Chemical and biological reactor design

After an introduction (chapter 1), the course is divided in 3 parts, each dealing with a specific scale relevent to the reactor. A forth part, on bioreactor, ends the course

Part 1: chemical or biological reaction scale

Chapter 2: reminder on ideal reactors

Chapter 3: composed reaction scheme (serie, parrallel reaction, selectivity), enzymatic reactions (Michaelis-Menten, inhibitions)

Part 2: flow scale

Chapter 4: Residence time distribution and transfer function

Chapter 5: Application to reactors (compartment models, dispersive plug flow, short-circuits, dead volumen, tanks in serie)

Chapter 6: Impact on reactor efficiency (parrallel flow model)

Part 3: mass transfer scale

Chapter 7: reminder about mass transfer

Chapter 8: general strategy on coupling reaction and mass transfer

Chapter 9: reaction catalysed by solid (Thiele modulus, catalyst efficiency)

Chapter 10: reaction between a fluid and a solid (shrinking core model)

Chapter 11: reaction in non-miscible fluid (2 films models, Hatta number, acceleration factor, kLa)

Part 4 : bioreactors

The objective of this course is to lead the student to aprehend the tools to design non ideal chemical and biological reactors using a strategy based on the identification and the analysis, including mathematical modelling, of physico-chemical phenomena taking place in the reactor.

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

• Transport phenomena (mostly mass transport)
• Equilibrium thermodynamics
• Ideal reaction design
• Differential equation solving
• Numerical methods for equation resolutions
• (Bio) chemical kinetics

For each part, the basic principles and framework are given at courses. Classical theoretical calculations are realized in groups in seminar. The principles are then applied in exercices sessions of growing difficulty and nearing practical applications. Practical on computer (applying numericl methos in MS Excel ) allow to tackle a practical application from biotechnology, food industry or environment engineering.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

Main references : (available at the Bibliothèque des sciences et techniques of ULB and/or at TIPs department)

• O. Levenspiel, Chemical Reaction Engineering, 1998

• H. Fogler, Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering, 2005

• R. Bird, W. Steward, E. Lightfoot Transport phenomena, 2006

Course notes

• Université virtuelle

Contacts

frederic.debaste@ulb.be 

Service Transferts, Interfaces et Procédés (CP.165/67)

Office : S.UB5.159

tel: +32-2-650.67.56

fax: +32-2-650.29.10

http://www.tips-ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch, Plaine

Method(s) of evaluation

• Oral examination
• Group work

Oral examination

• Open question with long development

Group work

Throughout the four-month term, students will be required to submit four written assignments on the course module by specified dates and times. These assignments form the basis for part of the end-of-term assessment. Failure to submit one or more of these assignments within the specified deadlines without a medical certificate will result in the student being awarded an ‘ABS’ mark for the entire UE.

The assessment consists of an oral examination comprising two parts. The two parts of the examination are conducted one after the other.

Part A is conducted with Prof. Debaste on his parts of the course (Parts 1 to 3 of the course). During this examination with no preparation time, the student will discuss the assignments submitted throughout the year.

Part B is conducted with Prof. Cannella on his part of the course (Part 4 of the course).

The assessment procedures are the same for both the first and second examination sessions. The coursework used as the basis for Part A of the oral examination is retained from one session to the next, but not from one academic year to the next.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

For Part A, a mark out of 20 is awarded at the end of the oral examination. Penalties relating to any delays in submitting the assignments are deducted from this mark:

• 1 penalty point for any delay of less than 3 hours,
• 2 penalty points for any delay between 3 and 24 hours,
• After a delay of 24 hours, the assignment is considered not to have been submitted.
• These penalties are cumulative across the four assignments to be submitted (and may therefore amount to 8 marks out of 20

For Part B, a mark out of 20 is awarded at the end of the oral examination.

The final mark is calculated on the basis of the marks for Parts A and B as follows: In the event of a second session, partial marks of 10/20 or higher are automatically carried forward. A student may request to waive a carried-over partial mark by emailing both examiners before 15 July.

• if at least one of the marks for Part A or Part B is strictly below 9/20, the overall mark is the lower of the marks for Part A and Part B (absorbing mark)
• If the marks for Parts A and B are both 9/20 or higher, the overall mark is calculated by adding 4/5 of the mark for Part A and 1/5 of the mark for Part B. The mark is then rounded to the nearest half mark

If the course unit must be retaken the following year, no automatic carry-over is granted.

Language(s) of evaluation

• english
• (if applicable french )