SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Course Portfolio
Programme Department of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Course Code EMPD 7102: CHEMICAL REACTOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Lecturer F.M. Saziya
Programme Learning Chemical and Process Systems Engineering is the practical application of science and engineering principles to creating wealth from
Outcomes materials. This is accomplished by converting raw materials from minerals, vegetables or animals into valuable products using
machines and equipment.

The Master of Technology in Chemical Engineering Process and Plant Design was conceptualised to produce graduates with the
skillset to innovate using natural resources to design unit operations and local raw material transformation processes for societal
development in line with Education 5.0.

The aim of the programme is to produce Process and Plant Design engineers with the skills to produce and critically evaluate plant
and process designs to modernise the industry by using up-to-date design techniques.
The programme is a merger of two disciplines of engineering which can further be elaborated as follows:

The program objectives include to:

 Provide students with a deep insight into various cutting-edge plant and process design engineering, thereby creating diverse
national development opportunities.
 Provide students with fundamental knowledge and skills that permit them to perform effectively in the plant and process
design sector using modern processes.
 Inculcate technological temper in students to optimise and develop energy solutions for society.
 Equip students with professional insight in areas such as Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and managerial, innovative and
technoprenuerial skills

Course Learning Chemical Reaction Engineering is the field that studies the rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions and the design of the
Outcomes
reactors in which they take place.

The course introduces the student to the design and construction of different types and configurations of chemical reactors, sized
mostly at steady-states. In addition, unsteady- state principles for homogeneous and heterogeneous reactors are introduced. At the
end of the course, the student must be able to:

 Apply principles of chemical kinetics and reaction engineering to the analysis, designing, modelling and optimisation of
 chemical reactor systems.
 Develop advanced conceptual understanding and practical problem – solving skills in reaction engineering, with emphasis on
homogenous and heterogeneous reaction and homogenous and heterogeneous reactor design.
 Evaluate and analyse multiphase and catalytic and non-catalytic reactors and suggest the best reactor type and operating
conditions.

The following outcomes are expected from the course:

 Understanding of chemical kinetics basics and reaction systems

 Chemical reactor analysis, design, modelling, simulation, start-up and operation
 Choice of chemical reactor and reaction systems optimisation
 Heat & mass transfer considerations and scale up of chemical reaction processes
 Gain experience with working in teams giving formal presentations

