Chemical and Process Engineering BEng (Hons)

Modules

The course places an emphasis on the traditional elements of chemical engineering which underpin design in the oil and chemical sectors of the process industries. Mathematics and thermodynamics are essential supporting disciplines here, and study of these leads on to in-depth analysis of chemical reaction, distillation, fluid flow and heat transfer. In your final year, besides advanced topics such as reactor design and distillation, the course focuses on the relationship between industry and its environment. You'll work with other students on a challenging exercise to design a complete manufacturing process from scratch.

Methods of assessment for course overall: 39% coursework

Year 1

• Engineering principles
  This module develops the students' understanding of essential scientific principles for the study of engineering to degree level and introduces the principles of measurement systems and units, thermal physics, mechanical and electrical principles, and engineering materials and their properties.
• Design and practice
  The module is for all undergraduate year one engineering students, it covers practical work, design activities, sustainable development principles, project management, health and safety and risk management, and transferable skills.
• Engineering mathematics and modelling
  This module consolidates the mathematical skills that underpin the BEng engineering degrees. Module includes using vector and matrix algebra to solve engineering problems, applied calculus, use of mathematical software such as MATLAB and MATHCAD to plot functions and solve equations, debugging faulty program designs and using software to model and analyse engineering problems.
• Introduction to chemical and petroleum engineering
  This module provides an introduction to the scope and nature of the chemical and petroleum industries, the role of professional engineers within these industries, and key technical concepts underpinning chemical and petroleum engineering. you'll develop an understanding of the history and economic importance of these industries. Key concepts in process analysis and resource utilisation will be introduced, and the technological properties and chemistry of major industrial chemicals and petroleum products will be studied. It introduces simple concepts of petroleum geology, with an initial study of reservoirs.

Year 2

• Transfer and separation processes
  This module introduces the theory of momentum, mass and heat transfer and their application in transfer and separation processes in the process industries. Practical applications in the chemical and petroleum industries will be introduced.
• Chemical engineering design and practice 2
  This module particularly builds on the skills and knowledge developed in Design and Practice. You will learn how to design processes and complete design calculations by hand and using appropriate computer packages. The principles of project costing and project management will be introduced. Principles of quality management. The roles of professional engineers will be reviewed and students will progress their professional development planning.
• Thermodynamics
  This module builds on the preliminary concepts of thermodynamics introduced in Engineering Principles. It covers solving material and energy balances for non-reacting and reacting systems using appropriate thermodynamics diagrams and data; applying the first law of thermodynamics to problems involving energy transfer or thermochemistry; applying the second law of thermodynamics to problems involving heat and power; using thermodynamic property data to model chemical process systems.
• Principles of separation and reaction
  The separation processes part of the unit covers the basic concepts and principles underlying the physical separation of ideal binary liquid mixtures. It also covers the design of stage-wise and differential distillation and gas absorption processes for the separation of ideal binary mixtures. The reaction principles part of the unit covers the basic principles of reaction equilibrium, reaction kinetics, catalysis, description of reactor equipment and fundamental balances of ideal reactors.
• Advanced engineering mathematics and modelling
• Principles of control
  This module is an introduction to the theory and practice of continuous-time feedback control systems to enable the design and implementation of servo tracking systems for linear dynamical systems.

Year 3

• Chemical and petroleum engineering design project
  This module particularly builds on the skills and knowledge developed in Design and Practice at Level 4. You will learn how to design processes and complete design calculations by hand and using appropriate computer packages. The principles of project costing and project management will be introduced. Principles of quality management. The roles of professional engineers will be reviewed and students will progress their professional development planning.
• Advanced processes 1 (separation and control), Advanced processes 2 (fluids and control)
  This module covers separation and reaction processes, and their application in chemical and petroleum processing. More complex separation problems such as separation of multi-component mixtures by distillation and gas absorption are studied, together with control strategies appropriate for these. This section also covers the design of column internals, and looks at other separation processes, including multi-stage membrane separation processes. The advanced reaction engineering section covers heterogeneous catalysis, heat transfer in chemical reaction and mass transfer with chemical reaction. It also introduces fermenter design and non-ideal reactors, and the appropriate operational and control strategies to maximise yield and productivity. Model-based control and other advanced control strategies are introduced.
• Pollution control technologies
  This module provides an overview of the nature of wastes requiring treatment and stabilisation and the technologies available for this. The characteristics of liquid, solid and gaseous industrial and municipal wastes streams are introduced and options for their treatment and disposal.
• Environmental and safety management
  This module on safety studies will develop students' understanding of the hazards inherent in a process operation. It will cover risk analysis applied to an industrial process, the identification of explosion and fire risks associated with industrial and commercial buildings, and current procedures, legislation and design methodology.
• Clean process technology
  This module brings together and extends the concepts and knowledge in transport and separation processes, thermodynamics, and reaction engineering acquired in year one and two of the course to address opportunities for enhancing the efficiency, productivity and environmental acceptability of the process industries. This module will provides you with the knowledge and analytic skills to address issues of energy management, waste minimisation, and sustainability in the process industries through the study of process intensification, process integration, and new reaction and separations technologies.
• Innovation and enterprise
  The module is intended to be practical, you'll develop an idea in such a way that it becomes a practical, profitable propositions. You will practice ways of finding ideas, testing those ideas and developing them, and will write your own business strategy, risk assessment and scenario testing to demonstrate the commercial viability of your ideas. One of the assignments will require you to work in a group. Your group project might be to develop a product or a service (such as consultancy or contract management). Topics you will gain an insight into include: intellectual property, market research, market placement, advertising and finance.

Assessment methods by module Module Title Year Exam Coursework Engineering Principles 1 60% 40% Design and Practice 1 0% 100% Engineering Mathematics and Modelling 1 50% 50% Introduction to Chemical & Petroleum Engineering 1 50% 50% Transfer and Separation Processes 2 70% 30% Chemical Engineering Design and Practice 2 2 30% 70% Advanced Engineering Mathematics and Modelling 2 70% 30% Thermodynamics 2 70% 30% Principles of Separation and Reaction 2 70% 30% Principles of Control 2 70% 30% Design Project 3 0% 100% Advanced Process Engineering and Control 3 60% 40% Innovation and Enterprise 3 0% 100% Pollution Control Technologies 3 80% 20% Environmental and Safety Management 3 70% 30% Clean Process Technology 3 70% 30%