Scaleup of a Single-Mode Microwave Reactor

Widespread use of microwave technology requires quantitative scale-up models. Currently, microwave models are typical qualitative in nature. This work focuses on rendering models quantitative and elucidating the scale-up behavior of microwave heating using numerical simulations. A commonly used benc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Industrial & engineering chemistry research 2019-10, Vol.59 (6)
Main Authors: Goyal, Himanshu, Mehdad, Ali, Lobo, Raul F., Stefanidis, Georgios D., Vlachos, Dionisios G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absorption
Electromagnetic radiation
ENGINEERING
Insulators
Liquids
Power
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Widespread use of microwave technology requires quantitative scale-up models. Currently, microwave models are typical qualitative in nature. This work focuses on rendering models quantitative and elucidating the scale-up behavior of microwave heating using numerical simulations. A commonly used bench-scale microwave reactor from the CEM Corp. (CEM Discover SP) is used for benchmarking. To enable quantitative modeling, microwave heating experiments are conducted and compared to COMSOL calculations to develop a calibration curve for the set point vs the actually delivered microwave power. Using the validated computational model, microwave-heating of various liquids in a wide range of vial sizes is investigated. The computational study shows that during the scale-up, the volumetric power absorbed passes through a maximum, whereas the energy efficiency and heating uniformity exhibit strongly nonlinear behavior. As a result, this work introduces a method for quantitative microwave models and insights into the scale-up of commercial microwave reactors.
ISSN:0888-5885
1520-5045