Class and Home Problems: Modeling of an Industrial Anaerobic Digester: A Case Study for Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The traditional approach in undergraduate chemical reaction engineering courses, as practiced in our uni-versity, is typically limited to design problems that can be solved by analytical methods. The study of single reaction systems presents the alternative of graphical reso-lution and easy analysis. Furthermore, single autocatalytic or inhibitory kinetic reactions are generally used to study the optimal combination of ideal reactors or the optimum recycle ratio.[1, 2] However, in most practical applications, a serial-parallel multiple reaction system takes place and the resolution of numerical schemes is required. The increasing use and development of computers is gradually changing the design approach in chemical engineering education. Indeed, the current technological tools facilitate quantitative analysis and, therefore, allow the student to attain a deeper learning approach to chemical engineering fundamentals by solving authentic systems.