Undergraduate Course Structure

First Year
Fluid Mechanics

This module covers the essential fluid mechanics needed by engineers to design tanks, vessels, piping
systems and pumps. It also forms a basis for later modules on heat and mass transfer in fluids. You'll
spend three hours in lectures per week and have regular practical sessions.

Engineering Thermodynamics

This module will present the basics of thermodynamics with particular emphasis on applications to
process plant. By the end of the module you should be able to analyze most of the common energy-
based operations found on process plant.

Process Engineering Fundamentals

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the fundamental material and energy
balances that underpin process engineering. You'll study material balances including: once-through and
recycle systems, flowsheets for continuous processes, batch processes, steady and unsteady state
operation, reacting and non-reacting systems, energy balances, combustion calculations, heat balances
in chemical and physical systems, enthalpy/composition diagrams.

Second Year
J12ANM- Analytical Measurement

This module is designed to give an introduction, in both theory and practice to the principles of
analytical measurement. Analytical measurement techniques relevant to chemical and environmental
engineers will be outlined. Emphasis of the module is towards Quality Control, Quality Assurance and
Accreditation and how these underpin the topic. The use of statistics for the assessment of data quality
in analytical measurement is also emphasized.

Topics covered: Measurement basics; Experimental errors; Statistical measurement and analysis of data;
Theory of sampling; Optical methods of analysis including colorimetric and spectroscopic determination;
Chemical methods of analysis including volumetric, gravimetric and physiochemical methods.

H82CPE- Chemical and Phase Equilibria

This module is an introduction to chemical thermodynamics and its applications to chemical,

vapour/liquid/liquid and solid/liquid equilibria, and correlation and prediction of data.

Topics covered: Clausius-Clapeyron; Gibbs energy; fugacity and fugacity coefficient; chemical potential;
mixing and separation; properties of mixing using equation of state; azeotropes; enthalpy-real and
hypothetical states; activity coefficients; multicomponent VLE; flash calculations; bubble and dew point
calculations, energy balances; equilibrium at any pressure and temperature; Henry’s Law; gas-solid
equilibrium; fully immiscible fluids; UNIQUAC/UNIFAC; heat effects and excess properties.
HG2M13- Differential Equations and Calculus for Engineers

Techniques for solving selected classes of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) relevant to the analysis
of engineering topics are discussed. This module also provides the basic calculus to help analyse
engineering problems in two or three dimensions and special solutions of partial differential equations
relevant to engineering applications.

Topics covered: Homogeneous, Inhomogeneous Equations, and Exact Equations; Homogeneous Linear
Equations with Constant Coefficients; Cauchy-Euler Equations and Laplace Transforms, Limits, Continuity
and Differentiation in Engineering Calculus; Applications of Derivatives; Techniques of Integration;
Applications of Definite Integrals; Classification of Ordinary Differential Equations; Order; Degree and
linearity. Types and Techniques of solution of first order ODEs; Picard’s iterative method; Types and
Techniques of solution of second order ODEs. Systems of Linear ODEs. Engineering Applications of ODEs

H82ENM- Engineering Materials

This module provides an introduction to the properties of engineering materials such as: chemical
bonding and structure; mechanical properties; elasticity; viscoelasticity; creep; fatigue and fracture. The
module also provides elements of mechanical and structural design using engineering materials.

Topics covered: Forces, moments, couples resultants and equivalent force systems. Direct stresses and
strains, elastic moduli, creep, bonding and structure of solids, elastic behavior, slip and dislocations,
Hooke’s Law. Methods of superposition. Stresses and deformation resulting from temperature changes,
Stresses in thin cylinders and spheres. Stresses on inclined planes; principal stresses. Structural
mechanics of statically determinate rigid body systems and plane pin jointed frames. Bending moment
and shearing forces in beams. Simple bending theory. Torsion of circular shafts and elastic stability of
strut and columns. Flexural deformation of beams including determination by the Mohr’s Moment –
area principles. Mechanisms of fracture, creep and strengthening; phase equilibria and multiphase
materials; corrosion mechanisms and design to avoid corrosion; classification and selection of materials;
Introduction to mechanical design of vessels

H82INC-Interfacial Chemistry

This module covers the essential principles of key 'liquid' based surface phenomena, such as surface
tension, capillary rise/depression, micelle formation and design of surfactants/interfacial agents. The
aim of the module is to give you an appreciation of the essential aspects of surface chemistry in relation
to heterogeneous catalysis and aspects of surface tension as relevant to chemical engineers.

