Chemical Process Systems Laboratory

The course is designed to apply and settle previously acquired theoretical concepts and increase the knowledge on practical aspects of unit operations, chemical reactors and process control, so as introducing the scientific method. Another objective is to develop sound attitudes and procedures in conducting and reporting experimental work. These objectives involve the teaching of computational methods to do so.

- Practical application of theoretical concepts acquired in other courses.
- Proper handling of laboratory equipment.
- Management of software for data processing and reporting.
- Safety in the lab.
- Knowledge about different unit operations and their classification according to more relevant property transfer (mass, energy or momentum) in the operation.
- Identification of the purpose of the main unit operations based on mass and heat transfer
- Capacity to apply mass balances and kinetics to correctly analyse the behaviour of chemical reactors.
- Improvement of the students' knowledge about the control of chemical processes.

Contents
The main core of the course consists of lab practices on applied chemical kinetics and chemical reactors, mass transfer operations and control units:


* Section: Unit Operations

GAS-LIQUID SYSTEMS
- Absorption in a stirred tank.
- Absorption in a packed column.
- Water cooling tower.
- VAPOUR-LIQUID SYSTEMS
- Batch rectification (Mass transfer)
- Rising film evaporator (Heat transfer)
- Double-effect evaporator (Heat transfer)
- LIQUID-LIQUID SYSTEMS
- Determination of solubility curves in ternary liquid-liquid systems.
- SOLID-LIQUID SYSTEMS
- Solid-liquid extraction.
- OTHER
- Operation in ion exchange columns.
- Reverse osmosis system.


* Section: Chemical Reaction Engineering

- Chemical reaction stoichoimetric and kinetic studies in an adiabatic system
- Dynamic behaviour stirred tanks connected in series
- Modelling of the dynamic and stationary behaviour of a stirred tank reactor
- Modelling and analysis of a tubular reactor
- Determination of power curves
- Residence time distribution in tubular reactors
- Pseudo-first order kinetics
- Solid-liquid heterogeneous reaction


* Section: Process Control

- Feed-back control of chemical processes.
- Control of a CSTR reactor by means of PLC.

BASIC:

Due to the special characteristics of this course, the following books are recommended for the different topics:

- Fogler, H.S., "Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering", 4th ed., Prentice Hall, New Jersey (2006).

- Wankat, P.C. Ingeniería de Procesos de Separación, 2ª Ed., Pearson Education, México 2008


COMPLEMENTARY:

-Seader, J.D., Henley, -E.J., Roper, D.K., "Separation Process Priciples", 3rd ed., Wiley, New York (2011).
- Marlin, T.E., "Process Control, Designing Processes and Control Systems for Dynamic Performance", McGraw-Hill, Boston (2000).
- Levenspiel, O., "Chemical Reaction Engineering", 3rd ed., Wiley, New York (1999).
- Perry, R.H., Green, D.W., Maloney, J.O., “Manual del Ingeniero Químico”, 7th ed., McGraw Hill, Madrid (2001).
- Ocón García, J., Tojo Barreiro, G., “Problemas de Ingeniería Química. Operaciones básicas”, Aguilar, Madrid (1974).
- Vián, A., Ocón, J., “Elementos de Ingeniería Química (Operaciones básicas)”, 5th ed., Aguilar, Madrid (1979).
- Coulson, J.M., Richardson, J.F., Backhurst, J.R., Harker, J.H., “Chemical Engineering”, vols. 2, 4, 6, 4th ed., Pergamon Press, New York (1991).
- Costa López, J., “Curso de Ingeniería Química. Introducción a los procesos, las operaciones unitarias y los fenómenos de transporte”, Reverté, Madrid (1994).
- Svrcek, W.Y., Mahoney, D.P., Young, B.R., "A real-time approach to Process Control", Wiley, Chichester (2014).
- Ruthven, D.M. (ed.), “Encyclopedia of Separation Technology - A Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia”, Wiley, New York (1997).
- Articles published in several journals of the Science Citation Index, which will be specifically indicated for each experiment to be carried out.

According to the Official Guide of the Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering of the USC, the skills that the students will develop in this course are:

Specific:
CQ3 Capacity for the design and management of experimental procedures applied especially to: CQ3.1 The determination of thermophysical and transport properties, and the modelling of phenomena and systems in the field of chemical engineering. CQ3.2 Systems with fluid flow, heat transfer. CQ3.3 Mass transfer operation. CQ3.4 Chemical reaction kinetics and reactors.
CQ4 Capacity to design, manage and operate procedures of: CQ4.1 Simulation of chemical processes. CQ4.2 Control and instrumentation of chemical processes.

General:
CG.4 Capacity to solve problems with initiative, decision making, creativity, critical thinking and to communicate knowledge, skills and abilities in the field of Industrial Chemical Engineering.

Transferable:
CT.2 Capacity for organising and planning.
CT.3 Oral and written communication in native and some foreign languages.
CT.4 Ability for the use and development of computer applications.
CT.8 Teamwork.
CT.13 Capacity to apply knowledge in practice.

Additionally, skills will be acquired in connection to:
- Safety in the laboratories.
- Knowledge about different unit operations and their classification according to the more relevant property transferred (mass, energy or momentum).
- Identification of the purpose of the main unit operations based on mass and heat transfer.

Students:
The experiments are conducted by groups of 2-3 students under the guidance of the professor.
- Have notes of all lab practices that will be assigned one to one to be performed by each group.
- Use a lab notebook/diary where laboratory observations and experimental data will be recorded.

