Chemical Engineering

ChE 10. Introduction to Chemical Engineering. 3 units (2-0-1); second term; open to freshmen only. A series of weekly seminars given by chemical engineering faculty or an outside speaker, on a topic of current research. Topics will be presented at an informal, introductory level. Graded pass/fail.

ChE 63 ab. Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics. 9 units (3-0-6); first, second terms. A comprehensive treatment of classical thermodynamics with engineering and chemical applications and an introduction to statistical thermodynamics. First and second laws. Applications to closed and open systems. Equations of state. Thermo-chemical calculations. Properties of real fluids. Power generation and refrigeration cycles. Multicomponent systems, excess properties, fugacities, activity coefficients, and models of nonideal solutions. Chemical potential. Phase and chemical reaction equilibria. Introductory statistical thermodynamics. Instructors: Flagan, Wang.

ChE 64. Principles of Chemical Engineering. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisite: ChE 63 ab. Systems approach to conservation of mass and energy. Equilibrium staged separations. Instructor: Seinfeld.

ChE 80. Undergraduate Research. Units by arrangement. Research in chemical engineering offered as an elective in any term other than in the senior year. Graded pass/fail.

ChE 90 ab. Senior Thesis. 9 units (0-4-5); first, second, third terms. A research project carried out under the direction of a chemical engineering faculty member. A grade will not be assigned to ChE 90 prior to completion of the thesis, which normally takes two terms. A P grade will be given for the first term and then changed to the appropriate letter grade at the end of the course. Instructor: Davis.

Ch/ChE 91. Scientific Writing. 3 units (1-0-2). For course description, see Chemistry.

ChE 101. Chemical Reaction Engineering. 9 units (3-0-6); second term. Prerequisites: ChE 63 ab and ChE 64. Elements of chemical kinetics and chemically reacting systems. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Chemical reactor analysis. Instructor: Arnold.

ChE 103 abc. Transport Phenomena. 9 units (3-0-6); first, second, third terms. Prerequisite: ACM 95/100 abc or concurrent registration. A rigorous development of the basic differential equations of conservation of momentum, energy, and mass in fluid systems. Solution of problems involving fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer. Instructor: Vicic.

ChE 105. Dynamics and Control of Chemical Systems. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisites: ChE 101 or equivalent, ACM 95 abc or concurrent registration. Analysis and design of dynamic chemical systems, spanning biomolecular networks to chemical processing. Topics include control strategies for regulating dynamic performance, formulation of mechanistic and empirical models, linear analysis of feedback systems, introduction to multivariate control. Instructor: Asthagiri.

ChE 110 ab. Optimal Design of Chemical Systems. 9 units (3-0-6); second, third terms. Prerequisites: ChE 63, ChE 101, ChE 103, or equivalents. Introduction to process design; flow sheets for chemical processes; synthesis of multicomponent separation sequences and reaction paths; synthesis of heat exchange networks; optimization; process economics; simulation of chemical processes; design of a major process. Not offered 2005–06.

ChE 126 ab. Chemical Engineering Laboratory. 9 units (1-6-2); second, third terms. Prerequisites: ChE 63, ChE 101, ChE 103, or equivalents. Projects illustrative of problems in transport phenomena, unit operations, surface and gas-phase chemical reactions/kinetics, process monitoring and control, and reactor design are performed. Micro-reactor concepts and applications in gas conversion. Short-term, open-ended research projects emphasizing hands-on experience, oral presentations, and journal-style written reports of scientific results. Instructors: Arnold, Giapis.

ChE 130. Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory. 9 units (1-5-3); third term. Prerequisites: ChE 63 ab, ChE 101 (concurrently) or instructor’s permission. Design, construction, and characterization of engineered biological systems that will be implemented in bacteria, yeast, and cell-free systems. Research problems will fall into the general areas of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology. Emphasis will be on projects that apply rational and evolutionary design strategies toward engineering biological systems that exhibit dynamic, logical, or programmed behaviors. Instructor: Smolke.

Ch/ChE 140 ab. Principles and Applications of Semiconductor Photoelectrochemistry. 6 units (4-0-2). For course description, see Chemistry.

Ch/ChE 147. Polymer Chemistry. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see Chemistry.

ChE/Ch 148. Polymer Physics. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisite: Ch/ChE 147 or instructor’s permission. An introduction to the physics that govern polymer structure and dynamics in liquid and solid states, and to the physical basis of characterization methods used in polymer science. The course emphasizes the scaling aspects of the various physical properties. Topics include conformation of a single polymer chain under different solvent conditions; dilute and semi-dilute solutions; thermodynamics of polymer blends and block copolymers; rubber elasticity; polymer gels; linear viscoelasticity of polymer solutions and melts; glass transition and crystallization. Not offered 2005–06.

