Course Catalog
Chemical Engineering Classes
ChE 1010, Introduction to Chemical Engineering
1 credit, 1 class hour
Students will gain fundamental engineering skills that apply to all engineering disciplines through problem and cooperative based learning exercises and attain a clear understanding of what chemical engineers practice versus other engineering disciplines, in both traditional and contemporary work environments and careers. This course will introduce engineering calculations such as material and energy balances, cost analysis, and engineering software programs.
ChE 1010L, Introduction to Chemical Engineering Lab
1 credit, 1 lab hour
This lab focuses on first hand experience of engineering design, calculations, and simulations using ChemCAD, Lab VIEW, and Excel. Additionally, data acquisition and analysis will be introduced. Small teams will design, build, and test a system, resulting in a written report, oral presentation, and design competition.
No 200-Level Chemical Engineering classes are offered.
ChE 3026, Principles of Chemical Engineering I
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: CHEM 121 Corequisite: MATH 132
Offered fall semester
Introduction to stoichiometric computations. Calculations of energy and material balance. Elementary process analysis and reactor design. Single and multi‐phase systems. (Same as METE 3026)
ChE 3027, Principles of Chemical Engineering II
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: ChE 3026 Corequisite: MATH 2031
Offered spring semester
Introduction to non‐steady state, transient material and energy balances. Solution methods using logic programming, spreadsheets, and process simulation software. Statistical process analysis.
ChE 3045L, Chemical Engineering Design Lab
1 credit, 3 lab hours; Prerequisites: ES 3047, ChE 3026 Corequisite: ES 3050
Offered spring semester
Team‐oriented project design. Introduction to design fundamentals and creative problem‐solving techniques. Written and oral presentations summarizing team progress.
ChE 3049, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisites: MATH 2031; CHEM 1021, PHYS 1021; ES 3047 is recommended
Offered fall semester
The theory and engineering applications of the properties of mixtures, phase and chemical reaction equilibria. (Same as MATE 350)
ChE 3051, Chemical Process Kinetics
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisites: ChE 3026, 3049, MATH 3035 Corequisite: ES 3050
Offered spring semester
Fundamentals of chemical reaction kinetics and chemical reactor design. Development of rate equations for both homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions, catalysis, diffusion‐controlled reactions, and transport processes. (Previously offered as ChE 451)
ChE 3052, Separation Processes
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisites: ChE 3026, 3049 Corequisite: ES 3050
Offered spring semester
The process approach to solving problems that involve equilibrium in binary and multicomponent mixtures. Phase equilibrium, absorption, distillation (binary and multicomponent), liquid‐liquid extraction, leaching. Design of staged operations for separating gas‐liquid, liquid‐liquid, solid‐liquid, and gas‐solid mixtures. (Previously offered as ChE 442)
ChE 3071, Solution Methods for Chemical Engineers
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisites: ChE 3027 Corequisites: MATH 3035, ES 3050
Offered fall semester
Application of analytic and numeric solution techniques to problems in chemical engineering thermodynamics, fluid transport, heat transfer, mass transfer, kinetics and process control. Topics covered include solution of sets of linear and nonlinear algebraic equations, ordinary differential equations, and partial differential equations. Emphasis will be on solving problems the student will encounter in the field of chemical engineering.
ChE 4043, Process Dynamics and Control
2 credits, 2 class hours; Prerequisites: MATH 3035 Corequisites: ChE 3071
Offered Fall Semester
Process dynamics and control theory applied to chemical, mechanical, and other engineering processes. Design of control systems.
ChE 4043L, Chemical Process Dynamics & Control Lab
1 credit, 3 lab hours; Corequisite: ChE 4043
Computer modeling of system dynamics. Design, implementation, and tuning of process control systems for chemical processes.
ChE 4045L, Unit Operations Lab
1 credit, 3 lab hours; Prerequisite: ChE 3051, 3052
Offered fall semester
Laboratory exercises to illustrate heat exchange, fluid flow, and mass transport phenomena in common unit operations found in the chemical process industries.
ChE 4061, Chemical Plant Design, Economics, and Management I
3 credits, 1 class hour, 6 lab hours; Prerequisites: ChE 3051 and ChE 3052
Offered fall semester
A two‐semester sequence of courses in which a design project is used to illustrate principles and processes of chemical plant design, economics, and management. Lecture topics include intellectual property, capital and operating cost estimation, energy conservation, design optimization and scaling of chemical processes. Use of commercially available process simulation software emphasized.
