Traditional catalytic reaction devices are often limited to the superposition of a single or two energy fields. Especially under multi-field coupling conditions, due to the different characteristics of various energy forms, the design at the catalytic reaction interface is often a mechanical and inefficient superposition, leading to trade-offs. On one hand, the power ratio of different energy sources reaching the reaction site is severely imbalanced. In particular, the energy of light irradiation (energy of effective wavelength) that plays a role is often much lower than the required matching thermal power. On the other hand, it is impossible to finely explore the synergy mechanism between various energy fields. The Pofely Rapid-Heating Multi-Field Fixed-Bed Reactor breaks this situation. Aimed at constructing field energy enhancement and flexible multi-field coupling (light, heat, microwave), the reactor changes the catalytic reaction path from multiple dimensions such as electronic state regulation, reaction kinetics optimization, and mass transfer enhancement, realizing a "1+1>2" enhancement effect. For the first time in fixed-bed reaction systems, this reactor uses flexibly replaceable LED light sources instead of the xenon light sources almost exclusively used in traditional solutions. This allows the key parameter of light wavelength to be decoupled in photothermal fixed-bed reactions, making the activation of gas substrates more selective and precise.
Independent Control: Light field, thermal field, and microwave field can be independently turned on, off, and precisely regulated.
Flexible Combination: Researchers can freely combine "light-heat", "microwave-heat", "light-microwave", and even "light-heat-microwave" energy fields according to experimental needs, achieving seamless switching from dual-field synergy to three-field linkage.
● Light Energy Utilization Efficiency: Increased by more than 60% (compared to top-illuminated light guide column structure)
The light utilization efficiency of top-illuminated photothermal reactors is about 50%.
The light utilization efficiency of this reactor is about 80%.
The overall efficiency is increased by more than 60%.
● Electric Heat Utilization Efficiency: Increased by more than 3 times (compared to traditional tube furnace devices)
The no-load maintaining power of tube furnaces at 500 ℃ is about 130 - 150W.
The no-load maintaining power of this reactor at 500 ℃ is about 40 W.
The overall electric energy utilization can be increased by more than 3 times.
● Experimental Time Efficiency: Increased by several times (compared to traditional fixed-bed devices)
Traditional fixed beds take time for temperature adjustment or catalyst screening due to slow heating balance and cooling, especially the cooling process generally needs to be operated the next day.
This reactor has fast heating and cooling rates, with thermal balance achieved in about 15 minutes, allowing up to 8 or more samples to be tested in one day.
The overall time efficiency can be increased by several times.
Realized single-wavelength high-energy light density light-thermal coupling catalytic reaction;
Realized the coupling strategy between microwave field and catalysts (such as heterojunction catalyst design), and developed a multi-field coupled integrated reactor integrating light, heat, and microwave;
Developed solutions for the difficult degradation of industrial waste gas and chemical tail gas.
The rapid-heating multi-field fixed-bed reaction device adopts a unique transparent pressure-resistant quartz tube reactor. Three rows of high-power LED light sources distributed at 120°, from the outer side of the cylindrical surface, are shaped into rectangular light spots through optical lenses, uniformly irradiating the surface of the catalyst carrier.
The innovative "three-sided irradiation stitching" technology, like putting a seamless light energy coat on the catalyst surface, solves the pain points of traditional furnace body opening-type light reactors, such as uneven light irradiation and large energy loss (especially a large number of catalysts cannot receive sufficient light irradiation). The light energy utilization rate and irradiation uniformity have achieved an order of magnitude improvement.
Actual measurement proves: With only LED light sources with a total power of several hundred watts turned on, and without turning on electric heating, the catalyst surface can be quickly heated to 500 degrees Celsius by virtue of LED light energy alone, realizing the instant start of the "photothermal effect". And the appropriate redundancy of light energy is precisely an important condition for energy structure matching in photothermal catalysis.
• The core of the reactor integrates porous conductive carriers (such as silicon carbide, titanium alloy), introducing the concept of efficient Joule heating into the fixed bed.
• Compared with the traditional muffle furnace external heating method, this design realizes direct and uniform heating from the inside out, with a temperature rise rate far exceeding that of traditional devices, which can reach the target reaction temperature in minutes, greatly improving experimental efficiency and reducing the interference of thermal background effects during the heating process.
• Outside the pressure-resistant quartz tube, there is a high-vacuum jacket cavity and an infrared reflector. On the one hand, it effectively prevents heat conduction dissipation of the internal reaction tube and improves thermal efficiency; on the other hand, the vacuum cavity provides an excellent channel for the penetration of the light field, and the design of the reflector does not affect the transmission of light energy.
• The lower end of the reactor is precisely arranged with 4 needle-shaped microwave feed sources to ensure efficient and uniform injection of microwave energy into the reaction system. The microwave shielding net covered outside the vacuum sleeve strictly restricts the microwave field, prevents energy leakage, and ensures the safety of experimental personnel and the independence of the field.
