Specific skills:

- Analyse, using material and energy balances, facilities, equipment or processes in which the material undergoes changes in composition.

- Integrate the basics of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology with the basic and common fundamentals of engineering.

- Analyse, model, and calculate chemical and biochemical reactors, based on the principles of thermodynamics and applied kinetics.

- Describe and integrate the transformation processes of raw materials with criteria of innovation, product quality, and sustainability.

- Compare theoretical models and simulation results with real results obtained in real units.



Cross-curricular skills:

- Skilfully manage the information and communication technologies applied to learning, information sources and specific databases of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, as well as tools to support oral presentations.

- Communicate and transmit, effectively in writing and basically orally, the knowledge, results, skills, and abilities acquired in a multidisciplinary and multilingual environment.

- Organize and plan activities in working groups, with recognition of diversity and multiculturalism, critical reasoning, and constructive spirit, beginning in the leadership of groups.

- Development of the leadership of working groups, with assignment of tasks, establishing structures with recognition of the diversity of the group.

- Solve problems of the subjects corresponding to Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, raised with criteria of quality, sensitivity for the environment, sustainability, and ethical criteria.

1. 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.

2. 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.

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

4. 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.

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

6. 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.

7. 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.

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

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

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

11. 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.

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

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

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

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

Lectures (M): Lectures are focused on providing the theoretical background for each topic, in order to apply them in the resolution of the problems.

Classroom practices (GA): Exercises of each topic are performed in an interactive way, promoting synergy with lectures.

Seminars (S): Bioreactors are going to be designed for the production of a final compound. The required theoretical and practical concepts will be developed. Students will work in groups, being attendance compulsory.

Laboratory practices (GL): The different aspects of the course will be dealt with in the laboratory through the practical resolution of the concepts seen in the theoretical and practical classes. Students will work in groups and doing these practices is compulsory to get through the subject. Once the laboratory practices are done, the students will have to make a written report with the main results of the work.

Continuous assessment

- Written exam (75%): There will be three midterm exams (25% each)

The exams consist of theoretical (questions to be developed and brief specific ones) and practical (exercises) aspects. You have to pass the three partial exams (minimum grade 5) to pass the subject. 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.

- Teamwork (15%)

The design of biological reactors for the production of a product has to be presented, in groups. The design will be evaluated continuously by means of various deliverables throughout the course.

- Laboratory report (10%)

A written report on laboratory practices has to be be submitted in groups. This report should show and discuss the design and flow characterization obtained in the laboratory practices.



Final assessment

Students that would like to be assessed by means of the final assessment system will have to present a written notification to the corresponding teacher before week 9.

The final assessment consists of the following tests:

- Written exam (75%)

- Laboratory practice test (10%)

- Design of a bio-reactor (15%)

To pass the subject it will be necessary to pass the written exam (grade of 5).



Resignation

Both in the case of continuous and final assessment, it will be sufficient not to take that final exam so that the final grade of the subject is << not presented >>.

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