Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering (CHEN20012)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
Semester 1
Dr Christopher Honig
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
How do you make water safe to drink? How do you capture hazardous emissions to protect the environment? How do you create energy, food, medicines and other products that are essential to our everyday lives?
This subject begins with a broad overview of the environmental and social challenges facing humanity that require chemical engineering solutions, as well as the wide variety of jobs available to chemical engineers.
The subject will then focus on a series of foundational competencies that chemical engineers need to understand to address these big picture problems. It will introduce flow diagrams for conceiving processes in new ways, building up to reading detailed engineering schematics. These will draw on real case studies like how chocolate bars are made, how petroleum is refined and how pharmaceuticals are manufactured.
Students will then investigate a processing facility by building their own bench-scale plant. Students will have the opportunity to use a hands-on tools workshop to build equipment ranging from small valves and temperature sensors up to larger-scale equipment, which can be assembled into a final flow rig. Understanding how the equipment works will drive questions about the underlying physics, such as thermodynamics (for designing heat transfer equipment) and reaction kinetics (for building reactors), which will be discussed in accompanying classes.
At the end of the subject, all parts will be drawn back together into a single flow rig with an accompanying piping and instrumentation diagram, a detailed schematic for designing and controlling the plant.
Please view this video for further information: Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, the student is expected to:
- Recognise reactions taking place within ideal reactors
- Define and scope engineering problems and formulate suitable problem-solving strategies
- Model real gas behaviour
- Develop and interpret process flow diagrams, process and instrumentation diagrams
- Apply basic thermodynamic relationships to real problems
- Discuss the principles of sustainable design and development
- Recognise the difference between safe and unsafe industrial practices.
Generic skills
- Ability to apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals
- Ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution
- Ability to utilise a systems approach to design and operational performance
- Understand the principles of sustainable design and development.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Option 1
One of
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAST10006 | Calculus 2 |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MAST10021 | Calculus 2: Advanced | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MAST10009 | Accelerated Mathematics 2 | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
AND
One of
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM10003 | Chemistry 1 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| CHEM10006 | Chemistry for Biomedicine |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
OR
Option 2
Admission into the MC-CHEMENG Master of Chemical Engineering
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Attendance and participation in one tools training workshop class with an online safety admissions test within the prescribed assessment period. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 4 to 7 are addressed in this assessment.
| From Week 2 to Week 8 | 10% |
Attendance and participation in one laboratory class with a written assignment based on attendance and participation un one laboratory class. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 2 and 4 to 7 are addressed in this assessment.
| From Week 6 to Week 11 | 10% |
One team-based presentation of approximately 15 to 25 minutes, with 3 to 5 team members. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 2 and 4 to 7 are addressed in this assessment.
| From Week 5 to Week 7 | 5% |
One written assignment . Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 1 to 5 are addressed in this assessment.
| From Week 5 to Week 12 | 20% |
One written assignment . Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 1 to 5 are addressed in this assessment.
| From Week 10 to Week 12 | 5% |
One written closed book examination. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 1 to 7 are addressed in this assessment.
| During the examination period | 50% |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Christopher Honig Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 24 × 1-hour lectures, 11 × 2-hour workshops, 1 × 3-hour laboratory class and 1 × 6-hour tools training workshop Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 3 March 2025 to 1 June 2025 Last self-enrol date 14 March 2025 Census date 31 March 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 9 May 2025 Assessment period ends 27 June 2025 Semester 1 contact information
Dr Christopher Honig
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Subject notes
LEARNING AND TEACHING METHODS
The subject will be delivered through a combination of lectures and workshops. Students will also complete an multi-component experiment involving the building of equipment in a maker space and then testing it in a wetlab. Students also undertake introductory process simulation.INDICATIVE KEY LEARNING RESOURCES
J Richard Elliott Carl T. Lira Introductory Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, 2nd edition. Other key resources and multimedia are provided through the LMS.
CAREERS / INDUSTRY LINKS
The subject teaches a combination of core introductory chemical engineering content but also develops key 'real world' generic skills including team-working, engineering schematics, key industry software packages and introduction to key unit operations. - Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Software Engineering Course Master of Chemical Engineering Course Master of Engineering Informal specialisation Science Discipline subjects - new generation B-SCI - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025