Continuous Flow Reactor With Removable Baffle Insert for Backmixing Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing continuous flow reactors face challenges in accommodating a wide range of processes, reaction residence times, and scaling up while maintaining efficient mixing and reaction control, often leading to complex designs, high costs, and issues with backmixing.

Innovation Solution

A continuous flow reactor with a removable insert featuring baffles that separate the reactor into interconnected mixing chambers, allowing for tunable reaction residence time and minimizing backmixing, while using a rotating shaft and agitators for mechanical energy transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a series of discrete conventional batch reactors are connected to provide continuous flow, then continuous operation is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous operationVSAvoidnumber of vessels and drives

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reactor interior is segmented into multiple mixing chambers by baffles, creating a series of discrete reaction zones within a single continuous vessel. This allows the system to function like multiple reactors in series while maintaining a unified, simpler structure with one magnetic drive and motor.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple discrete reactor functions are merged into a single continuous reactor vessel. The baffles create separate mixing chambers that operate simultaneously within one unified system, eliminating the need for multiple separate vessels, interconnections, and seals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Use of energy by moving object

If oscillatory flow is used to mix fluids in continuous flow reactor, then mixing energy is provided, but scalability is limited due to high pressure requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemixing energyVSAvoidscalability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using oscillatory flow patterns, the invention employs mechanical agitation through a magnetic drive that rotates a shaft with agitators. This mechanical vibration and agitation method provides mixing energy without requiring high-velocity fluid movement or oscillatory pressure, enabling better scalability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the fluid-dynamic oscillatory mixing system with a mechanical agitation system using magnetic coupling and rotating agitators. This substitution eliminates the need for high-pressure oscillatory pumps and allows the reactor to scale more effectively while maintaining efficient mixing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If baffles are fixed tightly to reactor wall to prevent backmixing, then mixing control improves, but insert removal for maintenance becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackmixing controlVSAvoidinsert removal

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The baffle assembly is designed with dynamic positioning capability through a removable insert system. During operation, the baffles are held in fixed positions to control backmixing, but the entire insert can be removed for maintenance. The magnetic coupling allows for flexible positioning while maintaining operational control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The baffle structure is extracted as a separate removable insert that can be taken out of the reactor for maintenance and cleaning. This extractable design allows the system to maintain tight baffle positioning during operation to prevent backmixing, while enabling easy removal when maintenance is required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Duration of action of moving object

If long reaction channels are created to provide long residence time, then residence time increases, but inlet pressure requirements become extreme

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresidence timeVSAvoidinlet pressure

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The reaction path is segmented into multiple mixing chambers by baffles, creating a series of discrete zones that extend the residence time. This segmented approach allows the reactor to achieve long effective residence time through multiple sequential mixing zones without requiring a single extremely long channel that would demand extreme inlet pressure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of extending the reactor in a single linear dimension to increase residence time, the invention uses multiple mixing chambers arranged in series within a compact configuration. This multi-dimensional arrangement of reaction zones extends the effective reaction path and residence time while maintaining manageable pressure requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250312765A1Continuous flow reactor with removable insert with baffles

Publication Date: 2025.10.09 STOLI CATALYSTS LTD

AI summary

This specification discloses a continuous flow reactor comprising a reaction vessel enclosing a rotating shaft which bears multiple impellers. A removable insert comprising baffles separates the interior of the reaction vessel into multiple interconnected chambers each enclosing at least one impeller, and a gap between the outer edge of the baffle and the vessel's interior wall facilitates insert removal for maintenance but avoids excessive backmixing.