Czech

6

doc. Ing. David Jecha, Ph.D.

Institute of Process Engineering

Before enrolling in the course, the student is able to:

• set up and solve the material and enthalpy balance of process equipment under steady state and evaluate the thermal effects of physical and chemical processes;
• explain the thermodynamic behaviour of mixtures and determine state quantities and enthalpies from tables, diagrams and software tools;
• describe the principles of phase and chemical equilibria and calculate the equilibrium composition of a simple system;
• calculate pressure drops and hydraulic conditions in piping and equipment and design conveying equipment for liquids and gases;
• describe the principles of heat transfer and design a heat exchanger;
• characterise the basic design arrangements of process equipment and pressure vessels;
• prepare a technical report with calculation documentation and present its results.

These skills are acquired mainly in the courses KS1 – Thermodynamic Engineering, KTP-A – Heat Transfer Processes, KHL – Hydraulic Processes and KKP – Design of Process Equipment I.

Conditions for the course-unit credit

The course-unit credit requires the submission and presentation of the semester project and active participation in the seminars. The topic of the semester project is assigned during the teaching period and its main tasks are covered step by step in the seminars; the project continues the semester project prepared in the course KS1 – Thermodynamic Engineering. The students present their results in a short prepared presentation at the end of the semester. Attendance at seminars is compulsory and is checked; at most two absences are tolerated. Attendance at lectures is recommended.

Examination

The examination is combined and consists of a written and an oral part.

The written part contains calculation and conceptual tasks from the scope of the course, for example the determination of the adiabatic temperature rise in the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons, the formulation of the balance equations of a wet flue gas cleaning apparatus, the balance of a ventilated space under unsteady state, the conversion of the composition and calorific value of a fuel, or the representation of the temperature, degree of conversion and reaction rate profiles in an adiabatic reactor. Admission to the oral part requires at least 50 % of the points from the written part.

The oral part consists of three questions covering the lectured subject matter, including the justification of the procedures used in the semester project and in the problems solved in the seminars.

Final classification

The final assessment is the weighted average: the course-unit credit (semester project and its presentation, seminar work) 10 %, the written part of the examination 30 % and the oral part of the examination 60 % (three questions, 20 % each).

Passing the examination requires at least 50 points out of 100 in the overall assessment. The total is converted into an ECTS grade in accordance with the BUT Study and Examination Rules (A 100–90, B 89–80, C 79–70, D 69–60, E 59–50, F below 50).

On successful completion of the course, the student is able to:

Knowledge

• explain the thermodynamic and kinetic factors influencing the course of processes in reactors and in the equipment of technological lines, and describe the differences, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of batch, tubular and ideally mixed flow reactors;
• describe the concept, operating conditions and mechanical and technological solution of model technologies of the processing industry (hydrogen production by steam reforming, waste incineration plants, waste gas cleaning, energy sources in the Czech Republic);
• compare the technologies for cleaning flue gases and waste gases (SNCR, SCR, DeDiox, dry, semi-dry and wet methods, catalytic oxidation) and justify the choice of technology for a given emission source, including the legislative requirements for emission measurement.

Skills

• set up and solve the material and heat balance of a technological node and of a complete line under steady state and under unsteady state with accumulation of mass and heat, including the determination of the time change of concentration or temperature;
• calculate a catalytic reactor on the basis of the equilibrium composition and of a kinetic model, determine the attainable degree of conversion and the adiabatic temperature rise, and design the main dimensions of a reactor with axial and with radial flow including the pressure drop of the packed bed;
• design and assess the mechanical and technological solution of selected nodes of a production line (waste heat recovery, quench, gas separation by PSA, fan sizing), compare alternative solutions, and present the results in a technical report and a presentation.

The gradation with respect to the course KS1 lies in the transition from a steady-state balance to an unsteady state with accumulation, to the kinetic calculation of a reactor and to the design of equipment dimensions.

Study aids are available in the BUT e-learning system (Moodle) in the course Technological Lines of the Processing Industry (KS2):

• lecture materials in electronic form for all topics of the course;
• the semester project assignment, instructions for its preparation and submission, and the division of students into groups;
• worksheets and calculation workbooks for the seminars (balances of the nodes of the steam reforming line, activity coefficients by the Van Laar method, accumulation, SHIFT reactors, quench, PSA, fans, pressure drops, combustion of solid fuels, ethylene oxide production);
• the TVVP steam tables and other calculation tools;
• sample reports for selected seminars.

Programme N-PRI-P: Process Engineering, Master's, compulsory

26 hours, compulsory

1. Calculation of the material and heat balance of the main equipment of the steam reforming line for hydrogen production (heat recovery for process steam generation, quenching).


2. Calculation of activity coefficients by the Van Laar method.


3. Continuation of the balance of the steam reforming line (water gas shift reaction, SHIFT reactors, thermodynamic calculation).


4. Balancing of technological nodes under unsteady state with accumulation of mass and heat. Examples of the calculation of the time change of concentration or temperature.


5. Kinetic calculation of the CO conversion block.


6. Balance of the VENTURI apparatus in the wet scrubbing block of waste thermal treatment technology.


7. Gas cleaning by the PSA technology.


8. Design and sizing of fans for the conveying of air and flue gas.


9. Calculation of the transport properties of gas mixtures, pressure drop in a packed bed and functional design of a reactor.


10. Use of the oxygen balance for determining the flue gas flow rate in the combustion of solids.


11. Hydraulic calculation of catalytic reactors with axial and radial flow.


12. Calculation of the adiabatic temperature rise and the degree of conversion in the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons (ethylene oxide production).


13. Presentation of the semester project.