Chemical Engineering for Chemists

Course Code: CEFC

Overview

This course is for scientists who need to bridge the gap between the research lab and the chemical plant. Anyone involved in R&D, quality control, design, development, production or processes needing an overview of modern chemical engineering will benefit from this course. This course is also a valuable refresher for practicing chemical engineers. Many topics involve mathematical formulas and do require some knowledge of calculus.

When and Where

Key Topics

• Fundamentals – material and energy balancing
• Practical, timely information on chemical reactor design, reaction systems, and chemical process economics
• Process Details – thermodynamics, reactor design, transport phenomena
• Process Integration – control and design

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Course Instructor

Todd M. Przybycien, Ph.D., Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, received undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis and Masters and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering with a minor in biology from Caltech. Dr. Przybycien started his professional career with Monsanto Agricultural Company, where he worked for about two years. He then re-joined academia, spending eight years at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, followed by another eight years at his current institution, Carnegie Mellon.

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Who Should Attend?

Chemists, biochemists, and other scientists involved in R&D, quality control, design, development, production, processes, pilot plant operations, marketing, sales, or management for whom an understanding of chemical engineering fundamentals can enhance impact on the job and/or open new opportunities. As engineers rely on math as a tool, many topics will involve manipulation of formulae and will require some comfort with very basic concepts in algebra and calculus.

Participants should bring a calculator and ruler to class. With the class and in small groups, you will learn to attack chemical engineering problems.

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How You'll Benefit from This Course

• Communicate – on a technical level - more comfortably with chemical engineers.
• Develop problem-solving strategies.
• Identify common fundamental problem types and scenarios.
• Recognize more advanced chemical engineering problems, and know where to go for help.
• Solve fundamental chemical engineering problems.
• Understand fundamental chemical engineering principles.

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Agenda

• Overview--Introductions; roles of chemical engineers; typical chemical engineering curriculum.
• Foundations – Process Material Balancing–conservation of mass; systems; material balancing for single-system processes;
  rubric for material balancing; material balancing of multi-system processes; recycle, by-pass and purge; material balancing in systems with reactions; material balancing in systems with phase equilibria.
• Foundations – Process Energy Balancing–conservation of energy; energy balancing; coupled mass and energy balances.
• The Next Level – Process Details–thermodynamics (thermodynamic properties and equations of state, reaction equilibria, phase equilibria, efficiency); reactor design (reaction kinetics, reactor types, mixing); transport phenomena (momentum transport, mass transport, heat transport).
• Beyond the Next Level – Process Integration–process control; process design and optimization.

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Course Fees

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