Master of Engineering (Chemical with Business)

This subject introduces important mathematical methods required in engineering such as manipulating vector differential operators, computing multiple integrals and using integral theorems. A range of ordinary and partial differential equations are solved by a variety of methods and their solution behaviour is interpreted. The subject also introduces sequences and series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.

Topics include: Vector calculus, including Gauss’ and Stokes’ Theorems; sequences and series; Fourier series, Laplace transforms; systems of homogeneous ordinary differential equations, including phase plane and linearization for nonlinear systems; second order partial differential equations and separation of variables.

AIMS

This subject introduces chemical engineering flow sheet calculations, including material balances, energy balances and compositions of mixtures. The concept of conversion of mass is developed as the basis for determining mass flows in chemical processing systems involving chemical reactions and separation systems. Then the concept of conservation of energy is developed as the basis for determining energy flows in and around chemical processing systems, evaluation of enthalpy changes with and without phase change, simplified energy balances for batch, steady-state and adiabatic systems, estimation of heats of reaction, combustion, solution and dilution, energy balances in reacting systems, simultaneous material and energy balances.

This subject provides the basis for all the chemical engineering subjects that follow. The calculations introduced in this subject are the most common type of calculations performed by professional chemical engineers working in all sectors of industry.

The teaching of process safety is critical to any undergraduate chemical engineering program. Students need to understand their responsibilities to themselves, their work colleagues and the wider community. They need to be aware of safe practices and also the consequences that may arise when those safe practices are not followed. This subject introduces students to concepts of process safety and the consequences when safety management systems fail.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include material balances around single process units and groups of units, involving simple systems and recycle streams, and non-reacting and reacting systems. Total, component, and elemental balances are covered. Other topics include systems of units and unit conversion, and compositions of mixtures.

Energy balances: The concepts of energy, work and heat, the units of energy, internal energy, enthalpy, heat capacity, latent heat, evaluation of enthalpy changes. The general energy balance equation, enthalpy balances, system boundaries. Enthalpies of pure components and selection of enthalpy data conditions.

Energy balances and chemical reactions: Heat of reaction, definitions of standard heat of reaction, standard heat of formation, standard heat of combustion. Hess' Law of adding stoichiometric equations. Adiabatic reaction temperature. Heats of solutions and dilution, and use of enthalpy-concentration charts. Simultaneous material and energy balances.

Safety case studies, safe practices, personal and process safety.

AIMS

This subject introduces students to important chemical engineering processes both on the large plant-wide scale and at the single unit operation scale. Students learn how to read, process flow diagrams and process and instrumentation diagrams. Process measurement and instrumentation is also covered.

Chemical engineering thermodynamics is introduced through some of the most common quantities of temperature, pressure, enthalpy and entropy. Industrially important thermodynamic cycles are included. The importance of phase behaviour and the ability to predict the behaviour of real gases is covered as are the properties of humid air as an example.

Students are also introduced to steady-state and unsteady-state process simulations using simple spreadsheet packages and commercial-scale simulation packages. Being able to simulate simple material and energy balances allows the students to optimally design processes to meet safety and sustainablility requirements. The subject will include exercises in process optimisation and the solution of ill-defined process problems.

This subject together with Material and Energy Balances provides the basis for all the chemical engineering subjects that follow. The calculations introduced in these subjects are the most common type of calculations performed by professional chemical engineers working in all sectors of industry.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Important industry processes and unit operations. Interpretation of process flow diagrams, process and instrumentation diagrams. Commonly used process instrumentation and basic process control.

Thermodynamic topics include definitions of important quantities including temperature, pressure, enthalpy and entropy, thermodynamic cycles, phase behaviour, gases, liquids and vapours, P-V-T diagrams of pure substances, ideal and real gas behaviour, use of compressibility factor and generalized compressibility factor charts, equations of state, physical property estimation including vapour pressure and humidity.

Training in the use of a commercially-available process simulation package to perform simple material and energy balance calculations.

Designing for process safety and sustainability.

AIMS

This subject covers fundamental concepts of diffusion and conservation within momentum, heat and mass transport. Use of these concepts is integral to the profession of Chemical Engineering. For example, heat exchangers are used throughout Chemical Engineering processes to transfer thermal energy from one stream to another. Knowledge of heat transport and momentum transport (ie fluid flow) is required to design a heat exchanger, other key pieces of Chemical Engineering process equipment, including distillation columns. Similarly, knowledge of mass transport is required to design other key Chemical Engineering processes, such as distillation.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The specific technical material covered in the course is as follows: Within momentum transport specific topics include Newton’s law of viscosity, viscosity of gases and liquids, conservation of momentum, velocity distributions in simple laminar flows, boundary layer concepts and turbulence and the Reynolds number. Within heat transport specific topics include Fourier’s law of conduction, thermal conductivities of gases, liquids and solids, conservation of thermal energy, steady-state temperature distributions in simple geometries, heat transfer resistance, thermal boundary layer concepts, the Nusselt and Prandtl numbers, definition and use of heat transfer coefficients and analysis of simple heat exchangers. Within mass transport specific topics include Fick’s first law of diffusion, diffusivities of gases, liquids and solids, binary mixture diffusion and conservation of mass, concentration distributions in simple binary systems including identifying appropriate boundary conditions, concentration boundary layer concepts, Schmidt and Sherwood numbers, definition and use of mass transfer coefficients.

AIMS

Continuous chemical processes are inherently dynamic systems – process inputs and outputs change in time. To accommodate this, modern plants require some form of automatic control. This subject equips students with the skills to understand how and why key process variables change in time, and to then design and implement effective control strategies to accommodate this.

Students are introduced to the concept of feedback control, with examples of control schemes for common unit operations. Time domain analysis of process dynamics is performed using linear ordinary differential equations, Laplace transforms, and transfer functions. The response of complex process plants to common dynamic inputs is investigated. Students are introduced to frequency response analysis and Bode plots. The development of empirical dynamic models, and numerical simulation using MATLAB, is also covered.

