The diversification of the natural resources for the production of chemicals, energy and energy carriers is a reality and requires the development of novel types of reactors and processes. Nevertheless, coal, gas oil and natural gas will remain to be important for decades to come. Challenges in the conversion of gas oil are found in the use of increasingly heavy or lower quality oil fractions and in the increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Novel technologies are developed that allow reducing the cost and energy requirements of important gas oil conversion processes. Natural gas becomes an increasingly important feedstock. A first step in the conversion of natural gas into chemicals is the production of synthesis gas. Novel technologies allowing to increase the capacity of existing plants and to reduce the cost and energy requirements of new plants are therefore being developed. A major challenge is found in reducing CO2 emissions, requiring the development of technologies that facilitate CO2 capture. Chemical Looping technologies, such as autothermal Chemical Looping Reforming of natural gas, are studied in this context. With Cranfield University (UK), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati (India), and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CMERI) (New Dehli, India), IMAP is involved in the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme "International Collaboration on Computational Modeling of Fluidized Bed Systems for Clean Energy Technologies" (iComFluid).
Biomass is considered to be an alternative and CO2 neutral natural resource. The conversion of biomass into valuable chemicals and energy carriers is, however, challenging. IMAP is involved in developing thermal and biochemical processes for the conversion of biomass. Technologies for efficient biomass drying and torrefaction are developed. The concentration of valuable components in fermentation broths is addressed. The use of solar energy requires the deposition of thin films, e.g. in the production of solar cells. IMAP is involved in developing novel reactor technologies for thin film deposition, allowing to improve the efficiency and the production cost of solar cells.
Process Intensification is a guiding principle in the development of eco-efficient processes and processes for the production of specific high-quality materials. In the context of methane steam reforming, tubular structured catalytic reactors are developed that aim at reducing the pressure drop and improving the catalyst efficiency and the heat transfer between the process gas and the tubular wall of the reactor. A wide variety of fluidized processes, e.g. catalytic cracking of gas oil or biomass drying/torrefaction, can be significantly intensified by fluidizing in a high-G field. High-G fluidization allows intensifying interfacial transfer of species, heat and momentum. The latter allows reducing the formation of bubbles and the fluidization of cohesive particles. Different technologies for high-G fluidization are studied and specific applications developed, e.g. the coating of cohesive powders for food/feed and pharmaceutical applications. The use of alternative forms of energy is also addressed. The characteristics of plasma reactors, e.g. for the deposition of thin films, are investigated in this context.
Research in IMAP focuses on the fundamental understanding of the behavior of chemical reactors and processes through experimental studies and modeling. Lab-scale experimental studies aim at obtaining accurate data for model development and validation. Mono- and multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models are developed, including interfacial transfer phenomena and detailed reaction kinetics. The fundamental models developed aim at facilitating reactor and process scale-up and optimization. Scale-up and commercialization of specific applications are typically studied in collaboration with an industrial partner.
Projects
- Structured catalytic reactors and application to Steam Methane Reforming
- Autothermal Chemical Looping Reforming (a-CLR)
- Biomass drying and torrefaction in vortex chambers
- Wet coating and granulation of cohesive powders in vortex chambers
- Application of vortex chambers for the intensification of catalytic fluidized bed processes
Patents
"Device and method for injecting fluid into a rotating fluidized bed", Axel de Broqueville and Juray De Wilde, April 23, 2007: PCT/EP2007/053941, Publication number: WO/2007/122211, International patent.
"A vortex chamber device, and method for treating powder particles or a powder particles precursor", Juray De Wilde, Philippe Eliaers, Albert Poortinga (FrieslandCampina), P99004EP00, filed on 26-10-2012.
Books
Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design. Wiley Series in Chemical Engineering, Third Edition and Solution Manual. Gilbert F. Froment, Kenneth B. Bischoff (†) and Juray De Wilde; September 2010. Text book: 867 p.; Solution Manual: 247 p.; 4 simulation codes; ISBN 9780470565414.
Book Chapters
Contribution in Advances in Fluid Mechanics VII, Editors: M. Rahman and C.A. Brebbia, WIT Press, 2008, ISBN: 978-1-84564-109-2, Juray De Wilde, "New Ways of Fluidization in a Centrifugal Field", p. 223-234.
