Duration
30h Th, 10h Pr, 5h Labo.
Number of credits
| Master MSc. in Chemical and Materials Science Engineering, professional focus in Chemical Engineering | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course presents concepts of unit operations, based on equilibrium, heat and mass-balance equations. The applications to the following physical unit operations are described:
- Adsorption and chromatography, stage-based description, break-through curves, van-Deemter equation, simulated moving-bed chromatography.
- Decantation, phase separation, models for particle and drop velocities, swarm influence, effects of impurities, fixed and fluidized bed.
- Filtration, different types of filters, design models for filters, pressure drop, filtration efficiency.
- Heat exchangers: Different configurations. Local heat transfer kinetics. Counter-current heat exchanger. Number of (thermal) transfer units. Efficiency of a heat exchanger. Design methods.
- Basic mechanical unit operations: charaterizing solids, comminution, sieving, agglomeration, mixing.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of the course, students will be able to apply theoretical concepts and the analysis methodology of different physical unit operations. They know different types and their characteristics of physical unit-operation equipment. They will use the concepts to describe mathematically different types of physical unit operations realized in the different equipment types. They will be able to apply the concept of theoretical stages and will be able to apply the graphical methods for equipment design.
Exercise and laboratory sessions in small groups will help the students to develop more transverse skills as team-working, numerical problem resolution, critical analysis of experimental data, assessment of the validity of a theoretical approach and report writing.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The courses "Chemical-Engineering Thermodynamics" CHIM0009-3, "Eléments de thermodynamique" CHIM0286-1, "Transport phenomena" CHIM0022-4 as well as "Physical Unit Operations I" CHIM9299-1 (or courses with similar contents) should have been attended during previous years (or they should be attended the same year).
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is based on ex-cathedra lectures (30 h) and practical courses (15 h) including exercises and laboratory sessions.
The ex-cathedra lectures are dedicated to the detailed description of the fundamental concepts necessary for the analysis and mathematical as well as graphical representation of unit operations.
Practical courses include exercise sessions during which students learn how to solve problems related to unit operations.
During laboratory sessions, students work in small teams. They have the opportunity to get familiar with operating different unit operation on small pilot-plant scale.
Participation to laboratory sessions is mandatory. Each of these sessions has to be prepared by carefully reading the corresponding laboratory notes, which will be checked by an entrance test. If the entrance test is not passed, access to the laboratory sessions may be denied.
If it is not possible to realize the lab sessions in person, the equipment will be presented via video, original experimental readings will be supplied as basis for the preparation of the lab report.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
If the conditions permit, the course will be held as face-to-face course. In case individual lectures cannot be held face-to-face, a video of the lecture content will be offered.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
The course material is available on the eCampus website. Additional information (exercises and laboratory notes) will also be made available on the eCampus website during the course.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
- Remote
oral exam
Written work / report
Additional information:
Participation to lab and a lab report are mandatory to pass the exam. At the beginning of the lab an entrance test will be condcuted to validate the ability of the student to properly handle the lab equipment.
A report of the laboratory sessions must be provided by the students within 2 weeks after these sessions. This report must present the obtained experimental results, their critical analysis, as well as answers to the questions presented in the laboratory notes. The deadline for delivering the report will also be included explicitly in the lab instructions. If the report is not received by the deadline indicated, it is graded as 0 points.
If the lab session will not be realized in person, the lab report is nevertheless mandatory, for which experimental data will be supplied.
A written exam is organized during the first session in June. The written exam consists of exercise problems to be solved, which are similar to those presented during exercise sessions. The exam additionally contains questions on understanding. It is a closed-book exam. Students receive a formulary with all relevant equations.
The overall grade is a weighted average of the grades obtained at the written exam (80 %) and the lab grade (including report and entrance test) (20 %), where the entrance test contributes 20 % and the report 80 % of the lab grade.
The second session exam is organized in the same way as in June. The mark obtained for the laboratory report is maintained.
Both exams may be oral, if the number of students is 5 or less. In case of oral exams, the exam can be held via video conference.
Work placement(s)
---
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The course will be presented in English.
The course is organized during the second quadrimester.
The calendar of laboratory sessions will be communicated in February.
Contacts
Andreas Pfennig PEPs - Products, Environment, and Processes Department of Chemical Engineering University of Liège Quartier Agora, Allée du six Aout 11, Bâtiment B6c, office 1/66 phone: +32 4 366-3521 e-mail: andreas.pfennig@uliege.be www.chemeng.uliege.be/Pfennig