Explosion Initiation, Propagation, and Suppression Inside a Micro Structured Reactor

Abstract

The present contribution reports on specific aspects of safety engineering in heterogeneously catalysed oxidation reactions. Results for ethene-oxygen-mixtures in a continuous-flow micro reactor are reported related to the safety issues of the ethylene oxide process. Initial pressure is ranging from below 1 bar up to 10 bar at initial temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 673 K. Micro structured reactors offer an extended range of operating conditions. The key issue to be discussed in the present contribution is how to safely operate a micro reactor at conditions in conventional devices to be characterised as inside the explosion region. Within certain limits suppression of explosion inside a micro reactor can be achieved. This holds true for chain reactions as well as runaway reactions. Nevertheless it is not possible to safely operate micro structured reactors at any condition. Therefore, explosion propagation through a micro structured reactor and initiation of gas phase explosions by hot spots inside the reactor were investigated. The investigation methods applied are subject to actual standardization.