Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, and Mass Transfer

This broad-based book covers the three major areas of Chemical Engineering. Most of the books in the market involve one of the individual areas, namely, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer or Mass Transfer, rather than all three. Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, and Mass Transfer presents this material in a single source. This avoids the user having to refer to a number of books to obtain information. Most published books covering all three areas in a single source emphasise theory rather than practical issues. This book is written with emphasis on practice with brief theoretical concepts in the form of questions and answers, not adopting the stereotyped question-answer approach practised in certain books in the market, bridging the two areas of theory and practice with respect to the core areas of chemical engineering. Most parts of the book are easily understandable by those who are not experts in the field.

Fluid Mechanics chapters include basics on non-Newtonian systems, which, for instance, find importance in polymer and food processing, flow through piping, flow measurement, pumps, mixing technology, and fluidisation and two-phase flow. For example, it covers types of pumps and valves, membranes and areas of their use, different equipment commonly used in the chemical industry, and their merits and drawbacks.

Heat Transfer chapters cover the basics involved in conduction, convection, and radiation, with emphasis on insulation, heat exchangers, evaporators, condensers, reboilers, and fired heaters. Design methods, performance, operational issues, and maintenance problems are highlighted. Topics such as heat pipes, heat pumps, heat tracing, steam traps, refrigeration, cooling of electronic devices, and NOx control find place in the book.

Mass Transfer chapters cover basics such as diffusion, theories, analogies, mass transfer coefficients, and mass transfer with chemical reaction. Equipment such as tray and packed columns, column internals including structural packings, design, operational and installation issues, drums, and separators are discussed in good detail. Absorption, distillation, extraction, and leaching with applications and design methods, including emerging practices involving Divided Wall and Petluk column arrangements, multicomponent separations, and supercritical solvent extraction find place in the book.