Courses tagged with "Diencephalon" (158)
This course will focus on the theory, design and operation of commercial nuclear power reactors. The course will also touch on contemporary issues regarding nuclear power generation including: the nuclear fuel cycle, the economics of nuclear power, and nuclear non-proliferation.
Biomass is the only renewable feedstock which contains the carbon atoms needed to make the molecules to create chemicals, materials and fuels. However, the majority of our current scientific and industrial knowledge on conversion is based on processing fossil feedstocks. In this course we explore the relevant fundamental knowledge on (bio)catalytic conversion in order to produce (new) biobased building blocks, chemicals and products.
The design of an effective (catalytic) process for the conversions of biobased feedstocks to desired products is the core of this course. Unique for bioconversion is the presence of the elements O,N, P, S and the large quantities of water.
We therefore will explore:
- microbial, biochemical and chemical (i.e., catalytic) conversion routes.
- how to use catalysts, either heterogeneous, homogeneous or biocatalysts function in order to optimize the process of conversion. We discuss how these catalysts can be tuned and their specific advantages and disadvantages for biobased conversions.
- the influence of the reactor choice as an inevitable asset in the process. We discuss how to describe the productivity of catalytic processes depending on the choice of the reactor and how the choice of the reactor can add to the stability of the conversion process.
The knowledge you gain allows you to design processes specifically targeted on biomass based conversions as well offering an opportunity to interact with chemist, engineers and scientists who mainly focus on the traditional fossil based conversions.
In a biorefinery a complex biobased feedstock is separated and processed in such a way that sustainability and application opportunities are maximized. In this course we will focus on tools and techniques to efficiently disentangle, separate and convert different biomass based feedstocks into simpler (functional) components.
First we will discuss available techniques and processes for biomass activation/disentanglement and separation.
Next we explore how to design a biorefinery taking into account feedstock and sustainable energy use. Therefore we will dive into:
- mass and energy balances;
- design of biorefinery process units to obtain multiple products from one type of biomass;
- how to recover energy and resources in the biorefinery system;
- evaluation of the designed system with respect to sustainability and economic criteria;
- evaluation of criteria for successful implementation (operational and investment costs).
5.33 focuses on advanced experimentation, with particular emphasis on chemical synthesis and the fundamentals of quantum chemistry, illustrated through molecular spectroscopy. The written and oral presentation of experimental results is also emphasized in the course.
Acknowledgements
The materials for 5.33 reflect the work of many faculty members associated with this course over the years.
WARNING NOTICE
The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented.
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