Tampere

Jukka Konttinen

Chao He

Henrik Tolvanen

Susanna Maanoja

Contact persons

Operating Catlab

Research groups

Circular Economy Innovation

Energy and Biorefining

Bio and Circular Economy research groups

The fluidized bed reactor

Publications

Recent publications

Hiden Analytical CATLAB is a combined bench-top microreactor and Hiden Analytical QGA mass spectrometer (MS) system for rapid and reproducible catalysis studies and thermal analysis.Module 1 of this system is a bench-top microreactor, which contains a microreactor with temperature and various gas inlets controlling, and it is used for fixed bed catalytic thermochemical reactions. Module 2 of this system is an MS for fast response real-time gas analysis. CATLAB provides its unique microreactor and MS system with completely integrated control- and software for MS-acquisition, temperature and gas control and pulsing in single software package. It also features integrated analysis software for catalysis and TPD measurements.At BIC, CATLAB has been used for example to study different oxygen carrier materials developed for chemical looping technologies for their<ul><li>Reactivity with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccst.2025.100474" data-entity-type="external">H2, CO and CH4</a></li><li>Affinity for H2 production in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.143948" data-entity-type="external">CH4 reforming</a>&nbsp;</li></ul>Technical details<ul><li>Reactor bypass channel for gas flow setup and mixture preparation independent of the protected sample environment</li><li>Linear, vertical quartz reactor tube with independent cartridge-style sample holder for fast sample changeover with positive relocation</li><li>Integrated dual-function pulsing valve with user-changeable sample loop volumes for single or multiple pulsing of the absorbate gas and for fast primary gas stream switchover</li><li>Fully pre-programmable and automated analysis cycles to control ramp rates, temperature range, temperature dwell periods, gas flows, pulse switching and MS parameters</li><li>“In-bed” thermocouple mounted directly within the sample for the most accurate determination of sample temperature</li><li>Close coupled gas sampling line with the MS gas takeoff just 1 cm downstream from the sample for synchronous measurement of desorbing gases with temperature</li><li>Choice of different reactor sizes (4 mm, 7 mm and 12 mm ID)</li><li>2 m heated (controllable up to 200°C) quartz lined capillary sampling line length. MS can be easily detached for use off-line. User exchangeable inlet liner for easy maintenance</li><li>MS range between 0-200 amu, and with dual detector (faraday cup and SEM)</li><li>MS sampling rates up to 650 measurements per second</li><li>&lt;500 ms response time to changes in gas concentrations</li><li>APSI-MS Soft ionisation mode to minimise fragmentation of complex molecules for spectral simplification and interpretation. Controllable down to &lt;10 eV and up to 80 eV at 0.2 eV increments, and in same scans</li><li>Source emission settable between 1 µA to 500 µA</li></ul><figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2022-02/catlab-reactor-schematic.jpg?itok=TqfLe5-d" alt="Schematic presentation of the Catlab reactor" ><figcaption>Schematic presentation of the CATLAB microreactor. Image by CEI research group.</figcaption></figure>

CATLAB microreactor

The drop-tube reactor (DTR) is used to study the thermal conversion of renewable bio- and waste feedstocks. It enables experimental determination of kinetic parameters for selected chemical reactions. The thermochemical conversion processes may include pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion. Conversion of small feedstock particulates can be measured at up to 1000 °C temperature at different gas atmospheres. The temperature of the particles can be increased by adding oxygen to the gas atmosphere. Moreover, particle size distribution as well as their temperature history can be measured and accounted in the kinetic rate parameter determination. The reactor is at full length 65 cm long. The length can be adjusted with a water-cooled probe. The particle feeding system is best suited for 100-200 µm particles. A combination of CFD modeling and measurements are used to determine the temperature environment inside the reactor. This is a crucial factor in ensuring accurate kinetic modeling and reliable kinetic parameter determination.

<figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2022-06/dtr.jpg?itok=mOrejQfs" alt="Schematic image of DTR" ></figure>

Drop-tube reactor

The fluidized bed reactor is a complete reactor system consisting of a high-temperature furnace (max. 1000 ºC) and accurate mass flow controllers (incl. N2, CO2, and air). The reactor part and exhaust system will increase its capability to measure yields and compositions of tar and gas, which can be applied for comprehensive reaction studies in thermochemical conversion processes, i.e., pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, and chemical-looping gasification/combustion.Technical details<ul><li>Withstand high-oxidizing environments (reactor material: stainless steel grade 253MA)</li><li>Feeding can be manually batch or continuous system by using a conveyor belt system</li><li>Gas cleaning system, including gas washing bottles, a packed bed of silica gel, and quartz cotton, is used to separate tar from product gas</li><li>Flow rate of clean fuel gas is measured by a digital mass flow controller</li><li>Gas composition is measured by <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/bio-and-circular-economy-characterization#expander-trigger--476261" data-entity-type="external">an online micro-GC</a>.</li></ul><figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2022-02/fbr-system.jpg?itok=mHdnkO-h" alt="Schematic presentation of the fluidized bed reactor" ><figcaption>Schematic presentation of the fluidized bed reactor. Image by CEI research group.</figcaption></figure>