Chapter in Heat Transfer - Theoretical Analysis, Experimental Investigations and Industrial Systems, InTech, Open Access Publisher, January 2011, ISBN: 978-953-307-226-5, Juray De Wilde, "Gas-Solid Heat and Mass Transfer Intensification in Rotating Fluidized Beds in a Static Geometry", Chapter 23, p. 593-616.
Chapter in Novel Reactor Concepts, Eds.: van Sint Annaland M., Gallucci F. and Metcalfe I., Imperial College Press, UK, in press, publication foreseen April 2013, Juray De Wilde, "Rotating Fluidized Bed Reactors", Chapter 8, 39 pages.
International Journals
Eliaers, Philippe ; Ranjan Pati, Jnyana ; Dutta, Subhajit ; De Wilde, Juray. Modeling and simulation of biomass drying in vortex chambers. In: Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 123, no.--, p. 648-664 (2015)
De Wilde, Juray. Gas–solid fluidized beds in vortex chambers. In: Chemical engineering and processing - Génie des procédés = Verfahrenstechnik, Vol. 85, no.--, p. 256-290 (2014)
Eliaers, Philippe ; de Broqueville, Axel ; Poortinga, Albert ; van Hengstum, Tom ; De Wilde, Juray. High-G, low-temperature coating of cohesive particles in a vortex chamber. In: Powder Technology, Vol. 258, no.--, p. 242-251 (May 2014)
Descamps, Pierre ; Asad, Syed Salman ; De Wilde, Juray. Atmospheric-pressure plasma enhanced chemical deposition: role of the reactor flow dynamics. In: Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol. 46, no.36, p. 365201 (2013)
De Wilde, Juray ; Froment, Gilbert F.. Modeling of Dual-Zone Structured Reactors for Natural Gas Steam Reforming. In: Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 52, no.39, p. 14055-14065 (2013)
Eliaers, Philippe ; De Wilde, Juray. Drying of Biomass Particles: Experimental Study and Comparison of the Performance of a Conventional Fluidized Bed and a Rotating Fluidized Bed in a Static Geometry. In: Drying Technology, Vol. 31, no.2, p. 236-245 (2013)
De Wilde, Juray ; Froment, Gilbert F. Computational Fluid Dynamics in chemical reactor analysis and design: Application to the ZoneFlow™ reactor for methane steam reforming. In: Fuel : the science and technology of fuel and energy, Vol. 100, p. 48-56 (2012)
de Radiguès de Chennevières, Quentin ; Sévar, Pierre-Yves ; Van Wonterghem, Frédéric ; Santoro, Ronny ; Proost, Joris. Electrochemical Characterization of Mass Transport in Porous Electrodes. In: Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 51, no.43, p. 14229-14235 (2012)
Rosales-Trujillo, Waldo ; De Wilde, Juray. Fluid catalytic cracking in a rotating fluidized bed in a static geometry: a CDF analysis accounting for the distribution of the catalyst coke content. In: Powder Technology, Vol. 221, p. 36-46 (2012)
Van Engelandt, G. ; Heynderickx, Géraldine J. ; De Wilde, Juray ; Marin, G.B. Experimental and computational study of T-and L-outlet effects in dilute riser flow. In: Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 66, no. 21, p. 5024-5044 (2011)
Staudt, Nicolas ; De Broqueville, Axel ; Rosales-Trujillo, Waldo ; De Wilde, Juray. Low-Temperature Pyrolysis and Gasification of Biomass: Numerical Evaluation of the Process Intensification Potential of Rotating- and Circulating Rotating Fluidized Beds in a Static Fluidization Chamber. In: International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering, Vol. 9, no. -, p. A43 (2011)
De Wilde, Juray ; de Broqueville, Axel. A rotating chimney for compressing rotating fluidized beds. In: Powder Technology, Vol. 199, no. 1, p. 87-94 (2010)
Trujillo, Waldo Rosales ; De Wilde, Juray. Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Fluid Catalytic Cracking in a Rotating Fluidized Bed in a Static Geometry. In: Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 49, no. 11, p. 5288-5298 (2010)
