Additive Manufacturing of Functional Microarchitected Reactors for Energy, Environmental, and Biological Applications

Seok Kim,Do Hyeog Kim,Wonpyo Kim,조영태,Nicholas X. Fang 한국정밀공학회 2021 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.8 No.1

The use of microreactors in the continuous fluidic system has been rapidly expanded over the past three decades. Developments in materials science and engineering have accelerated the advancement of the microreactor technology, enabling it to play a critical role in chemical, biological, and energy applications. The emerging paradigm of digital additive manufacturing broadens the range of the material flexibility, innovative structural design, and new functionality of the conventional microreactor system. The control of spatial arrangements with functional printable materials determines the mass transport and energy transfer within architected microreactors, which are significant for many emerging applications, including use in catalytic, biological, battery, or photochemical reactors. However, challenges such as lack of design based on multiphysics modeling and material validation are currently preventing the broader applications and impacts of functional microreactors conjugated with digital manufacturing beyond the laboratory scale. This review covers a state-of-the-art of research in the development of some of the most advanced digital manufactured functional microreactors. We then the outline major challenges in the field and provide our perspectives on future research and development directions.

균일 유동 마이크로 반응기의 설계와 검증

박지민(Ji Min Park),이승재(Seung Jae Yi),김경천(Kyung Chun Kim) 한국가시화정보학회 2010 한국가시화정보학회 학술발표대회 논문집 Vol.2010 No.11

This paper proposes a design method to provide uniform flow in a microreactor. Uniform momentumapproach is adopted with 10 pillars before and after the chamber having a different slope inlet channel. The slope and number of pillars are two factors to make a uniform flow in the microreactor, covering the hexagonal gold layer. The CFD analysis about the designed microreactor is carried out and the velocity vector field measurements are made in the fabricated microreactor by micro PIV technique. The uniformity of microreactor flow was confirmed by both numerical simulation and experimental results.

Design and validation of a uniform flow microreactor

이승재,Ji Min Park,장승철,김경천 대한기계학회 2014 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.28 No.1

We present a design method to characterize uniform flows in a microreactor for high performance surface plasmon resonance (SPR) ageneral-purpose biosensor chips. The shape of the microreactor is designed based on an approximate pressure drop model. The numberof micro-pillars and the slopes of the inlet and outlet linear chambers are two dominant parameters used to minimize the velocity differencein the microreactor. The flow uniformity was examined quantitatively by numerical and experimental visualization methods. Acomputational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis demonstrates that the designed microreactor has a fairly uniform velocity profile in thereaction zone for a wide range of flow rates. The velocity field in the fabricated microreactor was measured using the micro-particle imagevelocimetry (μ-PIV) method, and the flow uniformity was confirmed experimentally. The performance of the uniform flow microreactorwas verified using the fluorescence antibody technique.

Enhancement of Phenolic Compounds Oxidation Using Laccase from Trametes versicolor in a Microreactor

Ana Jurinjak Tušek,Marina Tišma,Valentina Bregovic,Ana Pticar,Želimir Kurtanjek,Bruno Zelic 한국생물공학회 2013 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.18 No.4

Laccases catalyse the oxidation of a wide range of substrates by a radical-catalyzed reaction mechanism,with a corresponding reduction of oxygen to water in a four-electron transfer process. Due to that, laccases are considered environmentally friendly enzymes, and lately there has been great interest in their use for the transformation and degradation of phenolic compounds. In this work, enzymatic oxidation of catechol and L-DOPA using commercial laccase from Trametes versicolor was performed, in continuously operated microreactors. The main focus of this investigation was to develop a new process for phenolic compounds oxidation, by application of microreactors. For a residence time of 72 s and an inlet oxygen concentration of 0.271 mmol/dm3, catechol conversion of 41.3% was achieved, while approximately the same conversion of L-DOPA (45.0%) was achieved for an inlet oxygen concentration of 0.544 mmol/dm3. The efficiency of microreactor usage for phenolic compounds oxidation was confirmed by calculating the oxidation rates;in the case of catechol oxidation, oxidation rates were in the range from 76.101 to 703.935 g/dm3/d (18 - 167 fold higher, compared to the case in a macroreactor). To better describe the proposed process, kinetic parameters of catechol oxidation were estimated, using data collected from experiments performed in a microreactor. The maximum reaction rate estimated in microreactor experiments was two times higher than one estimated using the initial reaction rate method from experiments performed in a cuvette. A mathematical model of the process was developed, and validated, using data from independent experiments.

A central facility concept for nuclear microreactor maintenance and fuel cycle management

Fakhry Faris,Buongiorno Jacopo,Rhyne Steve,Cross Benjamin,Roege Paul,Landrey Bruce 한국원자력학회 2024 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.56 No.3

Commercial deployment of nuclear microreactors presents an opportunity for the industry to rethink its approach to manufacturing, siting, operation and maintenance, and fuel cycle management as certain principles used in grid-scale nuclear projects are not applicable to a decentralized microreactor economy. The success of this nascent industry is dependent on its ability to reduce infrastructure, logistical, regulatory and lifecycle costs. A utility-like ‘Central Facility’ that consolidates the services required and responsibilities borne by vendors into one or a few centralized locations will be necessary to support the deployment of a fleet of microreactors. This paper discusses the requirements for a Central Facility, its implications on the cost structures of owners and suppliers of microreactors, and the impact of the facility for the broader microreactor industry. In addition, this paper discusses the pre-requisites for eligibility as well as the opportunities for a Central Facility host site. While there are many suitable locations for such a capability across the U.S., this paper considers a facility co-located with the Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant and Savannah River Sites to illustrate how a Central Facility can leverage the existing infrastructure and stimulate a local ecosystem.