Topics covered: Surface tension and other surface phenomena; capillary rise and depression; micelles
and surfactants; adsorption and isotherms-Freundlich, Langmuir and BET. Qualitative and quantitative
aspects of catalysts- the nature of the catalyst surface, kinetics of catalytic reactions, catalyst selection
and preparation, deactivation and poisoning, catalytic reactions in nitrogen fixation, catalysis in cracking
and alkylation in petroleum refining and catalysis by transition metal complexes. Overview of batch and
continuous systems with relation to heterogeneous reactions.

H82PME- Particle Mechanics

This module covers fluid properties, statics and kinematics, fluid momentum and energy. Design of pipe
networks, pump sizing and selection, packed columns and cyclone separation is explained through
motion of particles in fluids.

Topics covered: Particle size analysis- dynamics of a single particle, terminal velocity. Colloids and fine
particles- suspension rheology, Brownian motion, surface forces, particle size and surface forces on
sedimentation. Flow through packed beds- pressure drop vs flow relationship; fluidization-
fundamentals, heat transfer in fluidized beds, bubbling and non-bubbling fluidization, entrainment.
Mixing and separation- solid/liquid separation processes; solid/gas separation processes; centrifugal
separations.

H82PLD- Plant Design

This module aims to ensure that students understand the fundamental basis of design, and the design
tools most used by engineers in industry. There is a strong focus on the design criterions for process
equipment such as pumps, heat exchangers, and phase separators. Also, basics of process plant
economics and plant optimization using cost models are covered.

Topics covered: Process design principles; Graphical representation of chemical processes (flow
diagrams used for communication in chemical industry, equipment symbols used in flow sheet drawing,
piping and instrumentation); Material and Energy Balance; Equipment design (Heat exchangers,
absorption towers, pumps, piping, compressors, distillation columns, turbines, storage tanks and
blowers). Process Economics and plant optimization using software such as ASPEN PLUS and MATLAB.
Parameters for siting a plant; process services (water, steam, Compressed air, vacuum); effluent
treatment and waste disposal. Material handling, transportation and storage. Industrial hazards – safety,
environmental pollution and legal implications. Process design-methodology for process design and
presentation.

HG2MPN- Probabilistic and Numerical Techniques for Engineers

The module is divided into two sections: numerical techniques for ordinary differential equations and
probability theory and introductory statistical inference. The module aims to develop the foundations of
probability theory and to apply large sample statistics within an engineering context.

Topics covered: Solution of ordinary differential equations (initial value problems, first-order ODE’s
Euler, Heun’s Runge-Kutta methods, solution of systems of ODE’s and higher-order ODE’s); numerical
differentiation and integration (Quadrature) methods. Partial differential equation solution and
boundary value problems. Basics of probability theory; random variables and expectations; discrete and
continuous distributions; probability and relative frequency; Independent trials; Laplace-De-Moivre’s
limit theorem and Poison’s law. Concepts used in statistics: Expectation of a sum, variance, covariance,
correlations. Theory of errors; Estimation of variance and correlation- interpolation and curve fitting
(Least-Squares Regression, Interpolation by polynomials and splines). Random events; frequency
analysis; data reduction techniques; distribution and density functions; expectation and other moments.

H82SP1- Separation Processes

This module establishes the principles of mass transfer separation processes, with a focus on binary
distillation, gas absorption/stripping, drying, humidification and water cooling.
Topics covered: Criteria in selecting a separation process; Absorption and stripping in plate and packed
towers; Interphase Mass Transfer; Material and energy balance; Evaporation design and energy
calculation; Binary distillation; Stage-wise exchange and equilibrium stages; Leaching and extraction with
immiscible solvents; Continuous contact columns, NTU and HTU.

