29928 - Laboratory of Process Engineering T

Learning outcomes

The course is intended to give the knowledge, the methodologies and the tools for the quantitative analysis of Chemical Engineering processes

Course contents

The course is an introduction to basic mass balances for process industry operations. The chemical plant is assumed as a network of mass streams connecting process units, modeled as “black boxes”.

Basic elements will be introduced to perform mass balances on the typical systems of the chemical industry.

Main topics

1. The chemical plant: flowcharts. Process classification: batch, continuous, semi-batch; steady-state and transient operational modes. Examples.
2. The state of material streams. Process variables: composition variables, flow rate variables, relationships, units. Extensive and intensive properties.
3. The integral balance equation of an extensive property: accumulation, generation, input and output.
4. Mass balances for a single unit, for reactive and non-reactive systems, in steady-state and transient conditions, in batch processes. The reaction coordinate. Limiting and excess reactants, fractional conversion, extent of reaction, selectivity and yield. Basis of calculation and process scale-up variables.
5. Calculations for typical process industry unit operations: mixer, separation units, chemical reactors, heat exchangers, etc. Combustion chemistry: excess air, composition of flue gas on wet and dry basis.
6. Mass balances on multiple-units processes in steady-state conditions. Main streams of the process: fresh and combined feed, purge, recycle; mixers and splitters. Single-pass and overall conversion. Degree of freedom analysis. Calculations for typical processes.
7. Independent stoichiometric reactions.

Readings/Bibliography

Teacher’s notes, available in the web site “VLE"-Unibo.

R.M.Felder, R.W.Rousseau, L.G.Bullard, Felder’s Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes, global edition. J.Wiley & Sons, New York, 2017 (per consultazione).

Teaching methods

In-class lessons and tutorials. A tablet is used instead of the traditional blackboard; pdf files are uploaded in the UNIBO web site “VLE”.

Assessment methods

The examination is a written section, composed of two parts:

1. 15 numerical questions about the main topics (composition variables, average molar mass, independent reactions, etc.). Time = 30 minutes. Maximum score= 15/30 . Questions are available only on-line on the platform EOL;
2. Problems of mass balances on single units and/or equipment. Time = 90 minutes. Maximum score = 15/30. Questions are available only on-line on the platform EOL.

Regulations: only pocket scientific calculator and periodic table are allowed. Reference data, books, and other notes are not allowed, neither personal computer, nor mobile phones, nor tablet, etc.

The exam will be awarded in the case in which the final score (sum of parts A and B) is not lower than 18/30.

Office hours

See the website of Serena Bandini