NAME: VENTEROSO, JEREMIE JOHN P.

COURSE CODE: BCHE 221L (9489)

SCHEDULE: 9:00 am – 10:00 am

In a Nutshell
Activity 1: Self–Evaluation
To gauge your understanding of the topics discussed, summarize according to your
own words and understanding the concepts and principles behind the occurrence of
transport processes. You may use other references to deepen further your
understanding.
The knowledge about Transport Phenomena is indispensable in chemical
engineering because chemical engineering often deals with unit operations and
processes involving movement of different physical quantities [1]. In fact, one of the
most pressing issues that the contemporary world is facing today, pollution, is being
studied and modelled through applying Transport Phenomena principles. Specifically,
the distribution of pollutants, along with its release, is being understood through
Transport Phenomena principles [2].
Transport Phenomena is derived from the knowledge that physical properties of
a closed system is conserved. One of the branches of this phenomena, momentum
transfer, is derived from a law stating that “the momentum of a closed system is
constant if there are no external forces acting on a system”. Another branch of this
phenomena, heat transfer, is also derived from a similar and well-known law stating that
the “energy of a system cannot be created nor destroyed but can only be transformed”.
Mass transfer, one of the three branches of this phenomena, is also derived from a very
similar law, stating that “the mass in an isolated system cannot be created nor
destroyed by chemical reactions or physical transformations” [3].
Transport Phenomena is often dealt with or examined from two levels; molecular
and continuum level. In the molecular level, physical properties of macroscopic
materials such as diffusivity, viscosity and thermal conductivity are described in terms of
the movement of molecules themselves. In contrast, in the continuum level, the
movement of molecules is ignored and focuses on the equations of change (partial
differential equations) that describe variables such as concentration, temperature and
velocity [4].
The following are few of the many known applications of Transport Phenomena
in chemical engineering unit operations and processes [3].
Momentum Transfer:
- Fluid Flow
- Sedimentation
 - Solids Mixing
Heat Transfer:
- Heat Exchangers
- Drying
- Evaporation
- Distillation
Mass Transfer:
- Distillation
- Absorption
- Liquid-liquid extraction
- Membrane Separation
- Adsorption
- Leaching

References:
[1] Vector and Tensor Analysis. (n.d.). NPTEL. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from
https://nptel.ac.in/courses/103/102/103102024/
[2] Wikipedia contributors. (2021, January 18). Transport phenomena. Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_phenomena
[3]https://umindanao.mrooms.net/pluginfile.php/754786/mod_resource/content/0/Week
%201-3.pdf
[4] Bird, R. B., Stewart, W. E., & Lightfoot, E. N. (1980, June 1). The Role of Transport
Phenomena in Chemical Engineering Teaching and Research: Past, Present, and
Future. ACS Publications. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ba-1980-0190.ch009