One feature of the LFR is that the residence time (The time interval during which the chemicals stay in the reactor) of the chemicals in the reactor can be varied by either changing the distance between the reactant input point and the point at which the product/sample is taken, or by adjusting the velocity of the gas/fluid.
Therefore the benefit of a laminar flow reactor is that the different factors that may affect a reaction can be easily controlled and adjusted throughout an experiment.
Means of analyzing the reaction include using a probe that enters into the reactor; or more accurately, sometimes one can utilize non-intrusive optical methods (e.g. use spectrometer to identify and analyze contents) to study reactions in the reactor.
Moreover, taking the entire sample of the gas/fluid at the end of the reactor and collecting data may be useful as well.
Turbulent flow, on the other hand, is irregular and travels at a higher speed.
Thus, the velocity distribution of the reactants tends to be higher in the center and lower on the side.
The graph of the residence time distribution should look like a negative slope with positive concavity.
When the material is starting to reach the outlet, the concentration drastically increases, and it gradually decreases as time proceeds.
The velocity of the fluid or gas will naturally decrease as it gets closer to the wall and farther from the center.
Therefore the reactants have an increasing residence time in the LFR from the center to the side.
Besides, when studying reactions in LFR, radial gradients in velocity, composition and temperature are significant.
In a laminar flow reactor, velocity is significantly different at various points on the same cross section.
For instance, the formation of Single-walled carbon nanotube was investigated in a LFR.
[4] As another example, conversion from methane to higher hydrocarbons have been studied in a laminar flow reactor.