CHBE 487/587 – Interfacial Phenomena
An interface occurs wherever two immiscible phases of matter come into contact. The properties of this interface can be very different from the properties of either of the two bulk phases. These interfacial properties in turn can have a significant impact on the overall system. By the end of this course students should be able to do the following:
- recognize the importance of interfacial phenomena in a variety of industrial processes and consumer products
- explain the physics driving interfacial phenomena in an area of industrial application that is of interest to the student
- calculate the quantitative effects of various interfacial phenomena
- estimate the relative importance of different physical phenomena by implementing dimensional analysis
- know where to look to find information to solve specfi c problems related to interfacial phenomena
FNH 300 – Principles of Food Engineering
Bringing food to consumers that is safe and delicious presents a number of technical challenges. Food engineering is the creative application of science and mathematics to overcome these challenges. Over the years, this has led to many innovations in food processing, preservation, and conveyance, as well as the creation of new food concepts. This course aims to provide an introduction to the fundamental scientific concepts and engineering skills needed to understand commercial food processes, as well as to design simple food process systems. Because of the practical need for quantitative prediction of process outcomes, topics are examined in mathematical as well as descriptive terms. By the end of this course students should be able to do the following:
- employ a systematic problem-solving method for addressing engineering questions, including making and testing assumptions
- calculate mass and energy balances in the context of food processing equipment
- describe the diff erent modes of heat and momentum transfer and explain the e ects of each on a food process of interest to the student
- select appropriate mathematical models for a given situation and use them to calculate important food processing parameters such as sterilization time, heating/cooling rate, or flow rate
- estimate the relative importance of different physical phenomena from dimensionless numbers
- know where to look to find information about food engineering principles and processing equipment
CHBE 344 – Unit Operations I
Any industrial process can be defined as a series of basic steps called “unit operations” in which a material undergoes some physical or chemical change. Each unit operation can be designed and optimized by applying the principles of Thermodynamics, Material and Energy Balances, Transport Phenomena, Chemistry, and Physics (all of which rely on Mathematics). In this course we will focus mainly on unit operations that result in physical changes, such as comminution, screening, filtration, sedimentation, centrifugal separations, fluidization, evaporation, crystallization and pumping. By the end of this course students should be able to do the following:
- apply computer programming for solving engineering problems and presenting solutions
- explain and apply the basic methods of characterization of particles, droplets and bulk solids
- calculate various physical quantities (including efficiency and energy requirements) related to the design and performance of various unit operations (mechanical and thermal) frequently encountered in process engineering
- design appropriate and efficient physical separation processes using empirical correlations and theoretical concepts
- analyze separation processes with energy and environmental considerations