Unit Operations 3 - Separation Processes

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Understand the effect that processing steps have on the resulting products in terms of composition, morphology and functionality;
• Understand the principles of fluid and solids processing and heat and mass transfer, and how these principles apply to mixing and separation of fluids, solids, and multiphase systems in batch or continuous systems;
• Categorise and apply concepts of fluids dynamics, heat and mass transfer in separation processes;

Disciplinary Specific Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Apply the principles of the different unit operations in the design and planning of separation units for industrial processes;
• Appraise and evaluate advanced separation processes to match a specified application;

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Critically evaluate different separation processes and select the most appropriate types based on assessment of the application;
• Apply methods to analyse performance and operation of processing equipment, and to be able to size industrial separation unit;

Cognitive Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Prioritise and integrate knowledge of health, safety and sustainability into industrial separations;

Evaporation: single- and multiple- effect operation and the associated enthalpy balances, long tube vertical evaporators, agitated-film evaporators, evaporator capacity, BPE and Duhring’s rule, evaporator economy, methods of feeding, and the capacity and economy of multiple effect evaporators.

Humidification and Drying: humidification and psychrometric charts, design of cooling towers, principles and importance of drying, equilibrium and free moisture, bound and unbound water, constant drying conditions, constant-rate period, critical moisture content and falling-rate period, porous solids and flow by capillarity, calculation of drying time under constant drying conditions; classification of dryers including tray driers, tower driers, rotary driers, spray driers, freeze dryers, and the equipment for batch and continuous drying processes.

Adsorption, Chromatography and Ion Exchange: Sorbents and adsorption equilibria, isotherm modelling, solute movement theory, process cycles, temperature and pressure swing adsorption, purges, chromatography, chromatograms, ion exchange principles, water softening, ion-exchange equipment, types of ion exchange resins.

Membrane separation process: types of membranes; concepts of reverse osmosis and gas permeation.

Crystallisation: Mier's supersaturation theory, crystallisation equipment including continuous vacuum, draft tube-baffle, and Swenson-walker crystalliser. Material and energy balance calculations in batch crystallisation.

Teaching will be done with a combination of formal lectures, paper-based problem-solving sessions and laboratory sessions. There will be a emphasis on active learning techniques, including workshops and tutorial sessions that focus on exercises and problems.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.