Chemical Reaction Engineering - From First Principles to AI-Assisted Practice
Övrigt - Lärobok i Kemisk Reaktionsteknik, 2026
Chemical Reaction Engineering - From First Principles to AI-Assisted Practice is an open-access undergraduate textbook authored by Bengt Andersson at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden. The book presents a systematic and integrative introduction to the design, analysis, optimization of chemical reactors and risk analysis, bridging molecular-scale chemistry with industrial-scale production. The book is fully open—there are no copyright restrictions preventing you or your students from adapting it, translating it, or uploading it to an AI assistant.
A distinctive feature of the book is its integration of Artificial Intelligence as a learning and professional tool, with guided prompting examples embedded throughout. Students can interact with the full book through AI in any language, asking questions such as “What are the assumptions behind Equation 4.6?”, “Walk me through Exercise 9.2,” or “Quiz me on Chapter 5 and wait for my answers.” As a teacher, you can use the same approach to generate exam questions or ready-made PowerPoint presentations for any chapter. The book also addresses the responsible use of AI. A dedicated student project—Safe Use of AI—emphasizes that AI can make mistakes and that the engineer is always accountable for the result.
Starting from first principles, the text develops mass and energy balances for the three ideal reactor models, the batch reactor, the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), and the plug flow reactor (PFR), before extending these to non-isothermal operation, variable-density gas-phase systems, and unsteady-state behavior. Subsequent chapters address multiple reactions and selectivity, equilibrium-limited processes, residence time distributions and non-ideal flow, reactor stability and process safety, and transport resistance in heterogeneous catalysis. Applications span energy, environmental engineering, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable chemistry. Worked examples, practice problems, and chapter summaries reinforce the material at each stage.
The book is freely available in PDF format, with an editable Word version offered to educators, and carries no copyright restrictions.
A distinctive feature of the book is its integration of Artificial Intelligence as a learning and professional tool, with guided prompting examples embedded throughout. Students can interact with the full book through AI in any language, asking questions such as “What are the assumptions behind Equation 4.6?”, “Walk me through Exercise 9.2,” or “Quiz me on Chapter 5 and wait for my answers.” As a teacher, you can use the same approach to generate exam questions or ready-made PowerPoint presentations for any chapter. The book also addresses the responsible use of AI. A dedicated student project—Safe Use of AI—emphasizes that AI can make mistakes and that the engineer is always accountable for the result.
Starting from first principles, the text develops mass and energy balances for the three ideal reactor models, the batch reactor, the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), and the plug flow reactor (PFR), before extending these to non-isothermal operation, variable-density gas-phase systems, and unsteady-state behavior. Subsequent chapters address multiple reactions and selectivity, equilibrium-limited processes, residence time distributions and non-ideal flow, reactor stability and process safety, and transport resistance in heterogeneous catalysis. Applications span energy, environmental engineering, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable chemistry. Worked examples, practice problems, and chapter summaries reinforce the material at each stage.
The book is freely available in PDF format, with an editable Word version offered to educators, and carries no copyright restrictions.
Upphovsman
Bengt Andersson
Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Kemiteknik
Styrkeområden
Produktion
Energi
Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2025)
Kemiteknik
Lärande och undervisning
Pedagogiskt arbete