The process control component of the subject introduces the concept of closed loop transfer functions and the PID controller. Dynamic process simulation is performed using analytical techniques and with the numerical simulation capabilities of the MATLAB Simulink software package. The stability of closed loop systems is analysed using techniques such as Routh stability analysis, the Bode stability criterion, and gain and phase margins. The effect of controller tuning constants on control system response is investigated, along with various controller tuning methods. Advanced control strategies including cascade control, time-delay compensation, and feedforward control are developed, as well as techniques to simultaneously control multiple process variables in multiloop systems.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Feedback control schemes for common unit operations. Developing and solving dynamic process models, including the application of Laplace transforms and transfer functions as well as the use of numerical simulation tools. Frequency response analysis and Bode plots. Modelling of closed-loop control systems and PID controllers. Closed-loop stability analysis and controller tuning. Advanced single-loop control strategies and multiloop control systems.

AIMS

This subject concerns the fundamental science of fluid flow relevant to a range of engineering applications, and is essential for specialisations relating to Chemical, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include - Fluid statics, manometry, derivation of the continuity equation, mechanical energy balance, friction losses in a straight pipe, Newton’s law of viscosity, treatment of pipe roughness, valves and fittings; simple pipe network problems; principles of open channel flow; compressible flow, propagation of pressure wave, isothermal and adiabatic flow equations in a pipe, choked flow. Pumps – pump characteristics, centrifugal pumps, derivation of theoretical head, head losses leading to the actual pump head curve, calculating system head, determining the operating point of a pumping system, throttling for flow control, cavitation and NPSH, affinity laws and pump scale-up, introduction to positive displacement pumps; stirred tanks- radial, axial and tangential flow, type of agitators, vortex elimination, the standard tank configuration, power number and power curve, dynamic and geometric similarity in scale-up; Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, Multi-dimensional fluid flow-momentum flux, development of multi-dimensional equations of continuity and for momentum transfer, Navier-Stokes equations, application to tube flow, Couette flow, Stokes flow.

AIMS

This subject comprehensively covers the thermodynamics of chemical and physical systems of relevance to chemical engineers.

The laws of thermodynamics, which govern energy and the direction of energy flow, are amongst the most important fundamentals of chemical engineering that students learn during their course. This subject revises and expands the students’ understanding of the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics, from both classical and statistical perspectives. Students learn about the concepts of entropy and equilibrium in detail, which form the basis for the topics of phase equilibrium, mixture properties, mixture equilibrium, reaction equilibrium and interfacial equilibrium.

The concepts covered by this subject provide the fundamental basis for chemical and process engineering and are utilised throughout all sectors of industry by engineers. This subject provides students with the ability to perform detailed calculations of complex systems to predict the performance of process unit operations, to aid in their design and operation.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject focuses on the definitions and applications of the laws of thermodynamics, especially the implications of entropy and equilibrium on phases, mixtures, chemical reactions and interfaces:

• First law of thermodynamics.
• Second law of thermodynamics and entropy.
• Phase equilibria of pure substances, including fugacity.
• Mixtures and phase equilibria of mixtures, including activity coefficients and vapour-liquid equilibrium.
• Chemical reactions and reaction equilibria.
• Interfacial thermodynamics.
  
  

AIMS

This subject provides an advanced focus on the heat and mass transport processes that are part of the core knowledge and problem solving skills basis for chemical engineering unit operations. In addition, an advanced understanding of these transport processes will help enable students in the design of larger scale chemical engineers processes, particularly in the capstone deign project subject) as well as in chemical product design.

The heat and mass transport processes covered in this subject include: diffusion/mass transfer, mass transfer with chemical reaction, mass transfer coupled with adsorption, conduction and radiation. The process will are applied to the design of separation unit operations including multi-component distillation, adsorption, solvent extraction, gas-liquid contactors with reactions. A number of problems in practical heat transfer scenarios involving condition and radiation are include as well.

The unit operations covered in the subject using the above processes include: Multicomponent and azeotropic distillation, including short cut and rigorous techniques for the prediction of column performance. Applications of liquid extraction, liquid-liquid equilibria; single-stage extraction, choice of solvent/feed ratio; continuous counter-current multistage extraction and the effect of axial dispersion. Adsorption and ion exchange - types of absorbents, fixed bed adsorber models, isothermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium design and operation. Application of mass transfer with reaction to equipment performance and design in gas-liquid contactors.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The heat and mass transport processes covered in this subject include: diffusion/mass transfer, mass transfer with chemical reaction, mass transfer coupled with adsorption, conduction (including: Fourier's Law of heat conduction; multi-dimensional heat transfer equations; steady-state heat conduction and the Laplace equation; steady-state conduction with distributed heat source and the Poisson equation; simplified equation for steady-state heat conduction; fins; transient heat conduction and the diffusion equation; examples of simple solution of transient heat conduction; brief introduction to numerical methods for heat conduction problems) and radiation (basic principles of radiation; shape factors (viewfactors); radiation between grey surfaces in the network approach; applications of networks for various situations).

The unit operations covered in the subject using the above processes include: Multicomponent and azeotropic distillation, including short cut and rigorous techniques for the prediction of column performance. Applications of liquid extraction, liquid-liquid equilibria; single-stage extraction, choice of solvent/feed ratio; continuous counter-current multistage extraction and the effect of axial dispersion. Adsorption and ion exchange - types of absorbents, fixed bed adsorber models, isothermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium design and operation. Application of mass transfer with reaction to equipment performance and design in gas-liquid contactors.

AIMS

This subject aims to build on the principles introduced in CHEN90031 Bioprocess Engineering to provide a more advanced understanding of biochemical production processes with a focus on pharmaceutical production. Students will learn about pharmaceutical and biochemical production processes in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Pharmaceutical products will include opiates, blood plasma products, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and other medicines. Unit operations will include the growth of animal, plant and fungal cells, cell disruption and methods for product purification, such as chromatography. Case studies will include the production of recombinant proteins and amino acids and the genetic techniques required to make these products. The sustainable production of other biochemicals will also be discussed, including biofuels and the growth of algae. Students will learn how cellular processes can be used by chemical engineers to improve process efficiencies, clean up our environment and reduce chemical waste. Regulation, Good Manufacturing Practice and Validation processes will be introduced, along with the design of laboratories, pilot plants and manufacturing facilities and associated utilities and services. Students will also be introduced to relevant analytical techniques used to track production and purity and will become familiar with the research literature in this field.