ChE 4062, Chemical Plant Design, Economics, and Management II
3 credits, 1 class hour, 6 lab hours; Prerequisite: ChE 4061
Offered spring semester
Continuation of ChE 461.
ChE 4063, 4063D, Design and Analysis of Experiments
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: Senior standing
Methods of statistics and modeling important to many problems in materials science and engineering. Examples are chosen from a number of actual experiences. Safety considerations and experiment design including analysis of risk, how risks may be integrated, and how formal procedures should be established. The use of information sources, such as materials safety data sheets (MSDS). (Same as MATE 4030)
ChE 4064, Natural Gas Engineering
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: PETR 2045 or ChE 3049
Offered fall semester
Composition and properties of natural gas. Gas separator design. Recovery of liquefiable products from gas. Conditioning, transmission, and compression, measurement of gas, gas pipeline design, and gas storage. (Same as PETR 4064)
ChE 4065, Catalyst Characterization Techniques
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: ChE 3049 or MATE 3050 or CHEM 3032 or instructor’s consent
The course provides an overview of techniques used to characterize catalytic materials including data analysis and linking physical and chemical properties to catalytic activity at the laboratory and process level. Topics include x‐ ray methods, neutron scattering methods, physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, temperature programmed techniques, photoelectron spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, and electron microscopy.
ChE 4070, Fuel Cell Technology
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
The principles of fuel cell technology, including classification of fuel cells and operating mechanisms. Analysis of the underlying thermodynamics and physical factors which govern fuel cell performance and efficiency. Cell components and integrative cell design.
ChE 4072, 4072D, Advanced Transport Phenomena
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: ES 2016 and 3050 or MATE 3014 or consent of instructor
Advanced topics in momentum, heat, and mass transfer. Newtonian and non‐Newtonian fluid behavior and laminar flow problems, elementary turbulent flow concepts, energy balance applications in incompressible fluid flow, flow and vacuum production. Fourier’s law and thermal conductivity of materials, steady state and time dependent heat conduction, application in solidification, elementary convective heat transfer. Diffusivity of materials, diffusion in gases, liquids and solids and through porous media, time dependent diffusion, and interphase mass transfer.
ChE 4073, Polymer Materials Engineering
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: MATE 2002 or consent of instructor
Offered every fall semester
Introduction to classes and performance properties of polymeric materials. Methods of polymer synthesis and processing. Special emphasis on structure, viscoelasticity, and mechanical properties.
ChE 4074, Polymer Processing and Characterization
3 credits, 2 class hours, 3 lab hours; Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
The basics of rheology, calorimetry and mechanical testing are covered. A specific polymer is used (e.g., an epoxy) throughout the course and the processing of this polymer is covered. Students are expected to acquire a working knowledge of the instrumentation and analysis tools used in the course. These include rheometers, calorimeters, and mechanical testing. The primary analysis tool is Kaleidagraph software. (Same as MATE 4074.)
ChE 4075, 4075D, Explosives Surety
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: Upper‐class standing or consent of instructor
Offered spring semester
An introduction to explosives and other energetic materials. The basic chemical compositions, properties and environmental effects of commercial, military, and improvised (terrorist) explosives and some pyrotechnics will be compared. The basic physics of shock waves and detonation. Explosive effects, blast detection, tagging and environmental issues. Case studies or recent bombings will be used to describe a variety of terrorist approaches. Safety in handling of explosive materials and classifications for transportation and storage. (Same as EXPL 4014.)
ChE 4076 Drug Delivery Techniques
3 credits, 3 class hours; Prerequisite: Senior standing or consent of instructor
Focus is on current developments in drug delivery techniques, with only a brief discussion of common clinical techniques. The first portion of the class focuses on various delivery mechanisms and the tools needed to validate successful targeted drug delivery (both in vitro, in vivo and diagnostic tools).
The second part of the course focuses on current developments in drug delivery based on published research articles. Students will read, digest, and critically analyze scientific work from leading research laboratories. Students will also gain valuable communication tools, as each student will present an article of interest to the class. Finally, the third part of the course focuses on important materials characterization methods such as biological sample prep, SEM, TEM, DSC, Flow Cytometry, Fluorescence Microscopy, ELISA Assays. Shares lecture with MATE 576 with additional expectations for graduate credit.
ChE 4085, Senior Seminar
1 credit, 3 lab hours; Prerequisite: Senior standing or consent of instructor
Offered fall semester
Student and outside speaker presentations of topics of current interest. Peer and video review of each student’s work. Career planning.
ChE 4091, Independent Study
Credit hours to be arranged; Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
Individual study of chemical engineering problems of special interest.