A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor
By designing a cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor, the problems of low mixing efficiency and poor adaptability to high-viscosity fluids in existing microreactors are solved, achieving millisecond-level mixing and efficient heat transfer, thereby improving product consistency and safety.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LIANYUNGANG SHUREN KECHUANG FOOD ADDITIVE
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
Smart Images
Figure CN224422828U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of microchannel reactor technology, and in particular to a cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor. Background Technology
[0002] Traditional micromixers (T-type / Y-type) rely on molecular diffusion, resulting in long mixing times (>10ms), which makes it difficult to meet the requirements of intrinsic kinetic rates (<1ms) such as rapid coupling / nitration, leading to an increase in side reactions.
[0003] While co-current jet micro-sieve reactors can improve mixing speed, they require extremely high jet parallelism (a deviation of more than 5 μm will lead to collision failure), resulting in a sharp increase in processing costs.
[0004] Existing dispersion structures (such as multi-level branched channels) have a flow distribution non-uniformity of >20% when the viscosity is >20 cP, causing local overreaction (such as a broadening of molecular weight distribution in polymer synthesis, PDI >1.5).
[0005] Systems containing solid particles (such as catalyst slurry) are prone to clogging micropores (when the pore size is <100μm, the clogging probability of 10μm particles is >60% / 100h).
[0006] Conventional microreactors employ a series design of "mixing first and then heat exchange," which results in a delayed temperature rise in strongly exothermic reactions (in actual measurements, the temperature rise of the nitration reaction exceeded 30°C before entering the heat exchange zone), leading to the risk of temperature runaway.
[0007] When microreactors are connected in parallel, the flow distribution is uneven (>15%) and the temperature control synchronization of multiple units is poor (temperature difference >5℃), which leads to the collapse of product consistency after scale-up (e.g., the particle size distribution of nanoparticles increases by 3 times).
[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a microreactor structure that combines ultra-fast mixing, anti-clogging properties, and high process flexibility. Utility Model Content
[0009] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor, which solves the technical problems of low mixing efficiency, poor adaptability to high viscosity / solid-containing fluids, decoupling of heat transfer and reaction, and difficulties in engineering scale-up of existing microreactors. It achieves millisecond-level ultra-uniform mixing, tolerates high viscosity and solid-containing fluids, eliminates jet alignment tolerance sensitivity, and realizes in-situ synchronous enhancement and non-destructive scale-up of mixing-reaction-heat transfer.
[0010] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:
[0011] A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor includes a first dispersion chamber and a second dispersion chamber;
[0012] A first micro-sieve plate and a first feed inlet connected to the first dispersion chamber;
[0013] A second micro-sieve plate and a second feed inlet connected to the second dispersion chamber;
[0014] A cross-flow mixing channel located at the intersection of two perforated sieve plates;
[0015] Reaction microchannels connected to cross-flow mixing channels;
[0016] A collection chamber connected to the reaction microchannel;
[0017] Integrated heat exchange layer;
[0018] And a refrigerant inlet and refrigerant outlet respectively connected to the integrated heat exchange layer; and a discharge port connected to the collection chamber.
[0019] The first micro sieve plate and the second micro sieve plate are arranged in a spatially orthogonal manner.
[0020] Preferably, the cross-flow mixing channel has a height of 0.1–1 mm and a width-to-depth ratio of 1:1 to 1:3.
[0021] Preferably, the inner surfaces of the first dispersion chamber and the second dispersion chamber are respectively provided with honeycomb-shaped flow guiding structures, and the bottom inclination angle of the first dispersion chamber and the second dispersion chamber is 5°–15°.
[0022] Preferably, the pore diameter of the first micro sieve plate and the second micro sieve plate are both 50–200 μm, the pore density is both 200–1000 pores / cm², and the chamfer of the pore opening of both sieve plates is <10 μm.
[0023] Preferably, the reaction microchannel has a serpentine path with a length of 50–500 mm and a hydraulic diameter of 0.5–2 mm.
[0024] Preferably, the integrated heat exchange layer adopts copper alloy microchannels and is stacked with the reaction microchannels at intervals, with a heat transfer coefficient >5000W / (m²・K).
[0025] Preferably, the first and second dispersion chambers, combined with a honeycomb-shaped flow guiding structure and a bottom inclined structure, can handle slurries with a solid content of ≤10%.
[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0027] High-speed microjets are generated by orthogonally arranged dual micro-sieve plates, achieving millisecond-level collision mixing within a three-dimensional cross-flow channel. Combined with the flow-guiding and anti-clogging design of the bow-shaped dispersion chamber, the mixing bottleneck of high-viscosity / multiphase fluids is overcome. This reactor combines the advantages of high mixing efficiency, high process flexibility, and easy scale-up, making it suitable for fine chemical products, nanomaterial synthesis, and hazardous chemical reactions. Attached Figure Description
[0028] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.
