Course content

Overview and description of selected reactor types applied in industry, with main focus on fixed bed, fluidized bed, multiphase reactors, stirred tank reactors, and bioreactors. Discussion on the development of the underlying sub-models composing a reactor model: Chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, flow- and transport processes, and physical data. With basis in simple reactor model types, homogeneous and heterogeneous models will be developed for multiphase reactors. Further discussions on dynamics, non-ideal flow patterns, analysis based on residence time distribution functions, and population balance models.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: The candidates should know the working principles of the most important reactor types that are in use in the Norwegian industry. These reactors are Fixed bed, fluidized bed, multiphase reactors and stirred tanks. Moreover, the candidates should have good knowledge about the structural elements in a reactor model: kinetics/reaction equilibrium, thermodynamics, flow- and transport descriptions, as well as physical data. The candidates should be able to derive model equations with complexity on the level of the continuous stirred tank-, plug flow and dispersion models for describing the evolution of the concentration-, temperature, and pressure profiles in the reactors starting out from the generic microscopic balance- and conservation equations for mass and heat. Formulating suitable boundary conditions is an important part of the modeling work. Skills: The candidates should know how to implement these model equations in a programming language like Matlab and perform simulations of chemical processes in industrial reactors. They should also be able to gather appropriate correlations to determine the model parameter values (from the literature or/and experimental data). The candidates should be able to verify and validate the models, and have knowledge about the accuracy reflected by the numerical computations. Moreover, should they be able to perform numerical analyses of the effects of changes in operating conditions like velocity, chemical composition, temperature and pressure for a selection of chemical processes, and understand the interplay between theoretical and experimental analyzes as tools for optimizing existing chemical processes and to minimize the design costs for new processes. General competence: The candidates are able to discuss and assess existing and emerging model results and experimental data, based on their own experience in combination with findings in the relevant literature.

Learning methods and activities

The general concepts of reactor modeling will be discussed in the lectures. In the projects the student will work applying these concepts to real problems in petrochemistry, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, and other related areas using Matlab. The project work are presented and discussed in plenary meetings. The expected workload per week is three hours with lectures, four hours with practice, and five hours of independent studying. The total workload in the subject is 200 hours distributed on lectures (25%) and projects/independent studying (75%).

Compulsory assignments

• Project

Recommended previous knowledge

Course TKP4110 Chemical Reaction Engineering, course TKP4160 Transport Phenomena, and elementary knowledge of numerical methods. The course is based on the elementary (2nd and 3rd year) compulsory courses in Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, but students from other faculties may take the course as well, possibly after an introductory self-study.

Course materials

Jakobsen, H. A., 2014: Chemical Modeling: Multiphase Reactive Flows,2nd edition. Springer, and selected scientific papers.

Credit reductions