ChE Tulsa University

 
           

ChE 4063 Chemical Reactor Design
Required course for ChE program

Catalog Description:  Application of the rates of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions to the design and the engineering evaluation of chemical reactors.

Prerequisites:  ChE 3084.

Corequisites:  none

Prerequisites by Topic:  Material and energy balances, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, differential equations (ES 3053, ChE 2003, ES 3003, ES 3073, ChE 3084, Math 3073)

Recent Textbook:  Octave Levenspiel’s Chemical Reaction Engineering, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons (1999)

Other Required Material:  none

Course Objectives:  At the end of the course, students will be able to (1)
Design ideal isothermal reactors, including cases with pressure and density changes, (2)  Analyze laboratory kinetic data for concentration and temperature dependence, (3)  Have an understanding of non-isothermal reactor design and be able to solve simple cases by hand, (4)  Design reactors using HYSYS software for complex situations, including multiple reactions in non-isothermal reactors,  (5)  Have an understanding of catalysis and catalytic reactor design, including mass transfer effects,  (6)  Have some knowledge of non-ideal reactors

Major Topics Covered in the Course:  Conversion  and stoichiometric relationships, chemical kinetics, isothermal reactor design, analysis of rate data, non-isothermal reactor design, HYSYS methods, design project , multiple reactions, catalysis and catalytic reactors, diffusion and reaction in porous catalysts, non-ideal reactors.

Class/Laboratory Schedule:  Lecture sessions meet for two 75-minute session each week for 14 weeks.   

Professional Component Contribution:  This is an engineering science/design course.

Relationship to Program Outcomes: 

  • Outcome a:  Students learn the theory and basic equations behind reactor design.
  • Outcome b:  Students are required to analyze and interpret chemical reaction data to determine reaction order and temperature dependence.
  • Outcome c:   Students spend approximately half the course on design-related topics, including reactor design assignments and a semester design project.
  • Outcome d:  The project is done with a team of 3 students. 
  • Outcome e:  Class discussions and the design project focused on finding the necessary information to solve a real engineering problem.
  • Outcome f:  Ethical behavior is required in the course.  Chemical reactor safety is emphasized in the course.
  • Outcome g:  Students are required to write two team reports for the design project.  The first of these reports must be revised to meet acceptable technical writing standards before the second may be submitted.
  • Outcome h:  Lectures and the design project included issues relating to environmental and societal needs.
  • Outcome i:  The design project required students to conduct a literature survey for background information as well as to find kinetic data.
  • Outcome j:  The design project was based on current emissions standards for automobiles.
  • Outcome k:  Students are required to use computers to solve problems throughout the course.  Excel and HYSYS are required.