Parallel flow reactor having improved thermal control

A parallel flow reaction system for effecting four or more simultaneous reactions in four or more reaction channels, the reaction system comprising

• four or more reactors, each of the four or more reactors comprising a surface defining a reaction cavity of not more than about 1 ml for carrying out a chemical reaction, an inlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity, the four or more reactors comprising elongated reaction vessels having a first end section substantially adjacent the inlet port, a second end section substantially adjacent the outlet port, and a midsection between the first end section and the second end section, the midsection including a portion of the reaction cavity adapted to contain a catalyst and defining a reaction zone, the four or more reactors being adapted for effecting a chemical reaction at reaction temperatures of greater than about 100° C., and being configured and arranged in an array having at least one reactor that is about equidistant from at least three other reactors such that the spatial density of four or more reactors in the array is not less than about 1 reactor/10 cm2,
• a fluid distribution system for simultaneously supplying one or more reactants to the reaction cavity of each of the four or more reactors, and for discharging a reactor effluent from the outlet port of each such reaction cavity to one or more effluent sinks, and
• a temperature control system adapted to provide individually variable temperature differences of at least about 50° C. as compared between four or more spatially adjacent reactors, the temperature control system comprising (i) four or more individually-controllable resistive heating elements in thermal communication with the four or more reactors, respectively, for simultaneously and individually controlling the temperature of each of the four or more reactors, each of the four or more heating elements providing an axially-varying heat flux to the reaction cavity of its respective reactor, and (ii) a forced-convection fluid heat exchanger providing thermal isolation between each of the four or more reactors, the forced-convection heat exchanger comprising at least three heat-exchange zones, each of the zones having one or more independent heat-exchange fluid inlets for supplying fresh heat-exchange fluid to its associated zone, the at least three heat-exchange zones including a central heat-exchange zone adapted to effect heat transfer from the midsections of the reactors, a first end heat-exchange zone adapted to effect heat transfer from the first end sections of the reactors, and a second end heat-exchange zone adapted to effect heat transfer from the second end sections of the reactors.

A method for evaluating catalytic reactions at various process temperatures in a parallel flow chemical reactor, the method comprising

• simultaneously feeding reactants to a set of four or more parallel reactors through a fluid distribution system, each of the four or more reactors comprising a catalyst effective for catalyzing a reaction of interest, the catalyst being substantially the same or different as compared between the four or more reactors,
• simultaneously contacting the reactants with the catalysts in each of the four or more reactors under reaction conditions effective for the reaction of interest,
• independently controlling the temperature of the reaction zone of each of the four or more reactors to effect a temperature of at least about 100° C. and a variation in temperature of at least about 10° C. as compared between four or more spatially adjacent reactors during the course of the reaction, and
• determining the catalytic performance for each of the four or more reactions.

A method for evaluating catalytic reactions at various process temperatures in a parallel flow chemical reactor, the method comprising

• simultaneously feeding reactants to a set of four or more parallel reactors through a fluid distribution system, each of the four or more reactors comprising a catalyst effective for catalyzing a reaction of interest, the catalyst being substantially the same or different as compared between the four or more reactors,
• simultaneously contacting the reactants with the catalysts in each of the four or more reactors under reaction conditions effective for the reaction of interest,
• independently controlling the temperature of the reaction zone of each of the four or more reactors to be at least about 100° C.,
• thermally isolating each of the four or more reactors from each other during the course of the reaction by forced-convection heat transfer from the reactors to a heat-exchange fluid, and
• determining the catalytic performance for each of the four or more reactions.

A method for evaluating catalytic reactions at various process temperatures in a parallel flow chemical reactor, the method comprising

• simultaneously feeding reactants to a set of four or more parallel reactors through a fluid distribution system, each of the four or more reactors comprising a catalyst effective for catalyzing a reaction of interest, the catalyst being substantially the same or different as compared between the four or more reactors,
• simultaneously contacting the reactants with the catalysts in each of the four or more reactors under reaction conditions effective for the reaction of interest,
• independently controlling the temperature of the reaction zone of each of the four or more reactors to be at least about 100° C.,
• heating the reaction cavity of each of the four or more reactors with an axially-varying heat flux,
• determining the catalytic performance for each of the four or more reactions.