Toward a Competitive Process Intensification: A New Generation of Heat Exchanger-Reactors

P. Tochon (1) , R. Couturier (1) , Z. Anxionnaz (1) , S. Lomel (2) , H. Runser (3) , F. Picard (3) , A. Colin (3) , C. Gourdon (4) , Michel Cabassud (4) , H. Peerhossaini (5) , D. Della Valle (5) , T. Lemenand (5, 6)

1 LITEN - Laboratoire d'Innovation pour les Technologies des Energies Nouvelles et les nanomatériaux
2 Rhodia (FRANCE)
3 Fives Cryo
4 LGC - Laboratoire de Génie Chimique
5 LTN - Laboratoire de thermocinétique [Nantes]
6 LARIS - Laboratoire Angevin de Recherche en Ingénierie des Systèmes

Process Intensification (PI) in chemical production is a major concern of chemical manufacturers. Among the numerous options to intensify a process, the transposition from a batch reactor to a continuous plug flow reactor is a good alternative when the selectivity and the thermal exchange are an issue. In this context, the RAPIC R&D project aims to develop an innovative low-cost component (in the 10 kg/h range). This project deals with the design from the local to the global scale and with testing, from elementary mock-ups to pilot scale. The present paper gives a detailed description of this research project and presents the main results on specification and definition of the reaction channel and the first simple mock-ups

Domaines: Physique [physics]

P. Tochon, R. Couturier, Z. Anxionnaz, S. Lomel, H. Runser, et al.. Toward a Competitive Process Intensification: A New Generation of Heat Exchanger-Reactors. Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Revue d'IFP Energies nouvelles, 2010, 65 (5), pp.785-792. ⟨10.2516/ogst/2010020⟩. ⟨hal-01937562⟩