Chemical reaction engineering: A multiscale approach to a multiobjective task

A strategy for synthesizing a reaction system to meet various business and technical objectives is outlined. It replaces the conventional paradigm - the sequential evolution of the microreactor, bench-scale reactor, pilot plant reactor and commercial reactor. Starting with a reaction proposed for commercialization, this approach examines the synthesis problem from the viewpoint of the plant, the reactor, hydrodynamics, transport phenomena, catalyst design, reaction chemistry, and molecular modeling concurrently. Some of the design issues, methods and tools for each of the above areas are discussed.