Our Chemical Engineering BEng (Hons) degree is designed to provide you with a 'Chemical Engineering Toolbox' that can be applied in all industries that employ chemical engineers. The key principles of chemical engineering are covered within the first two years, to ensure that students choosing to undertake an industrial placement can make a valuable contribution to their placement company, regardless of the sector that they choose.

During your final year, you can choose from a range of optional modules to focus on particular areas of chemical engineering. For example, biochemical engineering, healthcare engineering and data analysis. Alternatively, you can broaden your understanding of complementary subjects. For example business systems, entrepreneurship and innovation, or operations management.

Compulsory modules

Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering

The aims of this module are to reinforce and extend students' previous exposure to mathematics with an emphasis on the techniques required to solve problems arising in chemical engineering.

Chemical Engineering Science

The aims of this module is to:

  • Equip students with core chemical and biological knowledge underpinning Chemical Engineering.
  • Introduce the principles of sustainability in chemical/biochemical processes.
  • Introduce students to industrially significant aspects of chemical/biochemical processes and microbiology.
  • Familiarise students to risk analysis procedures and experimental planning processes.

Engineering Principles and Design

The aim of this module is to:

  • Introduce the commercial, social and environmental context of engineering design, including sustainability and ethics, process economics, and EDI.
  • Introduce a structured approach to engineering design, applying the principles of mechanical design, engineering drawings, and professional standards.
  • Promote the development of key professional and transferable engineering skills from teamwork and time management to written and verbal communication and personal development.
  • Provide perspective of engineering careers within different sectors and industries.

Process Balances

The aims of this module are to:

  • Impart the fundamentals of formulating material and energy balances for chemical engineering processes such as mixing, reactions and separations.
  • Analyse steady and unsteady state reactors by using material and energy balances.
  • Understand the concept of phase equilibrium and analyse single and multiple stage equilibrium processes using equilibrium relationships and material balances.
  • Produce process flow block diagrams and stream tables to describe chemical engineering processes.

Thermofluids

The aims of this module are to:

  • Introduce the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.
  • Solve practical engineering problems using thermodynamics and fluid mechanics principles.

Transfer Processes

The aims of this module are to:

  • Provide a thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts and modes of heat and mass transfer.
  • Solve problems relating to conduction, convection, and radiation modes of heat transfer.
  • Enable students to select, size and rate heat exchangers and estimate process heat duty.
  • Introduce the fundamental concepts of mass transfer theory and calculations.

Compulsory modules

Advanced Thermodynamics & Reaction Engineering

The aims of this module are to:

  • Develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of thermodynamics and their application in the design of chemical reactor systems and chemical processes.
  • Provide an introduction to chemical reaction engineering with an emphasis on reactor design and simulation.
  • Consolidate and extend knowledge of fundamental thermodynamic equations and their application to practical systems.
  • Develop knowledge and understanding of chemical thermodynamics, including ideal and non-ideal systems, and apply engineering thermodynamic principles to chemical process systems.

Advanced Fluid Mechanics and Particle Technology

The aims of this module are to:

  • Develop students' understanding of the fundamentals of the flow of fluids and complex fluids through the application of the principles of conservation of energy, mass, and momentum.
  • Develop expertise in solving fluid mechanics problems encountered in chemical engineering including the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
  • Apply the understanding of fluid mechanics to systems containing a dispersed phase.
  • Provide a critical understanding of the methods available for the production, separation, processing, and characterisation of systems containing particulates such as powders, emulsions, aerosols, and dispersions.

Chemical Engineering Separations

More information to follow.

Process Safety and Control

More information to follow.

Process Simulation and Design

More information to follow.

Data Analysis and Modelling

More information to follow.

Compulsory modules

Advanced Transfer Processes

The aims of the module are to impart in-depth knowledge and understanding in heat, mass and momentum transfer describing theories and numerical calculations in transport phenomena. The module takes an engineering approach and applies semi-empirical and theoretical results to the solution of chemical and process engineering problems.

Reaction Engineering II

The aims of the module is to instruct students in a professionally relevant, in-depth, study of reaction engineering that covers reactor behaviour and reactor design procedures.