AIMS

Students studying Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells will become familiar with the history, scope and potential of tissue engineering, and the potential role of stem cells in this field. This subject will address the use of biomaterials in tissue engineering; major scaffold materials and fabrication methods, scaffold strength and degradation; cell sources, selection, challenges and potential manipulation; cell-surface interactions, biocompatibility and the foreign body reaction; the role and delivery of growth factors for tissue engineering applications; in vitro and in vivo tissue engineering strategies, challenges, cell culture, scale-up issues and transport modelling; ethical and regulatory issues; clinical applications of tissue engineering, such as bone regeneration, breast reconstruction, cardiac and corneal tissue engineering, and organogenesis (e.g. pancreas).

This subject provides students with exposure to and understanding of a range of new and emerging applications of biomedical engineering. It includes research-led learning with opportunities to interact with experts and active researchers in the fields of stem cells and tissue engineering. The subject covers aspects of biology, materials engineering and process engineering which underpin tissue engineering and provides examples of the applications of this evolving area of technology.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include tissue organization & tissue dynamics, stem cells, cellular fate processes & signalling, the ECM as scaffold material, natural and synthetic polymers for tissue engineering, bioceramics, scaffold design and fabrication, tailoring biomaterials, cell culture and cell nutrition, bioreactors for tissue engineering, risk management in tissue engineering, ethics in tissue engineering.

AIMS

Introduction to soft condensed matter: a range of applications and products including foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, suspensions, minerals and detergents. The course covers the fundamental structure-function and material properties of these complex systems.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The colloidal domain: brownian motion and the Stokes-Einstein equation. Suspension viscosity.
Interparticle forces: dispersion forces, electrostatic forces (Poisson-Boltzmann), double layer theory and solvation forces. The role of surface forces in colloidal stability. Electrokinetic characterization of nano-particles and the relationship to colloidal stability and suspension rheology. Suspension rheology, measurement, viscoelasticity and the colloidal state. Polymer physics. Polymers as random walks, ideal and real chains scaling concepts and the size of the random walk. Entropy and Elasticity, the Hookean spring. Viscoelastic behaviour of polymer solutions and melts. Gels, sols and gelation including the concept of percolation. The theory of rubber elasticity. Adsorption of polymers to surfaces. Surfactants and self assembly. Micelles, vesicles and hexagonal phases. Aggregation numbers and packing parameters. Lipid bilayers. A review of several papers in biotechnology and nanotechnology.

AIMS

The importance of the minerals industry to the Australian economy. Liberation, size reduction, size separation and concentration separations in minerals processing. Extractive metallurgy, including hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. Aspects of physico-chemical principles of mineral separation processes to produce metals and ceramic products from ores as well as recycled materials and consumer products. The influence of interatomic bonding and material atomic structure on material behaviour. Phase diagrams and equilibria as well as material mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties will be covered. The process of developing material selection criteria and selecting materials for particular applications will be presented. The systems approach to recycling of products, process sustainability and environmental considerations.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Understand: why recycling makes sense; mineral processing separation concepts; processing-structure-property relationships; atomic bonding and atomic scale structure in materials; thermodynamic basis for phase equilibria; influence of material properties on recyclability; influence of recycling on material purity and properties.

Know how to design mineral separation processes; use phase diagrams; derive a number of material properties based upon atomic bonding and atomic scale structure.

Be familiar with: similarities and differences in mineral processing and recycling; equipment used in size reduction and separation and concentration separations; extractive metallurgy; typical minerals processing and metals production processes; typical properties of metals, polymers, ceramics and semiconductors; influence of materials on society; influence of microstructure on material properties; mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical and thermal properties of materials; typical material processing; be able to select materials for particular applications.

AIMS

This is a specialised elective subject covering a range of environmental and waste treatment topics of key importance to society and of relevance to most chemical engineering industries. The subject builds on core chemical engineering knowledge and is complementary to the material presented in the Bioprocess Engineering subject and the Biochemical Engineering course. In this subject, students will develop a broad understanding of the nature of waste streams and the principles underlying their treatment. The subject will allow students to learn how to apply chemical and bioprocess engineering knowledge in the design and operation of a range of processes used to treat a variety of domestic, industrial and agricultural wastes. In addition to traditional processes, emphasis is placed on how improved processes can be developed to meet future challenges.

The principles and technical knowledge developed in this subject are central to chemical engineers working on waste treatment in chemical industries and for municipal water and environmental management.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include: the characteristics of liquid and solid wastes and the objectives of waste treatment; important waste assay procedures; primary, secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment processes; physical and chemical treatment processes for both liquid and solid wastes; biological waste treatment and the role of various microbial groups: anaerobic, facultative, aerobic and aerated lagoons and factors affecting their design; activated sludge and related processes; adherent growth processes and associated design considerations; biological and physico-chemical removal of nitrogen and phosphorus; anaerobic processes and their use in liquid and solid waste treatment; treatment and disposal of biosolids; recycling and reuse of wastes; sustainability and cleaner production.

A practical laboratory session using a bench scale wastewater treatment system will also be conducted.

AIMS

This subject will give an overview of the drivers for carbon capture and storage, the technology and the economics.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Specific topics will include: Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Measures, Fuel types (coal, oil, gas). Coal chemistry. Other emission sources (natural gas sweetening, cement, iron and steel production) Combustion – conventional pulverized coal, supercritical boilers, IGCC and gasifier design, oxyfuel processes. Coal to liquid fuel processes. Carbon capture using solvent absorption. Other technologies including membranes, adsorbents, chemical looping, cryogenics and gas hydrate technology. Carbon dioxide compression and pipeline transport. Geological Storage – Site selection (containment, capacity, injectivity). Reservoir modeling (static and dynamic), storage in coal seams, enhanced coal bed methane recovery, storage in depleted gas reservoirs and saline formations, enhanced oil recovery. Long term closure and remediation. Economics – levelised cost of electricity, carbon accounting, the economics of CCS. Health and Safety, Risk Assessment and management, legal issues.

