Introduction to Chemical

Engineering (TCH 111)

Lecturer: Mrs. A.A. Adeyemo

 Course Outline
Module 1: Role of Engineer in industry and Society
Module 2: - Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Calculation
- Units and Dimensions
- Conversion of Units and conversion factor
- System of Units
- Dimensional Consistency (Homogeneity)
Module 3: - Numerical Calculation and Estimation
- Scientific notation, significant figures and precision
Module 4: Processes and Process variables
Bench to industrial scale.
Recommended Reading/Text

• Himmelblau, D.M. and Brigs, J.B. (2012), Basic Principles and

Calculations in Chemical Engineering, 8th Ed., Prentice Hall.
• Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes. (2005), 3rd Edition
by Richard M. Felder and Ronald W. Rousseau
Module 1(week 1).
Role of engineer in the industry and society.
Who is an ENGINEER

• An engineer is a person who uses scientific knowledge to design,

construct, and maintain engines and machines or structures
such as roads, railways, and bridges
• Engineers are also involved in the evaluation, development,
testing, modification, inspection and maintenance of a wide
range of products, structures and systems.
Various discipline in Engineering

• Engineering profession is a source of strength and progress to

society and it is said to be as old as man.
• Engineering naturally consists in solving real-life problems of
society using machines, devices, systems, materials and
processes as opposed to science, which is led by curiosity.
• There are different and diverse specializations of engineering, but
they all create solutions for different areas of human life.
 Uniqueness of Chemical Engineering.
➢ Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the
study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as
methods of improving production.
➢ Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to
convert raw materials into useful products and they are involved in
many aspects of plant design and operation, including safety and
hazard assessments, process design and analysis, modeling, control
engineering, chemical reaction engineering, nuclear
engineering, biological engineering, construction specification, and
operating instructions.
➢ Today and into the future, chemical engineers will continue to meet
society’s needs using their process knowledge and their problem-
solving skill
Role of The Engineer
 Engineers improve quality of life by using
their knowledge, skills, and creativity to design,
build, and maintain systems, structures, and
technologies .

 New technologies are invented by Engineers

such as the telephone .
 Roles of the Engineer (contd.)
❖ They influence the shape of the society.

❖ Use mathematics and science to provide

innovations and inventions for the society.

❖ They limit wastefulness in production process.

❖ They bring together workers, machines, materials,

information, and energy to make
products or provide a service.
What Chemical Engineers do
• Another name for a chemical engineer could be “UNIVERSAL
ENGINEER”
• The discipline describes a broad area of engineering.
• At the most basic level a chemical engineer is involved in transforming
one thing into another.
• On a grand scale, a chemical engineer is an ‘enabler’; someone who
makes things happen efficiently on a massive, industrial manufacturing
scale.
• They look for best results at the least cost and with the lowest impact
on the environment possible.
• design, create and optimize the systems and equipment used in
chemical, industrial, biological and environmental processes.`
• They produce a range of materials, from fuels and fertilizers to
processed foods, beer and wine, polymers and pharmaceuticals.
Other major operations of chemical
Engineers
• Design and development of chemical process and equipment
• Optimization and control of industrial operations
• Plant operation and management.
• Fundamental and applied research from the molecular level to full
industrial scale.
• Environmental management, monitoring and pollution control.
Chemical Engineering
Fields
• Bio-process: Working in pharmaceuticals and
the food industry
• Chemical processes: involving the fertilizer’s
industry, including pesticides and herbicides,
caustic soda, glass and specialty chemicals
• Combustion: Large industrial furnaces such
as steel manufacture or for power generation
from coal or gas, or the recovery of valuable
energy from waste.
• Environmental: Waste and water treatment,
environmental regulations and recycling.
Recovering and reusing valuable materials
instead of dumping them.
Other areas include

Process control:
Petrochemicals: Converting Minerals: Major minerals Instrumentation and
oil and gas into plastics, industries such as alumina/ control systems which
synthetic rubber and other aluminium, steel, copper, make a manufacturing
things. lead and gold. process run smoothly,
safely and efficiently.

