The present invention relates to a microfluidic or millifluidic device (1) comprising: —a support (2) made at least partially of a dielectric material, the support (2) comprising a first inlet (21a) adapted to be connected to a first reservoir containing gas, a second inlet (21b) adapted to be connected to a second reservoir containing liquid, an outlet (22) adapted to be connected to a receiver container containing gas and/or liquid, and a main microchannel or millichannel (3) present in the dielectric material allowing the liquid and the gas to flow from the inlets towards the outlet, —one or several ground electrode(s) (4) embedded in said dielectric material and extending along the main microchannel or millichannel (3), and —one or several high-voltage electrode(s) (5) embedded in said dielectric material and extending along the main microchannel or millichannel (3), wherein the high-voltage electrode(s) (5) and the ground electrode(s) (4) are located on opposite sides of the main microchannel or millichannel (3) so as to be able to generate an electric field inside the main microchannel or millichannel (3). The present invention relates also to a method for generating a plasma in a continuous manner using such a microfluidic or millifluidic device (1).

A reactor suitable for a reaction containing an exothermic reaction is provided. The reactor includes the following components. A reaction channel has an inlet and an outlet, and has a front-end reaction zone, middle-end reaction zones, and a back-end reaction zone from the inlet to the outlet. A front-end catalyst support and a front-end catalyst are located in the front-end reaction zone, a middle-end catalyst support and a middle-end catalyst are respectively located in the middle-end reaction zones, and a back-end catalyst support and a back-end catalyst are located in the back-end reaction zone. The concentration of the front-end catalyst is less than the concentration of the back-end catalyst, and the concentration of the middle-end catalyst is decided via a computer simulation of reaction parameters. The reaction parameters include size and geometric shape of the reaction channel.

Counter-flow heat exchanger is constructed with plenums at either end that separate the opposing fluids, the channels of which are arrayed in a checkerboard patterns, such that any given channel is surrounded by channels of opposing streams on four sides—laterally on both sides and vertically above and below.

A reactor includes: a reaction-side flow passage through which a fluid as a reaction object flows; and a catalyst structure provided in the reaction-side flow passage. The catalyst structure includes: a body part formed in a raised and depressed plate shape to partition the reaction-side flow passage into a plurality of flow passages disposed side by side in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the fluid; a catalyst carried on the body part to promote a reaction of the fluid; and one or more communication holes (grooves) to make the plurality of flow passages partitioned by the body part communicate with each other.

PFRs for running multiphasic processes are disclosed. The PFRs are single or multi-chamber devices having at least three types of regions (a liquid-contacting region, a gas-contacting region and a Ssquid-coSection region), and a porous substrate providing fluid communication at least between the liquid-contacting and gas-contacting regions. Removal of liquid from the porous substrate, such as by collecting the liquid as it flows off the bottom of the porous substrate in the Siquid-coSSection region or such as by evaporation of the liquid from the porous substrate in the evaporation region supports a continuous flow process. Methods of using the PFRs are also disclosed, for example methods of using the PFRs as photobioreactors for cultivating photosynthetic microorganisms, for producing fermentable sugars, for producing ethanol, for fermenting synthesis gas and producing single cell protein from natural gas.

A processing device and processing method that can perform processing of a starting material fluid while favorably controlling the processing temperature of same. The processing device includes: a processing member that leads in the starting material fluid and processes same therewithin; and a processing tank that houses the processing member and retains the processed processing products. The processing member includes: a minute duct provided therewithin and causes the flow-through of the starting material fluid; and a heat medium duct that causes the flow-through of a heat medium having a different temperature from that of the starting material fluid flowing through the minute duct. The minute duct and the heat medium duct are separated from each other so that heat exchange is possible between the starting material fluid and heat medium flowing through.

A chemical reactor including: a plurality of heat exchange plates which between them define reaction compartments, in which reactor each heat exchange plate includes two walls between them defining at least one heat exchange space, the respective walls being fixed together by joining regions, and the reactor also comprises at least one injection device for injecting substance into the reaction compartments, said substance-injection device passing through the heat-exchange plates in respective joining regions thereof. Also, a chemical reaction process that can be carried out in this reactor.

A reactor includes a reaction-side flow passage through which a reaction fluid being a fluid constituting a reaction object flows; a temperature controller (heat-medium side flow passage) configured to heat or cool the reaction fluid from outside the reaction-side flow passage; and a catalyst configured to promote a reaction of the reaction fluid, the catalyst provided in the reaction-side flow passage so that a contact area with the reaction fluid is larger on a downstream side than on an upstream side in the reaction-side flow passage.

Reactors are provided that can include a first set of fluid channels and a second set of fluid channels oriented in thermal contact with the first set of fluid channels. The reactor assemblies can also provide where the channels of either one or both of the first of the set of fluid channels are non-linear. Other implementations provide for at least one of the first set of fluid channels being in thermal contact with a plurality of other channels of the second set of fluid channels. Reactor assemblies are also provided that can include a first set of fluid channels defining at least one non-linear channel having a positive function, and a second set of fluid channels defining at least another non-linear channel having a negative function in relation to the positive function of the one non-linear channel of the first set of fluid channels. Processes for distributing energy across a reactor are provided. The processes can include transporting reactants via a first set of fluid channels to a second set of fluid channels, and thermally engaging at least one of the first set of fluid channels with at least two of the second set of fluid channels.

Provided is a catalyst structure which prevents an increase in pressure loss by a simple construction while the gas flow is efficiently stirred by a structure making contact between adjacent catalyst elements. The catalyst structure is provided with a first flat-plate part and a second flat-plate part which support, on surfaces thereof, a constituent having catalytic activity to an exhaust gas and face each other, and a stirring part which is provided in such a manner as to come into contact first with the first flat-plate part and the second flat-plate part in an extending manner from the first flat-plate part to the second flat-plate part at a prescribed angle with respect to the direction in which the exhaust gas flows.