Bench-scale test systems

Not only are bench-scale systems from hte tailored to your specific requirements, they are robust, modular, and easily expandable. They offer our customers valuable support, for example when scaling up, during process development and optimization, as well as when performing extended catalyst testing.  

Typical high throughput systems from hte have 16 parallel reactors, as well as catalyst volumes of up to 10 ml per reactor. If your task requires larger reactors, or you wish to operate fewer reactors in parallel, this is when our bench-scale systems come into play. These systems for testing heterogeneous catalysts on a laboratory scale typically have between one and eight reactors with catalyst volumes of between 10 and 500 milliliters per reactor. Our expertise not only covers engineering and construction, automation, and software development here. In fact, we also have a great deal of in-house application knowledge on a wide range of chemical and refinery processes, which we can apply to hardware projects. 

System engineering and automation 

At hte, we cover all areas of lab-scale system engineering with our experts in process technology, engineering, project management, automation, analytics, workshop, safety, service, and supply chain. 

Software development and digitalization  

At hte, we offer digital software solutions for R&D workflows – from control systems for laboratory equipment, through data acquisition, all the way up to documentation and data analysis.  

Application knowledge 

At hte, we have a great deal of in-house application knowledge on a wide range of chemical and refinery processes, which we can apply to plant engineering projects.

Wide range of test systems for high throughput research 

Four-fold trickle bed  

This type of system is designed for scale-up, process development and optimization, as well as advanced catalyst testing for a wide range of trickle bed applications. Typical reactor volumes are in the range of up to 100ml. Not only can this system handle high pressure, it can also handle challenging input materials such as atmospheric residue or pyrolysis oils.  


Four-fold gas phase  

This type of system can be used for a wide range of gas phase applications, even up to very high temperatures in excess of 1,000°C, as well as challenging combinations of high pressure and high temperature. Typical reactor volumes are in the range of up to 50ml.  


Single gas phase system  

In another example, we describe a one-fold reactor system for testing heterogeneous catalysts in gas phase applications. The system consists of a powerful test bench with a modular design that facilitates excellent process control, as well as offering 24/7 system operation and a high degree of flexibility.  

Performance scope
  • Temperature range from 5 – 1,100 °C
  • Pressure range from subatmospheric – 300 barg
  • Catalyst volumes from 10 – 500 ml
  • Parallelization levels from 1 to 8-fold
  • Possibility of combining multiple units into a “system”, e.g. with shared analytics
  • Shapes ranging from industrial pellets to extrudates
  • Handling of demanding feeds, from liquefied gases (e.g. LPG) to vacuum or atmospheric residues

What makes hte systems special

We understand the customer workflow and can engage in discussions on an equal footing. In addition to pure technology, we deliver a complete workflow—from preparation, through automated experiment execution, to analytics, evaluation, and reporting.

Not only are bench-scale systems from hte tailored to your specific requirements, they are robust, modular, and easily expandable. They offer our customers valuable support, for example when scaling up, during process development and optimization, as well as when performing extended catalyst testing. Modularization offers a number of key advantages here:  

  • We segment our reactor systems into process steps, for which we have developed various modules. These modules have been validated both internally and by our external customers.   
  • Based on these validated modules, we can supply product-based reactor systems that are generally predefined, resulting in lower costs and faster delivery times.
  • We can also start with a product-based system and then expand it with new modules,   
  • or combine modules from various applications to produce a customized solution. In this way, we can create a unique reactor system for you that is tailored to your specific needs. 

Unleashing potential together

Our customers rely on our test systems for electrolysis and fuel cells to provide them with comparable and reproducible data under identical conditions.  

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