Prof. Martin van Sint Annaland
The mission of the chemical process intensification group is the education, research, development and implementation of novel integrated multi-phase reactor concepts for energy, bio-based and chemical applications with the objective to reduce the environmental impact and improve the resource and energy efficiency of industrial processes by using our strong, unique and continuously developing combination of modeling, experimental and technological competences. The main research objective is to generate and transfer fundamental knowledge on how to intensify processes by integrating unit operations and to develop and demonstrate novel integrated multi-phase reactor concepts with a major improvement in energy and resource efficiency and a reduced environmental impact. Our approach consists of a combination of state-of-the-art numerical models, advanced (non-invasive) experimental techniques and experimental demonstration of novel multi-functional reactor concepts (including proof-of-concept). The most important research themes can be categorized in i) integration of reaction and separation, where we focus in particular on (high-temperature) catalytic membrane reactors, chemical looping and sorption enhanced processes; ii) heat integration, and especially via dynamic process operation such as in reverse flow reactors, the coupling of endothermic and exothermic reactions, and exploitation of heat of evaporation for cooling such as in gas-phase polymerization reactors in condensed mode operation.