Computer simulation of a chemical plant can provide students with a different learning environment, where they can investigate and understand the plant by changing the values of variables and observing responses. The Amoco Computer Simulation Model is a computer-based simulation of the Amoco Resid Hydrotreater that has been used as the final assignment for the chemical engineering design course taken by third year students at the University of Canterbury. This project allowed students to further develop their problem solving skills, implementing some of the techniques taught earlier in the course. Students investigated the chemical process by gathering data, performing data analysis and validating their results on the pilot plant. A control strategy was developed and tested to simulate the start up of a single reactor, controlling the operating conditions manually to reach steady state, and then ceasing control of the system, noting time elapsed before automatic shut down after 40 hours. Another important aspect of the project was that students worked together in groups of three, which the majority of students enjoyed. A questionnaire administered at the end of the course measured student responses to this learning experience. Tests, before and after using the simulation, assessed the learning outcome, and showed a significant improvement.

By using a high‐speed technique described in ref. (1), anodic (aluminum dissolution) polarization data have been obtained for aluminum surfaces free from oxide films and from the normal concurrent hydrogen evolution. Similarly cathodic (hydrogen evolution) polarization data have been produced for oxide‐free aluminum surfaces on which the usual simultaneous anodic process has been suppressed. These results have been applied to the interpretation of the static “mixed” potential reported in ref. (1). It has been deduced that at the mixed potential the anodic area most probably comprises less than 0.5% and the cathodic area 99.5% of the total surface.

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The deactivation behavior of one of the ICI low temperature methanol catalysts (ICI-51-Z) in a typical ICI multibed quench reactor has been studied in relation to methanol production with respect to time of operation, using some representative sets of plant data collected over two years time span. A pseudo-homogeneous first order model of the methanol synthesis reactor was formulated for this purpose. The best set of catalyst deactivation parameters for different beds was found using a nonlinear parametric estimation technique. Catalyst in the entering bed was found to deactivate most with the time of operation, while subsequent beds deactivate progressively less quickly.Le coniportement de dksactivation de I'un des catalyseurs au mkthanol 1C1 B faibles tempkratures (ICI-5 1-Z) dans un reacteur d'extinction B lits multiples ICI, a ttk CtudiC par rapport B la production de methanol en fonction du temps de rkaction, en utilisant des series de donnCes d'usine reprksentatives recueillies pendant deux ans. Un modkle pseudohomogtne du premier ordre de rkacteur de synthtse du mtthanol a CtC formule 9 cette fin. Le meilleur jeu de paramttres de dtsactivation du catalyseur pour diffkrents lits a CtC trouvk B I'aide d'une technique d'estimation paramktrique non linkaire. On a trouvk que le catalyseur dans le lit d'entrke se dksactive principalement avec le temps de fonctionnement, tandis que les lits subsequents se dksactivent de moins en moins rapidement.

Ethanol was steam reformed over various supported metal catalysts at