Chemical Engineering

Introduces the discipline of Chemical Engineering and develops fundamental skills of unit conversion and material balancing. Systems of units for parameters such as concentration, flow, pressure and temperature are explained. Skills for solving steady-state material balance problems on reactive and non-reactive systems. An understanding of the chemical engineering discipline is gained through examples of major industries such as petroleum, pulp and paper, mining, power production, etc.

Fundamentals such as vapor-liquid equilibrium, partial saturation and real gas relationships are introduced and integrated into material balance problems. The concepts of enthalpy and energy balances on open systems. Unsteady-state and simultaneous mass and energy balance systems are modeled and solved using computer packages.

The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics and their application to practical problems; properties of liquid and vapours; ideal gas relationships; steam and gas power cycles and their application to steam power plants, internal combustion engines and gas turbines; combustion characteristics; compressible flow; refrigeration and heat pumps. 

Covers bomb and flow calorimetry, material and energy balance study of the University heating plant, fluid mechanics experiments including flow meter calibrations and pressure drop measurements in pipes and fittings. Interpretation of experimental data, group dynamics, safety issues, report writing and oral presentations. Students work under close supervision.

Numerical methods and their applications to engineering. Basics: Taylor series, accuracy/precision, systems of linear equations. Nonlinear equations: bisection and secant methods. Polynomial interpolation. General least-squares regression. Weighted-average data smoothing and differentiation. Numerical integration: trapezoidal rule, Simpson's rule, and quadrature methods. Systems of ordinary differential equations: Runge-Kutta methods. Finite difference solution of partial differential equations. Error estimation is emphasized throughout the course.

Principles relating the properties and behaviour of engineering materials to their structure; atomic bonding forces and strength of interatomic and intermolecular bonding forces, atomic arrangements in solids, structural imperfections and atom movements in solids; principles of phase diagrams and their application to multiphase materials, with particular reference to the iron-carbon system; mechanical and electrical properties of engineering material; semiconductors, polymers and ceramics; and their relation to internal structure. 

Laboratory experiments are conducted to illustrate behaviour of materials and other concepts covered in CHE 2501.

Introduces principles of chemical process design strategy and decision making. Fundamental Chemical Engineering concepts such as material and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and materials science are integrated into the design process. Flowsheet preparation, chemical process safety, loss prevention and project planning; codes and standards, responsible care and environmental stewardship. Engineering economics and profitability.

Introduction to practical fluid mechanics, including fluid properties, statics and kinematics, and fluid momentum and energy. Emphasis on internal flows: laminar/turbulent flows, friction factor, loss coefficients for fittings and valves, and pipe networks. Differential analysis, compressible flow, and pumps are each also covered in detail.

Development of thermodynamic work functions and application to chemical and phase equilibria; chemical potential and other partial molar properties, First and Second Law applications in flow processes.

A comprehensive first course in heat transfer. Thermal conductivity and unsteady state conduction. Convection heat transfer coefficients: forced convection, free convection. Boiling , evaporation, and condensation. Heat exchanger design. Radiation heat transfer.

Characterization of particulate materials. Motion of particles in fluids. Flow through porous media. Particle classification and fluid particle separation. Gas cyclone design. Multiphase pipe flow. Fluidized beds, Filtration, Sedimentation.

Analysis and design procedures for mass transfer operations based on equilibrium stage concept. Graphical procedures for simple systems. Numerical stagewise procedures. Mainly distillation, gas absorption and liquid extraction will be discussed. Stage efficiency.

Experiments in heat transfer. Emphasis on interpretation of experimental data, group dynamics, experimental design, and report writing. Students will work under limited supervision.

Experiments in fluid-particle interactions. Emphasis on interpretation of experimental data, group dynamics, safety issues, and report writing. Students will work under minimal supervision. 

Preliminary sizing of equipment, optimization techniques, estimation of capital and operating costs, heat-exchanger networks, pressure vessels, and computer-based process design tools. Students work individually and in teams on process design projects that draw on knowledge gained in previous courses, concepts taught in class and information available in the literature.

Basic techniques for the dynamic analysis of elementary processes; the characteristics of controllers, control valves, measurement devices and transmitters; feedback control loops; stability of loop from the viewpoint of the roots of the characteristic equation and root locus techniques.

Application of principles of chemical kinetics to the design of chemical reactors. Simple idealized isothermal rectors (batch, plug flow, continuous stirred tank reactor) for single and multiple reactions. Adiabetic and non-isothermal reactors. Optimal choice of temperature. Residence time distribution and non-ideal flow systems. 

Full-year capstone course in chemical process design. Under academic and industrial supervision, students complete conceptual design of large chemical plant in simulated engineering consulting environment. Working individually and as part of a team, students must demonstrate ability to integrate fundamental, advanced and researched chemical engineering principles into innovative and practical design that produces sellable commodity. Design strategy and scheduling are stressed alongside client satisfaction. Students complete a comprehensive report that includes design specifications on equipment, engineering drawings, and economic analysis of the concept. Formal presentations of design work are required.

