MSE335

Kinetics and Transport in Materials Engineering

Application of basic principles of molecular transport and mass, energy and momentum balance to the solution of heat, diffusion and fluid flow problems relevant to materials processing. Introduction to radiative heat transfer. Empirical approaches to and dimensional analysis of complex transport problems including convection, turbulence and non-Newtonian flow.

Level Undergraduate
Terms Offered Winter
Prerequisites Math 216 and MSE 220 or 250

Course Objectives


  1. To understand and be able to apply the basic equations of molecular transport (Fourier, Fick and NewtonÕs Laws).

  2. To utilize the equations of mass, energy and momentum balance to analyze transport problems.

  3. To combine (1) and (2) above in solving problems in the presence and absence of convection.

  4. To become familiar with the issues associated with turbulent flow and be able to utilize phenomenological approaches for analyzing turbulent flows.

  5. To learn representative kinetic theories for calculating transport coefficients in solids, liquids and gases.

  6. To understand the importance of dimensional analysis and the role of dimensionless quantities in determining transitions in physical behavior and quantifying empirically determined boundary conditions.

Course Outcomes


  1. To understand and be able to apply the basic equations of molecular transport (Fourier, Fick and NewtonÕs Laws).

  2. To utilize the equations of mass, energy and momentum balance to analyze transport problems.

  3. To combine (1) and (2) above in solving problems in the presence and absence of convection.

  4. To become familiar with the issues associated with turbulent flow and be able to utilize phenomenological approaches for analyzing turbulent flows.

  5. To learn representative kinetic theories for calculating transport coefficients in solids, liquids and gases.

  6. To understand the importance of dimensional analysis and the role of dimensionless quantities in determining transitions in physical behavior and quantifying empirically determined boundary conditions.

Assessment Tools


  1. Four (4) tests, each on one aspect of transport.

  2. Weekly problem sets (11 in all).

Course Topics


  1. Systems of units.

  2. Balance laws: mass, species, momentum, thermal energy, mechanical energy.

  3. Application of balance laws to flow in pipes and tanks.

  4. Differential forms of balance laws.

  5. Constitutive laws for molecular transport: Fick's law, Fourier's law, Newton's law.

  6. Boundary conditions for transport problems.

  7. Combining balance, molecular transport and convection.

  8. Solving one-dimensional transport problems using differential equations.

  9. Solving higher dimensional transport problems using numerical methods.

  10. Deriving engineering (net) transport equations from microscopic equations.

  11. Radiative Heat Transfer: Stephan-Boltzmann Law, black bodies, gray bodies, view factors.

  12. Turbulent flow.

  13. Dimensional analysis and dimensionless parameters.

  14. Phenomenological transfer coefficients (heat, momentum, mass).

  15. Nonlinear constitutive laws for transport; phenomenological non-Newtonian flow laws.

  16. Kinetic theories of transport: Chapman-Enskog Theory, Eyring Free Volume Theory, Debye Theory, theory of electronic thermal conduction.

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