H82CSY- Computer Systems

This module forms an introduction to computational techniques and computing.

Topics covered: Computer programming, Engineering databases and steady-state and dynamic process
simulation; HYSYS process simulation; Matlab programming; Matlab/Simulink dynamic simulation.

J12SEN- Safety Engineering

This module introduces students to the general subject of safety engineering. The module will present
several case studies of safety engineering. Students will carry out several exercises in safety engineering
related to a variety of industrial situations.

Topics covered: Hazard identification; Risk analysis; Causes of accidents; Incident response; Accident
investigation; Basic health and safety legislation; Cost of accidents; Designing safety systems for process
plants; Environmental considerations in safety design.

H82ENP- Environmental Protection

Topics covered: Pollution prevention and control in the process industries; dispersion in watercourses
and into the atmosphere from tall stacks. Physical, chemical and biological treatment of aqueous
effluents; physical and chemical treatment of gaseous effluents; disposal of sludges and solid wastes;
Noise measurement and noise reduction.

Third Year
H83PDC- Process Dynamics and Control

This module aims to provide you with a basis for understanding the dynamic behavior of a process
system and the options available for its safe single loop control. It aims to help you develop an
appreciation of the dynamic behavior of processes, effects of disturbances and single loop controllers,
features and constraints on choice of conventional process control instruments and equipment and a
basis for process analysis and design using dynamic process models and dynamic simulation

Topics covered: Introduction to control systems; review of Laplace transforms; Linear dynamic models
and transfer functions; dynamic behavior of first and second order systems. Process control- basic
components of the process control system and their characteristics; closed loop transient response;
stability analysis/frequency response analysis. Design of feedback controllers-based on transient and
feedback response criteria; design of model-based controllers such as IMC, DMC etc.

Multicomponent Separations
This module focuses on the process of mass transfer in multi-component separation equipment and
multicomponent separation processes. Principles of design for distillation, membranes and absorption
columns and use computer applications are explained in detail.

Topics covered: Introduction to separations; Flash distillation; Column distillation; Multicomponent

distillation- exact calculations procedures & Shortcuts; McCabe-Thiele Analysis; Batch distillation; Liquid-
liquid extraction; Absorption and stripping; Packed column design; Membrane distillation and
Economies and energy.

Basis of Biotechnology

Topics covered:

Basics of Cells and Cell Division; DNA structure, replication and mutation; Genetic sequencing; Basics of
proteins; Proteomics; Introduction to viruses;

and Model Organisms;

Reactor Design

The objective of this course is to develop general methodologies for analysis and design of a variety of
systems (chemical, biochemical/biological, polymer, electrochemical) for which engineering of reactions
is needed. In the first part of the course, basic concepts of chemical kinetics and chemical reactor design
as related to simple reaction systems will be introduced.

Topics covered: Mole Balances; Conversion and Reactor Sizing; Rate Laws and Stoichiometry; Kinetics of
homogeneous reactions; Collection and Analysis of Rate Data; Design of ideal and non-ideal CSTRs and
plug flow reactors; Isothermal Reactor Design; Multiple Reactions; Steady-State Non-isothermal Reactor
Design; Catalysis and Catalytic Reactors.

Chemical Product Design

This module covers introduction to chemical product design: what the course is about and why it is
important. Defining the needs of the product: identifying the customer needs for a product. Screening
ideas to create the product: generation and collection of ideas that fulfil the need for the product.
Selection of ideas; thermodynamics, kinetics and other considerations: selecting the best ideas for
further development using chemical engineering principles. Product and specialty chemical
manufacture: exploring the final manufacture of the product. Economic issues: the associated costs and
profits of the product.

Topics covered: Conceptual Product Design; Process Design; Technology Analysis; Market Analysis;
Economic Analysis; Safety & Environmental Issues and Technical communication.

