Microreactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9370761-B2
Application number	US-201414556264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Jun 7, 2012
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A microreactor includes: a reaction passage to flow a fluid as a reaction object; and a medium passage provided in parallel with the reaction passage to flow a heat medium to exchange heat with the fluid in the reaction passage. A cross-sectional area of the medium passage adjacent to a location of the reaction passage where any of heat generation and heat absorption associated with a reaction of the fluid is relatively large is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the medium passage adjacent to a location of the reaction passage where any of the heat generation and the heat absorption associated with the reaction of the fluid is relatively small.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microreactor comprising:
a reaction passage configured to flow a fluid as a reaction object; and
a medium passage provided in parallel with the reaction passage and configured to flow a heat medium to exchange heat with the fluid in the reaction passage, wherein
the reaction passage includes a catalyst layer provided at least on part of an inner wall of the reaction passage, the catalyst layer forming a high-activity region and a low-activity region in the reaction passage,
a cross-sectional area of the medium passage adjacent to the high-activity region of the reaction passage is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the medium passage adjacent to the low-activity region of the reaction passage,
any of heat generation and heat absorption associated with a reaction of the fluid in the high-activity
region is larger than that in the low-activity region,
a cross-sectional area of the high-activity region of the reaction passage is larger than a cross-sectional area of the low-activity region of the reaction passage, and
a thickness of the catalyst layer in the high-activity region is larger than a thickness of the catalyst layer in the low-activity region.

2. The microreactor according to claim 1 , wherein the medium passage is formed in such a way that a cross-sectional area of the medium passage gradually increases from the high-activity region side of the reaction passage toward the low-activity region side of the reaction passage.

3. The microreactor according to claim 1 , wherein the medium passage includes a first opening located on a side of the high-activity region of the reaction passage and a second opening located on a side of the low-activity region of the reaction passage, and an opening area of the first opening of the medium passage is smaller than an opening area of the second opening of the medium passage.

4. The microreactor according to claim 2 , wherein the medium passage includes a first opening located on a side of the high-activity region of the reaction passage and a second opening located on a side of the low-activity region of the reaction passage, and an opening area of the first opening of the medium passage is smaller than an opening area of the second opening of the medium passage.

5. The microreactor according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction passage is formed in such a way that a cross-sectional area of the reaction passage, gradually decreases from the high-activity region side toward the low-activity region side.

6. The microreactor according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction passage includes a first opening located on a side of the high-activity region thereof and a second opening located on a side of the low-activity region thereof, and an opening area of the first opening of the reaction passage is larger than an opening area of the second opening of the reaction passage.

7. The microreactor according to claim 5 , wherein the reaction passage includes a first opening located on a side of the high-activity region thereof and a second opening located on a side of the low-activity region thereof, and an opening area of the first opening of the reaction passage is larger than an opening area of the second opening of the reaction passage.

8. The microreactor according to claim 1 , wherein a flowing direction of the heat medium in the medium passage and a flowing direction of the fluid in the reaction passage are opposed to each other.

Assignees

• Ihi Corp

Inventors

• Hamada Koki

Classifications

• B01J2219/00786

  Geometry of the plates · CPC title

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• F28D2021/0022

  for chemical reactors · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• F28F13/08

  by varying the cross-section of the flow channels · CPC title