AIMS

Internationally, approximately fifty percent of chemical engineers are employed in positions related to chemical product development and design.  The aim of this module is to introduce students to the concepts behind chemical product design.  This includes an introduction to the chemical product design method as well as the concept of management or decision gates in the process.  This will include both educational and real world examples of how chemical product development takes advantage of fundamental aspects of chemical engineering including transport diffusion, chemical kinetics, interfacial phenomena and microstructure and flow.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Chemical product design approach and the four key aspects, different class of chemical products. Estimation of chemical product design specifications based on diffusion, reaction and transport phenomena.  The role of surfaces in processing and materials manufacture.  How to use a basic knowledge of interfacial phenomena to control the microstructure of a chemical product.  At an introductory level, how inter-particle forces affect coagulation, dispersion and stability criterion as well as parameters that influence flow and gelation properties. The role of molecular additives in controlling dispersion and emulsion and stability in an applied framework, such as using HLB index.

AIMS

This subject provides an advanced focus on the separation processes that are part of the core knowledge and problem solving skills basis for chemical engineering unit operations. In addition, an advanced understanding of these processes will help enable students in the design of larger scale chemical engineers processes, particularly in the capstone deign project subject) as well as in chemical product design.

The separation processes covered in this subject include: multi-component distillation, absorption, solvent extraction, membrane, ion exchange, adsorption and gas-liquid contactors with reactions.
Each of these separation processes will be examined in detail and their application in a range of industries including oil and gas, mining, pharmaceutical, food and environmental remediation.

This subject is part of the c-Campus which is jointly taught with Tsinghua University in China. It will be delivered as a series of lectures half from Melbourne and half from China and students will need to interact with a similar class in China.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The separation process theory covered in this subject will enable students to build and develop quantitative models of how these separation processes work and so enable the student to apply these in new applications. This will include models based on the equilibrium stage approach as well as a transfer unit approach. These models will also be extended to non-ideal and transient flow conditions and to situations where mass transfer and chemical reaction occur simultaneously.

Students are introduced to Polymer Chemistry. The influence of chemical constituents on structure–property relationships is explained. Polymerisation reactions including free radical and ion are covered including initiation, step and chain growth and termination steps. The physical properties of polymers including MW and how to measure it with viscosity and GPC are described. Chemical characterisation including spectroscopy and NMR is elucidated. Polymer properties such as Tg, Tm and viscoelasticityare are described. The influence of polymer architecture including co-polymers and crystalline domains is discussed. Students are also introduced to other topics covering elastomers and rubbers. Description of polymers in solution including solubility parameter and chi are presented. The role of chain entanglement in polymer melts on viscoelasticity is described. Polymers as solids particularly mechanical behaviour is covered including thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. Polymer processing including injection moulding, compression moulding, blowing, extrusion, fibre and film formation is discussed. Students will be introduced to composites including all material classes. Particular detailed focus is on polymer matrix composites including particle and fibre reinforced materials. Mechanical properties of composites including, elastic modulus, strength and toughening mechanisms are covered.

AIMS

This subject introduces students to aspects of reactor system design. Chemical reactors are at the heart of any major chemical process design. Chemical reaction engineering is concerned with the exploitation of chemical reactions on a commercial scale. Chemical reaction engineering aims at studying and optimizing chemical reactions in order to define the best reactor design. Hence, the interactions of flow phenomena, mass transfer, heat transfer, and reaction kinetics are of prime importance in order to relate reactor performance to feed composition and operating conditions.

This subject is one of the key parts of the chemical and biochemical engineering curriculum upon which a lot of later year material is built.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

1. Kinetics of homogeneous reactions
2. Design of single ideal reactors
3. Multiple reactor systems
4. Other design reactors (recycle reactors and temperature effects)
5. Basics of non-ideal flow
6. Models for reactors
7. Mixed flow in model reactors.

AIMS

This subject aims to extend the fundamental concepts of heat transfer from that covered in CHEN20009 Transport Processes to include natural and forced convection and two phase systems. Mass transfer concepts are extended to unsteady state mass transfer and Fick's Second Law, prediction of diffusivity and of mass transfer coefficients. These fundamental concepts are then applied to the design of processes and equipment including shell and tube, air-cooled and plate heat exchangers, evaporator systems, membrane devices, binary distillation systems, gas absorbers and cooling towers. Experience in the use of appropriate simulation packages such as HYSYS for exchanger and distillation column design are included. This simulation work builds on the skills developed in CHEN20011 Chemical Process Analysis .

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Forced Convection: Use of heat transfer correlations to predict coefficients
• Heat Exchange: concept of an overall heat transfer coefficient, fouling factors; determination of the area required for a given heat duty, Heat exchanger design. Use of simulation packages such as HYSYS and ASPEN
• Free convection: discussion and application of Grashof Number and other dimensionless groups
• Condensation and Boiling: Fundamentals. Evaporation: various evaporator types and their advantages and disadvantages (forced circulation, film types); multiple and single effects; backward and forward feed; boiling point elevation; mechanical recompression; evaporator energy balances
• Mass Transfer: Unsteady state mass transfer and Fick's Second Law; prediction of diffusivity; dimensional analysis and equations of change for mass transfer
• Distillation: single-stage separations, equilibrium flash, differential distillation; multistage separations, operating lines, reflux; binary distillation, varying reflux ratio, minimum reflux, total reflux, optimum reflux, feed plate location, side streams, open steam; tray efficiency via overall and Murphree efficiencies. Use of simulation packages such as HYSYS
• Gas absorption: basic mass transfer mechanism; material balances, co-current and countercurrent flow, limiting L/G ratio; multistage absorption and the absorption factor method; continuous contact, transfer units, height of a transfer unit, calculation of number of transfer units. Humidification and cooling tower height calculation
• Membrane Systems: Microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. Gas separation systems. Robeson’s bound. Electrodialysis and pervaporation. Membrane selection.

