Method for preventing plugging of a continuous-reaction channel-system and micro-reactor for carrying out the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058840-B2
Application number	US-201014387758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2010
Priority date	Aug 28, 2009
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A method for preventing plugging of a continuous-reaction channel-system caused by a by-product of a continuous-reaction being carried out in said channel-system comprises the step of generating at least one ultrasonic wave travelling through said channel-system by coupling in a flow direction of at least one process fluid of a plurality of process fluids said at least one ultrasonic wave into said at least one process fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for preventing plugging of a continuous-reaction channel-system caused by a by-product of a continuous-reaction being carried out in said channel-system, said method comprising:
coupling an ultrasonic wave source to a feeding duct of the channel system;
feeding at least one process fluid of a plurality of process fluids into said feeding duct;
generating at least one ultrasonic wave with said ultrasonic wave source; and
guiding said at least one ultrasonic wave into said at least one process fluid travelling through said channel-system in a flow direction of said at least one process fluid, said at least one process fluid serving as a carrier medium for the at least one ultrasonic wave to thereby continuously prevent the formation of solid precipitates in said at least one process fluid.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of process fluids comprises at least one feed flow, at least one product flow, and/or at least one solvent flow.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein chemical substances participating in said continuous-reaction comprise a plurality of reactants continuously flowing into said channel-system, and a product formed in said continuous-reaction by mixing and interconverting said plurality of reactants and continuously flowing out of said channel-system, wherein at least one of said plurality of reactants includes a compound comprising an alkali metal and an organic moiety reacting with water impurities in at least one feed to form said by-product.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said alkali metal is selected from lithium, sodium or potassium.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one ultrasonic wave is coupled into said channel-system continuously, discontinuously or on demand.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein, in case said at least one ultrasonic wave is coupled into said channel-system on demand, a characteristic pressure of said at least one process fluid is used as a control variable.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said channel-system is part of a continuous-reaction micro-reactor.

Assignees

• Roberge Dominique
• Rainone Fabio
• Quittmann Wilhelm
• Gottsponer Michael
• Eyholzer Markus
• Lonza Ag

Inventors

• Roberge Dominique
• Rainone Fabio
• Quittmann Wilhelm
• Gottsponer Michael
• Eyholzer Markus

Classifications

• B01J2219/00891

  Feeding or evacuation · CPC title

• B01F15/00019

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0646

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B08B17/02

  Preventing deposition of fouling or of dust · CPC title

• B08B2209/005

  Use of ultrasonics or cavitation, e.g. as primary or secondary action · CPC title