The Reactor Technology group has concentrated its activities in fields directly supporting the design and development of chemical reactors and reactive separations.

The most important research areas are:
• Mathematical modeling.
• Experimental analyses of fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena.
• Multiphase flow modeling.
• Experimental validation of numerical models.
• Environmental technology (e.g., gas cleaning of CO2).
 
The research in these fields comprises both experimental and theoretical studies and we have a large range of well instrumented cold flow multi-phase reactors, as well as in-house software for multi-phase reactor simulations. We are active users of Matlab and have experience with most of the important toolboxes. However, the computationally demanding models are implemented in FORTRAN 90 and c++. Application areas are special chemicals reactors, polymer production, synthesis gas and methanol synthesis, membrane reactors, and reactive absorption of acid gases (e.g. CO2) including membrane contactors.

Educationally the main objective of our group is to educate MSc for the Norwegian industry and to raise the National scientific competence in our field of research through PhD studies.

Modeling of multi-phase reactors
We have for more than 15 years been developing in-house CFD codes for simulating multiphase flows in chemical reactors. We also license the commercial CFD code FLUENT. Lately, our main focus has been put on developing modules for bubble/droplet break-up and coalescence within the population balance equation (PBE) framework. The PBEs are solved accurately by efficient spectral methods designed for this particular purpose. See the CARPET project, http://www.CARPET.ntnu.no.

We are also investigating the performance of chemical reactive systems like fluidized beds, fixed bed reactors and agitated tanks. At present we are working with the design of suitable reactors for sorption enhanced reaction processes (SERP) like steam reforming with absorbents for CO2. The dynamic 2D CFD simulations are normally run on standard PCs whereas the more computationally demanding 3D simulations are run on the national super-computers located at the university.

Removal of droplets from high pressure gases
An area of great importance for the Norwegian gas producing industry is the separating out of droplets from high pressure gases. Downstream process equipment e.g. compressors, separation processes or chemical reactors suffer disturbed operation or break-down if gases are not droplet free. Today’s units are not good enough at high pressures, and robust and reliable solutions must be found in particular for sub-sea completions. A project is established for studying the phenomena governing such separations, see http://www.HiPGaS.ntnu.no. In collaboration with six industrial partners separation rigs have been established for both low and high (<150 bar) pressures at NTNU and at Statoil. Results from the high pressure rigs are unique and form a basis for model validation. In addition a laser laboratory is built for the study of droplet/droplet and droplet/surface collisions and for studies on the stability and break-up of liquid surfaces leading to re-entrainment of droplets.

CO2 removal from natural – and exhaust gases
(http://www.ntnu.no/satsingsomraader/energi_miljo/miljogass.htm). The activity in this area comprises several projects, partly funded by the Research Council, industry and the European Union. We are heavily involved the EU FP6 Integrated Project CASTOR, see http://www.co2castor.com . The work is concentrated along two axes, one studying CO2 capture from off gases from fossil fueled power plant and from the iron and steel-making industry, and the other directed toward the removal of acid gases from natural gas. The aim in CASTOR is to develop new solvents and process equipment that enables us to capture CO2 at a cost of 20-30€/ton CO2 and to halve the energy requirement in the process. This work involves all the steps from theoretical screening by use of computational chemistry, through experimental screening, characterization of equilibria, thermal properties, transport properties and kinetic, to testing in a laboratory pilot plant. In parallel we develop models for mass transfer and for the whole absorption/desorption process. Other projects in this area are EU FP6 ULCOS, and the Research Council financed BIGCO2.