Backbone interface concept

Reactor 18 [R 18] The Micro Structured Reactor Backbone Interface Concept... 

The concept presented here in much detail as an example of cooperative project work in micro structured reactor plant development is based on the bus system and simultaneously handles a number of tasks such as mechanical stability, fluidic flow and signal transmission. A key feature of the so-called backbone interface is its open architecture. It does not rely on standardized reactors or devices, thus allowing the combination of devices from various suppliers. A robust interface was developed which withstands high pressures and temperatures. Thermal cross-talk was minimized through the use of different heat-conducting materials. 

In the following, the concept of micro modular process engineering is introduced together with the backbone interface developed in order to realize this modular approach. The integration of sensors and an electronic bus system is also described, and the physical characterization of the backbone is discussed within a case study of the enantioselective synthesis of organoboranes. Within the second case study, the sulfonation of toluene with gaseous sulfur tri oxide, the backbone system together with the micro structured devices used is finally assessed based on its application to chemical synthesis. 

Backbone interface based on the bus concept where the flow passes through a central spine has been developed [12]. The modular backbone allows both commercial and demonstration type of microstmctured devices to be coupled in all three dimensions in a flexible and easy manner. Microstmctured heat exchangers, reactors, and mixers made of different manufacturers are surface-mounted on this backbone. The backbone itself consists of elements which can be combined individually and flexibly in all directions, according to the demands of the plant to be built. The backbone provides the flow paths for fluids and electrical conduits for power supply and signal transmission of sensors and actuators as shown in Fig. 5. With this united microreactor system, sulfonation of toluene with gaseous SO3 was successfully conducted to give... 

As indicated above, the ChemApp programmers library (in the form of a Dynamic Link Library, DLL) has been used to form the thermodynamic backbone of SimuSage. The general concept is represented in Figure 3. The ChemApp library permits the easy use of full complex equilibrium calculations within a software by way of a set of interface routines. These interface routines are used to... 

Dejaeger et al. (41) used a styrene-based column in THF with the addition of LiBr to minimize the polyelectrolyte effect of polytrifluoroethyoxyphosphazenes. SEC interfaced with LALLS was also tried despite low detector response caused by a low dn/dc value. The authors also demonstrated that the polyphosphazene counterparts containing no fluorine, that is, polydiphenoxy- and polyaryloxyphosphazenes, follow the universal calibration concept despite their unique backbone structure. 

To boost conductance several groups have developed alternative concepts in which a molecule is anchored to an electrode through multiple linkers [43, 44] in order to reduce individual bond fluctuations and shift the transport-limiting barriers from the fluctuation-prone molecule/metal interface onto the more deterministic molecular backbone. 

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