Project delivery: Converting

Petroleum: Producing oil
the design of a process
and gas from onshore and
plant into an efficient, safe
offshore fields.
operating plant.
Module 2 (week 2)
Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Calculation.
 Units and dimensions
• Units are the means of expressing dimensions explicitly, such as kilogram for
mass, feet or centimeters for length, or hours or seconds for time. In engineering
calculations, both the value and the unit of each quantity must appear in an
equation.
Numerical values and their corresponding units may be combined.
1. 3 N x 4 m = 12 Nm
2. 5.0 km ÷ 2.0 h = 2.5 km/h
3. 7.0 km/h x 4 h = 28 km
4. 3 m x 4 m = 12 m2
5. 6 cm x 5 cm/s = 30 cm2/s
6. 6 g /2 g = 3 (3 is a dimensionless quantity)
7. (5.0 kg/s) ÷ ( 0.20 kg/m3) = 25 m3/s
• Dimensions are properties that can be measured, such as length, time, mass, or
temperature, or calculated by multiplying or dividing other dimensions, such as
length/time (velocity), length3 (volume), or mass/length3 (density).
 Dimensions and their respective units are
classified as:
1. Fundamental (or basic) dimensions/units :
they can be measured independently and
are sufficient to describe most physical
quantities such as length, mass, time, and
temperature.
2. Derived dimensions/units: they can be
developed in terms of the fundamental
dimensions/units such as Velocity, density,
force, energy and acceleration.
Common Fundamental Dimensions and Their Units

• Length (L) - meters (m)

• Time (T) - seconds (s)

• Mass (M) - kilograms (kg)

• Temperature (Ө) - Kelvin (K)

• Amount of Substance (N) - moles (mol)

• Electric Current (I) - amperes (A)

• Luminous Intensity (J) - candela (cd)

Derived Dimensions and Units
These are combinations of fundamental units used to
express other physical properties:
• Volume: - cubic meters (m³)
• Density: - kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³)
• Velocity: - meters per second (m/s)
• Acceleration: - meters per second squared (m/s²)
• Force: - newtons (N = kg·m/s²)
• Energy: - joules (J = kg·m²/s²)
• Power: - watts (W = J/s)
• Pressure: - pascals (Pa = N/m²)
Commonly Used Units in Chemical Engineering
Flow Rate:
Volumetric Flow Rate: cubic meters per second (m³/s),liters
per minute(L/min)
Mass Flow Rate: kilograms per second (kg/s)
Molar Flow Rate: moles per second (mol/s)

Concentration:
Molarity: moles per liter (mol/L)
Mass Concentration: kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³)

Viscosity:
Dynamic Viscosity: pascal-seconds (Pa·s)
Kinematic Viscosity: square meters per second (m²/s)
Differences between fundamental and
derived units.
•Fundamental units and derived units are
two key categories in the measurement
system used in engineering.

•In essence, fundamental units form the

foundation, while derived units are built
upon these foundations through
mathematical expressions.
Differences between Fundamental and
Derived Dimension/Unit

Fundamental Dimension/Units Derived Dimension/Unit

• They can be measured • They cannot be measured
independently. independently.
• They are sufficient to describe • They can be developed in terms
most physical quantities. of the fundamental
Examples are: dimensions/units.
• length Examples are:
• mass • Velocity,
• time • Density
• temperature. • Force
• Energy
In chemical engineering, units and
dimensions are essential for analyzing
and designing chemical processes.
Understanding them allows engineers
to quantify physical and chemical
quantities, ensuring consistent
calculations and correct application of
laws and formulas.
Module 2 (week 3)
Conversion of units and conversion factors.
Conversion of units
Unit conversion is fundamental in
chemical engineering as it ensures
consistency and accuracy when
working with different units of
measurement across processes.
 Conversion of units(Contd)
Conversion of unit is the act of changing a quantity expressed in terms of one
unit to its equivalent in terms of another unit.
Velocity, may be expressed in
• ft/s
• miles/h,
• cm/yr,
• or any other ratio of a length unit to a time unit.
The numerical value of the velocity naturally depends on the units chosen.
Example
convert 36 mg to its equivalent in grams.
Solution
36mg x 1g = 0.036g.
1000mg
Conversion factor
• Conversion factor is a ratio of equivalent values of a quantity expressed
in different units.
• To convert a quantity expressed in terms of one unit to its equivalent in
terms of another units, multiply the given quantity by the conversion
factor.
• Example of conversion factor
Relationship Conversion factor
1 ft = 12 in 1 ft/12 in
1 m = 100 cm 1 m/100 cm
60 s = 1 min 60 s/1 min
1 in = 2.54 cm 1 in / 2.54 cm
10 mm = 1 cm 10 mm/ 1 cm
( 10 mm = 1 cm )2 100 mm2 / 1cm2
Conversion factor (contd)
Example
If a plane travels at the speed of sound (assume that the speed of
sound is 1100 ft/s), how fast is it going in miles per hour?
(1 miles = 5280 ft, 1 hr = 3600 s )
Solution
1100 ft/s x 1 miles/ 5280 ft x 3600 s/ 1 hr
= 1100 ft x 1 miles x 3600 s = 750 miles/ hour.
1s x 5280 ft x 1 hr
 Conversion factor ( Contd)
Example 2

An acceleration of 50 feet/ hr2 is to be changed

to S.I unit.
( 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 hr = 3600 s )
Solution
50 ft x 0.3048 m x 1 hr2 = 1.176 x 10-6 m/ s2
hr2 x 1 ft x 36002 s2
Module 2 ( week 4)
- System of units
- Dimensional Consistency
 System of Units
Measurements and calculations cut across a wide range of
physical and chemical quantities in chemical engineering and
various systems of units are used to maintain consistency and
accuracy, The two most common systems are:
1. International System of Units
The International System of Units, internationally known by
the abbreviation SI, is the modern form of the metric system.
The SI system is the most widely used in engineering and
scientific applications due to its global standardization.
Here are key SI units relevant to chemical engineering:
2. AE, American Engineering system of units (base units: foot (ft) for
length, pound-mass (lbm) for mass, and second (s) for time).

