Undergraduate Curriculum

PILLAR DESCRIPTIONS

CHE 0100 Foundations of Chemical Engineering

This course combines elements of Mass and Energy Balances, Thermodynamics, Separations, and Product Design in order to set the foundation for the remainder of theChemical Engineering curriculum. This course introduces Chemical Engineering problem solving techniques from both a (traditional) process-centric viewpoint as well as a product-centric viewpoint. The course will span from theoretical (basic Thermodynamics) to applied (Separations) allowing a simple route to problem-based learning of difficult theoretical concepts. Students will also gain constructive hands-on experience through the use of product and process simulators.

CHE 0200 Thermodynamics

This Pillar course combines ideas from pure component Thermodynamics (typically the first course) with multi-component Thermodynamics (typically in the second course). Additionally, it introduces molecular insight and use of commercial software (Aspen) for solving complex problems. The main goal in this Pillar is to provide the students with the tools needed to be able to solve realistic problems in phase and chemical equilibria. The course will have a strong focus on multi-scale analysis, for example, covering intermolecular potentials (molecular-scale) to aid students in choosing equations of state for novel materials (macro-scale). The course will add a molecular description of entropy as well as vapor-liquid equilibrium (i.e., gaining molecular insight into non-ideal phase behavior). Extensive use of computational tools will allow the time for the course to explore interfacial behavior, adsorption, and osmotic equilibrium.

CHE 0300 Transport Phenomena

Combining the Transport courses into a single Pillar will greatly facilitate the study of analogies between the three modes of Transport Phenomena typically covered in Chemical Engineering curricula. Integration will allow coverage of the Reynolds and Colburn analogies in boundary-layer flow as well as direct comparison of linear transport relations, such as fluid drag and mass/heat convection. Removing the overlapping materials will allow the time to explore coupled heat, mass, and momentum transfer as might be important in problems ranging from (traditional) packed bed reactors to microfluidics or micro-electromechanical systems. Extensive use of computational tools, such as FEMlab will also be included.

CHE 0400 Reactive Process Engineering

This Pillar course will integrate reactor design, reaction kinetics, and advanced separation processes to allow comprehensive study of systems ranging from polymerization reactors to enzyme-catalyzed metabolism to (bio-)artificial organs. The course is comprised of topics from both the traditional kinetics and reactor design course as well as a small portion from the separations course. Coverage will include integrating chemistry (kinetics, catalyst manufacturing), physics (transport, fluid flow), biochemistry/medicine (enzyme reactions, biomedical devices) and reactor engineering as well as all length scales from, the molecular level to the reactor level to the full systems level (fuel cell with fuel reformer, gas separation, and heat-integration; or micro-reactors). As with the other Pillars, both theory and experiment will be highlighted and detailed simulations will be included. The experiments will be included both through an emphasis on experimental considerations in class as well as the accompanying lab. The simulations will involve using Matlab, ASPEN, FEMlab.

CHE 0500 Dynamics and Modeling and CHE 0613 Process Design and ChE 0614 Product Design

Traditionally, process control and process design are taught independently. However, it has been recognized within Chemical Engineering that there is a significant interplay between process/product design, dynamics analysis, and control, as evidenced by a series of conference sessions (AIChE 1999-2003, FOCAPO/D meetings, etc.). An integrated Systems & Design sequence will help students learn the fundamentals of control analysis and design, as well as the interactions associated with process systems engineering. Furthermore, the block-scheduling and laboratory time will allow the incorporation of molecular insight and Aspen Dynamics software into the Systems & Dynamics course (for the inclusion of industrial-style examples, as well as molecular effects on processes through changes in thermodynamic equations of state, etc.). Also, optimization will be added to the curriculum. In the design course, process interactions between (feedback) control and design will be explored, to demonstrate how changes in plant operating state alter the difficulty of the controller design problem. Finally, product design will be introduced alongside process design to highlight the similarities and differences that exist.

CHE 0602 Safety and Ethics

This class will provide the student with a thorough understanding of the fundamentals in workplace health and safety with emphasis on chemical industry applications. This will be accomplished through presentation and discussion of critical issues as well as the application of these principles to the senior design project. This course will also cover ethical situations likely to arise in the chemical plant environment.