1st Edition

Reaction Engineering Principles

By Himadri Roy Ghatak Copyright 2016
    408 Pages 72 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Chemical reaction engineering is at the core of chemical engineering education. Unfortunately, the subject can be intimidating to students, because it requires a heavy dose of mathematics. These mathematics, unless suitably explained in the context of the physical phenomenon, can confuse rather than enlighten students. Bearing this in mind, Reaction Engineering Principles is written primarily from a student’s perspective. It is the culmination of the author’s more than twenty years of experience teaching chemical reaction engineering.

    The textbook begins by covering the basic building blocks of the subject—stoichiometry, kinetics, and thermodynamics—ensuring students gain a good grasp of the essential concepts before venturing into the world of reactors.

    The design and performance evaluation of reactors are conveniently grouped into chapters based on an increasing degree of difficulty. Accordingly, isothermal reactors—batch and ideal flow types—are addressed first, followed by non-isothermal reactor operation, non-ideal flow in reactors, and some special reactor types.

    For better comprehension, detailed derivations are provided for all important mathematical equations. Narrative of the physical context in which the formulae work adds to the clarity of thought. The use of mathematical formulae is elaborated upon in the form of problem solving steps followed by worked examples. Effects of parameters, changing trends, and comparisons between different situations are presented graphically. Self-practice exercises are included at the end of each chapter.

    Introduction
    Concepts from Physical Chemistry
    Concepts from Fluid and Particle Mechanics
    Concepts from Heat and Mass Transport Processes
    Conservation Laws

    Stoichiometry
    Law of Definite Proportions
    Law of Multiple Proportions
    Reaction Stoichiometry
    Exercises
    References

    Chemical Kinetics
    The Rate of a Homogeneous Chemical Reaction
    Factors Affecting the Rate of a Chemical Reaction
    Kinetics of Heterogeneous Reactions
    Exercises
    References

    Thermodynamics of Chemical Reaction
    Heat of Reaction
    Reaction Equilibrium
    Exercises
    References

    Ideal Isothermal Batch Reactor
    General Mole Balance Equation for Homogeneous Reactions
    Constant Volume Batch Reactor
    Single-Reactant nth-Order Reaction
    General Reaction Involving Several Reactants
    Reversible Reactions
    Half-Life for Irreversible Reactions
    Multiple Reactions
    Variable Volume Batch Reactor
    Heterogeneous Reactions in Batch Reactor
    Exercises
    References

    Ideal Isothermal Flow Reactors
    Ideal Plug Flow Reactor
    Ideal Backmix Flow Reactor
    Comparison of PFR and BFR
    Combination of PFR and BFR
    Exercises
    References

    Nonisothermal Reactors
    Batch Reactor
    Plug Flow Reactor
    Backmix Flow Reactor
    Reversible Reactions under Nonisothermal Conditions
    Optimum Temperature
    Exercises
    References

    Nonideal Flow in Reactors
    RTD for Ideal Reactors
    RTD for Real Reactors
    Properties of RTD Function
    Conversion from RTD
    Mathematical Models for Real Reactors
    Exercises
    References

    Reactors of Special Types
    Electrochemical Reactors
    Biochemical Reactors
    Catalytic Packed Bed Reactors
    Catalytic Fluidized Bed Reactors
    Exercises
    References

    Appendices
    The International System of Units
    Commonly Used Units for Some Physical Quantities with Conversion Factors
    Some Important Physical Constants

    Biography

    Himadri Roy Ghatak earned his BE and ME degrees from the erstwhile University of Roorkee (now Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee) and his PhD from Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology. He worked in the industry from 1991 to 1995 before joining the faculty of Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, where he rose to the position of a professor in chemical engineering. He also served as the head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and associate dean (research and consultancy). He has taught courses in chemical reaction engineering, mass transfer, environmental engineering, and energy technology. Professor Ghatak’s research focuses on electrochemical advanced oxidation, hydrogen production, and lignin.

    "… comprehensive and covers topics required for undergraduate and graduate students. … The topics are well organized and distributed systematically."
    —Nayef Ghasem, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain

    "Elaborate details of the physical phenomenon and models are given before the ideas are translated into equations and formulae. … Detailed derivations have been provided … including intermediate steps which make mathematical aspects more comprehensible and less intimidating."
    —Pramod K. Bajpai, Thapar University, Patiala, India