ChE Tulsa University

 
           

ChE 4003 Chemical Engineering Lab I
Required course for ChE program

Catalog Description:  Experimental verification of the principles of fluid flow, heat transfer, and engineering thermodynamics. Emphasis on laboratory safety, oral and written reports.

Prerequisites:  ES 3003, ES 3073.

Corequisites:  none

Prerequisites by Topic:  Fluid mechanics, heat transfer, engineering thermodynamics

Recent Textbook:  None

Other Required Material:  None

Course Objectives: Students can run an experiment correctly given equipment operating procedures; connect a process flow diagram to the equipment; determine experimental error; analyze and manipulate real world data; do statistical analysis; work well in a team; apply the basic concepts of laboratory safety to their experiments; apply the theoretical principles learned in engineering science classes; do basic experimental design; and present their findings in written and oral formats.

Major Topics Covered in the Course:  Lab experiments cover heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and engineering thermodynamics; lectures cover laboratory safety, report writing, error analysis, and a review of engineering science principles associated with each experiment.

Class/Laboratory Schedule:  Lecture meets for one 50-minute session each week for 14 weeks.  Lab meets for one session that is up to 5 hours long each week for 14 weeks. 

Professional Component Contribution:  This course applies mathematics and basic chemistry and physics to engineering applications of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. 

Relationship to Program Outcomes: 

  • Outcome a:  Experiments in this course build on a background of chemistry, physics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
  • Outcome b:  Students are required to conduct experiments and to analyze and interpret the resulting data.
  • Outcome d:  The experiments and reports are done in teams. 
  • Outcome e:  Prelab report problems and final report questions are assigned so that students will develop the necessary problem solving skills.
  • Outcome f:  Professional behavior such arriving on time, wearing appropriate dress, and meeting deadlines is required.  Ethical behavior is required in the course.  Safety is emphasized in the course.
  • Outcome g:  In addition to the communication skills required to function on a team, students are required to write twelve team reports on their experiments and present two team oral presentations.
  • Outcome i:  Students are introduced to the Honeywell process control system and made aware that there is much more that can be done with it. 
  • Outcome k:  Students are required to use computers to solve problems throughout the course.  Excel and PlantScape (the Honeywell system) are required.  Students also practice experimental techniques and data analysis.

Prepared by:  Laura P. Ford (May 27, 2005)

December 19, 2005 – co-taught by Dr. Laura P. Ford and Dr. Keith Wisecarver – 12 students

Experiments used this semester were tank drainage, air-cooled heat exchanger, double pipe and plate heat exchangers, liquid shear viscosity (with falling sphere viscometer and Brookfield viscometer), pump performance and fluid friction, and bomb calorimeter.  The experiments were done in that order to allow time to get the Brookfield viscometer running, and the students’ understanding of experimental error probably suffered.  A handout with a set of symbols to use on the process flow diagrams is needed to help the students sketch the equipment.  Lectures did not cover a review of the engineering science principles used in each experiment, but that material is presented in the handouts for each experiment.  Students generally did well on calculations, and laboratory reports were generally adequate.  The most notable shortcomings were in analyzing experimental error and in answering open-ended type questions.  We added communication as an objective to the course.