Course content

The course is a standard theoretical course with some practical laboratory work. The theoretical course treats the theory of mass transfer unit operations with applications to distillation, absorption, extraction, leaching, drying, air conditioning, adsorption, membrane separation, crystallisation plus a short introduction to process control. The laboratory experiments are part of the basic process laboratory, and will be marked as part of the final grade for the course.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, students will be able to:
- Explain the basic mechanisms of mass transfer processes.
- Through a basic understanding of each unit operation; be able to reason their way to the most important variable in the process.
- Make informed choice of the suitable unit operation for separating gas, liquid and solid components.
- Have knowledge of how a process can be regulated; familiar symbols regulation, knowledge about the classification of variables and alternative regulatory structures.
- Dimension, through calculations, relevant equipment for the various unit operations.
- Setting up the necessary mass and energy balances for separation processes.
- Graphical solution of upstream processes for distillation, absorption, stripping and extraction with the use of equilibrium and operating lines.
- Interpreting the effectiveness of a separation process by calculating the in-out-flows of a unit operation.
- Understand and be able to read the important diagrams and tables such as the humidity charts, solubility chart, triangle diagrams and steam tables.
- Interpret a process flowchart, and even able to set up a simplified flowchart.
- Suggest appropriate regulatory structure for a process.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and theoretical exercises (2/3 are compulsory). The final mark will be based upon a written exam (80%) and the laboratory grading (20%). If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may change from written to oral.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic knowledge of physical chemistry and chemical enginering.

Course materials

C.J. Geankoplis; Transport processes and separation process principles, 4th ed., Prentice Hall 2003, plus some lecture notes.

Credit reductions