FLUID DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A NOVEL MICRO-REACTOR

The present paper summarizes the results of an experimental investigation on fluid dynamic characteristics of a novel micro-reactor for production of hydrogen by partial oxidation of methane . The reactor is essentially a tubular vessel fitted with a multi-holed baffle plate. The experiments were conducted on a 1:1 scale replica of the reactor using an advanced laser based flow measurement technique known as Micro Particle Image Velocimetry (Micro-PIV). The application of the baffle plate with an optimized geometry was found to significantly improve the mixing performance of the reactor when compared with a simpler co-axial jet tubular reactor.

Keywords:

Micro-reactor , Partial oxidation of methane , Fluid dynamics , Microfluidics , Micro-PIV