Module overview
Chemical industries have transformed the quality of human life rapidly by the chemical and physical transformation of ecological goods and services to higher economic value products, mostly without considering if those transformation routes or methods were sustainable. Reactors Design and scale up is at the hart of chemical processing and have applications in many low carbon and sustainable technologies including energy conversion (fuel cells, metal-air batteries, fuel production, electrolysers and flow batteries), catalysis (chemical and electrochemical synthesis), carbon capture/sequestration/conversion and fermentation based chemical production.in energy conversion, pharmaceutical & cosmetics, and food& beverage processing
This module provides an introduction to the chemical, biochemical and mathematical principles underpinning reactor design, scale up and operation. Students will develop a working knowledge of reactors through carbon capture, catalysis and energy conversion case studies.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Chemical and energy flows occurring in reactors for low carbon and bioenergy applications.
- Biological reaction kinetics for bioreactor design.
- The impact of homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical processes in reactor design and operation.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Perform numerical analysis on chemical processes in order to identify and optimise prospective reactor technologies.
- Design a reactor based on specified input and output criteria.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Present technical and economic assessments of investment options, accounting for uncertainty.
- Communicate in a clear, structured and efficient manner.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Design a reactor based on specified input and output criteria, design for scale and sustainable design
- Apply engineering analysis to chemical processes found in real energy technology applications.
- Develop and apply suitable mathematical models to design reactors for specific technologies and processes.
- Evaluate the importance of chemical processes in the choice, design, and justification of reactor systems.
- Design and conduct experiment to generate engineering data for reactor design
Syllabus
Chemical reaction processes
An introduction to the role the chemical reactions play in the design of reactors and the environment created within the reaction vessel. Material to be considered includes:
- Homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions
- Catalysis
- Mass transport
- Reaction interfaces
- Mass and energy balances
- Rate laws, kinetics and thermodynamics
Reaction vessel Design:
An overview of the appropriate processes and components required in reaction vessel design will be provided through case studies and include:
- Process flow diagram, reactor components and balance of plant
- Types of reactors (fluidised beds, plug-flow, continuous, batch etc)
- Material selection and compatibility
- Mathematical treatment of reaction environments
- Chemical, electrochemical and biological reaction mechanisms
Applications:
Chemical and biochemical reaction processes and reaction vessel design will be developed around, sustainable reactor applications including:
Case studies
1. Biodireactor for fermentation-based chemical production (8 lectures)
- Kinetics of cell growth, substrate consumption and product formation
- Bioreactor types and selection
- Bioreactor operation modes: batch, fed-batch and continuous
- Gas-liquid transfer, measurement of volumetric mass transfer coefficient and design for oxygen transfer
- Mixing and power input
- Bioreactor design
2. Green Chemistry (5 Lectures)
- Principles of GC
- Brown Chemistry
- LCA analysis and case studies
- sustainability and UN drivers
- Economics of GC
3. Flow reactors for energy storage (2 lectures)
- Flow battery design, operation and performance
- Electrochemical energy conversion in flow reactors
- Free energy, voltage and Nernst equation in relation to battery design
- Faradays Laws and space time yield
- Current distribution, bypass currents and cell balancing
- Single pass, recirculated flow or cascade stack configuration including effects of concentration distribution in battery operation
4. Heterogeneous catalyst design for optimising reactor performance (3 lectures)
- Catalysis for fine chemicals (e.g. pharmaceuticals)
- Design of hybrid catalysts
- Catalyst deactivation mechanisms
- Catalyst characterisation techniques
- Designing fixed bed reactors for chemical processes
- Utilising carbon dioxide as a feedstock
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
- Lectures including examples.
- Set example questions are supported by group problem solving sessions.
- Guest lectures to provide industrial input.
- Laboratory practical sessions.
Learning activities include
- Directed reading.
- Group and individual work on examples.
- Coursework: to produce a short report or experimental write-up.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lecture | 21 |
Completion of assessment task | 60 |
Practical classes and workshops | 12 |
Wider reading or practice | 57 |
Total study time | 150 |
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Analytical essay | 30% |
Assignment | 35% |
Assignment | 35% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Assignment | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Assessment | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External