Abstract
Recent advances in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) enable us to know flow and temperature distribution in a microreactor precisely without conducting any experiments. However, it is not a practical way to apply CFD simulations directly to the optimal design problem of a microreactor, since it requires too much time and efforts. In this research, the systematic approach to the thermal optimal design problem of a microreactor is proposed. In the proposed approach, a heat transfer model in a microreactor is expressed by combining a large number of small lamped parameter systems called thermal compartments. The proposed approach is applied to a simple design problem and results show that a microchannel with varying width is very effective to realize the uniform temperature distribution. The new design approach is also proposed to derive the robust design of a microreactor under the model parameter uncertainties. The optimal design obtained by the proposed approach can be used as the initial design of a microreactor for further shape optimization based on CFD simulations.
