Course image Petrochemical Synthesis
Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Engineering

To help students to understand how feedstocks are generated for petrochemical synthesis. The course would also help students to acquire knowledge in the production and utilisation of synthesis gas.

Content:

Petrochemical industries.

Resources and generation of different feed stocks for petrochemical synthesis.

Production and utilization of synthesis gas

Generation of synthesis gas by steam reforming of naptha and natural gas,

Chemicals from synthesis gas,

Methanol via synthesis gas route,

Formaldehyde from methanol,

Chloromethane by direct chlorination of methane,

Fischer-Tropsch process.


Course image Chemical Reaction Engineering
Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Engineering

Course Description

This course will provide a general overview of chemical kinetics and reactor design. This course applies the concepts of reaction rate, stoichiometry and equilibrium to the analysis of chemical and biological reacting systems such as derivation of rate expressions from reaction mechanisms and equilibrium or steady state assumptions. The course also focuses on the design of chemical and biochemical reactors via synthesis of chemical kinetics, and mass and energy balances. The goal is to provide students with the theoretical/analytical background to understand chemical kinetics and reactor design and to tackle the all forms of complex problems.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Explain the different steps in reaction mechanisms on catalytic surfaces and identify the rate-determining step
  • Make qualified choices of optimal reactor design, Batch, CSTR or PFR, or configurations of reactors in series.
  • Understand the different importance of kinetic and thermodynamic considerations for the choice of feed temperature in reactor systems for equilibrium reactions
  • Understand the effect of variation flow rate, temperature and particle size on the total reaction rate in a system that is controlled both by mass transfer and reaction
  •  Determine conversion and yield for chemical reactions
  •  By an enthalpy analysis to derive the energy balance for continuous steady state reactor systems
  • Determine the volume of reactor systems based on kinetic data and mass and heat balances.
Course Content
  • Kinetics of homogeneous reactions: rate of reaction, order of reaction, rate constant; searching for a mechanism of reaction, activation energy and temperature dependency, interpretation of batch reactor data for single and multiple reactions

  • Design of homogeneous reactors: batch, mixed flow, plug flow reactors, comparison of single and multiple reactor.

  • Temperature and pressure effects.: Adiabatic and non-adiabatic operations.
  • Design of heterogeneous reactors: surface phenomenon and catalysis, adsorption/desorption isotherms, Heterogeneous reaction systems, rate equations for heterogeneous reactions

Course image Heat Transfer Processes
Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Engineering

OBJECTIVES FOR HEAT TRANSFER PROCESSES:
1. The aim of the course is to provide the fundamental theory for the analysis of heat
transfer processes occurring in boilers, condensers, cooling towers and furnaces.
2. This course will seek to quantify heat transfer processes in various systems
3. Define various terminologies employed in heat transfer processes.
4. Describe physical principles involved in heat transfer
5. Describe heat transport phenomena in various systems of interests
6. Analyse models and behaviour of local and overall heat transfer coefficients

Course image Field Trip and Technical Report Writing
Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Engineering

Course Objective

This course will equip students with basic experience and practical skills to be able to use fundamental knowledge to identify and solve petroleum refining and petrochemical problems.

Content

Fieldtrips to areas of interest. Students will be expected to present reports upon which they will be assessed for their credits.