Dynamics and control of loop reactors - a review

In loop reactors the system is composed of several reactor units that are organized in a loop and the feeding takes place at one of several ports with switching of the feed port. In its simplest operation a pulse is formed and rotates around it, producing high temperatures which enable combustion of dilute streams. A limiting model with infinite number of units was derived. Rotating pulses, steady in a moving coordinate, emerge in both models when the switching to front propagation velocities ~1. But this behavior exists over a narrow domain. Simulations were conducted with generic first order Arrhenius kinetics. Experimental observations are reviewed. Outside the narrow frozen rotating pattern domain the system may exhibit multi- or quasi-periodic operation separated by domains of inactive reaction. The bifurcation set incorporates many 'finger'-like domains of complex frequency-locked solutions that allow to extend the operation domain with higher feed temperatures. Control is necessary to attain stable simple rotating frozen pattern within the narrow domains of active operation. Various tested control approaches are reviewed. Actual implementation of combustion in LR will involve several reactants of different ignition temperatures. Design and control should be aimed at producing locked fronts and avoid extinction of slower reactions.