots and large temperature gradients. The JBR is very flexible: <br /> (1) Induction heating and very high heat transfer coefficients mean that heating can be very fast, but the system can be adjusted to operate at much slower heating rates, to study the effect of heating rate.<br /> (2) There is no need of expensive and delicate mechanical seals, facilitating operation at high pressure. <br /> (3) There is no need for fluidization gas. <br /> (4) A wide range of particle sizes can be used.<br /> This RTI will allow us to replace defective equipment and greatly extend the scope of JBR applications. It will allow us to build a multipurpose JBR that will be used for many applications, ranging from low pressure biomass pyrolysis, which is used to produce biochemicals, biochar and fuels, to the high pressure supercritical water treatment of biomass, which is used to produce sugars. Both processes are very attractive because of their fast kinetics and their study requires model reactors that can accommodate these fast kinetics, such as the JBR. For liquid and supercritical fluid applications, glass beads will be used to enhance mixing. The multipurpose JBR will be modular so that it can easily be switched between applications.<br /> The multipurpose JBR is ideal for two types of approaches:<br /> (1) It allows for the quick, accurate screening of operating conditions to empirically identify optimum conditions and/or catalysts for various processes. <br /> (2) It allows for accurate, fundamental studies. For example, the effect of the heating rate can be studied while maintaining all other conditions constant. Achieving the same heat transfer and mixing rates with or without gas allows for the accurate investigation of the effect of partial pressure. Operating with nearly perfect external heat and mass transfer with particles of different sizes provides data for the study of intra-particle transfer limitations.<br /> A typical application of the JBR to char activation, can be found in the PhD thesis of Dr. Anastasia Colomba. <br />