Fundamentals of the theory of mass transport. Operations in continuous contractors including gas absorption, liquid extraction, humidification and drying.

Experiments to characterize feedback control systems, gas absorption columns, chemical reactors, distillation columns and other unit operations, which underlie the practice of chemical engineering, will be conducted. Students will apply their knowledge of interpretation of experimental data, group dynamics, laboratory safety and report writing throughout this course. Experiments will be conducted independently.

Prediction of conversion in non-ideal flow reactors (segregated flow, bypassing and dead space, axial dispersed plug flow). Taylor dispersion in pipes and packed beds. Stability and control of nonisothermal reactors. Effects of heat and mass transfer in heterogeneous catalytic reactors. Detailed analysis of some industrially important reactor systems.

Surface forces, physical adsorption and chemisorption, thermodynamics of adsorption and derivation of simple model isotherms (Langmuir, Volmer, B.E.T., virial, B.L.R., Freundlich, etc.), adsorption of mixtures. Characterization of adsorbents and catalysts. Adsorption kinetics, intracrystalline diffusion in zeolites, dynamics of adsorption columns and adsorption processes.

Overview of the principles of petroleum engineering. Topics include fluid and rock properties, oilwell drilling, reservoir types, review on wettability, capillary pressure, relative permeability, multiphase flow in porous media, volumetric estimates and recoverable reserves, radial flow analysis of well performance, reservoir performance analysis, secondary and tertiary oil recovery. Offshore development and production of hydrocarbon resources. 

An introduction to the physical, chemical, and engineering principles used in the processing of natural gas, petroleum, and bitumen. The nomenclature, common processes, basic designs, and relevant regulations will be covered.

Overview of the secondary and tertiary enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes commonly applied in Canada and worldwide. The fundamental EOR principles are described and examples in Canadian fields are analyzed. Some of the subjects presented include waterflooding, gas flooding, miscible flooding, chemical treatments, mobility control applications, steam injection, microbial and mining operations such as oil sands production. 

Basic polymer concepts. Polymer structural characteristics and properties. Mechanisms, kinetics and reactors for polymerization. Polymer rheology and transport processes. Processing applications and the effects of processing on polymer properties.

Fundamental principles of oil sands technology: bitumen and rock properties, origins of oil sands, types of oil sand accumulations, volumetric estimates and recoverable reserves, oil sand mining, bitumen separation and processing for production of synthetic oil, production of in-situ oil sands, description of the different processes for in-situ oil sands production currently applied or under evaluation, current research and process development, and a review of the environmental challenges of oil sands production. This course is intended for senior level students and graduate students. 

Explores generation and use of energy; extraction of raw materials through product production. Includes: survey of known energy reserves, emerging technologies, discusses the thermodynamic and regulatory constraints to energy conversion. Fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy sources are described.

A technical overview of selected chemical industries with consideration of their impact on the environment. Emphasis is on current process technology and pollution control methods. Environmental guidelines and regulations are also presented. Five modules, each covering a specific chemical industry, taught by Chemical Engineering faculty.

Survey of energy sources and the present means of conversion; laminar and turbulent diffusion flames; premixed flames; combustion kinetics and explosion mechanisms; ignition characteristics of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels; conflagration and detonation waves; fluid dynamics in combustion systems; analysis of practical problems associated with each of the above topics.

Sources of air pollution; modeling atmospheric dispersions; pollution control in combustion; particulate control methods; control of gaseous emissions; industrial odour control; indoor/in-plant air quality. 

A two week industrial practice school in selected industrial process plants scheduled after spring examinations. Groups of students, with Faculty supervisors, are assigned to engineering projects to be carried out on industrial process units. Students are required to present an oral report to plant operating and technical personnel at the end of the practice session. A written report is also required. As there will be practical limitations to the number of students in any one practice school, application for positions in this course will be treated on a first-come, first-served basis. This course is strongly recommended as a technical elective for students not planning to complete either the co-op or professional experience programs. 

Foundational analogies between fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and mass transfer, and the applications of those analogies to practice. Derivation of differential and partial differential transport equations. Turbulence: boundary layers, scaling, dispersion. Core and optional models also cover key aspects of related topics such as dimensional analysis, mixing in pipe flows, reverse osmosis, ion transport, polymer rheology, and evaporation/condensation processes. Prerequisites: CHE 3304 and Math 2513, or equivalents.

Studies the science of Nanotechnology and surveys current and emerging applications of nanomaterials and nanodevices in many engineering disciplines. The unique physical properties of materials at the nano-meter scale are discussed and explained. Fabrication methods and advanced instrumentation for the construction, manipulation and viewing of nanometer-sized materials are presented.

