The course aims at deeply investigating the basics of physical and reaction unit operations providing the tools for their design and selection.
Part I: Tools and methodologies for process analysis. Generalities on transport phenomena and their role in controlling the unit operation performance. Basics of the physico-chemical phenomena that affect the most common unit operations for physical separation (humidification, absorption, distillation, and drying). Brief introduction to process separation through concentration by evaporation. For each unit operation, the effect of the most relevant process variables will be illustrated and discussed. Fundamentals of the physico-chemical phenomena that control the performance of ideal chemical reactors. Chemical reaction kinetics for the design and performance analysis of reactors: micro and macro-kinetic conditions, reactions in series and in parallel, auto-catalytic reactions. The most common typologies of isothermal reactors: batch reactors, plug flow (PFR), and continuous stirred tank (CSTR). Performance comparison and guidelines for the selection of the optimal reactor.
Part II: Generalities on the process instrumentation: pressure, flow, and temperature measurements. Friction loss in pipes, fittings and valves. Fluid motion and control: pumps and compressors. Process and instrumentation drawing symbols. Process flow diagram. Fundamentals of separation process based on the particles motion in a fluid and the mass transport through porous media. For the most common separation operations (sedimentation, filtration and membrane technologies) the effect of the relevant process variables will be illustrated and discussed.
Laboratory
- Pressure, flow rate and temperature measurements;
- Friction loss evaluation in pipes, fitting and valves;
- Evaluation of performance characteristics of pumps;
- Separation tests through membrane processes;
- Process control: PID control of a tank level;
- Separation tests of a binary solution through distillation column.
Textbooks
W.L. McCabe, J.C. Smith, and P. Harriot, Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering, 7th edition, McGraw-Hill (2005). In alternativa: Treybal, R.E., "Mass-Transfer Operations", 3-rd edition, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1980 (International Edition, softcover)
H.S. Fogler, Elements of Chemical reaction Engineering, 4th edition, Prentice Hall (2006).
G. Cornetti, Macchine idrauliche, Il Capitello (1994).
Suggested Readings
R.B. Bird, W.E. Stewart, and E.N. Lightfoot, Transport Phenomena, 2nd edition, John Wiley (2007)
P.C. Wankat, Rate-Controlled Separations, Elsevier Applied Science (1990).
ALDO BOTTINO (President)
ALBERTO SERVIDA (President)
CAMILLA COSTA
ORIETTA MONTICELLI
PAOLO MORETTI
The class will start on thursday 29th September 2016
