Objective The current pressures on the major industrial players have necessitated a more urgent push for increased productivity, process efficiency, and waste reduction; i.e. process intensification. Future sizable improvements in these entrenched industrial processes will require either completely novel production technologies, fundamental analysis/modeling methods, or a combination of both. This proposal aims to approach this challenge by using multiscale modeling and experimentation on three fronts: (1) detailed analysis of industrial processes to generate new fundamental chemical understanding, (2) multiscale modeling and evaluation of high-volume chemical processes using a multiscale approach and fundamental chemical understanding, and (3) show the practical applicability of the multiscale approach and use it to critically examine novel technologies in the context of industrial processes. The novel technology portion of this proposal will be focused around a class known as rotating bed reactors in a static geometry (RBR-SG). We will investigate three processes that could benefit from RBR-SG technology: (1) fast pyrolysis of biomass, (2) gasification of biomass, and (3) short contact time catalytic partial oxidation of light hydrocarbons. Experimental reactor and kinetic work and validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the process mentioned above will be used. We will construct two RBR-SG units; heat transfer, adsorption, and pyrolysis gas/solid experiments will be performed in one, while non-reacting flow tests will be performed in the other with other phase combinations. Detailed kinetic models will provide novel insights into the reaction dynamics and impact other research and technologies. The combination of kinetic and CFD models will clearly demonstrate the benefits of a multiscale approach, will definitively identify the process(es) benefitting most from RBR-SG technology, and will enable a first design of the RBR-SG based on our results. Fields of science natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbonssocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivitynatural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsfluid dynamicscomputational fluid dynamicsnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputational sciencemultiphysicsagricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-PE8 - ERC Advanced Grant - Products and process engineering Call for proposal ERC-2011-ADG_20110209 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Host institution UNIVERSITEIT GENT EU contribution € 2 494 700,00 Address SINT PIETERSNIEUWSTRAAT 25 9000 Gent Belgium See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Guy B.M.M. Marin (Prof.) Administrative Contact Nathalie Vandepitte (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITEIT GENT Belgium EU contribution € 2 494 700,00 Address SINT PIETERSNIEUWSTRAAT 25 9000 Gent See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Guy B.M.M. Marin (Prof.) Administrative Contact Nathalie Vandepitte (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data