This subject seeks to -

• Build a thorough understanding of the theoretical and conceptual basis upon which the practice of financial project analysis is built and its application to engineering
• Satisfy the practical needs of the engineering manager toward making informed financial decisions when involved in an engineering project
• Incorporate critical decision-making tools that engineering managers can bring to the task of making informed financial decisions.

AIMS

Develop an basic microbiology, cell structure and nutritional requirements. Products from microbes and bioprocesses, enzyme kinetics, cell growth kinetics and product formation. Product separation methods.
This subject introduces students to the area of bioprocessing, an area growing in importance in the process industries.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Enzymic process. Michaelis-Menten approach. Kinetics of enzyme inhibition. Immobilised enzymes. Batch microbial growth and product formation. Continuous culture. Microbial growth kinetics. Application of Monod model to batch and chemostat culture. Kinetics of product formation. Maintenance energy and endogenous respiration. Design of fermentation processes. Bioreactor design and kinetics. Industrial sterilisation processes. Calculation of sterility level. HTST sterilisation. Design of continuous sterilisers. Air sterilisation. Vessel design for aseptic operation. Fermenter design configurations. Mixing in fermenters. Biochemical separation processes.

Practical work (Microbiology laboratory).

This subject provides an introduction to process work in process engineering, focusing specifically on process safety and sustainability. Material taught in other chemical engineering subjects will be reinforced via a series of assignments in which ill-defined and open-ended process engineering problems will be tackled. Both hypothetical and real case studies from the process engineering field are used throughout the subject.

Several assessment tasks combine to form a capstone project. Within this project students, in teams of three or four, perform design tasks related to the development of a Chemical Process Engineering facility. This capstone project culminates in an Environmental Effects Statement assignment. Several industry speakers, from the process engineering and environmental areas, talk and provide content to aid with this assignment.

AIMS

This subject prepares graduate engineers to practice basic marketing in the engineering profession where there is a mutual need and reliance upon their training and skills in both engineering and marketing to satisfy the needs, wants and demands of the market, internally within the organisation, and through the entire supply chain.

INDICATIVE CONTENT
This subject provides an introduction to the basic concepts of marketing, marketing management and marketing engineering. Some of the principal topics include: what is marketing engineering; differences between engineering and consumer products; designing and managing engineering services; sales engineer and managing sales force; online marketing and the internet of things; business-to-business markets; business-to-government markets; company orientation; corporate division and strategic planning; market positioning, segmentation and targeting; marketing mix (product, pricing, place and promotion); marketing plan and strategies; SWOT analysis, understand the legal, economic, sociocultural, natural and technological environments; distribution channels; communications, models and simulations; decision tools; databases and data mining, forecasting; theory and evidence-based decision making; etc.

AIMS

Students will undertake as individuals or as a member of a team a designated investigative project which could involve a critical literature review, experimental research and/or development, theoretical modelling, process simulation and/or the solution of an industrial problem. Rigorous planning and scheduling of the project, time management, written and verbal technical communication, interpretation of results and team work will be required. Lectures will be presented on laboratory safety, and the use of statistical methods for experimental data analysis.

Engineering graduates need the ability to research topics and to perform structured investigations. This research project subject provides students with an opportunity to develop these skills and to develop an appreciation of the importance of lifelong learning.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The exact content covered in the subject will depend to some extent on the nature of the research project. Topics covered will most probably include literature searches, laboratory safety, risk assessment, data modelling, data analysis, error analysis and report writing.

This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practics Hurdle (EPH).

AIMS

Application to the design of chemical equipment. Design of fluid storage and transfer equipment; pressure and non-pressure vessels, pumps and compressors, nozzles, piping, valves. Design of other operational units commonly used in chemical plants; heat exchangers, solid handling devices, fluid processing units. Hydraulic aspects of plate distillation column, packed columns, fluidised beds. Safety and integrity of equipment; safe working stress. Design standards and codes of practice. Flow sheets, plant layout; equipment, piping and site layouts.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

To be able to conduct technical design of process equipment such as: pressure vessels, non-pressure vessels, compressors, heat exchangers, plate distillation columns, packed absorption columns, fluidised beds. To be able to design and layout pipelines. To be able to select valves and pumps. To be familiar with general concepts of process equipment design so that other process equipment, not covered in this subject, can be designed. To be able to design equipment safely. To be able to design equipment in compliance with regulations and standards. To be able to design equipment in an economically efficient manner. To be able to produce equipment specification sheets and equipment drawings. To be able to develop and draw process flow sheets and plant layouts.

This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).

AIMS

This subject aims to develop critical thinking skills essential for work in the chemical process and other industries. Students will learn by tackling ill-defined engineering tasks, learn to organise and prioritise tasks to meet deadlines and improve their analytical and written communication skills. They will gain an appreciation of the tools and resources used in the design of process plants. Their understanding of issues relating to project management and plant safety will also be deepened.

This subject provides grounding in chemical engineering process design and feasibility studies prior to the final design subject CHEN90022.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Students will conduct chemical plant feasibility and design studies through a series of assignments that analyse process plant feasibility, the sensitivity of process economics to external influences and consider the technological, market, environmental and other effects on project viability. Students will learn how to design chemical plants, including the necessary documentation, and consider control strategies for safe operation. Student teams will discuss tools and resources available for the design of chemical processes and the critical analysis of information sources. Issues relating to project and safety management will be discussed and professional-quality technical reports and oral presentations delivered throughout the semester.

AIMS

This subject covers many of the aspects related to powder and suspension processing. Initially, the student learns how to describe particles and systems of particles in terms of size, shape and distribution, followed by understanding the basic mechanics of fluid flow around particles. This knowledge is used as the basis for designing unit operations associated with powders and suspensions, including particle classification, particle breakage (comminution) and agglomeration, solid-liquid separation through filtration, centrifugation and thickening, packed beds and fluidisation, flotation and powder storage in hoppers.