Engineering Management and Accounting

The module introduces students to the role of the manager in a production setting relevant to the
process and minerals industries. Topics covered include: management functions and skills; management
organisation structures; introduction to motivation and leadership; management control; basics of
accounting related to Profit and Loss Accounts; Cash Accounts and Balance Sheets; introduction to
variance analysis.

Topics covered: Introduction to Financial Reporting, journal entries & financial reporting environment;
Analysis of Cash Flow Statement; Reporting and analyzing revenues, inventories, Long-Term Operating
Assets & Liabilities; Introduction to Managerial Accounting; Cost Behavior, Activity Analysis and Cost
Estimation.

Project Management

The module examines the application of quantitative and qualitative techniques in the planning and
control of engineering projects. The special key features that define a project are explained together
with key features of its organization within overall company management. It reviews project planning
procedures and the assessment of the impact of a project on a company's financial and managerial
performance. Financial management techniques are explained including the role of financial reporting
procedures and techniques to assess competing project bids. Critical path analysis as a tool for project
control is examined.

Topics covered: Introduction to Project Management; Budgeting and scheduling;

Chemical Engineering Laboratory

Literature review on a piece of chemical engineering equipment. Experimental study on the behavior of
that equipment.

Topics covered: Design of experiments; Experimental errors; Experiments using heat and mass transfer,
chemical reaction engineering’ process dynamics and control.

Advanced Mathematical Techniques in Ordinary Differential Equation for Engineers

This module covers advanced analytic mathematical techniques used to provide exact or approximate
solutions to common classes of ordinary differential equations (ODES) typical in Engineering.

Topics covered: Method of variation of parameters; Laplace transform methods; Taylor series method;
Frobenius method; Asymptotic regular perturbations; Strained coordinates and multiple scales; Singular
perturbations; Matched asymptotic expansions.

Research Design

The above is a sample of the typical modules that we offer at the date of publication but is not intended
to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given
year. This prospectus may be updated over the duration of the course, as modules may change due to
developments in the curriculum or in the research interests of staff.
Masters Course Structure

Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics

This course covers basic postulates of classical thermodynamics and their application to transient open
and closed systems, criteria of stability and equilibria, as well as constitutive property models of pure
materials and mixtures emphasizing molecular-level effects using the formalism of statistical mechanics.
In addition, phase and chemical equilibria of multicomponent systems are explained in detail.

Course Objectives: At the end of this course, students should be able to:

 Apply the phase rule,

 Formulate the mathematical description of a phase equilibrium problem that involves liquid and
gas phases,
 Calculate the fugacity or chemical potential of a component in pure or in mixture,
 Evaluate the accuracy of an equation of state for a particular type of fluid mixture,
 Select an appropriate thermodynamic model for a real mixture calculation,
 Construct phase diagrams for pure components and multicomponent mixtures,
 Calculate phase equilibria.

Topics covered: Classical Thermodynamics of Phase Equilibria, Thermodynamic Properties from

Volumetric Data; Intermolecular Forces and effect on Thermodynamic Properties; Introduction to
Statistical Thermodynamics; Equations of State; Fugacities in Gas Mixtures; Fugacities in Liquid Mixtures:
Excess Functions; Solubilities of Gases in Liquids – Solubilities of Solids in Liquids; Introduction to Phase
Equilibria, Phase Rule; One component systems; Binary Systems – P,T,x-projections; Criticality;
Classification of Fluid Phase Equilibria; Ternary Systems; Applications relevant for the Oil and Gas
Industry.

Desalination

This course covers the fundamental and advanced science and technology of thermal and membrane
based desalination technologies including basic chemistry of saline water, design, maintenance, energy
requirements and economics of the major processes of desalination such as distillation, reverse osmosis,
and electrodialysis.

