Specifics: Describing chemical and biochemical phenomena in the reactor through the use of mass and energy balances. Analysis and design of ideal homogeneous reactors. Optimization of process conditions from different perspectives, e.g. production, selectivity, economic, among others. Identifying and quantifying ideal flows or mixings, and its implications in the design of reactors. Simplified analysis of heterogeneous reactors used for chemical or biological processing. Introduce concepts associated with the reactor design as safety, environment and sustainability.



Transversals: Manage information from different sources and databases. Communicate and transmit the knowledge, abilities and skills acquired. Planning group activities, including exercises and laboratory assignments. Promoting diversity, critical thinking and innovation. Develop leadership and management skills. Solving problems with scientific and technological quality criteria, respect for the environment and aiming sustainability. Focus concepts to the industrial production of goods.

INTRODUCTION. Basics of reactor design. Historical evolution. Reactor development. Homogeneous and heterogeneous reactors. Issues to consider in the design. Tools and design stages: micro and macrokinetic models. Current state of reactor design and future prospects.



THE BATCH REACTOR. Obtaining the kinetic equation using a batch reactor: integral and differential methods. Reactors for gas reactions with variable volume. Reactors for constant volume. Design equations in isothermal regime. The batch reactor with temperature profiles. Types of temperature regimes. Optimization criteria. Semicontinuous reactors.



PLUG FLOW CONTINUOUS REACTOR. Concept of space time. Ideal plug flow. Design for different temperature regimes. Recirculation.



CONTINUOUSLY STIRRED TANK REACTOR. Concept of perfect mix. Design for different temperature regimes. Comparison with the ideal plugh flow reactor. Combination of reactors: analytical and graphic optimization. Comparison with isolated reactors.



OPTIMAL DESIGN FOR SIMPLE REACTIONS. Selecting the reactor design for simple reactions. Comparison of ideal reactors. Optimizing the process conditions.



OPTIMAL DESIGN FOR COMPLEX REACTIONS. Reactor selection and design for complex reactions. Yield and selectivity. Comparison of reactors for reactions in series and parallel. Optimal design based on the study of selectivity.



OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE REGIMES. Effect of temperature on the design in endothermic and exothermic reactions. Optimum temperature profile in tubular reactors. Practical approaches in industrial reactors.



CONTINUOUS AUTOTHERMAL REACTORS. Stable operating conditions in reactors perfect mix. Stability and steady states. Effect of process variables. Autothermal operation in tubular reactors.



NOT IDEAL FLOW REACTORS. Residence time distribution (RTD). Design for first-order reactions and other kinetics. Dispersion model. Tanks in series model.



TRANSPORT PROPERTY CONSIDERATIONS. Mass transfer and heat transfer. Mass transfer coefficients and heat characteristic. Design considerations. Scaling.



GAS-SOLID REACTORS. Description and selection of the reactor. Fixed bed catalytic reactors: Design for different temperature regimes. Fluidized bed reactors and their application in catalytic and non-catalytic reactions. Design models.



GAS-LIQUID AND GAS-LIQUID-SOLID REACTORS. General concepts. Macroscopic models. Reactor types and criteria for reactor selection. Main applications.



BIOREACTORS WITH MICROORGANISMS. Kinetics. Structured and unstructured models. Discontinuous and continuous reactor.



BIOLOGICAL REACTORS WITH ENZYMES. Kinetics. Immobilization of enzymes. Reactors with immobilized enzymes. Response strategies.



SECURITY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY ASPECTS. Boundary conditions for safety. Alternatives for a save design. Environmental conditions. Contribution of reactor design to sustainability. Design innovations.

Seminars to extend the fundaments, answer any questions solve doubts and develop student initiatives.

Classroom practices to perform exercises in an interactive way, and promote synergy with lectures.

Laboratory practices to address the main fundaments of reactor design and nonideal flow.

Although the fundaments are theoretical concepts, the subject is intended to be essentially practical and applied. Exercises and questions will provide students with an overall instruction.

Students will have the opportunity to develop their own personal initiatives in problem-solving within an internationally established methodology.

The continuous assessment requires the uninterrupted assistance to class (unless justified).

The student who chooses the final exam option needs to communicate to the subject teacher in a written document, explicitly renouncing to the continuous assessment.

The student who chooses the continuous assessment will be evaluated by three partial exams that need to be passed. In case one or two exams are passed, the corresponding topics included in the exam/s will be “eliminated”. In these particular cases, the student will be re-evaluated with the exam/s not passed the day of the final exam.

The student has the chance to rise her/his mark in the final exam by performing the one, several partial/s or the entire subject exam.

The final mark of the subject will be the result of: 90% exams: average of the three partial exams of the entire subject exam; 10% lab. practices and complementary works.





In the case that the sanitary conditions prevent the realization of a face-to-face evaluation, a non-face-to-face evaluation will be activated of which the students will be informed promptly.

Topics delivered by the teacher and explained in the classroom, and exercises set by the teacher and used in the classroom.

Basic bibliography

Levenspiel, O., Ingeniería de las Reacciones Químicas, Reverté, Barcelona, 2002.

Fogler, S.H., Essential of Chemical Reaction Engineering, 2nd Ed., Prentice Hall Int., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 2011.

Cuevas-García, R., Introducción al Diseño de Reactores Homogéneos, Reactores Intermitentes, PFR y CSTR, Editorial Académica Española, Madrid, 2013.

Conesa,J.A., Diseño de Reactores Heterogéneos, Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Alicante, 2010

Hill, Ch. G., An Introduction to Chemical Reaction Engineering, John Wiley, Nueva York, 1977.

In-depth bibliography

Butt, J.B., Reaction Kinetics and Reactor Design, 2nd Edition, Marcel Dekker Inc., Nueva York,-Basel, 2000.
Coker, A.K., Kayode, C.A., Modeling of Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design, Elsevier Inc., 2001.
Froment, G.F., Bischoff, K.B., Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design, 2nd Ed, John Wiley, Nueva York, 1990.
Jakobsen, H.A., Chemical Reactor Modeling, Springer Berlin Heilderberg, Berlin, 2008.
Rawlings, J.B., Ekerdt, J., Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design Fundamentals, Nob Hill Publishing, Madison. Wisconsin, 2002.

Journals

AIChE Journal
Chemical Engineering Journal
Chemical Engineering Science
Industrial Engineering Chemistry Research
Chemical Engineering Education