CL 353: MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL METHODS

FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Project Problem Statements

PROBLEM 1
Steady state one-dimensional heat transfer across an infinite slab of thickness L with no
heat generation and thermal conductivity being a linear function of temperature is described
by the nonlinear ODE-BVP
dy
d2 y
(1 + ay) 2 + a( )2 = 0
dx
dx
x=0:y=0
x=1:y=1
k = k0 + k0 (T T0 )
T1 T 0
a = k0
k0
T T0
y=
T1 T 0

(1)

In this equation, y is the dimensionless temperature, x is the dimensionless position, a is

a dimensionless constant. Solve for different values of a, with the nominal value being 1.
PROBLEM 2
The convective-diffusion equation for isothermal, first order reaction occurring in a laminar flow reactor is given by
2(1 r 2 )

c
D 1 c 2 c
= 2(
+
) (k )c
z
R r r r 2
c(r, 0) = cin
c
=0
r=0:
r
c
=0
r=1:
r

(2)

Compute the concentration profile for different parameter values, with the nominal values
being k = 1, D /R2 =0.1, cin =1.

PROBLEM 3
The flow of viscous fluid around a flat disc rotating around an axis perpendicular to its
plane is described by
d2 F
dF
=H
+ (F 2 G2 )
2
dx
dx
dG
d2 G
=
2F
G
+
H
dx2
dx
dH
= 2F
dx
dP
d2 H
dH
=
H
2
dx
dx
dx
x = 0 : H = 0, G = 1, F = 0, P = 0
x = 10 : F = 0, G = 0

(3)

Here, F, G and H are the dimensionless velocities in the radial, tangential and axial
directions respectively, P is the dimensionless pressure, and x is dimensionless distance.
PROBLEM 4
An unsteady isothermal tubular reactor with irreversible first order reaction can be described by
1 2 c c
c
=

(Da)c
t
P e z 2 z
c
= P e(c 1)
z=0:
z
c
z=1:
=0
z
t=0:c=0

(4)

The variables c, z, and t are dimensionless variables. Solve for different values of parameters, with the nominal values being Pe=104 , and Da=1.
PROBLEM 5
The problem of an isothermal Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction (with one reactant in
stoichiometric excess) occurring in a catalyst sphere can be modeled as
y(E + y)
1 d 2 dy
(x
) = 2 [
]
2
x dx
dx
(1 + Ky)2
dy
=0
x=0:
dx
x=1:y=1
3

(5)

Here, is the Thiele modulus, K is an adsorption constant, and E is the fraction excess
of one of the reactants. Solve for different parameter values, with nominal values being E=1,
K=100, and =110.
PROBLEM 6
The dimensionless equation describing steady-state heat transfer to a fluid under fully
developed laminar flow inside a cylindrical pipe (with the walls heated electrically) is given
by
2 1

+
= (1 r 2 )
2
r
r r
z
z=0:=0

=0
r=0:
r

r=1:
= 1
r

(6)

Solve the problem, noting the symmetry in the r direction.

PROBLEM 7
A packed bed nonisothermal reactor with radial dispersion can be described by the following set of dimensionless equations
1 c
c
=
(r ) + R(c, T )
z
r r r
T
1 T
= 1
(r
) + 1 R(c, T )
z
r r r
T
c
= 0,
=0
r=0:
r
r
c
T
r=1:
= 0,
= Bi(T TJ )
r
r
z = 0 : c = 0, T = 1

R(c, T ) = (1 c)n exp( )

T

(7)

Solve the problem for different parameter values, with nominal values being =1, 1 =1,
=0.3, 1 =0.2, =20, Bi=1, TJ =0.92, and n=1.