A client in the chemical industry needed to accelerate their catalyst discovery program. Their traditional “one-at-a-time” batch reactors were slow, labor-intensive, and consumed large amounts of expensive catalyst. They needed a system to test multiple catalysts (e.g., 16 or 32) in parallel under identical, high-pressure, and high-temperature conditions.
Our Solution: Vowscraft was engaged to provide a turnkey custom engineering solution. We designed and built a fully automated, 16-channel high-throughput catalytic reactor system.
Engineering Highlights:
- Parallel Reactor Block: We fabricated a single, precision-machined stainless steel block to house 16 micro-reactors. This design ensured absolute temperature uniformity across all test channels, which was critical for comparative data.
- Precision Dosing: The system required precise, independent control of gas (e.g., H2, CO2) and liquid feeds to each of the 16 reactors. We integrated advanced mass flow controllers (MFCs) and high-pressure pumps.
- Full Automation: The entire system was controlled by a custom PLC and HMI. Our process control programming allowed the researchers to build complex recipes, run the system 24/7 unattended, and automatically log data from all 16 channels.
- Safety First: Operating at high pressure and temperature in parallel demands robust safety. Our design included independent pressure/temperature sensors for each channel and automated safety interlocks integrated into the core PLC logic.
The Result: The client can now screen 16 catalysts in the same amount of time it used to take to screen one. The high-quality, parallel data generated by the Vowscraft-built system has dramatically accelerated their R&D pipeline, allowing them to identify promising candidates faster and with less waste.
