The three most significant projects of the VRiChEL lab are Vicher1, Vicher2, and our first safety related simulation. For more details beyond the following short descriptions, see the bibliographic references. Vicher 1 Vicher 1 is a virtual simulation of a modern chemical plant, focusing on catalyst decay and different methods of handling this problem on an industrial scale.
Students start out in the welcome center , and then move on to explore more significant areas.
Rapid decay of catalyst is studied in the transport reactor room , where students can operate and explore a vertical straight through transport reactor and associated catalyst regenerator. Medium rates of catalyst decay are handled in a moving bed reactor , and slow decay is studied in the time-temperature room. On a microscopic scale, students in Vicher 1 can observe diffusion surrounding a single catalyst pellet , and can then fly inside the pores of the catalyst to observe reactions occuring at the molecular level. Zooming in still further shows a single molecule reacting on the surface inside the catalyst pore. Vicher 2 Vicher 2 is another interactive virtual chemical plant simulation, focusing on non-isothermal effects in chemical kinetics and reactor design.