Solution of the ordinary and partial differential equations encountered in heat, mass, and momentum transport as well as in reactor design. Perturbation solutions and stability analysis are applied to simple systems and adiabatic reaction. Extensive analysis of simple heat and mass transfer via separation of variables and Green=s functions. Assignments involve solutions to specific problems encountered in Chemical Engineering.

A practical course that emphasizes design of experiments, time series analysis, system model identification, statistical process control, basic multivariable controls, and constrained and unconstrained optimization, all in the context of controlling industrial processes.

Frequency response of processes, control hardware, open and closed control loops. Nyquist diagrams. Experimental determination of frequency response data. Control loop tuning procedures. Multivariable control, open loop and feed forward control. Cascade control, adaptive control. Direct digital control.

Electrochemical flux equations. Reversible cells. Energy producing cells. Energy consuming cells. Corrosion. Applications to include discussion of primary and secondary batteries, electrolytic processes, corrosion suppression.

The major requirement of this course is a report on a subject approved by the Department. Suitable topics include experimental studies, design projects, literature surveys, feasibility studies and computation projects. Oral presentations of the work will be required.

The thesis is a research project done under the supervision of a faculty member. Progress depends largely on the initiative and diligence of the individual. A detailed report is submitted on completion of the project to gain credit for the course. An oral presentation is also required.

Historical and descriptive introduction to fossil fuel fired boilers. Introduction to different reactor types. Complex Rankine cycles. Steam plant efficiencies. Energy and exergy analysis. Heat transfer in fossil fuel fired boilers. Coal firing systems. Thermal transport and steam generation. Steam plant heat exchangers. Analysis of real plant data. This course requires some background in thermodynamics. Note: credit will not be given for both CHE 5744 and ME 5744. 

Development of steam turbines and review of steam cycles. Turbine thermodynamics and energy conversion. Impulse and reaction blading. Mechanical configuration of turbine components and operational considerations. Efficiency calculations. Review of gas cycles. Gas turbine thermodynamics. Combined cycle systems. This course requires some background in thermodynamics. Note: credit will not be given for both CHE 5754 and ME 5754. 

Actinide properties; uranium, thorium, zirconium ore extraction processes; uranium, deuterium separation processes; nuclear fuel production; fuel reprocessing. Reactor constructional materials; coolant chemistry; chemical control systems. Decontamination. Radioactive waste management.

Introduction: corrosion and its costs, corrosion measurement, general materials and environment affects. Types of corrosion: uniform, galvanic, crevice, pitting, intergranular, selective leaching, erosion-corrosion, stress-corrosion, hydrogen effects. Corrosion testing: materials selection. Electrochemical principles: thermodynamics, electrode kinetics, mixed potentials, practical applications. High temperature corrosion. Nuclear plant corrosion, fossil plant corrosion, other industrial environments.

Radio-active decay, fission energy, nuclear interactions, neutron scattering and absorption. Neutron diffusion elementary reactor theory, four and six factor formulae, neutron flux variation. Reactor kinetics, source multiplication, decay heat, reactor start-up and shut down. Fuel burnup, fission product poisoning, refuelling. Temperature and void effects on reactivity, reactor control. Fuel handling and waste disposal. This course is intended for senior level students.

The philosophy of safety design and operation of nuclear power reactors, responsibilities for safe operation. The role and place of regulatory agencies. The concept of risk, quantitative risk assessment. Methods for calculation of frequency and consequences of reactor accidents and evaluation of the safety level of a nuclear station. Case studies of past reactor accidents, lessons learned, and effect on future operation.

Reactor types and coolant systems, fuel element design and coolant characteristics. Reactor heat generation, heat transfer from reactor fuel, heat transport in coolant, boiling characteristics, two-phase flow, elementary thermal hydraulics. Steam generator design and operation. Reactor operational limits, transient conditions. Other two-phase phenomena. Loss-of-coolant accidents.

Evolution of thermal and fast fission reactors. Different coolant types - gas, water, organic, liquid metal. Nuclear breeding; advanced fuel cycles. Nuclear fusion processes. Fusion reactor concepts.

Wood and chip requirements; overview of pulping processes; mechanism and variables in mechanical and chemimechanical pulping, general principles of chemical pulping, kraft cooking, sulphite cooking, extended and oxygen delignification, pulp washing, pulp bleaching, recovery of pulping chemicals.

Overview of pulping and papermaking processes; pulp and paper properties; requirements for different grades of paper and board; stock preparation; applications of fluid mechanics; wet-end chemistry; dry-end operations.

This course discusses various bio-refining processes, placing emphasis on fundamental process chemistry and biology in the conversion of biomass to engineered products. Pathways for the use of wood resources are described in detail; exemplary processes, such as gasification, pyrolysis, pre-extraction and bio-diesel production are discussed. Industrial fermentation, including sugar fermentation to produce ethanol, will be explored. The modeling concept for integrated pulp manufacturing and bio-refining will also be discussed.