Immobilization of Tungsten Catalyst in Processing Microreactors Based Catechol Chemistry for Photothermal Killing of Bacteria

( Phuong ),박성영 한국공업화학회 2019 한국공업화학회 연구논문 초록집 Vol.2019 No.0

Herein, an antibacterial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microreactors immobilized with Tungsten bronze-type compound of C_s0.33WO₃ based on catechol chemistry. Specifically, catechol was grafted into poly (N-vinylpyrrolidone) polymer backbone to create CA-PVP for controlling the adhesive properties on the coated surface. After treated with bacteria, the microreactor showed excellent antibacterial activity after near-infrared (NIR) irradiation during 30-days operation. The C_s0.33WO₃ nanoparticles were confirmed not to be stabilized inside the channels, showing the robust immobilization of photothermal agents using excellent adhesive ability of catechol. The immobilized C_s0.33WO₃ inside microreactors could be removed easily by acid solution, confirming the recycling ability of the microreactors.

Performance of NIR-Mediated Antibacterial Continuous Flow Microreactors Prepared by Mussel-Inspired Immobilization of Cs_0.33WO₃ Photothermal Agents

Kim, Young Kwang,Kang, Eun Bi,Kim, Sung Min,Park, Chan Pil,In, Insik,Park, Sung Young American Chemical Society 2017 ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Vol.9 No.3

<P>An antibacterial continuous flow microreactor was successfully prepared by sequential mussel-inspired surface engineering of microchannels by using catechol-grafted poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) and immobilization of near-infrared active Cs0.233WO3 nanoparticles inside the polydirnethylsiloxane(PDMS)-based microreactors. Excellent photho-thermal antibacterial acitivity over 99.9% was accomplished toward Gram-positive and-negative bacteria upon near-infrared irradiation during continuous operation up to 30 days. This was achieved without releasing Cs0.33WO3 nanoparticles from the surface of the microchannels, confirming the robust immobilization of photothermal agents through the mussel-inspired chemistry. The cleaning of used microreactors was easily attainable by simple acid treatment to release immobilized photothermal agents from the surface of the microchannels, enabling efficient recycling of used microreactors.</P>

균일 유동 마이크로 반응기의 설계와 검증

박지민(Ji Min Park),이승재(Seung Jae Yi),김경천(Kyung Chun Kim) 한국가시화정보학회 2010 한국가시화정보학회지 Vol.8 No.3

This paper proposes a design method to provide uniform flow in a microreactor. Uniform momentum approach is adopted with 10 pillars before and after the chamber having a different slope inlet channel. The slope and number of pillars are two factors to make a uniform flow in the microreactor, covering the hexagonal gold layer. The CFD analysis about the designed microreactor is carried out and the velocity vector field measurements are made in the fabricated microreactor by micro PIV technique. The uniformity of microreactor flow was confirmed by both numerical simulation and experimental results.

Overview of the Application of Flow Microreactors in the Synthesis of Silver Nanomaterials

Xiaoai He,Aijuan Lu,Jin Cheng,Junfang Chen,Qianhui Song,Wenfang Liu,Chuanpin Chen 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2017 NANO Vol.12 No.11

The unique electrical, optical and biological properties of silver nanomaterials have attracted significant attention of many researchers. Since the size and shape of silver nanomaterials have significant effects on the properties of silver nanomaterials, extensive research has focused on synthesis and characterization of silver nanomaterials. However, almost all of the syntheses of silver nanomaterials were carried out in traditional batch reactors, which typically suffer from inhomogeneous mixing and corresponding spatial variations under reaction conditions, ultimately leading to poor quality of the final nanomaterials. Recently, the emerging microfluidic technology not only furnishes novel strategies for the synthesis of silver nanomaterials but also brings great opportunities and impetus to improve the quality and yield of silver nanomaterials due to enhanced mass and heat transfer. The current paper reviews recent achievements in the synthesis of silver nanomaterials in flow microreactors. Various strategies adopted for the synthesis of silver nanomaterials in microreactors are presented and compared, including synthesis in single-phase and multi-phase flow microreactors. In addition, the factors that affect the size and size distribution of silver nanomaterials in flow microreactors synthesis are also discussed briefly.

A TiO2-nanotubes-based coil-type microreactor for highly efficient photoelectrocatalytic degradation of organic compounds

Luka Suhadolnik,Matic Krivec,Kristina Žagar,Goran Dražic,Miran Ceh 한국공업화학회 2017 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.47 No.-

A continuous-flow, coil-type photoelectrocatalytic microreactor for the degradation of caffeine wasdesigned, assembled and characterized. Its main components are the photocatalytically active anode andthe cathode coils, which are wrapped around a silica-glass rod and placed into a UV-transparent housing. The anode coil was prepared by anodic oxidation of the titanium coil, which leads to the formation ofvertically aligned, titanium dioxide, nanotube arrays that exhibit a high photocatalytic activity and arerigidly attached to the titanium wire. The photocatalytic, electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalyticactivities of the assembled microreactor were measured systematically while changing the mainparameters that affect the device’s efficiency. The most significant change in the microreactor’s design interms of efficiency was to place the cathode coils on both sides of the anode coil, which resulted in theshortest time for complete degradation of the caffeine. When an applied anodic bias potential of 4 V wasused in the most efficient microreactor design, 1 mL of the 40 mg/L caffeine was fully decomposed in55 min.