Process Economics and Project Management

The aims of this module are:

  • To develop in-depth understanding of the techniques of capital project appraisal and planning used in the process industries.
  • To impart and extend knowledge of project management and process optimisation including critical path analysis, linear and non-linear optimisation, and process integration.
  • To instruct students on how to overcome uncertainty (in relation to decision making) and its influence upon choice between options.
  • To develop generic skills in setting the aims for a project, trials and experiments, formulating a strategy to tackle problems.

Environmental Protection and Pollution Control

The aims of the module is to instruct students on the subject of pollution control and waste disposal in the chemical and process industries by the principal biological, physico-chemical and solid/fluid separation processes.

Individual Process Design Project

The aims of this module are to further develop knowledge and understanding of chemical engineering principles and practice through the detailed design study of an individual piece or small grouping of equipment.

Team Process Design Project

The aims of this module are:

  • To further develop knowledge and understanding of chemical engineering principles and practice through the detailed design study of a more traditional chemical process.
  • To provide a near optimum solution to an open-ended chemical engineering problem by application of process design techniques.

The solution is expected to take account of critical factors such as economics, environmental impact, safety and the ability to produce the product(s) to the required specification(s), ideally in a sustainable manner.

Chemical Process Control

The aims of this module are:

  • To develop the student's expertise in analysing and controlling time-varying process systems.
  • To impart detailed knowledge of the quantitative features of the subject in relation to the operations encountered on process plant.

Optional modules

Water Resources, Sustainability and Climate Change

The aims of this module are for the student to understand:

  • The basic principles of environmental processes and water pollution resulting from human activities.
  • The range of suitable technologies for water treatment and distribution and the range of suitable technologies for collection, treatment and disposal of liquid and solid wastes.
  • Understand the physical mechanisms that lead to the transport of both chemical and biological contaminants in groundwater.
    the various remote sensing technologies for monitoring and measuring surface water quality.
  • Geographic Information System (GIS) applications in water resources management.
  • The principles and practice of integrated water resources management.
  • The impacts of climate change on water resources and the development of adaptation strategies.
  • The measures being taken under the global sustainable development goals to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Business Systems

The aims of this module are:

  • To develop an appreciation of the use of Management Information Systems in business contexts, particularly in management planning, decision-making and control.
  • To develop a critical perspective on Information Systems within contemporary organisations and society.
  • To build on previous modules which introduced management aspects of Information Systems and on students' experience of working with such systems during the Industrial & Professional Studies year.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The aims of this module are:

  • To present a range of issues on managing entrepreneurship and innovation.
  • To present and discuss these issues for both large multinational corporations (MNCs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
  • To present a range of frameworks and tools in support of managing entrepreneurship and innovation.
  • To develop relevant transferable skills.

Circular Economy

The aims of the module are:
  • To introduce students to the concept of the circular economy and emerging technologies in the areas of energy, resource recovery, and the energy-water-resource nexus.
  • To introduce the whole system approach and the evaluation of sustainability.
  • To stimulate students' creativity in the application of emerging technologies to situation case studies.

Data Analysis

The objective of this module is to introduce (mainly statistical) methods for the analysis of data generated from experiments, plant trials or production. Students will gain an understanding of how confidence levels can be used to quantify uncertainty in data and shape the conclusions that can be drawn from them, to then inform decision making and resulting actions.

Biochemical Engineering

The aims of this module are:

  • To enable students to analyse biological processes based on an understanding of the principles involved.
  • To develop strategies for processing biological materials based on available technologies.
  • To give examples of industrially relevant processes.

Project Management

The aims of this module are:

  • To provide students with a critical theoretical and practical understanding of key topics in managing projects.
  • To provide students with an understanding of the role of a project manager.
  • To develop a critical appreciation of business and interpersonal skills relevant to managing projects.

Polymer Engineering - Processing and Manufacture

The aim of the module is to illustrate the principles and practice of engineering science applied to the processing and manufacture of products based on polymers.

Healthcare Engineering

The aim of the module is to introduce students from a diverse range of engineering backgrounds to both the opportunities and constraints of engineering practice in healthcare, medicine and medical device industry. The module will have a focus on products, design and manufacture, innovation and exploitation in a regulated industry on emerging health technology products.

The information above is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study. Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year. Please also see Terms and Conditions of Study for more information.