Fluidized bed reactor

The gas conversion reactor mimics a regenerative heat exchanger to investigate hydrocarbon thermal decomposition. The reactor tube is filled with spherical ceramic beads with an approximate diameter of 10 mm. The ceramic beads serve as a heat exchange material that stabilize the temperature and gas flow profiles in the reactor tube. In this setup, there is no bed material circulation. The primary part of the experimental setup is the vertically mounted reactor tube made of Kanthal APM iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloy. The reactor tube has the following dimensions: the inner diameter of 73 mm, the outer diameter of 83 mm and the length of 2500 mm. In order to enable opening and closing of the reactor tube, there are flanges at both ends of the tube. During the operation, the joints of the flanges were sealed with copper seals. The middle part of the reactor tube is electrically heated with three circular Fibrothal RAC 200/500 heating modules which were insulated with Fibrothal insulation modules. Each heating module has a heating power of 19.7 kW. The modules are separately controlled with an Eurotherm 7100 A thyristor unit combined with an Eurotherm 3204 temperature controller. The temperature profile inside the reactor tube is measured by using eight measuring points. The experiments can be conducted with a reactor maximum temperature of 1450 K. Various gas mixtures be used as feedstock.

<figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2022-06/gas-conversion-reactor.jpg?itok=SPHC0Td6" alt="principle of a gas conversion reactor" ></figure>

Gas conversion reactor

HTCRs are a customized DigiCAT system by H.E.L. Group. It contains three parallel reactors. They can be used for catalyst screening, hydrothermal liquefaction of different biomass samples and other research purposes in batch-type operation. Typical samples to be treated in HTCRs include sludge from wastewater treatment plants, algal biomass and other waste materials with possibly corrosive nature.&nbsp;Technical details<ul><li>Reactors’ type: M40 Mini HP reactor</li><li>Reactor vessel material: Hastelloy</li><li>Max working volume of sample 50 mL</li><li>Max operation temperature 300°C, single temperature applied to all reactors</li><li>Max operation pressure 200 bar</li><li>Inlet and outlet for two gases (one inert, one reactive gas)</li><li>Stirring of the reactor contents by external magnetic stirrer</li></ul>&nbsp;HTCRs are part of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/bio-and-circular-economy-infrastructure-bic-firi">Bio and Circular Economy infrastructure (BIC-FIRI) | Tampere universities (tuni.fi)</a>&nbsp;-project.Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.<figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2024-01/en_funded_by_the_european_union_rgb_pos.png?itok=pdxVOS8e" alt="" ></figure>

High-throughput catalysis reactors (HTCRs)

Multi-phase catalytic thermochemical reactor (MCTR)

The Parr reactor is a high temperature and pressure system that can be used in many branches of chemical and energy technology. Catalytic hydrothermal processing and hydrogenation with its associated catalyst development and testing is certainly one of the principal applications of the reactor. The Parr reactor is being extensively used in hydrometallurgical and hydrothermal conversion of waste streams into valuable products.Technical details<ul><li>Bench-top reactor system</li><li>Alloy600 material magnetic drive</li><li>Max. 500°C, 3000 psi pressure gage and rupture disc</li><li>0-600 rpm, motor control module with RPM set point control, includes touch display</li><li>Flexible graphite sealing</li></ul><figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2022-02/parr-reactor-diagram.jpg?itok=sP6bxeaT" alt="Schematic presentation of the Parr reactor" ><figcaption>Schematic presentation of the Parr reactor. Image by CEI research group.</figcaption></figure>

Parr reactor

The externally heated pyrolysis oven is used for studying biomass and waste pyrolysis. The oven internal consists of a stainless-steel reactor (Length: 31 cm and outer diameter: 22 cm). When testing, the reactor lid is sealed with graphite gasket and dense screw fastening. Pyrolysis is performed by placing 100-1000 g of biomass sample in the reactor. The sample is heated by placing the reactor in the furnace. Additional heating is provided through a steel coil in the reactor using hot air circulation, and an electric coil connected to a trace heater. As results, the char, oil, and pyrolysis gases are separated from each other during pyrolysis and weighed as separate fractions after each batch to obtain a mass balance. The volatiles (oil and gases) released during pyrolysis are passed through a water-cooled condenser. The oil is condensed and collected in glass bottles while the gases were passed through the exhaust, and not analyzed. Char formed during the reaction is removed from the reactor after pyrolysis and weighed. K-type thermocouples are used to measure the temperature inside the reactor.

<figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2022-06/pyrolysis.png?itok=Z4Gcjchq" alt="Schematic image of a Pyrolysis oven" ></figure>

Pyrolysis oven

Tubular furnace

Equipment

MSEE labs

Related infrastructures at Tampere University

Research Infrastructures of Materials Science and Environmental Engineering

Research infrastructures of energy and biorefining can be used to investigate thermal conversion of fuels and feedstocks. These are for example pyrolysis, gasification and combustion, liquefaction, catalytic pyrolysis, chemical looping process, hydrothermal processing and aqueous phase reforming. With these conversion techniques, various biomass and waste materials can be converted into high-refining value energy products.<figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2024-09/he-chao-221121-jr-01.jpg?itok=ET8QpWp6" alt="Mies laboratoriossa " ><figcaption>Parr reactor. Photo: Jonne Renvall / Tampere University.</figcaption>Photo: Jonne Renvall, Tampereen yliopisto</figure>

Energy and biorefining