Reactor Engineering

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

610-141 and 610-142 Chemistry

Basic concepts, ideal reactors, interpreting batch reactor data - no volume change, batch reactor data - complex reactions, batch reactor data - variable volume and differential method. Ideal reactor performance - batch reactor, ideal reactor performance - mixed flow reactor, ideal reactor - plug flow reactor, ideal reactor - performance comparison. Multiple reactors - mexed and plug flow reactors of identical size, multiple reactors - reactors of varying sizes, recycle plug flow reactor. Temperature effects - non-adiabatic operation, temperature effects - adiabatic operation, temperature instability. Non-ideal flow in reactors: residence time distributions, tracer tests, conversion in non-ideal reactors. Segregation and tank-in-series models for non-ideal reactors

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• Interpret data from both ideal and non-ideal batch, plug flow and mixed flow reactors
• Model more complex flowing reactor systems using combinations of idealized plug flow and continuously stirred tank ranks
• Design simple reactor systems
• Predict simple temperature profiles in reacting systems

• O. Levenspiel, Chemical Reaction Engineering, 3rd Ed, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York,1999

• R. W. Missen, C. A. Mims and B. A. Saville, Introduction to Chemical reaction engineering and kinetics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York,1999
• H.S.Fogler, Elements of chemical reaction engineering, 3rd Ed., Prentice Hall PTR, New Jersey, 1999

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution
• capacity for independent thought;
• ability and self-confidence to comprehend complex concepts, to express them lucidly and to confront unfamilar problems.