Quantity Unit Symbol

Length Foot, inch Ft, in

Mass Pound-mass lbm

Time seconds s
 System of units(contd.)
A system of units has the following components:
Base Units, for mass, length, time, temperature,
electrical current, light intensity.
Multiple Units, are multiple of base units, such
as minutes, hours, milliseconds, all being defined
in terms of base unit of second.
Derived Units, which can be obtained by
multiplying and dividing base or multiple units
(cm2, ft/min, kg.m/s2,etc). These are called
compound units.
SI Prefixes
Prefixes are used in SI units to indicate powers of ten, e.g.
✓ deci (d) = 10-1
✓ centi (c) = 10-2
✓ milli (m) = 10-3
✓ micro (μ) = 10-6
✓nano (n) = 10-9
✓ giga (G) = 109
✓mega (M) = 106
✓Kilo (k) = 103
✓hecto (h) = 102
✓deka (da) = 101
Dimensional Consistency (Homogeneity)
• Dimensional consistency refers to the requirement that all terms in an equation
or expression must have the same dimensions or units.
• A basic principle states that equations must be dimensionally consistent
• That each term in an equation must have the same net dimensions and units
as every other term.
• Dimensional considerations can be used to help identify the dimensions and
units of terms or quantities in an equation.
• Dimensional consistency can be illustrated with the equation representing
the pressure/volume/temperature behaviour of a gas (van der Waal’s
equation)
(P + a/V2) (V-b) = RT
a = constant, this must have the units of [(pressure)(volume) 2] for the first
term in the equation to be consistent.
If p = atm, V = cm3, then a = [(atm)(cm) 6].
• What are the units of 70.5 and 8.27x10-7?
Non dimensional group
•In chemical engineering, there are groups of
symbols that may be put together by theory
or based on experiments, that have no net
units. Such collections of variables or
parameters are called DIMENSIONLESS or
NON-DIMENSIONAL GROUPS. Example is
Reynolds number.
Facts about Dimensional Consistency
1.Dimensional consistency ensures that physical laws and equations
accurately represent relationships between variables, maintaining
the integrity of calculations.
2.In any equation, if the dimensions do not match across all terms, it
signals that the equation may be fundamentally flawed or incorrectly
formulated.
3.Checking for dimensional consistency is a critical step in problem-
solving, as it can help identify errors early in the process.
4.Units must be converted appropriately before checking dimensional
consistency, as working with different units without conversion can
lead to incorrect conclusions.
5.Dimensional consistency plays a key role in deriving relationships
between physical quantities and assists in creating dimensionless
numbers for scaling analysis.
Module 3 (week 5)
Numerical Calculation and Estimation
 Scientific Notation, Significant Figures, and Precision
Scientific Notation
This is the representation of numbers as the product of another number
(usually between 0.1 and 10) and a power of 10. This is applicable when we
encounter very large and very small numbers.
Examples:
123,000,000 = 1.23 x 108 (or 0.123 x 109)
0.000028 = 2.8 x 10-5 (or 0.28 x 10-4)
• The general format is:
a×10n
where a is the coefficient, a number usually between 1 and 10 (it can include
decimals) and n is the exponent, an integer that indicates how many places
the decimal point is moved:
• A positive n means the decimal point moves to the right (a large number).
• A negative n means the decimal point moves to the left (a small number).
 Significant Figures
Significant figures show the closeness of values to their accuracies or
certainties.
Significant figures of a number are the digits from the first non zero digit on
the left to either,
i) the last digit (zero or non zero) on the right if there is a decimal point, or
ii) the last non zero digit of the number if there is no decimal point.
Examples
-2300 or 2.3 x 103 (has 2 sign. figures)
-2300. or 2.300 x 103 (has 4 sign. figures)
-2300.0 or 2.3000 x 103 (has five sign. figures)
-23,040 or 2.304 x 104 (has 4 sign. figures)
-0.035 or 3.5 x 10-2 (has 2 sign. figures)
-0.03500 or 3.500 x 10-2 (has four sign. Figures)
Note: The number of significant figures is easily shown and seen if scientific
notation is used.
 Precision
➢ Precision is crucial across various aspects of chemical
Engineering including process design, simulation, manufacturing,
and quality control. It ensures processes operate efficiently,
products meet specifications, and resources are used optimally.
➢ key areas where precision plays a role in chemical engineering:
Precision in Measurements:
Accurate and precise measurements of variables like temperature, pressure,
flow rate, and concentration are essential for:
• Process Optimization: Ensuring processes operate within optimal
conditions.
• Reactor Design: Precise kinetic and thermodynamic data are required for
designing reactors.
• Safety: Monitoring and controlling hazardous conditions.
Example: Measuring the flow rate in a pipeline using a precise flowmeter
ensures accurate control over reactant addition.
Precision in Chemical Analysis:
Analytical techniques demand high precision to:
• Characterize Raw Materials: Ensure input
materials meet specifications.
• Monitor Processes: Detect deviations or
impurities.
• Ensure Product Quality: Meet stringent
regulatory standards.
Example: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
offers precise analysis of compounds in a mixture.
Precision in Computational Models:
Simulation tools like Aspen Plus, COMSOL,
or MATLAB rely on precise data to:
• Model Chemical Processes: Simulate
reactors, distillation columns, or heat
exchangers.
• Optimize Operations: Test different
scenarios with minimal errors.
• Scale-Up Processes: Transition from lab-
scale to industrial-scale accurately.
Precision in Equipment Design:
Chemical engineering equipment like reactors, heat
exchangers, and separators need precision in:
• Fabrication: Accurate dimensions and material
specifications.
• Performance Prediction: Models used to predict
efficiencies must be precise.
• Energy Efficiency: Precise designs reduce energy losses.

