Upcoming Meetings & Conferences

Multiphase Reactors Group at Eindhoven

The newly established capacity group "Multiphase Reactors" at Eindhoven University of Technology consists of two chairs: the first chair is 'Multi-scale Modeling of Multiphase Flows' with Prof. J.A.M. Kuipers as chair holder and the second chair is 'Chemical Process Intensification' with Prof. M. van Sint Annaland as chair holder.

The new chair Chemical Process Intensification, located at the completely renovated ground level of the Helix building of the faculty of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at the Eindhoven University of Technology.

The main objective of the new research group is the development of novel multi-functional reactor concepts based on improved fundamental knowledge using validated advanced (multi-phase) reactor models. This is achieved by employing a combination of state-of-the-art numerical models (at different levels of detail adopting the multi-scale modeling approach), advanced (non-invasive) experimental techniques and experimental demonstration of novel reactor concepts (proof of concept).

Important research themes are:

• Integration of reaction and separation, with a main focus on membrane reactors and chemical looping processes.
• Integration of endothermic and exothermic reactions, (e.g. rapid cycling reverse flow reactor to couple the endothermic propane dehydrogenation with the exothermic combustion of methane/carbon deposits, packed bed membrane reactor with a dual function catalyst to couple the oxidative coupling and steam reforming of methane).
• Integration of heat exchange exploiting dynamic reactor operation (e.g. reverse flow (membrane) reactors and dynamically operated packed beds e.g. cryogenic separation of CO2 from flue gasses and chemical looping combustion for electricity production).
• Exploitation of liquid injection in fluidized gas-solid suspensions (e.g. induced condensing agents in gas phase polyolefin reactors using the heat of evaporation to cool the reaction mixture and steam reforming of liquid fuels).

Together with Dr. Fausto Gallucci and a new staff member (to be appointed this year) we commit ourselves to the development of novel technologies for new, more sustainable, highly efficient, inherently safe, and robust integrated (multi-phase) processing systems. With the close collaboration within the SMR group and the excellent infrastructure at TU/e we look forward to the future.

- Prof. Martin van Sint Annaland