The combination and variety of topics in this subject provides students with an appreciation of particulate processing. This knowledge is vital for numerous industries including (but not limited to) mineral processing, potable water treatment, wastewater treatment, food and pharmaceuticals.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Particle size and measurement of particle size, shape factors, differential and cumulative distributions, mean size, median size and surface area
• Generalised description of separation and classification efficiency based on particle size, density and composition. Hydrocyclones, screens and data reconciliation for particulate separators, including the two product formula
• Comminution, Bond work index, matrix description of size reduction and milling circuit simulation, comminution circuits and liberation of particles from composite particles
• Flow properties of solids, design of bins and hoppers, mass and channel flow
• Solid-liquid separation including flocculation processes, gravity sedimentation, clarification, thickening and pressure filtration
• Motion of particles in fluids, fluidisation, minimum fluidisation velocity and bed expansion, flow of fluids through granular beds.

AIMS

This unit requires the students to undertake a major design task utilising the knowledge gained throughout the chemical engineering course. This comprises the following tasks: design of a process to meet a specified requirement; feasibility study of alternative processes which meet the specification; determination of sequence for investigation of a chemical manufacturing project and preparation of a report; consideration of environmental impacts and sustainability issues; preparation of flowsheets; confirmation of effects of market forecasts; economic evaluation; preparation of estimates for the minimisation of capital and production costs; specification of equipment; selection of construction materials; and specification of instrumentation location, staff and labour requirements and safety precautions. The HYSYS simulation package will be utilised where appropriate. There will also be a series of lectures on various aspects of design.

This subject forms the major capstone design project for the Chemical engineering Discipline and closely simulates the design procedures the graduate students will undertake in chemical industry as process and design engineers. The pre-requisites ensure that the students bring together all of the undergraduate knowledge and skills imparted in earlier years of the degree program. All aspects of the safe and environmentally responsible design of a chemical process plant are covered in this unit through project based learning. Through a careful sequential approach, the students develop a feasibility study, an initial process scoping and development report, and finally, a detailed design report. Team work is emphasized throughput to mimic the typical team environment the students will encounter in the work place.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

No new topics of a technical are introduced into this unit. The unit requires the students to integrate their skills and knowledge from earlier units into a single, design project executed in a team environment. The content therefore includes:

• A feasibility study which includes marketing analysis, plant location and health and safey assessment and preliminary economic evaluation of the proposal
• A process development report which includes the assessment of technology options to produce the required product, a mass and energy balance of the proposed process, as evaluation of the environmental impact of the process, a safety analysis, and a detailed process flow diagram of the proposed process
• A detailed design report including the detailed process and mechanical design of a unit operation with the process, the full process control and operation as well as process and instrumentation diagram of the process, specification of all minor equipment items in the process, a full HAZOP of a section of the plant, a full economic analysis and sensitivity study of the proposed plant

This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).

AIMS

This subject emphasises the critical nature of Operations Management as an essential part of a competent engineer’s portfolio of knowledge and skills.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

• Clarifying how the core concepts of operations management (including both processes and projects) help organisations achieve sustainable competitive advantage
• Managing the integration of technology, people, functions and operating systems to support the complex processes underlying the development and manufacture of products and the creation and delivery of services
• How organisations develop their core processes and project management capabilities and manage through them and how new technologies alter their design and performance. Relevant issues include process ownership, project management skills, teamwork, stakeholder management and communication, performance measurement and change management concepts.

AIMS

In this subject students will learn how to structure and work with engineering contracts to deliver and procure engineering outcomes. Students will develop a working knowledge of contract administration and gain an understanding of commercial out workings of engineering. All engineers interface commercially with engineering contracts throughout their careers and thus the application of the subject content is broad. Those seeking to work as a contractor and as a contract administrator will find direct application of this subject’s content.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Commercial management of engineering projects including the role and responsibilities of corporate managers, market analysis, structuring of procurement options, development of contractual terms and conditions, and the pricing of work.

Estimating and tendering engineering works via work breakdown structures, work method statements, risk identification and tendering principles. Contract administration and project control functions and techniques including time and money negotiations and cash flow management are also covered through the use of detailed case study material.

AIMS

This subject examines the structure and basic building blocks of high performing organisations from a senior management perspective. It covers tools and techniques to conduct both an analysis of the external environment and the strategies to align the appropriate internal skills and capabilities.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The subject includes:

• The role of leadership in strategy formulation and its balance with execution
• Overcoming the barriers to implementation of strategic plans
• Business integration and managing technology
• Entrepreneurship in modern business.

AIMS

This subject comprehensively covers the thermodynamics of chemical and physical systems of relevance to chemical engineers.

The laws of thermodynamics, which govern energy and the direction of energy flow, are amongst the most important fundamentals of chemical engineering that students learn during their course. This subject revises and expands the students’ understanding of the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics, from both classical and statistical perspectives. Students learn about the concepts of entropy and equilibrium in detail, which form the basis for the topics of phase equilibrium, mixture properties, mixture equilibrium, reaction equilibrium and interfacial equilibrium.

The concepts covered by this subject provide the fundamental basis for chemical and process engineering and are utilised throughout all sectors of industry by engineers. This subject provides students with the ability to perform detailed calculations of complex systems to predict the performance of process unit operations, to aid in their design and operation.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject focuses on the definitions and applications of the laws of thermodynamics, especially the implications of entropy and equilibrium on phases, mixtures, chemical reactions and interfaces:

• First law of thermodynamics.
• Second law of thermodynamics and entropy.
• Phase equilibria of pure substances, including fugacity.
• Mixtures and phase equilibria of mixtures, including activity coefficients and vapour-liquid equilibrium.
• Chemical reactions and reaction equilibria.
• Interfacial thermodynamics.
  
  

AIMS

This subject provides an advanced focus on the heat and mass transport processes that are part of the core knowledge and problem solving skills basis for chemical engineering unit operations. In addition, an advanced understanding of these transport processes will help enable students in the design of larger scale chemical engineers processes, particularly in the capstone deign project subject) as well as in chemical product design.