[0030] Legend: 101, First dispersion chamber; 102, First micro-sieve plate; 103, Honeycomb flow guide structure one; 104, First feed inlet; 201, Second dispersion chamber; 202, Second micro-sieve plate; 203, Honeycomb flow guide structure two; 204, Second feed inlet; 301, Cross-flow mixing channel; 401, Reaction microchannel; 501, Integrated heat exchange layer; 502, Refrigerant inlet; 503, Refrigerant outlet; 601, Collection chamber; 602, Discharge outlet. Detailed Implementation
[0031] This application provides a cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor, which effectively solves the technical problems of low mixing efficiency, poor adaptability to high viscosity / solid-containing fluids, decoupling of heat transfer and reaction, and difficulty in engineering scale-up of existing microreactors. Example
[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the overall technical solution in this application embodiment is as follows:
[0033] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this utility model is a cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor. Through orthogonally arranged micro-sieve plates and integrated structural design, it achieves millisecond-level mixing, efficient mass and heat transfer, and anti-clogging performance. The specific structure and working process are as follows:
[0034] Core structure and parameters:
[0035] The first dispersion chamber 101 and the second dispersion chamber 201 are independent cavities, respectively connected to the first feed inlet 104 and the second feed inlet 204, used to receive and temporarily store the two reactants. Their inner surfaces are respectively provided with a honeycomb-shaped flow guiding structure 103 and a honeycomb-shaped flow guiding structure 203, which can evenly distribute the fluid to the downstream perforated plate. The bottom inclination angle is 5°–15°, which, together with the flow guiding structure, can reduce the sedimentation of fluids containing solid particles, achieving stable treatment of slurries with a solid content ≤10%.
[0036] The first micro-sieve plate 102 and the second micro-sieve plate 202 are respectively connected to the first dispersion chamber 101 and the second dispersion chamber 201, and the two sieve plates are arranged in a spatially orthogonal manner (such as intersecting in the vertical and horizontal directions). Their pore diameters are both 50–200 μm, the pore density is 200–1000 pores / cm², and the orifice chamfer is <10 μm, which can ensure the stability of the high-speed jet (Reynolds number Re>300) and make the fluid form a uniform micro-jet stream.
[0037] Cross-flow mixing channel 301: Located at the intersection of the two micro-sieve plates, it is a three-dimensional mixing space with a height of 0.1–1 mm and a width-to-depth ratio of 1:1 to 1:3. It allows the high-speed microjets ejected from the first micro-sieve plate 102 and the second micro-sieve plate 202 to collide orthogonally here, achieving ultra-fast mixing in less than 1 ms.
[0038] Reaction microchannel 401: One end is connected to the cross-flow mixing channel 301, and the other end is connected to the collection chamber 601. It adopts a serpentine path design, with a length of 50–500 mm and a hydraulic diameter of 0.5–2 mm. It can precisely control the fluid residence time (0.5–60 s) to ensure that the reaction proceeds fully.
[0039] Integrated heat exchange layer 501: It adopts a copper alloy microchannel structure and is arranged in layers with the reaction microchannel 401 at intervals. The heat transfer coefficient is >5000W / (m²・K). Cooling medium (such as cooling water) is introduced through the cooling medium inlet 502 and discharged through the cooling medium outlet 503. The temperature in the reaction microchannel 401 is controlled in real time to avoid the risk of overheating of strong exothermic reaction.
[0040] Workflow:
[0041] Two reactants enter the first dispersion chamber 101 and the second dispersion chamber 201 through the first feed inlet 104 and the second feed inlet 204, respectively. In the dispersion chamber, the honeycomb guide structure 103 and the honeycomb guide structure 203 uniformly distribute the fluid, and the bottom inclined structure reduces particle settling. Subsequently, the fluid forms a high-speed microjet through the first micro sieve plate 102 and the second micro sieve plate 202. Because the two sieve plates are spatially orthogonal, the jet collides and mixes in the cross-flow mixing channel 301. The mixed fluid enters the serpentine reaction microchannel 401 and completes the reaction under the temperature control of the integrated heat exchange layer 501. The final product is collected by the collection chamber 601 and discharged from the outlet 602.
[0042] Example 1: Synthesis of Nanoparticles (Low Viscosity System):
[0043] Reactor structural parameters:
[0044] The first dispersion chamber 101 and the second dispersion chamber 201 have a bottom inclination angle of 8°, and their inner surfaces are respectively provided with a honeycomb-shaped flow guiding structure 103 and a honeycomb-shaped flow guiding structure 203, with a pore density of 500 pores / cm².
[0045] First micro sieve plate 102 and second micro sieve plate 202: pore diameter 100μm, pore density 500 pores / cm², pore opening chamfer 5μm, spatially orthogonal arrangement;
[0046] Cross-flow mixing channel 301: Height 0.3mm, width-to-depth ratio 1:2;
[0047] Reaction microchannel 401: serpentine path, 200mm in length, 1mm in hydraulic diameter;
[0048] Integrated heat exchange layer 501: copper alloy microchannel, stacked with reaction microchannel 401 at intervals, with a heat transfer coefficient of 5500W / (m²・K).
