An Integrated Chemical Reaction Engineering Lab Experiment

Authors

  • Adélio M. Mendes Universidade do Porto
  • Luis M. Madeira Universidade do Porto
  • Fernão D. Magalhães Universidade do Porto
  • José M. Sousa Universidade do Porto

Abstract

An integrated laboratory experiment is presented to better illustrate concepts taught in chemical reaction engineering (CRE) undergraduate courses. In the first lab session, students determine the rate constant of the second-order reaction between ethyl acetate and sodium hydroxide at different temperatures. A second experiment makes use of two tracer experiments to characterize the flow pattern in a packed bed tubular reactor. A final lab session is reserved for determination of the reaction conversion in the same continuous-flow reactor. The theoretical conversion can be computed based on different approaches. One of them, the segregation model, requires that students integrate previous concepts, namely the RTD function and the rate constant. The use of transparent acrylic reactors and the addition of color to all the experiments, through the use of a suitable acid-base indicator, allow students to more easily "visualize" and understand the concepts involved, particularly the notion of axial dispersion. This is especially true for the flow-pattern characterization experiments, which seem to be more interesting and novel for students.  Photographs of these "colored" experiments are available on a web site at <http://www.fe.up.pt/lepae/reacteng>.

Author Biographies

Adélio M. Mendes, Universidade do Porto

Adélio M. Mendes is Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Porto, where he also graduated in chemical engineering (1987) and earned his PhD (1993). He teaches chemical engineering laboratories, separation processes, and numerical methods. His main research interests include membrane and sorption gas separations, catalytic membrane reactors, and fuel cells.

Luis M. Madeira, Universidade do Porto

Luis M. Madeira is Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Porto. He graduated in Chemical Engineering (1993) and received his PhD (1998) from the Technical University of Lisbon. He teaches chemical engineering laboratories and chemical reaction engineering. His main research interests are in heterogeneous catalysis, catalytic membrane reactors, and wastewater oxidation.

Fernão D. Magalhães, Universidade do Porto

Fernão D. Magalhiies is Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Porto where he graduated in chemical engineering (1989). He received his PhD (1997) from the University of Massachusetts. He is currently teaching chemical engineering laboratories and advanced calculus. His main research interests involve mass transport and sorption in porous solids and membranes.

José M. Sousa, Universidade do Porto

José M. Sousa is Professor Assistant in the Chemistry Department at the University of Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro. He is a PhD student at the University of Porto, where he received his degree in chemical engineering in 1988. His research interests include catalytic membrane reactors.

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Published

2004-07-01

Issue

Vol. 38 No. 3 (2004): Summer 2004

Section

Manuscripts