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Department of Chemical Engineering, Unit Catalogue 2007/08


CE20090 Engineering thermodynamics

Credits: 6
Level: Intermediate
Semester: 1
Assessment: CW 20%, EX 80%
Requisites:
Aims: To complete the teaching of core chemical engineering thermodynamics started in year 1.
Learning Outcomes:
After successfully completing this unit students should be able to:
* Understand the significance of and the means for estimating K values;
* Estimate physical properties of pure components and mixtures (with the aid of reference material);
* Question the validity of techniques used to estimate thermodynamic/physical properties, especially when using computer packages;
* Apply the laws of thermodynamics to solve problems of power cycles and refrigeration.
Skills:
Analysis and problem solving (taught/facilitated and assessed).
Content:

* Prediction of physical properties and non-ideal vapour-liquid equilibria;
* Determination of K values;
* PVT relations, equations of state: Van der Waals, Redlich-Kwong, Benedict-Webb-Rubin and Virial equations, compressibility factor, Pitzer's correlation;
* Mixture combination rules; heat capacity of gases and liquids, enthalpy and entropy as a function of temperature and pressure; standard heat of reaction, Maxwell's relations;
* Chemical potential, Gibbs-Duhem equation; fugacity, fugacity coefficient and fugacity in a mixture; activity coefficient in liquid phase; excess thermodynamic functions, extension of binary experimental data to multi-component systems;
* Combustion engines; steam and gas turbine power plant; refrigerators and heat pumps; compressors and expanders; nozzles and diffusers.