Design and characterization of bubble-splitting distributor for scaled-out multiphase microreactors

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2014-01, Vol.236, p.545-554
• Main Authors: Hoang, Duong A., Haringa, Cees, Portela, Luis M., Kreutzer, Michiel T., Kleijn, Chris R., van Steijn, Volkert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asymmetric breakup; Bubble breakup; Bubbles; Bypasses; Channels; Confinement; Devices; Distributors; Microbubble; Microreactors; Nonuniformity; Numbering up; Tolerances
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2013.08.066

[Display omitted] •Detailed analysis of the design strategies of a bubble-splitting distributor.•Identification of the three primary causes of nonuniformities in bubble size.•Theoretical and experimental analysis of the device’s performance.•Guidelines on how to operate a bubble-splitting distributor. This paper reports an analysis of the parallelized production of bubbles in a microreactor based on the repeated break-up of bubbles at T-junctions linked in series. We address the question how to design and operate such a multi-junction device for the even distribution of bubbles over the exit channels. We study the influence of the three primary sources leading to the uneven distribution of bubbles: (1) nonuniformity in the size of bubbles fed to the distributor, (2) lack of bubble break-up, and (3) asymmetric bubble breakup caused by asymmetries in flow due to fabrication tolerances. Based on our theoretical and experimental analysis, we formulate two guidelines to operate the multi-junction bubble distributor. The device should be operated such that: (i) the capillary number exceeds a critical value at all junctions, Ca>Cacrit, to ensure that all bubbles break, and (ii) the parameter (ls/w)·Ca1/3 is sufficiently large, with ls/w the distance between the bubbles normalized by the channel width. More quantitatively, (ls/w)·Ca1/3>2 for fabrication tolerances below 2%, which are typical for devices made by soft lithography. Furthermore, we address the question whether including a bypass channel around the T-junctions reduces flow asymmetries and corresponding nonuniformities in bubble size. While bubble nonuniformities in devices with and without bypass channels are comparable for fabrication tolerances of a few percent, we find that incorporating a bypass channels does have a beneficial effect for larger fabrication tolerances. The results presented in this paper facilitate the scale-out of bubble-based microreactors.