Scale Up of Microwave Processing · Demonstrated the scale up of microwave processes to production...

Scale Up of Microwave Processing

Microwave Commercialisation Club Workshop – May 2019

Yvonne Wharton

2019 C-Tech Innovation Ltd.

1966 Electricity Council Research Center (ECRC) established as a publicly-

funded research institute

1990 ECRC privatised along with the UK energy generation industry,

becomes EA Technology

2000 Management buyout of EA Technology’s Energy Division, which

becomes C-Tech Innovation

C-Tech History

Ideation

Invention and problem solving

Process concepts

Horizon scanning

Academic interactions

Research

Process development

Food processing

Surface engineering

High temperature processing

Analytical services IP protection

Concept Design

P&ID development

Option scoping studies

Economic studies

HAZOP and safety studies

Prototype build

Electrical, mechanical and software development

Plant demonstration facilities

Onsite operation and support

Full scale implementation

Installation at scale

Knowledge transfer

Training

What We Do


Approach

➡ Concept chemistry, physics, metallurgy

➡ Pilot mechanical & electrical

➡ Trials design & build

➡ Production commissioning


System Build and Installation Systematic approach to minimise risk

We develop and commercialise processes and build equipment for, amongst others the food, nuclear, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries

Project delivery may include:

• FEED studies

• PFD, P&ID, HAZOP

• System Integration

• Software and control integration

• Mechanical and electrical design

• Pilot plant operation

• Up to multi tonne scale in house

• Trained and efficient operators

• Full scale installation


Our Technologies

Electro-Heating

• Microwave Flow Reactors

• Ohmic Heating

• Plasma Processing

• Induction Heating

• Radiofrequency Defrosting and Heating

Electrochemical

• Electrochemical Synthesis

• Electrodialysis

• Metal Removal and Recovery

• Vanadium Electrolyte Production

Equipment


Why Microwave Flow Chemistry

Faster Faster reaction times Cleaner Rapid heating and absence of wall effects results in less side reactions Greener Cleaner reactions means less purification/solvents/ SMs. Energy saving MW flow vs batch Safer Less inventory of hazardous materials


Microwave Cavity

Microwave

source

Travelling wave

applicator

Quartz process tube

Pressure and microwave

containment


Pilot Scale Reactor

• Process for the production of an API from a suspension in ethanol

• Pilot scale reactor to process 1kg/hr (17mL/min) • Increased heating rate coupled with pressure

results in higher yields • >98% conversion vs 55% for conventionally

heated process

Specification • 450W @ 2450MHz • Maximum operating temperature 160°C • 20 bar • ATEX rated • Hold at 160°C for 45 min • 2 x 10L receiver vessels


Production Scale Reactor

• Plant scale reactor for production of an API from a suspension in ethanol

• Production rate 12 kg/hr product • 99.6% conversion at full operational rate Specification • 6kW @ 2450MHz • Maximum operating temperature 195 °C • 28 bar • ATEX rated • 2 x 120L receiver vessels


Microwave Plasma for Gas Phase Chemistry

• High pressure and very high flow rates

• 5 bar, 600 l/min

• Electrodeless plasma system with very high

reliability - no contamination of the product due

to ablation of the electrode materials

• Process was developed using 2450MHz 6kW unit

• Continuous, reliable operation

• Our microwave plasma has a much lower

operating temperature when compared with a

conventional plasma torch, and additionally has

a much longer gas residence time allowing

greater reactivity of the plasma gas to be

achieved.


Microwave Plasma for Nitrogen Fixation NO production is of great industrial interest and is the basis for the chemical technology of fertilizers and explosives. Many studies have been carried out on plasma-chemical synthesis of nitrogen oxides from air and nitrogen - oxygen mixtures for different plasma systems. N-Synth Project - 10 month Innovate UK project to investigate potential for local production of NO (HNO3) using C-Tech MW-plasma unit for N-fixation utilising low-cost renewable energy Results from this work are very interesting and have been proven to be significantly better than the Birkland-Eyde process for N2 fixation The key step is the activation of the very stable NΞN bond ΔH~10eV/mol). Simplest representation of gas phase reaction: 1/2 N2 + 1/2O2 -> NO (ΔH~ 1eV/mol) 2NO (g) + O2 (g) → 2NO2 (g) (ΔH = −1.2eV/mol) The highly endothermic activation of N2 is therefore the dominant thermodynamic barrier


Scale Up of Microwave Plasma

• Scaled up to 12 times using 60kW @ 896 MHz • Comparable results achieved compared to pilot

system

• Currently designing downstream processing systems to for supply to commercial client.

• Designed for localised production of NOx from air and renewable energy, and reduction of ammonia emissions

Conclusions


Demonstrated the scale up of microwave processes to production scale with high yields and high efficiencies

C-Tech Innovation Ltd Capenhurst Technology Park

Chester, CH1 6EH

0151 347 2900 [email protected]

www.ctechinnovation.com

Scale Up of Microwave Processing · Demonstrated the scale up of microwave processes to production...

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