Patent ID: 7150994
Filing Date: 2006-12-19
Classification: B01J,B01L,C40B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. 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 for carrying out a chemical reaction, an inlet part in fluid communication with the reaction cavity, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity, a fluid distribution system for simultaneously supplying one or more reactants from one or more reactant sources to the inlet port of the reaction cavity for 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, the fluid distribution system comprising one or more subsystems selected from the group consisting of (a) a flow-partitioning subsystem for providing a different flow rate to each of the four or more reactors, the flow-partitioning subsystem comprising at least one set of four or more passive inlet or outlet flow restrictors, wherein each reactor of the four or more reactors is in fluid communication with at least one different passive flow restrictor from the set of four or more passive inlet or outlet flow restrictors than the other reactors, each of the four or more inlet or outlet flow restrictors having a flow resistance that varies relative to other flow restrictors in the set, (b) a pressure-partitioning subsystem for providing a different reaction pressure in the reaction cavity of each of the four or more reactors, the pressure-partitioning subsystem comprising at least one set of four or more passive inlet or outlet flow restrictors, wherein each reactor of the four or more reactors is in fluid communication with at least one different passive flow restrictor from the set of four or more passive inlet or outlet flow restrictors than the other reactors, each of the four or more inlet or outlet flow restrictors having a flow resistance that varies relative to other flow restrictors in the set, and (c) a feed-composition subsystem for providing a different feed composition to each of the four or more reactors, the feed-composition subsystem comprising four or more mixing zones, each mixing zone in fluid communication with an inlet port of a different reactor of the four or more reactors and at least two sets of four or more passive flow restrictors, a first of the two sets of passive flow restrictors in fluid communication with a first reactant source and the four or more mixing zones so that each of the four or more mixing zones is in fluid communication with the first reactant source through at least one passive flow restrictor of the first set of flow restrictors, a second of the two sets of passive flow restrictors in fluid communication with a second reactant source and the four or more mixing zones so that each of the four or more mixing zones is in fluid communication with the second reactant source through at least one passive flow restrictor of the second set of flow restrictors, each of the four or more flow restrictors in a set providing a resistance to flow between the or more reactant sources and one of the four or more mixing zones, each of the four or more flow restrictors in a set having a flow resistance that varies relative to other flow restrictors in the set.