Course Objectives:

 Carry out the basic process calculations of the main desalination processes.
 Understand various desalination technologies, their main features, their advantages and
disadvantages.
 Understand the various unit operations and underlying engineering processes which are
fundamental to the design and operation of a desalination plant.
 Design a desalination plant using commercial and academic software.
 Design a forward osmosis desalination unit and present it formally in class.
 Evaluate and account for economic, sustainability and environmental issues when designing a
desalination plant.
Topics covered: basic concepts of water chemistry; detailed evaluation and technology description of
thermal-based (MSF, MED, VC) and membrane-based (RO, NF, ED/EDR) desalination processes;
conventional and innovative intake and pretreatment systems (including MF, UF); process design and
system performance; fouling, scaling (including bio-fouling) and cleaning; product water quality and
post-treatment. Other related topics such as innovative desalination technologies (Forward Osmosis
(FO), Membrane Distillation (MD), Adsorption Desalination (AD)); energy consumption; environmental
impact; economics; hybrid systems; desalination using renewable energy; trends of desalination market;
full scale plants and case studies.

Design Experimentation

The course will examine how to design experiments, implement and analyze results obtained. Various
designs are discussed and their respective differences, advantages, and disadvantages are noted. In
particular, factorial and fractional factorial designs are discussed in greater detail. These are designs in
which two or more factors are varied simultaneously; the experimenter wishes to study not only the
effect of each factor, but also how the effect of one factor changes as the levels of other factors change.
The latter is generally referred to as an interaction effect among factors.

Course Objectives:

 Develop statistical models for designed experiments, perform data analysis using appropriate
software, and communicate results effectively
 Develop appropriate experimental designs for systems or processes to meet specific needs
within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, health and safety requirements
 Develop hypothesis that can be experimentally verified

Topics covered: Introduction to Experimental Design; Qualitative six sigma tools (DMAIC, Critical to
Quality, Quality Function Deployment, FMEA, Cause and Effect-Fish Bone, Data Plots & Distribution);
Probability, Random Variables and Expectation; Simple Linear Regression; Analysis of Variance &
Experimental Design (ANOVA and 2k factorial designs) and Statistical Quality Control

Advanced Reaction Engineering

In this course, particular emphasis will be given to chemical kinetics and transport phenomena, review
of elements of reaction kinetics, rate processes in heterogeneous reacting systems, design of fluid-fluid
and fluid-solid reactors, scale-up and stability of chemical reactors and residence time analysis of
heterogeneous chemical reactors.

Course Objectives:

 Analyze complex chemical reaction mechanisms and kinetics

 Analyze the importance of catalysis in heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis and biocatalysis
systems
 Design and analyze reactor systems using numerical methods and commercial software Aspen
Plus and MATLAB
 Analyze transport effects in multiphase reactive systems
Topics covered: Stoichiometry; Thermodynamics of reacting systems; Kinetics of elementary reactions;
ideal reactors; Reaction mechanism and kinetics; Complex reaction networks and complex systems;
Catalytic systems; Biofuel reaction engineering; Mixing in reactors- external and internal transport;
Advanced reactor design; Non-ideal reactor design

Graduate Seminar 1 & 2

In this course, students attend seminars given by faculty, visiting scholars and fellow graduate students,
and present at least one seminar on an appropriate research topic.

After completing this course, students will be:

 Exposed to the research in the program and in other academic institutes and industrial
organizations
 Able to give professional presentations on research topics

Statistical Thermodynamics

The course deals primarily with molecules. Concepts to be discussed include:

• Statistical ensembles and relations to thermodynamic properties

• Ideal mono- and diatomic gas
• Mono-atomic crystals
• Chemical equilibrium in ideal gas mixtures
• Classical statistical mechanics
• Equation of state for imperfect gases: Virial coefficients
• Perturbation theory of liquids
• Dilute electrolyte solutions
• Polymer solutions
• Transport properties of gases

Course objectives:

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the concepts of statistical ensembles,

• Apply statistical thermodynamic principles for the calculation of thermodynamic properties
of simple systems,
• Derive equations of state for ideal and non-ideal gases,
• Calculate thermodynamic and transport properties of mixtures using statistical
thermodynamics,
• Derive thermodynamic properties for electrolyte and polymer solutions based on statistical
thermodynamics,
• Appreciate the limitations of rigorous statistical thermodynamics when applied to complex
chemical systems and approximations required to develop engineering models.

