Process Dynamics in Environmental Systems

Providing a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic complexities of environmental systems—both natural and manmade—Process Dynamics in Environmental Systems is a unique, practical introduction to the issues and design mandates central to environmental engineering.

An outgrowth of the classic text Physicochemical Processes for Water Quality Control, this new book amplifies and updates the important discussion of process dynamics begun in the original. Designed as a stand-alone reference to every aspect of process dynamics, the current book offers a complete theoretical analysis of the subject as well as numerous practical illustrations of how process models are useful in interpreting and designing a wide variety of process operations.

Beginning with a broad overview of the factors and features of environmental systems and processes, the book then clearly details the general nature of fundamental processes, the character of the different types of systems in which they occur, and the way in which these factors influence process dynamics and environmental systems. The book then examines the core elements of process analysis—energetics, reaction rates, and reactor dynamics—and shows how process modeling integrates these elements in quantitative descriptions and in designs of engineered systems.

Central to the structure of this book is a detailed analysis of the nature of reaction and transport phenomena—the two fundamental aspects of any environmental system. Including a look at reactions on both a macroscopic and microscopic scale, the book examines the mechanics of macroscopic and microscopic transport processes, outlining mass transport concepts basic to an understanding of reaction phenomena and reactor engineering.

Subsequent chapters examine environmental reaction phenomena in the context of chemical species and transformations, including a discussion of energy balances and flows in both single-phase and multi-phase systems. A detailed look at the molecular basis for reaction kinetics in both single-phase and multi-phase systems follows. The book then broadens its focus to reactor dynamics, outlining engineering design considerations associated with reactor systems involving one phase; and then reactor systems involving transformations among and between components in two or more phases. A particularly unique feature of the book is its coverage of process dynamics for reactor systems in which transient conditions occur, at both the macroscopic and microscopic scales.

A synthesis of the various aspects of process dynamics forms the book's conclusion, enabling the reader to...