Chemical Engineering Practice III

Code:

EQ0135

Acronym:

PEQIII

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Technological Sciences (Chemical Engineering)

Instance: 2019/2020 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Chemical Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIEQ	60	Syllabus	4	-	6	42	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The main objectives of PEQIII are: 1) Help students to develop a practical sense in relation to theoretical concepts taught in Chemical Reaction Engineering and Separation Processes disciplines (conventional and non conventional separation processes); 2) To develop the understanding, design, assembly and operation capabilities in the framework of Chemical Engineering (integration of concepts); 3) To develop teamwork, cooperation and discipline competencies; 4) Developing the students self-confidence when designing, assembling and operating real systems, in opposition to virtual or theoretical systems, with which students already contacted in many other disciplines. It is expected that the field visits to local plants, planned for this discipline, will contribute for students to make the bridge to the industrial reality.

Learning outcomes and competences

Creating a knowledge database of how the lab set-ups of the CU work (homogeneous phase reactors, open and closed, fixed bed reactors, membrane and ion exchange processes), needed to understand, design, implement and operate systems within Chemical Engineering. Development of critical analysis of the experimental results. Development of skills concerning handling equipment and experimental units within the CU. Development of confidence in lab work.

Working method

Presencial

Program

There are 16 experimental works available: Ideal reactors: Kinetics and activation energy of a homogeneous reaction in liquid phase 1- Reaction between crystal violet and sodium hydroxide (spectrophotometer); 2- Reaction between ethyl acetate and sodium hydroxide (conductivity meter); 3- Reaction between crystal violet and sodium hydroxide (spectrophotometer); Flow pattern characterization of an open reactor using a tracer 4- Stirred reactor (spectrophotometer); 5- Tubular reactor packed with glass beads (conductivity meter); 6- Tubular reactor with laminar flow (spectrophotometer); Steady state conversion in an open reactor 7- Stirred reactor. Reaction between crystal violet and sodium hydroxide (spectrophotometer); 8- Tubular reactor packed with glass beads. Reaction between ethyl acetate and sodium hydroxide (conductivity meter); 9- Tubular reactor with laminar flow. Reaction between crystal violet and sodium hydroxide (spectrophotometer); Catalytic reactors 10- Study of the sucrose inversion; Advanced separations 11- Study of a cation-exchange resin; 12- Study of the permeability of a hollow fiber membrane module towards Helium, Nitrogen and Argon; 13- Study of powder storage, transport, separation and mixture New experimental works 14 - Bicomponent permeation of CO2/N2 mixtures in a PDMS membrane; 15 - Sucrose inversion in an enzymatic packed bed reactor; 16 - Dyes adsorption study in a activated carbon packed bed column.

Mandatory literature

Adélio Mendes; Laboratórios de Engenharia Química, FeupEdições, 2002. ISBN: 972-752-052-9

Teaching methods and learning activities

The experimental works should be performed by groups of two (maximum three) students. A maximum of 6 groups is possible inside the lab. All lab classes are 3 hours long. Each group should perform 7 experimental works, among those previously listed, during 6 lab classes. Work number 13, performed simultaneously with work no. 12 (which is of very quick execution) will not be evaluated, being merely illustrative. For 4 of the 6 experimental works, a short report should be presented on the next class after the corresponding experimental work (lab works performed during lab classes #1, 2, 4 and 5). After performing the work during lab class # 3, students will present and discuss it orally. After performing the last experimental work, students should perform a project. This project should be done using the experimental set-up used in the previous class and on auxiliary material/equipment available. A complete report should be written of this project work and delivered one week after its experimental conclusion. The complete report will be orally discussed with the teacher in the following week. Professors should evaluate the lab performance of each student during every lab classes, including the project one. A thoroughly organized field trip to a local industrial plant will be made with groups of about 20 students. This visit aims to develop students' industrial sensitivity, among other objectives.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	5,00
Prova oral	12,50
Trabalho escrito	42,50
Trabalho laboratorial	40,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	20,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	10,00
Estudo autónomo	40,00
Trabalho laboratorial	30,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

It is mandatory that students perform at least 5 of the proposed experimental works.

Calculation formula of final grade

Classification = 0.30 x RR + 0.25 x RC + 0.05 x VE + 0.40 x AL where, RR - Classification of the short reports; RC - Extended report and corresponding oral presentation and discussion (work performed in lab sessions #7 and #8); VE - Presence in the field trip; AL – Performance assessment of the lab classes.

Examinations or Special Assignments

not applicable

Internship work/project

not applicable

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The evaluation of students that are not obliged to attend to the normal classes will be performed as follows: 1) pre-exam in order to evaluate if the student is sufficiently prepared to perform safely any experimental work. It consists of about 30 minutes of oral questions regarding theory and operation of the main instruments; 2) perform a 2 hour long lab exam, which includes the execution of an experimental work, randomly chosen among those previously listed, and oral questions about this work; 3) write a complete report of this experimental work. Classification = (EL + RC) / 2 Minimum grade of 10 is mandatory for both EL and RC.

Classification improvement

For improving the final evaluation it is necessary to: 1) have performed at least 5 experimental works; 2) perform a 2 hours lab exam, which includes the execution of an experimental work and oral questions about this work; 3) write a complete report of this experimental work. The final grade is obtained from, Classification = 0.4 x EL + 0.45 x RC + 0.15 x AL where the performance assessment of the lab classes (AL) is also considered. Minimum classification of 10 is mandatory for both lab performance during the exam (EL) and extended report (RC) classification.