Advanced Topics in Chemical Engineering
| Module title | Advanced Topics in Chemical Engineering |
|---|---|
| Module code | ENSM005 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
A number of industrially-focussed case studies across the Chemical Engineering sector will be presented in this module. Those can range from food/beverage and agriculture, polymers and textiles or detergents and cosmetics. You will analyse these complex cases in terms of their often-conflicting requirements, specialist products and processes, unit operations, equipment, systems, process safety, sustainability and ethics. You will review one of these complex cases in depth, identifying the limitations of current the technology and proposing new approaches to advance the industry, ensuring a solution that minimised environmental and societal impact.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module you will be able to apply knowledge from previous years in industrially-focussed case studies where a more comprehensive understanding of chemical engineering practice is required. You will also gain a better understanding of the wider commercial, economic and social context of engineering and the role of the professional chemical engineer through examples in the forefront of the industry sector and more widely. From legal requirements and industry standards to considerations around risk assessment, hazard identification, you will see these in detail through case studies involving complex and novel systems and processes, analyse the limitations and propose strategies to overcome them.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Have a broad knowledge and critical awareness of developments at the forefront of chemical engineering and the wider engineering discipline, understanding the limits of available technology.
- 2. Apply the knowledge of chemical engineering principles to complex and/or novel unit operations, process equipment and substances with complex behaviour.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Understand the principles of safety and loss prevention, risk assessment, safety management and hazard identification, along with specialist aspects of safety and environmental issues and local legislative frameworks.
- 4. Apply the principles of sustainability, economics and ethics to novel and complex situations with conflicting requirements.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Understand the needs for high ethical and professional standards and understand how they are applied to issues facing engineers.
- 6. Understand that an effective ethics culture includes sustainability, economics, health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion and professionalism are informed by and influence the ethical reasoning and behaviour of the professional engineer.
Syllabus plan
There is no syllabus for this module. The case studies will change year on year depending on academic and industrial partners’ availability.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | 137 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 10 | Lectures with case studies (10 × 1h) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 3 | Coursework support sessions (3 × 1h) |
| Guided Independent Study | 97 | Consolidation |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Case study review coursework |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursework 1: Case study review written report of analysis | 85 | 10 pages | 1-6 | Written |
| Coursework 2: Case study review recorded presentation | 15 | 10 min | 1-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coursework 1 | Coursework 1 (10 pages, 85%) | 1-6 | Referral/deferral period |
| Coursework 2 | Coursework 2 (10 min, 15%) | 1-6 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Where assessments for part of the module are referred, the whole module must be capped at 40%. For deferred candidates, the module mark will be uncapped. Where only one of the components was referred/deferred, only that one should be resubmitted. If the student fails the module overall, they can choose to retain marks of completed module assessment components with a passing mark (>40%). Alternatively, they can all chose to complete re-assessments for all module assessment components.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- David Himmelblau and James Riggs, Basic Principles and Calculations in Chemical Engineering, 8th or 9th edition, 2022, Pearson Education
- Richard M. Feldman, Ronald W. Rousseau, Lisa. G. Bullard, Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes, 4th edition, 2018, Wiley
- Nayef Ghasem, Redhouane Henda, Principles of Chemical Engineering Processes: Material and Energy Balances, 3rd edition, 2025, CRC Press
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 23/09/2024 |
| Last revision date | 09/07/2025 |
