Background & Motivation
Synthetic Fuels (E-Fuels) are a promising solution for decarbonizing sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation, maritime transport, and heavy-duty transport. E-Fuels can be used in existing combustion engines and infrastructures, making them a crucial component of the energy transition. The production of these fuels requires efficient processes like Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS), where CO₂ and hydrogen are converted into long-chain hydrocarbons.
Microstructured reactors offer an efficient way to safely manage highly exothermic and fast chemical reactions, thanks to their ability to dissipate large amounts of heat per reaction volume. High volume-specific surface areas and local heat transfer coefficients contribute to this high efficiency. A particularly elegant method of heat dissipation is cooling through evaporating water, which ensures a largely uniform temperature throughout the reaction volume. This temperature can be quickly adjusted via pressure changes, allowing for control of reaction speed and adaptation to varying process throughputs.

The key to cooling the microstructured reactor lies in the even distribution of water throughout the reactor, which requires sophisticated channel structures (P. Pfeifer, P. Piermartini, A. Wenka, 2017, DE 10 2015 111 614 A1). However, manufacturing variations in channel dimensions or deformations during diffusion welding can lead to non-uniform cooling, which may negatively affect operational stability. These phenomena have not yet been sufficiently investigated, either experimentally or theoretically. Due to the complexity of the evaporation process and the high grid dimension requirements for numerical flow simulations, detailed modeling is challenging.
The goal of this work is to develop a simplified simulation model based on three-dimensional interconnected elementary cells. Each of these cells will represent either the heat generation by the chemical reaction or the cooling by evaporation, linked through mass and heat transport relationships.

Tasks & Objectives
•    Literature review on the thermal stability of chemical reactors for exothermic synthesis reactions
•    Development of a generic cell model that simulates heat conduction and evaporation cooling in microstructured plate reactors, based on the patented reactor concepts of IMVT
•    Conducting simulations on steady-state and transient reactor behavior during exothermic reactions and under different cooling conditions
•    Investigation of the effects of disruptions in coolant distribution on reactor stability and efficiency
•    Documentation of all results and analyses in a comprehensive report, as well as presenting the outcomes  of the findings in a seminar at IMVT

Qualifications
•    Current master program in process and chemical and process engineering, mechanical engineering, (technical) chemistry, materials science or a related field.
•    Basic understanding of heat transfer, reactor design, and numerical simulations.
•    Initial experience with MATLAB, CFD simulations, and other simulation tools is an advantage
•    Enthusiasm for cutting-edge technologies contributing to the energy transition
•    Good communication skills in German and/or English

Start Date: immediately or by arrangement
Institute/Department: Institute for Micro Process Engineering (IMVT)/ Power-to-X – Pilot Plants (PTX)
Location: remote possible and/or on-site at KIT Campus North
Supervisor: Harald Bürgmayr (harald.buergmayr@kit.edu)
Supervising professor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Roland Dittmeyer