Chubu creates electric-powered reactors

Chubu Electric has developed an explosion-proof electric-powered reactor for chemical and foodstuffs factories.

The project was done in collaboration with ITO KOKI CO., LTD. and Nihon Dennetsu Co., Ltd., who will both commence marketing the developed reactors from July this year.

Most conventional reactors are thermal oil types, which are highly flammable and must be handled carefully in chemical and foodstuffs factories, creating the need for a new, safer form of reactor to replace thermal oil-heated reactors. According to Chubu Electric, their newly-developed system uses electricity to heat the reactor, and is therefore safe and easy to handle. The reactor is an IH type in which an alternating current is passed through coils positioned around the circumference of the reactor, and electromagnetic induction heats the unit.

The reactor also features an explosion-proof structure which reduces the possibility of fires or explosions even in the event of a gas leak in factories that use flammable gases such as propane or alcohols, enabling the system to be used without safety concerns in most factories.

Conventional reactors that utilize thermal oil require a significant amount of auxiliary equipment including boilers, pumps, pipes, and expansion tanks. The only piece of auxiliary equipment required for the developed reactor is an inverter, enabling considerable space savings and reductions in maintenance.