Chemical Engineering Numerical Methods for Boundary Value Problems

Solving differential equations that govern transport and reaction in porous catalysts is a core skill for chemical engineers. This course provides a clear, step-by-step guide to setting up and solving nonisothermal boundary value problems using numerical methods in MATLAB. You will transition from basic theory to writing robust simulation scripts that model concentration and temperature profiles within catalyst pellets. By completing this text-based course, you will understand how to formulate governing equations, implement shooting methods, and analyze how heat and mass transfer limitations affect catalyst performance. What you'll learn: - Understand the foundational physics of simultaneous diffusion, reaction, and heat transfer in porous catalysts - Formulate boundary value problems using coupled ordinary differential equations for nonisothermal systems - Implement numerical shooting methods and finite difference schemes in MATLAB to solve boundary value problems - Analyze the impact of dimensionless parameters, such as the Thiele modulus and Prater number, on catalyst effectiveness - Debug numerical convergence issues and verify simulation results against physical intuition This course begins with essential chemical engineering kinetics and transport definitions before guiding you through the step-by-step construction of MATLAB solver scripts. You will read structured explanations, analyze clear code snippets, and work through practical derivation exercises. This course is designed for undergraduate chemical engineering students, researchers, and practicing engineers who want to master numerical solutions for transport-reaction systems. No advanced prior numerical analysis experience is required, though a basic familiarity with MATLAB syntax is recommended. Start modeling complex chemical engineering systems with confidence today.