The German Research Foundation (DFG) funds the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) "SMART Reactors," within which the Institute for Industrialization of Smart Materials (ISM) is actively involved in Subproject C01, titled "Integration of components into adaptive geometries." This research focuses on the exploration and additive manufacturing (AM) of self-regulating structures designed to respond dynamically to changing process conditions, such as temperature fluctuations, with the ultimate goal of autonomously steering chemical reactions back towards ideal process parameters through adaptive geometries. To realize these complex designs, the ISM maintains a close cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Additive Manufacturing Technologies (IAPT), focusing on developing self-optimizing lattice structures with integrated components for in situ detection and self-adjustment.
Central to this approach is the use of Periodic Open Cell Structures (POCS) and Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS), which are utilized in process engineering to control and optimize heat and mass transfer, mixing, and other critical properties. Due to their complex and filigree shapes, additive manufacturing is the production technology of choice, offering the necessary design freedom to investigate the varying effects of these different structures. The research methodology involves determining preliminary lattice designs through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), followed by experimental validation to measure vital process parameters such as pressure drop, mixing performance, residence time distributions, bubble size distributions, and mass transfer coefficients. Furthermore, the project aims to control reactions based on reactor conditions, such as temperature, pressure drop, or pH-value, and to develop and implement self-adaptive structures.
Ultimately, the project identifies "ideal" structures for exemplary reactions, including the biochemical and chemical hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propanediol as well as the exothermic neutralization reaction between NaOH and HCl. To achieve this, components for in situ detection and self-adjustment will be integrated into the structures to optimize the surface-to-volume ratio and enhance transport processes on all relevant scales. By combining advanced simulation with precise additive manufacturing, the project provides a fundamental understanding of how adaptive geometries can transform modern reactor technology and ensure stable process conditions in highly dynamic environments.
Duration: 01.07.2023 - 30.06.2027
Responsible employee: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ingomar Kelbassa, Dr.-Ing. Dirk Herzog, Serhan Acikgöz, Jan Hünting und Maria Isabelle Maiwald
Funding programme: This research is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) – SFB 1615-503850735 – TP C01 & B04
Project partner: Institute of Multiphase Flows (IMS), Fraunhofer IAPT