The heat and mass transport processes covered in this subject include: diffusion/mass transfer, mass transfer with chemical reaction, mass transfer coupled with adsorption, conduction and radiation. The process will are applied to the design of separation unit operations including multi-component distillation, adsorption, solvent extraction, gas-liquid contactors with reactions. A number of problems in practical heat transfer scenarios involving condition and radiation are include as well.

The unit operations covered in the subject using the above processes include: Multicomponent and azeotropic distillation, including short cut and rigorous techniques for the prediction of column performance. Applications of liquid extraction, liquid-liquid equilibria; single-stage extraction, choice of solvent/feed ratio; continuous counter-current multistage extraction and the effect of axial dispersion. Adsorption and ion exchange - types of absorbents, fixed bed adsorber models, isothermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium design and operation. Application of mass transfer with reaction to equipment performance and design in gas-liquid contactors.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The heat and mass transport processes covered in this subject include: diffusion/mass transfer, mass transfer with chemical reaction, mass transfer coupled with adsorption, conduction (including: Fourier's Law of heat conduction; multi-dimensional heat transfer equations; steady-state heat conduction and the Laplace equation; steady-state conduction with distributed heat source and the Poisson equation; simplified equation for steady-state heat conduction; fins; transient heat conduction and the diffusion equation; examples of simple solution of transient heat conduction; brief introduction to numerical methods for heat conduction problems) and radiation (basic principles of radiation; shape factors (viewfactors); radiation between grey surfaces in the network approach; applications of networks for various situations).

The unit operations covered in the subject using the above processes include: Multicomponent and azeotropic distillation, including short cut and rigorous techniques for the prediction of column performance. Applications of liquid extraction, liquid-liquid equilibria; single-stage extraction, choice of solvent/feed ratio; continuous counter-current multistage extraction and the effect of axial dispersion. Adsorption and ion exchange - types of absorbents, fixed bed adsorber models, isothermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium design and operation. Application of mass transfer with reaction to equipment performance and design in gas-liquid contactors.

AIMS

This subject aims to build on the principles introduced in CHEN90031 Bioprocess Engineering to provide a more advanced understanding of biochemical production processes with a focus on pharmaceutical production. Students will learn about pharmaceutical and biochemical production processes in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Pharmaceutical products will include opiates, blood plasma products, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and other medicines. Unit operations will include the growth of animal, plant and fungal cells, cell disruption and methods for product purification, such as chromatography. Case studies will include the production of recombinant proteins and amino acids and the genetic techniques required to make these products. The sustainable production of other biochemicals will also be discussed, including biofuels and the growth of algae. Students will learn how cellular processes can be used by chemical engineers to improve process efficiencies, clean up our environment and reduce chemical waste. Regulation, Good Manufacturing Practice and Validation processes will be introduced, along with the design of laboratories, pilot plants and manufacturing facilities and associated utilities and services. Students will also be introduced to relevant analytical techniques used to track production and purity and will become familiar with the research literature in this field.

AIMS

Students studying Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells will become familiar with the history, scope and potential of tissue engineering, and the potential role of stem cells in this field. This subject will address the use of biomaterials in tissue engineering; major scaffold materials and fabrication methods, scaffold strength and degradation; cell sources, selection, challenges and potential manipulation; cell-surface interactions, biocompatibility and the foreign body reaction; the role and delivery of growth factors for tissue engineering applications; in vitro and in vivo tissue engineering strategies, challenges, cell culture, scale-up issues and transport modelling; ethical and regulatory issues; clinical applications of tissue engineering, such as bone regeneration, breast reconstruction, cardiac and corneal tissue engineering, and organogenesis (e.g. pancreas).

This subject provides students with exposure to and understanding of a range of new and emerging applications of biomedical engineering. It includes research-led learning with opportunities to interact with experts and active researchers in the fields of stem cells and tissue engineering. The subject covers aspects of biology, materials engineering and process engineering which underpin tissue engineering and provides examples of the applications of this evolving area of technology.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include tissue organization & tissue dynamics, stem cells, cellular fate processes & signalling, the ECM as scaffold material, natural and synthetic polymers for tissue engineering, bioceramics, scaffold design and fabrication, tailoring biomaterials, cell culture and cell nutrition, bioreactors for tissue engineering, risk management in tissue engineering, ethics in tissue engineering.

AIMS

Introduction to soft condensed matter: a range of applications and products including foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, suspensions, minerals and detergents. The course covers the fundamental structure-function and material properties of these complex systems.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The colloidal domain: brownian motion and the Stokes-Einstein equation. Suspension viscosity.
Interparticle forces: dispersion forces, electrostatic forces (Poisson-Boltzmann), double layer theory and solvation forces. The role of surface forces in colloidal stability. Electrokinetic characterization of nano-particles and the relationship to colloidal stability and suspension rheology. Suspension rheology, measurement, viscoelasticity and the colloidal state. Polymer physics. Polymers as random walks, ideal and real chains scaling concepts and the size of the random walk. Entropy and Elasticity, the Hookean spring. Viscoelastic behaviour of polymer solutions and melts. Gels, sols and gelation including the concept of percolation. The theory of rubber elasticity. Adsorption of polymers to surfaces. Surfactants and self assembly. Micelles, vesicles and hexagonal phases. Aggregation numbers and packing parameters. Lipid bilayers. A review of several papers in biotechnology and nanotechnology.

AIMS

The importance of the minerals industry to the Australian economy. Liberation, size reduction, size separation and concentration separations in minerals processing. Extractive metallurgy, including hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. Aspects of physico-chemical principles of mineral separation processes to produce metals and ceramic products from ores as well as recycled materials and consumer products. The influence of interatomic bonding and material atomic structure on material behaviour. Phase diagrams and equilibria as well as material mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties will be covered. The process of developing material selection criteria and selecting materials for particular applications will be presented. The systems approach to recycling of products, process sustainability and environmental considerations.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Understand: why recycling makes sense; mineral processing separation concepts; processing-structure-property relationships; atomic bonding and atomic scale structure in materials; thermodynamic basis for phase equilibria; influence of material properties on recyclability; influence of recycling on material purity and properties.