[0049] Operating parameters:
[0050] Fluid A: 0.5 mg NO3 aqueous solution (viscosity 1.2 cP), enters the first dispersion chamber 101 through the first feed inlet 104;
[0051] Fluid B: 0.5M NaBH4 + 1% PVP aqueous solution (viscosity 1.5cP), enters the second dispersion chamber 201 through the second feed inlet 204;
[0052] Flow ratio (A:B) = 1:1, total flow rate 20 mL / min;
[0053] The integrated heat exchange layer 501 is supplied with cooling water through the refrigerant inlet 502 to control the reaction temperature at 25°C.
[0054] Results: The mixing time of the two fluids in the cross-flow mixing channel 301 is less than 1 ms. After passing through the reaction microchannel 401, the silver nanoparticles obtained in the collection chamber 601 have a particle size distribution of ±5 nm (compared to ±15 nm in a conventional reactor), and the uniformity of the product is significantly improved.
[0055] Example 2: Nitration reaction in a high-viscosity system:
[0056] Reactor structural parameters:
[0057] First dispersion chamber 101 and second dispersion chamber 201: bottom inclination angle 12°, honeycomb flow guiding structure one 103 and honeycomb flow guiding structure two 203 pore density 800 pores / cm²;
[0058] First micro sieve plate 102 and second micro sieve plate 202: pore diameter 150μm, pore density 600 pores / cm², pore opening chamfer 8μm, spatially orthogonal arrangement;
[0059] Cross-flow mixing channel 301: Height 0.5mm, width-to-depth ratio 1:3;
[0060] Reaction microchannel 401: serpentine path, 300mm in length, 1.5mm in hydraulic diameter;
[0061] Integrated heat exchange layer 501: heat transfer coefficient 6000W / (m²・K), refrigerant inlet 502 introduces low-temperature refrigerant for temperature control.
[0062] Operating parameters:
[0063] Fluid A: Mixed acid (H2SO4 / HNO3, viscosity 8 cP), enters the first dispersion chamber 101 through the first feed inlet 104;
[0064] Fluid B: Toluene (viscosity 0.6 cP), enters the second dispersion chamber 201 through the second feed inlet 204;
[0065] The total flow rate is 30 mL / min, and the reaction temperature is controlled in real time through the integrated heat exchange layer 501.
[0066] Implementation results: The honeycomb flow guiding structure 103 reduces the distribution deviation of high-viscosity fluid A to less than 5%, and the two fluids mix rapidly in the cross-flow mixing channel 301 (<1ms). The dinitro byproducts in the reaction microchannel 401 are reduced by 70%, and the reaction time is shortened from 2 hours in the traditional process to seconds, with no risk of overheating.
[0067] The above embodiments demonstrate that, through a specific structural design, this invention can efficiently process low-viscosity to medium-high viscosity fluids and solid-containing slurries, achieving ultra-fast mixing and precise reaction control, and exhibiting advantages such as high mixing efficiency and strong anti-clogging properties.
[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of this invention.
Claims
1. A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor characterized by, include: First dispersion chamber (101) and second dispersion chamber (201); A first micro-sieve plate (102) and a first feed inlet (104) are connected to the first dispersion chamber (101); A second micro-sieve plate (202) and a second feed inlet (204) are connected to the second dispersion chamber (201); Cross-flow mixing channel (301) located in the area where the two perforated plates meet; A reaction microchannel (401) connected to a cross-flow mixing channel (301); Collection chamber (601) connected to reaction microchannel (401); Integrated heat exchange layer (501); And a refrigerant inlet (502) and a refrigerant outlet (503) respectively connected to the integrated heat exchange layer (501), and a discharge port (602) connected to the collection chamber (601). The first micro sieve plate (102) and the second micro sieve plate (202) are arranged in a spatially orthogonal manner.
2. A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor as in claim 1, wherein: The cross-flow mixing channel (301) has a height of 0.1–1 mm and a width-to-depth ratio of 1:1 to 1:
3.
3. A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor as in claim 1, wherein: The inner surfaces of the first dispersion chamber (101) and the second dispersion chamber (201) are respectively provided with a honeycomb-shaped flow guide structure one (103) and a honeycomb-shaped flow guide structure two (203), and the bottom inclination angle of the first dispersion chamber (101) and the second dispersion chamber (201) is 5°–15°.
4. A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor as in claim 1, wherein: The pore diameters of the first micro sieve plate (102) and the second micro sieve plate (202) are both 50–200 μm, and the pore density is both 200–1000 pores / cm². The chamfer of the pore openings of both sieve plates is <10 μm.
5. A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor as in claim 1, wherein: The reaction microchannel (401) is a serpentine path with a length of 50–500 mm and a hydraulic diameter of 0.5–2 mm.
6. A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor as in claim 1, wherein: The integrated heat exchange layer (501) is made of copper alloy microchannel and is stacked with the reaction microchannel (401) at intervals, and its heat transfer coefficient is >5000W / (m²・K).
7. A cross-flow mixing microchannel reactor as in claim 1, wherein: The first dispersion chamber (101) and the second dispersion chamber (201) work together with a honeycomb-shaped flow guide structure and a bottom inclined structure to process slurry with a solid content of ≤10%.