Category: 4.Introduction to Computations in Chemical Engineering

The two components enabling the computations are the hardware—machines that perform the calculations—and the software—the instructions to run solution algorithms by the machines. Both these components are described in the sections that follow. Computational Machines A counting frame, or an abacus, is one of the earliest devices and has been used for more than three millennia…

The theoretical basis and approach to developing the solutions of various types of computational problems is briefly described in this section. This discussion is not meant to be exhaustive or comprehensive, but rather introductory, in nature. Several alternative techniques are available for solving the various types of problems; the following discussion is in most cases…

Chemical engineers deal with a multitude of equations ranging in complexity from simple linear equations to highly involved partial differential equations. The solution techniques accordingly range from simple calculations to very large computer programs. The classification of the problems based on the mathematical nature is presented in the following sections. 4.1.1 Algebraic Equations Algebraic equations…