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The specialty chemical and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) chemical industries are undergoing a paradigm shift in process technology by converting existing batch processes to continuous processes. This shift is primarily motivated by significant benefits in throughput, purity, safety, footprint, and modularity.
This 3-day course, developed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute in collaboration with the ACS Green Chemistry Institute as part of a RAPID project, provides attendees with the hands-on skills and tools needed to identify potential opportunities for processes to be optimized using continuous process technology which can lead to smaller carbon footprints, greener operation, safer operation, and higher throughput or product purity. The course will integrate recent trends in continuous processing to train the existing and future workforce in modern engineering and process intensification principles. The course will be predominantly lab-oriented, where participants will design, construct and test reactor systems to study fundamental properties needed to transition from batch to flow (e.g. heat transfer, mixing, multiphase systems and controls). Additionally, the course will include augmented reality (AR) modules as a teaching and expertise archival tool for in-lab training.
After taking this course you will be able to:
- Design flow processes by translating conventional multi-step batch case studies to safe and efficient continuous processes
- Establish proficiency in assembly of reconfigurable continuous systems with process analytics to achieve continuous and stable startup and steady operation.
- Identify manufacturing processes where implementation of continuous technologies will lead to smaller footprints, greener operation, safer operation, higher throughput or purity
- Perform residence time/mixing/pressure drop calculations and correctly size pumps, mixers, reactors, and coolant systems to achieve consistent yield and purity at scale (1 mg; 1 g; 1 kg)
- Become familiar with heuristics for designing multiphase (gas, liquid, solid) reactors and characterize non-ideal reactor performance at elevated pressure and temperature.
The course is intended to be an introduction to flow chemistry basics by using challenges examples where reaction engineering and process intensification enables enhanced reactions in flow. In that way it is applicable to both a technical audience (process chemists, engineers, technicians, post docs), but also a more general audience who is interested in a hands-on experience for learning what the flow chemistry buzz is all about (e.g. management).
The following outline is designed to maximize in-lab time. You will participate in four, 3.5 hr labs over three days plus a demo. The labs will break participants into small groups and rotate throughout the course.
Day 1
ALL TIMES BELOW ARE IN EASTERN TIME (ET). SUBJECT TO CHANGE
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM
Registration
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
Welcome + coffee
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Intro to flow chemistry + PI
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Lab tour + safety
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Classroom demo/lab: fittings, tubing, assembly, unit operations
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch n’ Learn: Separations
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
PI lesson + Lab 1 (see rotation below)
Day 2
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Lecture: Modular Design
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PI lesson + Lab 2 (see rotation below)
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch n’ Learn: Analytical/Controls
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
PI lesson + Lab 3 (see rotation below)
Day 3
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Lecture: Batch to Continuous
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PI lesson + Lab 4 (see rotation below)
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch n’ Learn: Commercial Systems
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Demo + Debrief
Module 1: Thermal runaway, heat transfer, back pressure in non-ideal reactors
- Run a batch runaway reaction
- Measure heat transfer coefficients in batch, CSTR, PFR
- Run exothermic reactions at high temperature/pressure PFR
Module 2: Micromixing, liquid-liquid extraction
- Characterize mixing efficiency in stirred batch reactor
- Characterize mixing in flow (static mixers)
- Perform continuous liquid-liquid extraction with inline phase separation
Module 3: Micropacked beds, pressure drop, G/L reactions
- Use AR to construct and pack a micro packed bed reactor
- Measure and fit pressure drop across several packed beds
- Perform residence time distributions on non-ideal multiphase PBR
- Demo gas/liquid/solid PBR reaction
Module 4: Process analytical/automation
- Wire digital to analytical board with various sensors (e.g, T, P)
- Program visual interface (LabVIEW) for controlling and logging temperature (PID)
- Integrate commercial equipment into program (e.g. FTIR, UV-VIS, pumps, etc.)
The following outline is designed to maximize in-lab time. You will participate in four, 3.5 hr labs over three days plus a demo. The labs will break participants into small groups and rotate throughout the course.
Day 1
All times below are in Eastern Time (ET). Subject to change
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM
Registration
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
Welcome + coffee
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Intro to flow chemistry + PI
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Lab tour + safety
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Classroom demo/lab: fittings, tubing, assembly, unit operations
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch n’ Learn: Separations
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
PI lesson + Lab 1 (see rotation below)
Day 2
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Lecture: Modular Design
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PI lesson + Lab 2 (see rotation below)
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch n’ Learn: Analytical/Controls
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
PI lesson + Lab 3 (see rotation below)
Day 3
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Lecture: Batch to Continuous
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PI lesson + Lab 4 (see rotation below)
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch n’ Learn: Commercial Systems
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Demo + Debrief
Module 1: Thermal runaway, heat transfer, back pressure in non-ideal reactors
- Run a batch runaway reaction
- Measure heat transfer coefficients in batch, CSTR, PFR
- Run exothermic reactions at high temperature/pressure PFR
Module 2: Micromixing, liquid-liquid extraction
- Characterize mixing efficiency in stirred batch reactor
- Characterize mixing in flow (static mixers)
- Perform continuous liquid-liquid extraction with inline phase separation
Module 3: Micropacked beds, pressure drop, G/L reactions
- Use AR to construct and pack a micro packed bed reactor
- Measure and fit pressure drop across several packed beds
- Perform residence time distributions on non-ideal multiphase PBR
- Demo gas/liquid/solid PBR reaction
Module 4: Process analytical/automation
- Wire digital to analytical board with various sensors (e.g, T, P)
- Program visual interface (LabVIEW) for controlling and logging temperature (PID)
- Integrate commercial equipment into program (e.g. FTIR, UV-VIS, pumps, etc.)
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