How We Teach: Kinetics and Reactor Design

Laura P. Ford*, Janie Brennan, David L. Silverstein, Lucas James Landherr, Christy Wheeler West, Stephen W. Thiel, Kevin D. Dahm, Jennifer Cole, Marnie V. Jamieson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

The Survey Committee of AIChE's Education Division surveys departments in the US and Canada each fall. Kinetics and reactor design or chemical reaction engineering was the topic for Fall 2020. This paper presents results from 87 different courses representing 80 distinct institutions as well as discussion from the survey session at the AIChE Annual Meeting. Results are compared with previous surveys in 2010 and earlier. Almost all departments still require only one three-credit-hour course in kinetics and reactor design. Fogler's textbooks are still the most popular. Over 80% of courses cover topics through steady-state reactors in depth. Over 60% of courses also cover unsteady non-isothermal reactors and reaction hazards but with less depth. Over half of the courses responded that more than 50% of the homework assignments use a computer, which is a substantial increase from the survey in 2010. Exams and individual homework assignments are still the most popular assessments, but team homework and team projects are increasing. The course is used to assess the achievement of ABET Student Outcomes 1 and 2 in half of the courses. The majority of departments have laboratory exercises devoted to kinetics and reactor design in a required course, with experiments within the kinetics and reactor design courses themselves in over a quarter of departments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
StatePublished - Jul 26 2021
Event2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference, ASEE 2021 - Virtual, Online
Duration: Jul 26 2021Jul 29 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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