INJECTOR ASSEMBLIES AND MICROREACTORS INCORPORATING THE SAME

摘要

A microreactor assembly (100) is provided comprising a fluidic microstructure (10) and an injector assembly (20). The injector assembly (20) comprises a liquid inlet (22), a gas inlet (24), a liquid outlet (26), a gas outlet (28), a liquid flow portion (30) extending from the liquid inlet (22) to the liquid outlet (26), and a gas flow portion (40) extending from the gas inlet (24) to the gas outlet (28). Further, the injector assembly (20) defines an injection interface with a microchannel input port (14) of the fluidic microstructure (10). The injector assembly (20) is configured such that the gas outlet (28) of the gas flow portion (40) is positioned to inject gas into the liquid flow portion (30) upstream of the liquid outlet (26), into the liquid flow portion (30) at the liquid outlet (26), or into an extension (35) of the liquid flow portion (30) downstream of the liquid outlet (26). Further, the injector assembly (20) is configured such that gas is injected into the liquid flow portion (30) or the extension thereof as a series of gas bubbles. The resulting microreactor assembly (100), and the injector assemblies utilized therein, which can be used with a variety of microreactor designs, effectively improves the interfacial surface area within the microstructure without requiring excessive reduction of microchannel dimensions.