A novel methodology for the model-based design of chemical reactors is presented. The aim of the method is the identification of the optimal reaction route and its technical realization. As an important characteristic of this novel approach, at the beginning a fluid element is considered on an abstract level. The fluid element is tracked over the reaction time and its state is optimally adjusted at any time. The advantage of this approach is that at the early design stage no constraints owing to predefined apparatus specific limitations are narrowing the solution space. That way it is possible to quantify the maximum potential of the reaction system.