Mixing in Microchannels: Microreactor Applications

This lecture discusses the principles of mixing in microchannels and the applications of microreactors in chemical engineering. It begins with an overview of flow regimes in microchannels, including stratified and engulfment flows, and the mechanisms of mixing through diffusion and shear fields. The instructor presents the challenges of achieving efficient mixing, highlighting the energetic efficiency of mixing and its impact on mixing time predictions. The lecture transitions to microreactors, defining them as miniaturized systems with internal dimensions below a millimeter, and explores their construction, materials, and applications. The advantages of microreactors, such as increased heat and mass transfer rates, are emphasized, along with their ability to handle fast, mixing-sensitive reactions. The discussion includes various types of micromixers, both passive and active, and their mechanisms, including chaotic advection. The lecture concludes with examples of commercial microreactors and their potential applications in gas-liquid and liquid-liquid reactions, emphasizing the importance of microreactors in modern chemical processes.