Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (CHEN90007)

AIMS

This subject comprehensively covers the thermodynamics of chemical and physical systems of relevance to chemical engineers.

The laws of thermodynamics, which govern energy and the direction of energy flow, are amongst the most important fundamentals of chemical engineering that students learn during their course. This subject revises and expands the students’ understanding of the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics, from both classical and statistical perspectives. Students learn about the concepts of entropy and equilibrium in detail, which form the basis for the topics of phase equilibrium, mixture properties, mixture equilibrium, reaction equilibrium and interfacial equilibrium.

The concepts covered by this subject provide the fundamental basis for chemical and process engineering and are utilised throughout all sectors of industry by engineers. This subject provides students with the ability to perform detailed calculations of complex systems to predict the performance of process unit operations, to aid in their design and operation.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject focuses on the definitions and applications of the laws of thermodynamics, especially the implications of entropy and equilibrium on phases, mixtures, chemical reactions and interfaces:

• First law of thermodynamics.
• Second law of thermodynamics and entropy.
• Phase equilibria of pure substances, including fugacity.
• Mixtures and phase equilibria of mixtures, including activity coefficients and vapour-liquid equilibrium.
• Chemical reactions and reaction equilibria.
• Interfacial thermodynamics.