Numerical Methods and Reactor Simulation in Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering problems often rely on complex differential equations that cannot be solved by hand. Understanding how to translate physical transport phenomena and reaction kinetics into numerical models is a vital skill for modern process engineers. This course provides a clear, text-based path to setting up and solving these engineering equations using standard numerical methods. You will transition from basic engineering mathematics to writing clean, structured simulation scripts that plot key reactor variables over space and time. By studying written code examples and physical formulations, you will learn to predict how temperature and concentration behave throughout a chemical reactor. What you'll learn: - Understand the fundamental transport equations and reaction kinetics used in reactor modeling - Configure numerical solvers to calculate temperature and concentration profiles along a reactor - Write structured MATLAB scripts (m-files) to simulate and visualize chemical processes - Apply finite difference and ordinary differential equation solvers to engineering problems - Analyze simulation results to optimize reactor design parameters The course begins with foundational definitions of chemical kinetics, conservation laws, and numerical approximation techniques. From there, you will progress through structured text lessons that detail the step-by-step construction of simulation scripts, culminating in complete profile visualizations. This course is designed for chemistry students, chemical engineers, and simulation beginners who want to build a solid foundation in numerical methods without needing prior programming experience. Start modeling your chemical systems today.