CFD Applications in Chemical Engineering and Process Design

In chemical processing, understanding how fluids behave, react, and transfer heat inside industrial equipment is critical to safety and efficiency. This course introduces you to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as a powerful tool to simulate, analyze, and optimize these complex physical processes without relying solely on expensive physical prototypes. You will start by mastering foundational transport phenomena and fluid mechanics principles before translating them into numerical models. By completing this text-based program, you will transition from understanding basic chemical engineering concepts to confidently setting up, running, and interpreting CFD simulations for real-world process equipment. What you'll learn: - Understand the foundational governing equations of fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transport in chemical systems - Configure boundary conditions and select appropriate turbulence models for industrial piping and mixing vessels - Model multiphase flows and chemical reaction kinetics within simulated reactors - Analyze simulation convergence, identify numerical errors, and validate your models against empirical data - Apply modern best practices for mesh generation and grid independence studies to ensure simulation accuracy This course begins with essential theoretical definitions, governing equations, and numerical methods before guiding you through step-by-step simulation workflows for reactors, heat exchangers, and separation units. You will learn to evaluate simulation results critically and make informed design recommendations. This course is designed for undergraduate students, graduate researchers, and practicing chemical engineers who are new to numerical simulation and want to build a solid foundation in CFD applications. No prior simulation experience is required, though a basic understanding of fluid mechanics and transport phenomena is helpful. Start reading today to master the digital simulation techniques driving modern chemical process design.