2024 AIChE Annual Meeting
(376k) Using an Industrial Example to Teach Pollution Prevention and Residence Time Distributions
Authors
Hesketh, R. - Presenter, Rowan University
Yenkie, K., Rowan University
Roth, S., Rowan University
Theuma, D., Rowan University
Padros, E., Rowan University
Slater, C. S., Rowan University
Savelski, M. J., Rowan University
Fracchiolla, M., Rowan University
A practical example will be presented that can be used to teach students the mathematics of residence time distribution theory as well as pollution prevention. Undergraduate chemical engineering students have the opportunity to learn about residence time distributions in chemical reaction engineering, but only if they get to chapters 16 -18 of Fogler’s Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering. But if professors follow the guidance by Fogler in the section titled, “Who is the intended audience” then they will never be taught about residence distribution theory since it is recommended only for graduate students. In addition if you talk with the chemical engineering professor sitting next to you they will probably give you one of these reasons that they can not teach residence time distribution theory because it is not practical; too difficult to teach; they don’t understand it well enough to teach it; or they never saw it used in practice. But what we are seeing in industry is the use of residence distribution times in the pharmaceutical industry in the area of continuous processing. This is an area that undergraduate chemical engineers have been hired to work in by major pharmaceutical industries. So shouldn’t they have some knowledge about this subject? The other question that students ask is are all reactors ideal? Do we need to know about models other than perfect mixing or plug flow to describe processing equipment? In addition to residence time distributions we are also recognizing that we need more examples of how chemical engineers can contribute to the Sustainability objectives of major chemical companies. This presentation will show an example of pollution prevention which can be used to help meet this objective.