Study program

• Objectives

  At the end of this course, students should be able to model the behavior of an ideal chemical reactor operating in polytropic mode, simulate it using the numerical tools provided (Excel or Matlab or Python) and visualize the various process variables (concentrations, volume, temperature) for a variety of operating conditions.

  In particular, students should be able to:

  • understand, explain and model the behavior of various ideal chemical reactors operating in polytropic mode, in transient or stationary states.
  • describe the kinetics of a complex reaction scheme, taking account of temperature changes, so that it can be used without error in the material and energy balances of a reactor.
  • describe the thermodynamic behavior of a complex reaction scheme, so that these data can be used without error in the material and energy balances of the reactors studied.
  • write and solve the material and energy balance equations for each of the polytropic reactors studied.
  • be able to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the reaction techniques presented in different practical situations involving complex, exothermic or endothermic reactions.
• Content

  The aim of Chemical Reaction Engineering 2 is to extend the knowledge acquired in Chemical Reaction Enginnering 1 to ideal chemical reactors operating in polytropic mode, under the effect of exothermic or endothermic reactions. The aim will be to discuss how to model and simulate the behavior of such reactors with reactions posing problems of selectivity, or safety, or both.

  The course structure is as follows:

  • Heat balances and simulation of steady-state polytropic reactors
  • Heat balances and simulation of transient-state polytropic reactors
  • Reactors and catalysis

  The didactic model used in this course will be that of a flipped classroom. Students will be required to view and/or read the documentation provided prior to class, in order to be able to work effectively on the various projects and exercises solved in class. For a preliminary introduction to what a flipped classroom is, the following video explains the principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNMx2p9aGAU

Type of teaching and workload

Course specification

Evaluation methods

• Continuous assessment Written work

Course grade calculation method

The continuous assessment grade is the arithmetic mean of the marks obtained in the single written assignment of the semester.

Reference work

Intructor(s) and/or coordinator(s)

Thierry Chappuis