Know how to design mineral separation processes; use phase diagrams; derive a number of material properties based upon atomic bonding and atomic scale structure.

Be familiar with: similarities and differences in mineral processing and recycling; equipment used in size reduction and separation and concentration separations; extractive metallurgy; typical minerals processing and metals production processes; typical properties of metals, polymers, ceramics and semiconductors; influence of materials on society; influence of microstructure on material properties; mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical and thermal properties of materials; typical material processing; be able to select materials for particular applications.

AIMS

This is a specialised elective subject covering a range of environmental and waste treatment topics of key importance to society and of relevance to most chemical engineering industries. The subject builds on core chemical engineering knowledge and is complementary to the material presented in the Bioprocess Engineering subject and the Biochemical Engineering course. In this subject, students will develop a broad understanding of the nature of waste streams and the principles underlying their treatment. The subject will allow students to learn how to apply chemical and bioprocess engineering knowledge in the design and operation of a range of processes used to treat a variety of domestic, industrial and agricultural wastes. In addition to traditional processes, emphasis is placed on how improved processes can be developed to meet future challenges.

The principles and technical knowledge developed in this subject are central to chemical engineers working on waste treatment in chemical industries and for municipal water and environmental management.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include: the characteristics of liquid and solid wastes and the objectives of waste treatment; important waste assay procedures; primary, secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment processes; physical and chemical treatment processes for both liquid and solid wastes; biological waste treatment and the role of various microbial groups: anaerobic, facultative, aerobic and aerated lagoons and factors affecting their design; activated sludge and related processes; adherent growth processes and associated design considerations; biological and physico-chemical removal of nitrogen and phosphorus; anaerobic processes and their use in liquid and solid waste treatment; treatment and disposal of biosolids; recycling and reuse of wastes; sustainability and cleaner production.

A practical laboratory session using a bench scale wastewater treatment system will also be conducted.

AIMS

This subject will give an overview of the drivers for carbon capture and storage, the technology and the economics.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Specific topics will include: Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Measures, Fuel types (coal, oil, gas). Coal chemistry. Other emission sources (natural gas sweetening, cement, iron and steel production) Combustion – conventional pulverized coal, supercritical boilers, IGCC and gasifier design, oxyfuel processes. Coal to liquid fuel processes. Carbon capture using solvent absorption. Other technologies including membranes, adsorbents, chemical looping, cryogenics and gas hydrate technology. Carbon dioxide compression and pipeline transport. Geological Storage – Site selection (containment, capacity, injectivity). Reservoir modeling (static and dynamic), storage in coal seams, enhanced coal bed methane recovery, storage in depleted gas reservoirs and saline formations, enhanced oil recovery. Long term closure and remediation. Economics – levelised cost of electricity, carbon accounting, the economics of CCS. Health and Safety, Risk Assessment and management, legal issues.

AIMS

Internationally, approximately fifty percent of chemical engineers are employed in positions related to chemical product development and design.  The aim of this module is to introduce students to the concepts behind chemical product design.  This includes an introduction to the chemical product design method as well as the concept of management or decision gates in the process.  This will include both educational and real world examples of how chemical product development takes advantage of fundamental aspects of chemical engineering including transport diffusion, chemical kinetics, interfacial phenomena and microstructure and flow.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Chemical product design approach and the four key aspects, different class of chemical products. Estimation of chemical product design specifications based on diffusion, reaction and transport phenomena.  The role of surfaces in processing and materials manufacture.  How to use a basic knowledge of interfacial phenomena to control the microstructure of a chemical product.  At an introductory level, how inter-particle forces affect coagulation, dispersion and stability criterion as well as parameters that influence flow and gelation properties. The role of molecular additives in controlling dispersion and emulsion and stability in an applied framework, such as using HLB index.

AIMS

This subject provides an advanced focus on the separation processes that are part of the core knowledge and problem solving skills basis for chemical engineering unit operations. In addition, an advanced understanding of these processes will help enable students in the design of larger scale chemical engineers processes, particularly in the capstone deign project subject) as well as in chemical product design.

The separation processes covered in this subject include: multi-component distillation, absorption, solvent extraction, membrane, ion exchange, adsorption and gas-liquid contactors with reactions.
Each of these separation processes will be examined in detail and their application in a range of industries including oil and gas, mining, pharmaceutical, food and environmental remediation.

This subject is part of the c-Campus which is jointly taught with Tsinghua University in China. It will be delivered as a series of lectures half from Melbourne and half from China and students will need to interact with a similar class in China.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The separation process theory covered in this subject will enable students to build and develop quantitative models of how these separation processes work and so enable the student to apply these in new applications. This will include models based on the equilibrium stage approach as well as a transfer unit approach. These models will also be extended to non-ideal and transient flow conditions and to situations where mass transfer and chemical reaction occur simultaneously.

Students are introduced to Polymer Chemistry. The influence of chemical constituents on structure–property relationships is explained. Polymerisation reactions including free radical and ion are covered including initiation, step and chain growth and termination steps. The physical properties of polymers including MW and how to measure it with viscosity and GPC are described. Chemical characterisation including spectroscopy and NMR is elucidated. Polymer properties such as Tg, Tm and viscoelasticityare are described. The influence of polymer architecture including co-polymers and crystalline domains is discussed. Students are also introduced to other topics covering elastomers and rubbers. Description of polymers in solution including solubility parameter and chi are presented. The role of chain entanglement in polymer melts on viscoelasticity is described. Polymers as solids particularly mechanical behaviour is covered including thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. Polymer processing including injection moulding, compression moulding, blowing, extrusion, fibre and film formation is discussed. Students will be introduced to composites including all material classes. Particular detailed focus is on polymer matrix composites including particle and fibre reinforced materials. Mechanical properties of composites including, elastic modulus, strength and toughening mechanisms are covered.