ChE 151 ab. Physical and Chemical Rate Processes. 12 units (3-0-9); first, second terms. The foundations of heat, mass, and momentum transfer for single and multiphase fluids will be developed. Governing differential equations; laminar flow of incompressible fluids at low and high Reynolds numbers; forced and free convective heat and mass transfer, diffusion, and dispersion. Emphasis will be placed on physical understanding, scaling, and formulation and solution of boundary-value problems. Applied mathematical techniques will be developed and used throughout the course. Instructor: Kornfield.

ChE 152. Heterogeneous Kinetics and Reaction Engineering. 9 units (3-0-6); first term. Prerequisite: ChE 101 or equivalent. Survey of heterogeneous reactions and reaction mechanisms on metal and oxide catalysts. Characterization of porous catalysts. Reaction, diffusion, and heat transfer in heterogeneous catalytic systems. Instructor: Wagner.

ChE/Ch 155. Chemistry of Catalysis. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Discussion of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic reactions, with emphasis on mechanistic principles and on the relationships between the two areas. Topics include homogeneous hydrogenation; catalysis by metals; homogeneous oxidation; catalysis by metal oxides; acid-base catalysis and zeolites. Not offered 2005–06.

ChE/ESE 158. Aerosol Physics and Chemistry. 9 units (3-0-6); second term. Open to graduate students and seniors with instructor’s permission. Fundamentals of aerosol physics and chemistry; aerodynamics and diffusion of aerosol particles; condensation and evaporation; thermodynamics of particulate systems; nucleation; coagulation; particle size distributions; optics of small particles. Instructor: Seinfeld.

ChE/BE 163. Introduction to Engineering Biological Molecules and Systems. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisites: Bi/Ch 110 and ChE 101, or instructor’s permission. Current research problems in biomolecular engineering will serve to introduce principles and methods of molecular evolution, protein design, metabolic engineering, and design of genetic regulatory networks. Not offered 2005–06.

ChE/Ch 164. Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics. 9 units (3-0-6); second term. Prerequisite: Ch 21 abc or equivalent. An introduction to the fundamentals and simple applications of statistical thermodynamics. Foundation of statistical mechanics; partition functions for various ensembles and their connection to thermodynamics; fluctuations; noninteracting quantum and classical gases; heat capacity of solids; adsorption; phase transitions and order parameters; linear response theory; structure of classical fluids; computer simulation methods. Instructor: Wang.

ChE 165. Chemical Thermodynamics. 9 units (3-0-6); first term. Prerequisite: ChE 63 ab or equivalent. An advanced course emphasizing the conceptual structure of modern thermodynamics and its applications. Review of the laws of thermodynamics; thermodynamic potentials and Legendre transform; equilibrium and stability conditions; metastability and phase separation kinetics; thermodynamics of single-component fluid and binary mixtures; models for solutions; phase and chemical equilibria; surface and interface thermodynamics; electrolytes and polymeric liquids. Instructor: Smolke.

ChE 174. Special Topics in Transport Phenomena. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisites: ACM 95/100, ChE 151 ab. May be repeated for credit. Advanced problems in heat, mass, and momentum transfer. Introduction to mechanics of complex fluids; physicochemical hydrodynamics; microstructured fluids; colloidal dispersions; microfluidics; selected topics in hydrodynamic stability theory; transport phenomena in materials processing. Other topics may be discussed depending on class needs and interests. Not offered 2005–06.

ChE 189. Special Topics in Materials Processing. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisites: ChE 63, ChE 103, or equivalent. Fundamental physics and chemistry of partially ionized, chemically reactive, low-pressure plasmas and their roles in electronic materials processing. Basic plasma equations and equilibrium. Plasma and sheath dynamics. Gas-surface interactions. Plasma diagnostics and monitoring. Plasma-assisted etching and deposition in integrated circuit fabrication. Visiting faculty or scientists may present portions of this course. Instructor: Giapis. Given in alternate years; offered 2005–06.

ChE/BE 210. Biomolecular Cell Engineering. 9 units (3-0-6); first term. Quantitative analysis of molecular mechanisms governing mammalian cell behavior. Topics include topology and dynamics of signaling and genetic regulatory networks, receptor-ligand trafficking, and biophysical models for cell adhesion and migration. Instructor: Asthagiri. Given in alternate years; offered 2005–06.

Bi/ChE 228. Electron Microscopy of Soft Materials. 9 units (1-6-2). For course description, see Biology.

ChE 280. Chemical Engineering Research. Offered to Ph.D. candidates in chemical engineering. Main lines of research now in progress are covered in detail in section two.