Scale-Up Analysis of Inductively Heated Metamaterial Reactors

Inductively heated metamaterial reactors, which utilize an open-cell lattice baffle structure as a heating susceptor for electromagnetic induction, are promising candidates for scaled, electrified thermochemical reactor operation due to their ability to support volumetric, eddy-current-based heating profiles and enhanced heat transfer properties. We present a systematic scale-up analysis of inductive metamaterial reactors where we utilize a combination of analytic modeling, numerical simulations, and experiments to project the capabilities and performance of scaled reactors. The experimental metamaterial reactor consists of an open-cell SiSiC foam with electrical properties and lattice geometries that are codesigned with the induction frequency to maximize heating uniformity and coupling efficiency across different reactor scales. We use reverse water–gas shift as a model reaction system and show that for reactor configurations featuring a uniform metamaterial susceptor, the total system efficiency increases with scale. However, the throughput of these scaled reactors is limited by the radial temperature gradients. We further show that this bottleneck can be overcome by tailoring the radial effective electrical conductivity profile of the susceptor, which can enable scaled reactors with nearly ideal plug-flow-like capabilities. These concepts provide a pathway toward scaled electrified thermochemical reactors with optimal chemical conversion capabilities.