Creating resilient networks of microreactors: A graph theory approach

Abstract

The practical integration of numerous microreactors into networks is still a challenge that hinders the use of microtechnology on a commercial scale. One major difficulty is achieving uniform flow rates inside all interconnected microreactors. In this work, we construct microreactor networks using topologies inspired by the classical graph theory and study them with the flow network model. We propose methodology for creating, modeling, and quantifying the performance of the networks with up to 58 devices. We study the flow uniformity inside the microreactor networks, their response to malfunctioning, and their recovery from various levels of damage. We found that all investigated network topologies had acceptable performance, even after sustaining considerable damage, and identified designs that outperformed the others in various aspects. We also showed that repairing a heavily malfunctioning network is not trivial for any topology, including simple ones. Finally, we confirmed select findings with three-dimensional direct numerical simulations.