Investigation to the reciprocative thermal cycling of multiphase reactor train

• Main Author: Soh, Chin Huat.
• Other Authors: Gong Haiqing, Thomas
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Energy conservation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/41751
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The design and technique for creating a multiphase reactor train were presented. Formation of the reactor train involved a sequential dispensing of the fluid in immiscible-liquid liquid system. Each reactor was represented by mixture of water soluble dyes and segmented by a mineral oil column. The chip was fabricated by laser cutting process and subsequent thermal bonding of the acrylic sheets, and the generation of the reactor train was clearly demonstrated. Microfluidics of the reciprocating reactor train in the micro glass capillary was also investigated. Studies showed that the parabolic shaped reactor flow profile was dispersed when subjected to a higher velocity in a pressure-driven flow. The relationship between the inner diameter of the three glass capillaries and flow velocity inside the glass capillary were also investigated. As the reactor train could only reciprocate at a slow velocity in the glass capillary for thermal cycling, a relatively long cycle time would be required. Therefore, instead of reciprocating the reactor train, the heat source was moved reciprocatively and results showed that rapid thermally cycling could be achieved.