Example: Plate heat exchangers require precise plate

spacing to maximize heat transfer efficiency.
Precision in Quality Assurance:
▪ Precision in quality control ensures the
final product meets the desired
specifications consistently, especially in
industries like pharmaceuticals or
petrochemicals.
▪ Chemical plants operate under high-risk
conditions. Precision in monitoring and
control systems is vital to avoid accidents
caused by equipment failures, or toxic
releases.
Module 4 (week 6)
Process and Process Variables
 Process and Process Variables
• Processes and process variables are fundamental concepts that define
how raw materials are transformed into desired products through various
physical or chemical operations.
• Process: Any operation or series of operations by which a particular
objective is accomplished. A process in chemical engineering also refers to
a sequence of operations or actions performed on raw materials to convert
them into products. These operations may include:
• Physical changes (e.g., separation, mixing, heating, cooling).
• Chemical reactions (e.g., combustion, polymerization, oxidation).
• Biological transformations (e.g., fermentation).
Examples of Processes:
• Distillation: Separating mixtures based on differences in boiling points.
• Reaction engineering: Converting reactants into products in reactors.
• Filtration: Removing solid particles from liquids or gases.
• Heat exchange: Transferring heat between two fluids.
Processes are typically carried out in process units (e.g., reactors, heat
exchangers, separators) within a plant.
• Input/feed: Materials that enters the
process.
• Output/Product: Materials that leave the
process.
• Process unit: A process may be carried out
in a unit/step or multiple of units/steps. A unit
is step in which a process is carried out.
• A chemical Engineer designs or operates a
process and also formulate a process
flowsheet (layout) as well as the specification
of individual process units (reactors,
separation equipment, heat exchangers etc).
Process Variables
• Process variables are measurable quantities that describe the
operating conditions of a process.
• Process variables are essential for monitoring, controlling, and
optimizing chemical processes.
Common process variables
Concentration (c):
•Amount of a substance in a given volume.
•Expressed in units like moles per liter (mol/L) or weight percen

Flow rate (Q):

• The amount of material (liquid, gas, or solid) moving through a
process per unit of time.
• Can be expressed as volumetric flow rate (e.g., m³/s, L/min) or
mass flow rate (e.g., kg/s).
Heat transfer (Q̇ ):
•The rate of heat energy transfer into or out of a system.
•Measured in joules per second (watts) or BTU/hour.
Temperature (T):
•Affects reaction rates, phase changes, and equilibrium.
•Measured in units like Celsius (°C), Kelvin (K), or Fahrenheit (°F).
Pressure (P):
• It influence reaction kinetics, boiling points, and equipment
design.
• Commonly measured in units like Pascals (Pa), bar, or psi.

Composition (C):
•Describes the proportion of different species in a mixture.
•Measured as molar fraction, mass fraction, or percentage.

pH:
• A measure of acidity or alkalinity, crucial in chemical and biological
processes.
Importance of process variables
•Control: Ensuring processes remain within
safe and efficient operating conditions.
•Optimization: Adjusting variables to
maximize yield, minimize energy
consumption, or improve product quality.
•Safety: Monitoring to prevent dangerous
deviations (e.g., excessive pressure or
temperature).