Advanced Chemical Engineering MSc

The aim of this module is to help our graduates gain the necessary skills-set required for process engineering design and project management skills for future career development; be it Chemical, Environmental or Food. Student-led under the guidance of an academics who are all industrial specialists with extensive experience working for chemical, environmental and food manufacturing companies. Workshops and lectures are held by department staff in key areas. AutoCAD instruction is also provided. Regular mentoring sessions by an appointed team tutor to support your group work.

Modern engineering is not just motivated by profit and productivity, we must make decisions considering the technical, safety, economic and sustainability aspects, and these four factors will form the basis of our design. The focus of your process project is multi-disciplinary and rooted in “cutting-edge” research taking place around the world.

Assessment: 100% coursework

Coursework 1 (30%) Conceptual group design task

Coursework 2 (70%) Detailed group design task

Viva and Team peer assessment to compute individual marks

The module gives the student a detailed introduction to the fascinating world of non-Newtonian fluids. We will cover the different mathematical techniques used to understand and characterise these materials and cover the instruments required to measure them. Each week features a two hours of lectures and an hour-long problem class.

This module gives the students an introduction to industrial scale food processing. A $12 trillion industry that represents greater than 10% of global consumer spending and 40% of employment. Topics covered included: Food structure, food safety and hygiene, freezing, baking, frying, separation, drying and packaging. There is a large amount of industrial context with several guest lectures delivered by industrial engineers working within the fast-growing food and drink sector.

Assessment: 100% exam

This module will look at the potential of various waste streams in industry, domestic sources, and agriculture, as well as the different combustion technologies available. It will include a strong international focus, particularly on small to medium scale renewable energy schemes in developing countries. The module will also have dedicated socio-cultural, socio-economic, policy and guidance and techno-economic seminars to introduce students to the interdisciplinary nature of the subject.

Assessment: 30% group coursework, 70% exam

The module develops the skills required to design, plan, implement and manage a research project. Students will be given instruction and practice in problem definition; collection, synthesis and critical review of information from a range of traditional and electronic sources; definition of scope, aims and objectives; development of a project plan and schedule; management of project progress.

Particular emphasis of the module is towards quality control and quality assurance and how these underpin measurement activities. The use of statistics for the assessment of data quality in measurement is also emphasised. Students will also develop their writing and practical skills through exercises and coursework.

Assessment: 100% individual coursework

Coursework 1 (70%) 3,000-word laboratory report

Coursework 2 (30%) 1,000-word critical review

This module will identify the industrial occurrence of the simultaneous flow of more than one phase and highlight the implications for design. It will establish the principles of flow and heat transfer in gas/liquid systems.

Assessment: 30% individual coursework, 70% exam

This module introduces students to the principles of catalytic reactions and non-ideal reactors with a focus of heterogeneous gas phase reactions and liquid phase reactors. Delivered through a mix of lectures, problem classes and computing sessions. Students will derive catalytic reaction mechanism, define mass transfer & reaction in a catalytic system and develop models to evaluate real reactors via ideal reactors. Students will use computer software (i.e. Matlab, SPSS) to determine the parameters of a heterogeneous catalytic reactions used in the oil & gas industry.

Assessment: 30% individual coursework; 70% exam

The module is designed to give you experience of advanced software applications in chemical engineering, and their potential application to research projects. You will learn how to use advanced features of HYSYS, including the optimiser for (a) a two-stage compressor (b) an economic assessment of a refrigeration process; and the dynamics package to simulate (a) fluid flow in tanks in series (b) the control of a separator drum.

Assessment: 100% individual coursework

In this module a student will be assigned to an individual supervisor who will be a staff member in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. The student will carry out a practical or theoretical project chosen from the current interests of the staff member concerned.

The principal aims of the module are to develop the student's ability to work as part of a group to develop and analyse a proposed process design and to identify research need. Then to develop the student’s ability to evaluate and select information and apply this knowledge to propose and execute a research programme to address the identified need.

The module is composed of four major deliverables, a mixture of group and individual project work.

Assessment: 100% coursework

Task 1 (30%) Group design project

Task 2 (Formative) Individual research proposal

Task 3 (50%) Individual research paper

Task 4 (20%) Individual design re-evaluation

This module aims to introduce to students and build fundamental knowledge and skills in the utilisation of biological systems in bio-manufacturing and bioconversion. Students will learn basic biological science applied to the exploitation of living systems and their components. Fundamentals of bioprocess safety will be developed. You'll spend three hours in practical sessions each week studying for this module.

This module will introduce you to a range of knowledge and skills applicable to water and wastewater treatment. You'll gain an understanding in water availability, sources of pollution and the legislative framework for water quality from an EU perspective.

Municipal water and wastewater treatment processes will be covered, focusing on key unit processes including sedimentation, filtration and disinfection. You’ll spend three hours per week studying for this module. Teaching is also complemented by site visits.

This module covers traditional petroleum geology and reservoir engineering topics such as geophysics, reservoir rock core and fluid characterisation, drilling and well control together with gas storage and CO₂ sequestration. It also covers both unconventional hydrocarbon resources and more sustainable energy sources including geothermal.

Assessment: 100% exam

This module covers the design of processes and equipment that make use of biological entities for the synthesis of chemicals and materials. It aims to apply chemical engineering principles to processes involving biological systems and to appraise the significant issues of reactor engineering, product recovery, isolation and purification specific to biotechnology. Further to apply problem solving skills to design bioprocessing unit operations, the application of enzyme technology in the chemical industry: soluble and immobilized enzymes and downstream processing and protein purification.

Assessment: 100% individual coursework

This module will give you a detailed understanding of design considerations, current industry challenges, emerging issues, and technological solutions in water treatment. The module is delivered through case studies for you to experience and learn what water treatment engineering really means to different industries. Guest speakers will also introduce you to their challenges and solutions, including how these problems are driving investment into developing and emerging technologies.

Assessment: 30% individual coursework, 70% exam

In this module, you form a small start-up business based on the development of new technologies and work in teams to develop technological applications, assess market opportunities, explore competitor technologies, evaluate and consider risks—and then develop a full business case for specific technologies in specific market areas. Classes will revolve around group clinics/consultancy sessions, Q&A, lectures and guest lectures and two presentation sessions to a panel of ‘dragons’.

Assessment: 100% group coursework