Process intensification of multiphase flow and reaction system: Perspectives

Abstract

Multiphase flow and reaction system are commonly involved in process industries, including petrochemical industry, coal chemical industry, coal combustion, etc.. The interphase mass/heat transfer is usually the rate-controlled step for the overall process of multiphase flow and reaction system. Such rate-controlled step can be intensified through process intensification technologies. Therefore, process intensification is important for improving the process efficiency in process industries. However, the multiphase flow and reaction system is complex regarding the flow behaviors of gas, solid and liquid, the interphase mass transfer, the heat transfer and the coupled chemical reactions, which makes it extremely difficult to explore appropriate intensification method. In the past decades of the author's research, a comprehensive analytical method based on advanced experiments and numerical modeling was developed to understand the complex transport phenomena and chemical reaction for multiphase system. Such method was then used to guide the application of process intensification in gas-solid and gas-liquid system, which will then be separately concluded in this perspectives.