Course synopsis

This course introduces the topic of Transport Phenomena, which involves the development of mathematical models and physical understanding of the transfer of momentum, energy and mass. In this first course, momentum transfer is studied thus involving the motion and deformation of fluids (a.k.a. Fluid Dynamics). Because chemical engineers often need a detailed understanding of flow within small scale devices (catalyst pellets, living animal tissue, high-density processor chip manufacture), considerable emphasis is placed on the differential equations that describe fluid flow. The balance equations for large-scale equipment (macroscopic equations) are also considered. Despite the (necessary) emphasis on developing mathematical models to describe flow phenomena, a major goal for students taking this class is to develop sound physical understanding of these flows so that they can correctly apply models in new situations that they may encounter.

Syllabus

Press here to see the course syllabus.

Goals

Press here to see the goals for students who complete this course.

• Mark J. McCready
  Room 182A Fitzpatrick Hall. 631-7146, email mjm@nd.edu

• Jennifer Anthony
• Fei Liu
• Jindal Shah

Homework: Homework is usually assigned as groups of problems that are due on Tuesday.

Discussion Sections: Discussion sections will meet approximately every other week and will be used for laboratory demonstrations (in the new Engineering Learning Center), introducing example problems and answering questions related to homework.

Test answers

Answers to the second "quiz"

Answers to the third "quiz"

Mathematica Note Books

Many of these (and other useful materials) are also available from MathSource, at the Wolfram Research website. This and other courses that use Mathematica materials can be found at the Mathematica Courseware web site.

A simple Mathematica primer,
Mathematica_primer.1.nb. (Notebook)
Mathematica Primer(html)

A basic introduction to dimensional analysis including physical motivation and how to solve pipe flow.
dimensional.analysis.nb. (Notebook)
dimensional.analysis.html (html)

A simple primer on why we use log-log plots and what they mean,
Primer on log-log and semilog plots. (Notebook)
Primer on log-log and semilog plots(html)

An exhaustive solution of the lubricated flow example ("core-annular flow") from Middleman 3.2.3, pp79-82). It demonstrates a number of Mathematica features and several important basic ideas from this course,
lubricatedflow.nb (notebook format)
lubricatedflow.html (html, this is not as good as the Mathematica version, but you don't need MathReader.)

This one shows how to use the chain rule to nondimensionalize differential equations. It also makes a point that the resulting dimensionless terms are of order 1.
Making a differential equation dimensionless (Notebook format)
Making a differential equation dimensionless (html)

This one solves Creeping Flow (intertialess flow) past a stationary sphere. It uses the notation of and is based on S. Middleman, An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics.
Creeping Flow Past a Stationary Sphere (html)
Creeping Flow Past a Stationary Sphere (Notebook format)

This one shows how a similarity variable is used to derive the ODE used to solve boundary-layer flow past a flat plate. It also does numerical solutions for boundary-layer flow past a flat plate and a wedge. It uses the notation of and is based on M. M. Denn, Process Fluid Mechanics.
Boundary-layer flow past a flat plate and wedge (HTML)
Boundary-layer flow past a flat plate and wedge (Notebook format)

This one shows how to use the potential and stream functions to solve the problem of inviscid flow past a sphere. It uses the notation of and is based on M. M. Denn, Process Fluid Mechanics.
Inviscid flow past a stationary sphere (html)
Inviscid flow past a stationary sphere (Notebook format)

This shows how to use a similarity variable to reduce the boundary layer equations for energy and momentum, for a natural convection flow caused by a heated surface, to a set of ODE's. A shooting method is employed to solve them. It uses the notation of and is based on F. P. Incropera and D. P. DeWitt, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer.
Solution of the natural convection boundary-layer flow near a heated flat plate (Notebook Format)
Solution of the natural convection boundary-layer flow near a heated flat plate (html format -- it works but looses a lot.)

This notebook looks at chemical reactions in a stirred tank reactor for single phase, liquid-solid and gas-liquid solid systems. For gas-liquid packed bed (a. k. a. "trickle - bed") reactors, flow disturbances cause fluctuations in the mass transfer rate. This notebook shows how these fluctuations can influence the reaction selectivity. The fluctuation (pulsing) frequency is seen to be a key variable. It uses the notation of and is based on R., M. J. McCready and A. Varma "Influence of mass transfer coefficient fluctuation frequency on performance of three-phase packed bed reactors, Chemical Engineering Science.,50,pp3333-3344 (1995).
Importance of mass transfer fluctuations on reaction outcome in multiphase reactors (Notebook Format)
Importance of mass transfer fluctuations on reaction outcome in multiphase reactors (html format -- it works but looses a lot.)

Tests from last year

Test #1

Test#2

Final Exam

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