MAE Seminar: Induction Heating to Endothermic Reactions

Abstract: The application of induction heating to supply heat for chemical reactions has garnered attention due to its potential to electrify chemical processes. Induction heating has the potential to enhance both production and energy efficiency, making it a compelling and environmentally friendly heating method for the chemical industry. Induction heating involves the use of a high-frequency alternating magnetic field on ferromagnetic materials, which then produce heat in response to the magnetic field through hysteresis loss and eddy currents. By placing ferromagnetic susceptors inside the catalytic bed, the catalysts can be internally heated within an induction coil. This improves the temperature distribution in the catalyst bed and provides a prompt heating response for temperature control. Traditionally, catalytic reactions rely on furnace reactors that heat the catalyst bed from the reactor walls, resulting in non-uniform temperature distribution and inefficient dehydrogenation. In contrast, induction heating offers the potential to internally heat the catalyst bed, thereby homogenizing temperature distribution and enhancing catalytic performance. Endothermic reactions play a critical role in the petrochemical industry, but they are known for being highly energy-intensive and facing challenges such as temperature control, catalyst deactivation, and energy consumption. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the application of induction heating for endothermic reactions, including ethanol-to-1,3 butadiene, propane dehydrogenation, ethanol-to-acetone, and methane decomposition processes. I will demonstrate the impact of induction heating on selectivity and reaction mechanism and discuss the impact of temperature distribution and the rapid compensation of heat loss through induction heating on catalyst behavior. 

Bio: Sasmaz is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. He received his bachelor’s in chemical engineering at Istanbul Technical University, M.S. in chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Ph.D. in energy resources engineering at Stanford University. Following the completion of his Ph.D., he joined the University of South Carolina, where he engaged in a variety of research domains in catalysis and high throughput experimentation. Currently, his Laboratory for Energy and Environmental Catalysis (LEEC) at the University of California, Irvine works on developing functional catalysts for sustainable energy and chemical production, explicitly focusing on heterogeneous catalysis, nanomaterial synthesis and reaction kinetics. His research interests include the decarbonization of industry through electrification, flame-made functional nanomaterials, carbon dioxide utilization and alternative production routes for olefins. He has published and applied seven patent applications through his work, and his research is funded through DOE, NSF, BASF Corporation and 3M.