Topics covered: Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics, The Canonical Partition Function, The Ideal
Monatomic Gas, The Ideal Diatomic and Polyatomic Gases, Chemical Reactions in Ideal Gases, Other
Partition Functions, Interacting Molecules in a Gas, Intermolecular Potentials and Second Virial
Coefficient, Monatomic Crystals, Simple Lattice Models for Fluids, Interacting Molecules in a Dense Fluid,
Configurational Distribution Functions, Integral Equation Theories for the Radial Distribution Function,
Perturbation Theory, Theory of Dilute Electrolyte Solutions and Ionized Gases, Derivation of
Thermodynamic Models from the Generalized van der Waals Partition Function.

Transport Phenomena

This course is designed to study and analyze governing relations of momentum, heat, and mass transfer.
Principal concepts will be illustrated through their application to classical and practical paradigms in
transport phenomena. This course completes the students’ intellectual training in analytical methods for
studying and solving steady state and unsteady state (transient) transport problems with and without
fluid convection.

Course objectives:

 Derive appropriate differential balances for specific material properties, including momentum,
thermal energy, and mass species, accounting appropriately for property flux by convective and
diffusive (molecular-scale) processes, along with property generation or loss in the material
continua;
 Write the Thermal Energy Equation, the Species Continuity Equation, and the Navier-Stokes
Equations and pose (simplify) them appropriately for specific transport problems;
 Know appropriate boundary conditions that can be applied to specific transport problems;
 Conduct scale or dimensional analyses of transport problems, using the analyses to help simplify
or enhance understanding of underlying transport processes;
 Solve and physically interpret one-dimensional steady state conduction and species diffusion
problems in rectangular, cylindrical, and spherical geometries, with and without zero-order and
first-order generation/loss;
 Use separation of variables technique to solve and physically interpret two-dimensional steady-
state conduction and species diffusion problems;
 Use similarity methods to solve and physically interpret unsteady state conduction and diffusion
problems in unbounded material regions;
 Use the finite Fourier transform method to solve and interpret unsteady state conduction and
diffusion problems in bounded material regions

Topics covered: Mass, momentum and energy transport mechanisms; Calculation of transport
coefficients; Dimensional analysis; Momentum, energy and mass interphase transport; Microscopic and
macroscopic balances; Solution to problems in viscous flow, energy and mass transport.

Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering

This course entails model formulation for various chemical processes. It involves both analytical and
numerical techniques needed in solving the associated algebraic as well as differential equations-ODE
and PDE. For ordinary differential equations, both analytical and numerical methods for solutions will be
presented while for partial differential equations, different solution methods will be discussed, including
finite elements and finite difference methods for numerical methods and separation of variables
method, integral transform methods and similarity methods for analytical methods.

Course objectives:
  Model steady and transient systems and apply different linear and non-linear equations in
solving and analyzing the solutions of engineering problems
 Model both batch and continuous processes involving heat, mass & momentum transfer and
reaction engineering that give rise to linear or non‐linear, first or higher order, ordinary or
partial differential equations

Topics covered: Introduction of vector space; Linear combination of vectors- dependent/independent

vectors, Orthogonal and orthonormal vectors; Eigenvalue Problem: Various theorems; Solution of a set
of algebraic equations; Solution of a set of ordinary differential equations; Solution of a set of
nonhomogeneous first order ordinary differential equations (IVPs); Partial Differential equations
:Classification of equations; Boundary conditions; Principle of Linear superposition; Solution of linear,
homogeneous PDEs by separation of variables: Cartesian coordinate system & different classes of PDEs;
Cylindrical coordinate system ;Spherical Coordinate system; Solution of PDEs by Similarity solution
method, Integral method, Laplace transformation and Fourier transformation.