ENCH392-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025

Thermodynamics And Chemical Reaction Engineering

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 2 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 11 May 2025

Description

This course covers core chemical engineering topics related to reaction engineering and thermodynamics. Chemical reaction engineering includes developing an understanding of chemical reaction rate, stoichiometry, reactor flow and residence time distributions as well as reactor design. The thermodynamics section covers volumetric properties of fluids, thermodynamic properties of pure fluids, solution thermodynamics, as well as phase and reaction equilibrium.

Thermodynamics Topics
• Review of 1st law, 2nd law, phases and equilibrium
• Volumetric properties of pure fluids
• Thermodynamic properties of fluids
• Solution thermodynamics
• Phase and chemical reaction equilibrium


Chemical Reaction Engineering Topics
• Reaction rates, mole balances, conversion, ideal reactors
• Rate laws, rate constants, Arrhenius equation for temperature dependence, rate data
• Isothermal reactor design, conversion, variable flow rates, reactors in series
• Multi-step reaction mechanisms and rate laws
• Non-isothermal reactors, heat effects
• Non-ideal flow

Learning Outcomes

  • An understanding of reactions and their relevance to chemical engineering
  • Introduction to reaction rate laws and interpretation of reaction rate data
  • Proficiency in sizing isothermal ideal reactors
  • An understanding of chemical reaction equilibrium
  • To be able to describe the properties of a non-isothermal reactor
  • Understanding of the effect of non-ideal flow conditions on chemical reaction
  • An appreciation and basic understanding of equation of states and their relevance to chemical engineering
  • An understanding of the relationship between thermodynamic properties
  • Understand phase equilibrium and its thermodynamic basis
  • Have a basic knowledge of solution thermodynamics

Prerequisites

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 15:00 - 16:00 Jack Erskine 031 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 14:00 - 15:00 E16 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 23 Mar
31 Mar - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 14:00 - 15:00 Jack Erskine 031 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture D
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 14:00 - 15:00 E16 Lecture Theatre
24 Mar - 30 Mar
Computer Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 15:00 - 17:00 Jack Erskine 001 Computer Lab
24 Feb - 2 Mar
10 Mar - 16 Mar
24 Mar - 30 Mar
5 May - 18 May
26 May - 1 Jun

Examinations, Quizzes and Formal Tests

Test A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 19:00 - 21:00 E9 Lecture Theatre
24 Mar - 30 Mar

Timetable Note

36 lectures.

Lectures: Lectures provide context and a different perspective to the course materials. (36 hours)

Quizzes: Each fortnight a new online quiz will be made available to reinforce the course content. Some quiz questions will be based on concepts, while others will be calculation based. (6 hours)

Tutorials: The fortnightly computer labs will help reinforce what has been taught in class, show how to solve the problems using spreadsheets. (12 hours)

Self-study: It is recommended to commit at least three hours per week to review the lecture material and practice the problems. (36 hours)

Assignment: The two assignments will provide an opportunity to apply the course content to real problems. (30 hours)

Final Revision: Focus on understanding the content and being able to articulate your ideas. (30 hours)

Total: 150 hours

Course Coordinator

Ben Reynolds

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Final Exam 54%
Online Quizzes 6% Fortnightly (opens after final lecture for the week, closes following Monday at 23:59) 1% each = 6% total
Thermodynamics Term Test 28 Mar 2025 20%
Thermodynamics Assignment 01 Apr 2025 10% Release date 10/03/2025 Submission date 01/04/2025
Reaction Engineering Assignment 30 May 2025 10% Release date 16/05/2025 Submission 30/05/2025

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

de Nevers, N; Physical and Chemical Equilibrium for Chemical Engineers ;

Fogler, S; Essentials of Chemical Reaction Engineering ; Prentice Hall, 2011 (Or any reaction engineering text by Fogler).

Smith, J.M., Van Ness, H.C. and Abbott, M.M; Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics ; McGraw Hill.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,122.00

International fee $6,238.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Chemical and Process Engineering .

All ENCH392 Occurrences

  • ENCH392-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025