Show the Course Outline indicating the time scheduled for each task e.g.
Course Outline Week Course Content Time Allocated (hrs) Teaching & Learning Methods
1 Overview of Chemical Reaction Engineering Online Face to Face  Lectures
1.1 Mole Balances (Asynchronous) (Synchronous)  Tutorials
1.2 Definition of the Rate of Reaction  Practicals
1.3 Batch Reactors 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures  Quiz
1.4 Continuous Flow Reactors (CSTR, PFR &  Interviews
PBR)  Presentations
1.5 Industrial Reactors
2 Conversion and Reactor Sizing
2.1. Definition of Conversion
2.2. Reactor Design Equations (batch and flow)
2.3. Applications of the Design Equations 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures 6 hours practicals in groups
2.4. Reactors in Series
3 Rate Laws and Stoichiometry 
3.1 Basic Definitions
3.2 Reaction Order and Rate Law
3.3 Reaction Rate Constant
3.4 Reactor Sizing and Design 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures
3.5 Concepts of Stoichiometric Table to Reactors
3.6 Reactions with Phase Change
4 Stoichiometry
4.1 Express the concentration molar flow rates of
species in the reaction as a function of
conversion for both liquid and gas phase
reactions. 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures
4.2 Express the volumetric flow rate for a gas phase
reaction as a function of conversion.
 4.3 Express the rate of reaction as a function of
conversion for any given rate law.
5 Isothermal Reactor Design
5.1 Mole Balances on BRs, CSTRs, PFRs & PBRs.
5.2 Design Structure for Isothermal Reactors
5.3 Design of Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors
(CSTRs) and Tubular Reactors (PFRs & PBRs) 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures 6 hours practicals in groups
5.4 Pressure Drop in Reactors
5.5 Unsteady-State Operation of Reactors
6 Collection and Analysis of Rate Data 
6.1. Batch Reactor Data Analysis
6.2. Method of Initial Rates
6.3. Method of Half-Lives
6.4. Catalytic and non-catalytic reactions 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures
7 Multiple Reactions
7.1. Definitions
7.2. Series & Parallel Reactions
7.3. Algorithm for Solution to Complex Reactions
7.4. Multiple Reactions in a PFR/PBR 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures 6 hours practicals in groups
7.5. Multiple Reactions in a CSTR
8 Reaction Mechanisms, Pathways, Bioreactions and
Bioreactors
8.1 Discuss the pseudo-steady-state-hypothesis and
explain how it can be used to solve reaction
engineering problems. 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures
8.2 Write reaction pathways for complex reactions.
8.3 Explain what an enzyme is and how it acts as a
catalyst.
8.4 Describe the Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics
and rate law along with its temperature
dependence.
8.5 Discuss how to distinguish the different types of
enzyme inhibition.
8.6 Discuss the stages of cell growth and the rate
laws used to describe growth.
8.7 Write material balances on cells, substrates, and
products in bioreactors to size chemostats and
plot concentration-time trajectories in batch
reactors
9 Catalysis and Catalytic Reactors
9.1 Define a catalyst, a catalytic mechanism and a
rate limit step.
9.2 Describe the steps in a catalytic mechanism and
how one goes about deriving a rate law and a 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures
mechanism and rate limiting step consistent with
the experimental data.
9.3 Use regression to discriminate between reaction
rate laws and mechanisms.
9.4 Size isothermal reactors for reactions with
Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics.
9.5 Discuss the different types of catalyst
deactivation and the reactor types and describe
schemes that can help offset the deactivation.
9.6 Analyze catalyst decay and conversion for
"fluidized" CSTRs and PBRs with temperature-
 time trajectories, moving bed reactors, and
straight through transport reactors.
9.7 Describe the steps in Chemical Vapor
Deposition(CVD).
10 Nonisothermal Reactor Design: The Steady State
Energy Balance and Adiabatic PFR Applications
10.1 Describe the algorithm for BRs, CSTRs, PFRs,
and PBRs that are not operated isothermally.
10.2 Size adiabatic BRs, CSTRs, PFRs, and PBRs. 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures
10.3 Use reactor staging to obtain high conversions for
highly exothermic reversible reactions
11 Steady-State Nonisothermal Reactor Design: Flow
Reactors with Heat Exchange
11.1 Describe the algorithm for BRs, CSTRs, PFRs,
and PBRs that are not operated isothermally.
11.2 Size non-adiabatic BRs, CSTRs, PFRs, and PBRs. 3 hours lectures 3 hours lectures
11.3 Describe and compare the different traits for PFRs
with the following different heat exchange taking
place
a. Adiabatic
b. Constant ambient exchange temperature
c. Co-current heat exchange
d. Counter current heat exchange
11.4 Carry out an analysis to determine the Multiple
Steady States (MSS) in a CSTR along with the
ignition and extinction temperatures.
11.5 Analyze multiple reactions carried out in BRs,
CSTRs, PFRs, and PBRs which are not operated
isothermally in order to determine the
concentrations and temperature as a function of
position (PFR/PBR) and operating variables.

12
Course Resource Text Books
Information H.S. Fogler; Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Prentice-Hall, 4th Edition, (2016).
H.S. Fogler; Essentials of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Prentice-Hall, 1st Edition, (2021).
Supplementary Texts
J.B. Rawlings and J.G Ekerdt, Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design Fundamentals, Nob Hill Publishing, 1st Edition, 2002
O. Levenspiel; Chemical Reaction Engineering, Wiley, 3rd Edition, (1999).
J.M. Smith; Chemical Engineering Kinetics, McGraw-Hill, 3rd Edition (1981).
References:
R.H. Perry, Don. W. Green, J.O. Maloney; Perry`s Chemical Engineer`s Handbook; McGraw-Hill; 7th Edition; 1997.

Hardware/Software List & describe if necessary the hardware and software required by students to facilitate the teaching and learning of this particular
Requirements course
Laptop
Simulation Programs
 - Simulink
Aspen
CadChem
- Polymath
Schedule of Formative List in chronological order all forms of scheduled assessments and indicate when these will be taken by students progressively from
and Summative start to end of semester. (Formative and Summative Assessments).
Assessments Week Assessment Type Time Allocated (Hrs)
Week 3, Assignment 1 Assignment, One week home assignments
Week 6, Assignment 2 .
Week 10; Assignment 3

Week 4 Test 1 Closed book tests One hour quiz

Week 7 Test 2 One hour worked assignment
One hour worked assignment
Week 12Test 3
Schedule of List the practicals to be done in the Semester and when they will be done by students (use weeks)
Laboratories Works Practical 1: Homogeneous Batch Reactor-1 Week 4
Practical 2: Experimental Determination of Rate law using Chemical Reactors Week 8
Practical 3: Determination of the Rate Law for the Oxidation of Oxalic Acid by Permanganate Week 11
Practical 3 may be substituted with industrial visit were possible
Practical Manuals Practical Manuals are separate documents that outline in reasonable detail how the practicals shall be conducted. These are prepared
separately and submitted to Deans.
Relevant Policies And These are documents that the lecturer may find useful in performing his/her duties e.g. invigilation regulations, Terms of Reference
Procedure Manuals for External Examiners. General Regulations, Code of Conduct etc.