Improvements In The Teaching Of Separation Process Design Through Interactive Computer Graphics

Several graphical solution techniques have long played a role in separations processes. McCabeThiele and Ponchon-Savarit methods for staged distillation design and graphical methods for gas absorption and stripping design remain in use today and similar procedures are employed for extraction and other less frequently encountered processes. These methods are typically employed due to their conceptually simpler formulation compared to numerically solved processes. However, manual construction of graphics and investigation of the effect of different design parameters on the resulting column are time consuming and tedious procedures. Computer-aided instruction offers solutions to these problems by removing the burden of computational effort while preserving the simple graphical representation. The benefits of introducing state of the art computing technology into the coursework are numerous. With the increased computational speed, a large number of problems can be solved in a fraction of the time one solution would otherwise take. This ability allows students to have a greater exposure to a wide range of complex problem types. Also, the tedious preparation of engineering diagrams and repetitive calculations can easily be done on the computer, which frees the student to concentrate on the interplay of equations and problem specifications.