The student will have all the information necessary for the development of the practices (Scripts), as well as the Security Regulations and the Training Template on the USC Learning Management System, in the classroom corresponding to the subject

BEFORE PRACTICE:
- A reading of the lab notes between 15 and 45 minutes depending on the practice and basic and complementary books is perceptive. Student must analyze the basic principles, how to avoid mistakes and complementary techniques that are not discussed in the practice notes.
-Students should read the USC laboratory security manual for students, developed by the Prevention Hazards Service of University and sign in acknowledge sheet. Also, students will be given a hazards identification sheet, which must be covered with relevant observations during the development of laboratory classes.
- Students need to prepare in advance each experiment because the time spent and effort put into prepare the practice will be reflected in a good job.
- It is very important to be clear before starting the experimental, the objectives and procedures, as well as the inherent safety features.
- Before operating with the experimental equipment, the student will show and discuss with the professor the acquired information collected from this study and the next steps.

IN PRACTICE:
- All doubts that arise during the equipment handle will be exposed.
- In the lab notebook, experimental data and relevant incidents that are deemed to affect the experiment will be annotated.
- Calculations will be carried out using computer software (including spreadsheet).
- Data analysis, calculations and conclusions will be shown and discussed with the professor.

AT THE END OF THE PERIOD OF PRACTICE:
- The group will present a short laboratory report corresponding to two practices (one to Unit Operations section and one to Chemical Reaction Engineering section) and the notebook/diary used during its development.


The possibility of dedicating part of one of the laboratory sessions to visit the installations gallery of the School of Engineering will be considered, always within the safety framework that the access to this restricted area implies.


The work of competences in this area shall be in the light of the following distribution:

Practices Laboratory Tutoring Examination and Review
CQ.3.1, CQ3.2 70% 20% 10%
CQ3.3, CQ3.4 70% 20% 10%
CQ4.1 80% 20%
CQ4.2 80% 20%
CG.4 80% 20%
CT2, CT.3, CT4 70% 30%
CT8 90% 10%
CT13 100%

It will monitor the students' learning through the individual and/or group activities. The final lab mark will be composed by the grades obtained in the lab report, quality of lab work and the final exam. Laboratory data processed in Excel or another spreadsheet must be uploaded to the Learning Management System Course once each practice has been finished and previously to stat the next.
It is expected that during the course a minimum of 4 practices will be done. Work quality will be more valued against number of practices.
Each group of students must follow a common laboratory recordings notebook. Also, each group must elaborate a small report in electronic format for all the practices.

A minimum of 4 practices are expected to take place during the internship period. Preferably, the quality of the work will be assessed before the number of practices. Four factors will be taken into account for the final qualification:

Attendance at practices is mandatory.

The overall laboratory grade will be calculated using the following distribution:
1) Satisfactory laboratory performance (30%).
- Lab notebook/diary: sequence, readability, clarity, data treatment, etc.
- Handling of equipment.
- Cleanliness of the practice area.
- Compliance with lab rules.
- Teamwork.
- Timeliness.
- Student contributions: experimental planning, new experiments in each practice than those indicated in the notes (originality).
- Application of prior and acquired during the course of work knowledge.
2) Quality of the submitted report (25%)
- Delivery of the work within the time limit.
- Content.
- Originality and students’ contributions of student
3) Teacher report (10%)
- Practice preparation, experimental planning, observations and direct contact between professor and students during the lab.
4) Exam, which is mandatory and complementary to the other activities, at the end of the lab period (35%)

A minimum grade of 3/10 in each part is required.
Grades obtained in items 1, 2 and 3 will be published before the exam. These grades are retained from the first opportunity to the second one. No partial grade is retained from an academic course to further ones.


Competency assessment: it shall be carried out in accordance with the following table:

...................................... Notebook............ Memory................ Tutorials................. Test

CQ3.1....................................... X.......................................................................... X
CQ3.3....................................... X................................................. X.........................
CQ3.4....................................... X................................................. X.........................
CQ4.1....................................... X................................................. X.........................
CQ4.2.................................... X................................................. X.........................
CG4............................................. X................................................. X....................... X
CT.2 Ability to organize and plan................. X................................................. X.........................
CT.3 Oral and written communication................... X..................... X................................................... X
CT.4.Skills for the use and development of computer applications....................................... X........................
CT.8 Teamwork....................... X.................... X........................... X........................
CT.13 Ability to apply knowledge in practice.......................... X.......................................................................... X

Each proposed test (notebook, lab notes of teachers, examination questions and memory chapter) will contain a question, item to be developed, mandatory structure or mandatory element to include, which allows each competition to be weighted in this way.

For cases of fraudulent conduct of exercises or tests will apply the rehabilitation regulation of the academic performance assessment of students and review of qualifications

Distribution of the training activity:

Activity......................In-situ hours.......Self-work hours
Laboratory practices...........51........................68
Individual tutorships............2..........................3
Exam and revision...............5.........................21
TOTAL (6 ECTS, 150 h).......58........................92

It is recommended to have passed the following courses: Chemical Reaction Engineering, Chemical Reactors, Mass Transfer, and Process Control.

The admission and permanence of students enrolled in the lab requires that they know and comply with the rules included in the Basic Training Protocol on safety for experimental spaces of the School of Engineering, available in the safety section of its website which can be found in the following link: https://www.usc.gal/gl/centro/escola-tecnica-superior-enxenaria/segurid…

In relation to occupational safety and risk prevention, for each of the practices, the student will have a basic operating manual that includes the most relevant aspects.

Language: Galician / Spanish.

The Learning management system of the USC will be used to communicate with the students and deposit the necessary material to carry out the reports.