de Radiguès de Chennevières, Quentin ; Santoro, Ronny ; Proost, Joris. Kinetic transitions during Ag and Cu electrorecovery on reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes in flow-by mode. In: Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 162, no. 1, p. 273-277 (2010)
de Broqueville, Axel ; De Wilde, Juray. Numerical investigation of gas-solid heat transfer in rotating fluidized beds in a static geometry. In: Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 64, no. 6, p. 1232-1248 (2009)
Minsier, Vincent ; De Wilde, Juray ; Proost, Joris. Simulation of the effect of viscosity on jet penetration into a single cavitating bubble. In: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 106, no. 8 (2009)
Berger, Rob J. ; Kapteijn, Freek ; Moulijn, Jacob A. ; Marin, Guy B. ; De Wilde, Juray ; Olea, Maria ; Chen, De ; Holmen, Anders ; Lietti, Luca ; Tronconi, Enrico ; Schuurman, Yves. Dynamic methods for catalytic kinetics. In: Applied Catalysis A: General, Vol. 342, no. 1-2, p. 3-28 (2008)
De Wilde, Juray ; de Broqueville, Axel. Experimental investigation of a rotating fluidized bed in a static geometry. In: Powder Technology, Vol. 183, no. 3, p. 426-435 (2008)
De Wilde, Juray ; de Broqueville, Axel. Experimental study of fluidization of 1G-Geldart D-type particles in a rotating fluidized bed with a rotating chimney. In: A I Ch E Journal, Vol. 54, no. 8, p. 2029-2044 (2008)
Minsier, Vincent ; Proost, Joris. Modeling of shock wave emission during acoustically-driven cavitation-induced cleaning process. In: Solid State Phenomena, Vol. 134, p. 197-200 (2008)
Minsier, Vincent ; Proost, Joris. Shock wave emission upon spherical bubble collapse during cavitation-induced megasonic surface cleaning. In: Ultrasonics sonochemistry, Vol. 15, no. 4, p. 598-604 (2008)
De Wilde, Juray ; Constales, Denis ; Heynderickx, Geraldine J. ; Marin, Guy B. Assessment of filtered gas-solid momentum transfer models via a linear wave propagation speed test. In: International Journal of Multiphase Flow, Vol. 33, no. 6, p. 616-637 (2007)
Van Engelandt, Gorik ; De Wilde, Juray ; Heynderickx, Geraldine J. ; Marin, Guy B. Experimental Study of Inlet Phenomena of 35° Inclined Non-aerated and Aerated Y-inlets in a Dilute Cold-flow Riser. In: Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 62, no. 1-2, p. 339-355 (2007)
De Wilde, Juray ; Habibi, Ali ; de Broqueville, Axel. Experimental and numerical study of rotating fluidized beds in a static geometry. In: International Journal Of Chemical Reactor Engineering, Vol. 5 (2007)
De Wilde, Juray ; Heynderickx, Geraldine J. ; Marin, Guy B. Filtered gas-solid momentum transfer models and their application to 3D steadystate riser simulations. In: Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 62, no. 18-20, p. 5451-5457 (2007)
Habibi, Ali ; De Wilde, Juray. Kinetic modeling of the thermal degradation of methacrylate copolymers by thermogravimetric methods. In: International Journal Of Chemical Reactor Engineering, Vol. 5 (2007)
De Wilde, Juray ; de Broqueville, Axel. Rotating fluidized beds in a static geometry: Experimental proof of concept. In: A I Ch E Journal, Vol. 53, no. 4, p. 793-810 (2007)
De Wilde, Juray. The generalized added mass revised. In: Physics of Fluids, Vol. 19, no. 5 (2007)
Quinet, Patricia ; Proost, Joris ; Van Lierde, André. Recovery of precious metals from electronic scrap by hydrometallurgical processing routes. In: Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, Vol. 22, no. 1, p. 17-22 (2005)
De Wilde, Juray. Reformulating and quantifying the generalized added mass in filtered gas-solid flow models. In: Physics of Fluids, Vol. 17, no. 11 (2005)