Environmentally optimized microreactor design through Life Cycle Assessment

Design decisions made in early R&D of a new technology ultimately determine its future environmental performance. Owing to the awareness of environmental impacts of technologies during their life cycle, the optimization of their design seems fundamental to develop more sustainable technologies. Using the example of a microstructured reactor for gas to liquid fuel conversion in early R&D, the Modular Server-Client-Server methodology for combining technical optimization with parametric Life Cycle Impact Assessment was used to analyze different design and manufacturing options. Two structuring fabrication techniques for metal foils were compared for several microreactor designs with respect to their ecological impact. Furthermore, improvable and non-improvable technical parameters regarding environmental impact, the impact of each fabrication step and within one fabrication step were analyzed. In conclusion, our analyses provide helpful information allowing for environmentally optimized design considerations in early R&D of a microreactor.