Oscillatory baffled reactor Heat transfer

The concept of process intensification aims to achieve enhancement in transport rates by orders of magnitude to develop multifunctional modules with a view to provide manufacturing flexibility in process plants. In recent years, advancement in the field of reactor technology has seen the development of catalytic plate reactors, oscillatory baffled reactors, microreactors, membrane reactors, and trickle-bed reactors. One such reactor that is truly multifunctional in characteristics is the spinning disk reactor (SDR). This reactor has the potential to provide reactions, separations, and good heat transfer characteristics. 

Solano, J.P., Herrero, R., Espin, S. et al. (2012) Numerical study of the flow pattern and heat transfer enhancement in oscillatory baffled reactors with helical coil inserts. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 90,732-742. 

The chapter on mixers is comparatively short - not because mixers are unimportant, but because mixing is such an integral part of other intensive processes (heat exchange, reactions and crystallisation/precipitation as examples), that the topic is addressed continuously through other equipment and application chapters. The point is well made by Wu et al. (2(X)7) who stresses in their recent review that PI needs to be implemented via increased mixing, as well as heat and mass transfer - hence the success in this area of the spinning disc and the oscillatory baffle reactors. 

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