Application site of Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University
● Feature 1: Multi-Energy Field Coupling
The rapid-heating multi-field fixed-bed reaction device integrates three core components: a multi-functional reaction furnace, a triple ring-illuminated LED light source, and a solid-state microwave module. It can accurately construct resistance thermal field, light field, and microwave field, supporting the research of single field action and multi-field协同 catalysis. Among them, the resistance thermal field relies on the built-in heating device design, making the catalyst in close contact with the heating components, greatly reducing heat conduction loss and improving heat utilization efficiency; the triple ring-illuminated LED light source can achieve high-density and precise irradiation of the catalyst in the reaction furnace, with optional wavelengths of 365 nm, 380 nm, 405 nm, 420 nm, 760 nm, etc., which can flexibly match the band gap requirements of different catalysts; the solid-state microwave module can provide about 250 W microwave output, and display the incident power and reflected power in real time, facilitating accurate monitoring of microwave energy utilization efficiency and ensuring reaction stability. Based on the above configuration, the device can flexibly carry out multi-field coupling catalytic experiments such as light-heat, light-microwave, and light-heat-microwave.
● Feature 2: Rapid-Heating Characteristics
The device exhibits significant rapid temperature rise performance under the action of different energy fields: the resistance heating temperature rise rate can reach about 100 ℃/min, microwave heating about 40 - 50 ℃/min, and light source heating about 20 ℃/min, which can be flexibly selected according to the specific reaction needs of customers to accurately match the rapid temperature rise scenarios. At the same time, the device establishes thermal balance quickly, taking only about 15 minutes, which is more than 3 times higher than the heating balance efficiency of traditional devices; and it supports rapid switching between heating and cooling, greatly shortening the overall experimental cycle.
● Feature 3: Simplified Operation, Improved Efficiency
The rapid-heating multi-field fixed-bed reaction device is equipped with lower computer display and operation functions, providing users with a convenient intelligent operation experience. Users can conveniently and accurately adjust the light source power and microwave output ratio through the lower computer. The operation process of the device is safe and controllable, and it also has strong scene adaptability, which can flexibly cope with different research and production scenarios.
● Feature 4: Fast Response
① Fast thermal balance (about 15 min), which is about 3 times faster than traditional heating balance time; ② The empty volume of the reaction zone is small, almost no dead volume, gas replacement is efficient, and the reaction response time is short (second level), which is significantly improved compared with traditional tube reactors.
● Feature 5: High Efficiency and Energy Saving
Light source: The ring-illuminated structure design makes the light source close to the reactor, with small optical path loss. The reactor has a built-in reflection layer to improve the secondary utilization of reflected light.
Resistance heat: ① Built-in heating device, the catalyst is close to the heating device, effectively reducing heat conduction loss; ② Vacuum insulation layer design, reducing the air thermal conductivity through the vacuum environment (thermal conductivity is lower than 1/100 of that under normal pressure); ③ The reactor has a built-in reflection layer, which can realize the secondary utilization of thermal infrared reflection; compared with traditional reaction furnaces, the maintenance energy consumption is saved by more than 3 times.
● Feature 6: Light Energy Utilization
① The single-wavelength light of the LED light source realizes precise control of the light source, matches the catalyst band gap, avoids multi-wavelength interference, and improves quantum efficiency.
② The irradiation area is greatly increased, the light power density of monochromatic wavelength is high, and the maximum on the catalyst surface can reach more than 32 suns. The effective light-receiving area is 3.14 cm² (bed height 10 mm) - 15.7 cm² (bed height 50 mm), and the maximum light-receiving area is about 31.4 cm². For example, the light power density of HL100-365 light source is >3.2 W/cm² (tested without mesh shielding layer).
Heat-light-microwave multi-field coupling
Heat-light coupling
Resistance thermal field
Heat-microwave coupling
Light energy field
Light-microwave coupling
Microwave energy field
| Type | Performance Parameters | Remarks |
| Device Model | Rapid-heating multi-field fixed-bed reaction device series Basic version rapid thermal catalysis PLR-SCR100 (single thermal field)/Resistance thermal reactor PLR RH High-efficiency photothermal catalysis PLR-SCR100L (thermal + light field)/Standard reactor PLR RS High-efficiency thermal + microwave catalysis PLR-SCR100LM (thermal + microwave field)/Resistance thermal reactor PLR RH Rapid (thermal, light, microwave) catalysis full set PLR-SCR100A (thermal + light + microwave)/Multi-functional reactor PLR RMF |
Choose one of four |
| Light Source Model | Triple ring-illuminated LED light source PLS-LCC-wavelength (optional 365 nm, 380 nm, 405 nm, 420 nm, 760 nm) |
Others need to be customized |
| Number of Inlet Gases | 3 channels by default, 4 channels optional N2 calibration by default, range 100 mL/min |
Others need to be customized |
| Number of Inlet Liquids | None by default, 1 channel optional Flow range 0.001 - 2 mL/min |
Others need to be customized |
| Temperature and Pressure Parameters for Use | Device use parameters: 3 MPa/600 ℃, pressure accuracy 0.2% F.S, temperature control stability ±1 ℃ Reactor use requirements: pressure ≤ 3 MPa (300 ℃)/pressure ≤ 1 MPa (600 ℃) |
|
| Preheater | Preheating, premixing, vaporization functions 300 ℃ by default, maximum temperature 400 ℃ |
|
| Condensation Tank | Liquid storage volume ≤ 50 mL, detachable, 10 mm pagoda interface | |
| Equipment Interface | Gas path interface, 1/8' ferrule; circuit interface, three-hole socket | Pipelines are self-provided |
| Equipment Power Supply | 220 V/10 A, maximum power of equipment < 2.2 KW | Must be grounded |
| Equipment Dimensions | 700 mm * 800 mm * 480 mm (width * height * depth) | Others need to be customized |
