Process Engineering Course

Lesson 1 • Safety and Regulatory Foundations

Covers inherent safety principles and regulatory compliance frameworks applicable across industries. Establishes a safety-first mindset from the outset.

Lesson 2 • Core Concepts and Terminology

Introduces fundamental terms: streams, unit operations, and process variables. Provides shared language used throughout the entire course.

Lesson 3 • Units, Dimensions, and Engineering Data

Reviews unit systems, dimensional analysis, and data quality assessment. Ensures accurate quantitative reasoning in all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 4 • The Process Engineering Discipline

Defines process engineering scope, career paths, and industry sectors. Anchors all subsequent technical content in professional context.

Lesson 1 • Combined Material and Energy Balances

Solves simultaneous mass and energy balances for multi-unit processes. Prepares students for integrated process design and simulation.

Lesson 2 • Transient Balance Analysis

Applies time-dependent balances to startup, shutdown, and upset scenarios. Bridges steady-state theory with dynamic process behaviour.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Mass Conservation

Derives the general mass balance equation and applies it to single-component systems. Forms the quantitative backbone of all process calculations.

Lesson 4 • Multicomponent and Reactive Systems

Extends mass balances to mixtures and chemical reactions using stoichiometry. Enables analysis of reactors and separation processes.

Lesson 1 • Power Cycles and Thermodynamic Efficiency

Evaluates Carnot, Rankine, and refrigeration cycles for process utility systems. Supports energy integration and utility optimisation decisions.

Lesson 2 • Phase Equilibria and VLE

Analyses vapour-liquid equilibrium using activity coefficients and fugacity. Directly supports distillation and flash calculation design.

Lesson 3 • Chemical Reaction Equilibrium

Calculates equilibrium conversion using Gibbs energy minimisation and equilibrium constants. Links thermodynamics to reactor design decisions.

Lesson 4 • Thermodynamic Properties and State Functions

Reviews internal energy, entropy, Gibbs energy, and their relationships. Establishes property foundations required for phase and reaction analysis.

Lesson 1 • Mass Transfer and Diffusion

Introduces Fick's law, film theory, and mass transfer coefficients for separation design. Bridges transport phenomena to absorption and distillation operations.

Lesson 2 • Heat Transfer Mechanisms

Analyses conduction, convection, and radiation in process equipment. Supports heat exchanger design and thermal insulation decisions.

Lesson 3 • Fluid Flow Fundamentals

Applies Bernoulli's equation, continuity, and momentum balances to pipe flow. Provides the basis for pump and compressor sizing.

Lesson 4 • Pumps, Compressors, and Piping Systems

Covers pump curves, NPSH, compressor types, and piping network analysis. Enables selection and sizing of fluid-moving equipment.

Lesson 1 • Multiple Reactions and Selectivity

Optimises reactor configuration for parallel and series reaction networks. Maximises desired product yield while minimising byproduct formation.

Lesson 2 • Reaction Kinetics and Rate Laws

Derives rate expressions from elementary and complex mechanisms. Provides the kinetic data foundation for all reactor design calculations.

Lesson 3 • Ideal Reactor Models

Develops design equations for batch, CSTR, and PFR reactors. Enables volume and residence time calculations for target conversion.

Lesson 4 • Heterogeneous and Catalytic Reactors

Analyses fixed-bed, fluidised-bed, and slurry reactors with mass transfer limitations. Addresses catalyst deactivation and regeneration strategies.

Lesson 1 • Membrane and Adsorption Separations

Evaluates reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and pressure swing adsorption processes. Addresses emerging separation technologies for energy-efficient processing.

Lesson 2 • Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Analyses solvent extraction using distribution coefficients and stage calculations. Covers mixer-settler and extraction column equipment selection.

Lesson 3 • Absorption and Stripping Operations

Designs gas-liquid contactors using operating lines and transfer unit methods. Connects mass transfer theory to column height and diameter calculations.

Lesson 4 • Solid-Fluid Separation Techniques

Covers filtration, centrifugation, cyclones, and drying for solid-containing streams. Completes the separation toolkit for particulate process systems.

Lesson 1 • Process Flowsheet Development

Constructs block flow diagrams, PFDs, and P&IDs following industry drafting standards. Establishes the design documentation foundation for all engineering deliverables.

Lesson 2 • Equipment Sizing and Specification

Translates simulation outputs into equipment datasheets for vessels, exchangers, and columns. Bridges process design to procurement and detailed engineering.

Lesson 3 • Design Optimisation and Alternatives

Evaluates design alternatives using economic and environmental objective functions. Develops the decision-making framework for final design selection.

Lesson 4 • Process Simulation Tools and Methods

Configures steady-state simulators, selects thermodynamic packages, and validates results. Enables rapid evaluation of design alternatives and sensitivity studies.

Lesson 1 • Process Safety and Alarm Management

Applies safety instrumented system design principles and alarm rationalisation methods. Ensures control system design meets functional safety requirements.

Lesson 2 • Process Dynamics and Transfer Functions

Models process responses using first-order, second-order, and dead-time transfer functions. Provides the dynamic foundation for control system design.

Lesson 3 • Feedback Control Fundamentals

Designs PID controllers and applies tuning rules to achieve stable closed-loop performance. Covers the most widely used control structure in process industries.

Lesson 4 • Instrumentation and Control System Design

Selects sensors, transmitters, and final control elements for process loops. Translates control strategy into a functional instrumentation design.