Module Catalogue 2024/25

CME3039 : Plant Design

CME3039 : Plant Design

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Jonathan Lee
  • Lecturer: Dr Wenting Hu, Professor Anh Phan, Dr Fernando Russo Abegao, Dr Shayan Seyedin, Dr Evangelos Papaioannou, Dr Mark Willis, Dr Colin Hare, Dr Vladimir Zivkovic, Professor Jarka Glassey, Dr Richard Law, Dr Stevin Pramana, Dr Jie Zhang, Dr Katarina Novakovic, Professor Kamelia Boodhoo, Dr Sharon Velasquez Orta, Dr Maria Vicevic, Dr Jonathan McDonough, Professor Adam Harvey, Dr Eni Oko, Dr Chris O'Malley, Dr Dana Ofiteru
  • Owning School: Engineering
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 5
Semester 2 Credit Value: 35
ECTS Credits: 20.0
European Credit Transfer System
Pre-requisite

Modules you must have done previously to study this module

Pre Requisite Comment

All previous stages of Chemical Engineering Degree.

Co-Requisite

Modules you need to take at the same time

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The detailed design of a chemical process requires a combination of many of the core skills acquired over the three years of a degree programme. It represents a unique exercise in which students can apply and test their knowledge of process selection, conceptual design, equipment design, process safety and sustainability and economic analysis as part of a team exercise. This is applied to a typical client specification and requires to be innovative in suggesting a design solution.

It is a requirement for membership of the Institute of Chemical Engineers that all graduates successfully complete a design project. At the end of the project students will have translated a business, safety or environmental need into a design solution.

Outline Of Syllabus

Design, as part of a small team, a process plant to satisfy a given specification.

All candidates on MEng degrees with specialisms will carry out a project in their respective specialisms.

Learning Outcomes

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

As a result of completing the design project students should have:

-Developed an integrated approach to Chemical Engineering

-Applied chemical engineering principles to a problem of industrial relevance

-Designed equipment to deliver a process objective which satisfies a given specification

-Critically analysed design aspects of a given operational/design problem

-Considered the safety, sustainability and environmental issues of the process they are designing

-Integrated all the elements of the design into a safe sustainable and economically feasible processing system.

Intended Skill Outcomes

-Working in a group to meet deadlines and deliver a multi-faceted project

-Application of numerical and computer skills to design problems

-Ability to sell the chosen design to engineers from the chemical industry via oral presentation

-Report Writing

-Oral Presentation and Communication

-Minute taking

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion331:0033:00Preparation of reports for milestones 1, 2 and 3. Presentations for milestones 1 and 4.
Guided Independent StudyDirected research and reading371:0037:00Reading about chemical engineering design methods and procedures.
Guided Independent StudyProject work2001:00200:00Collation of information about the chemical process, understanding design methods etc.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops60:303:00Design project Briefings, milestone briefings and HAZOP workshops.
Structured Guided LearningStructured non-synchronous discussion401:0040:00Discussions between the design group supervisor and individual group members.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops16:006:00Workshop organised by BCECA on the design process and team building.
Guided Independent StudyStudent-led group activity601:0060:00Design group meetings organised and led by the students. Design group supervisor is not present.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery60:202:00Discussions between staff and students to help with the milestone 2 task.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDissertation/project related supervision181:0018:00Scheduled over two semesters. Design group supervision meetings.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesModule talk11:001:00Scheduled during induction weeks. Introduction to the design project.
Total400:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The large guided independent study element in this module reflects the fact that the development of a design comes from many hours spent investigating design options either privately or as a part of a design group and preparing relevant reports. Fieldwork allows students to visit and learn from real industrial processes. Small group teaching is spent with design supervisors receiving answers to specific questions and providing feedback on reports that have been submitted as well as providing an opportunity to interact with visiting specialists.

Reading Lists

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Oral Presentation302M10Milestone IV. Presentation by whole group lasting 25 mins followed by 5 mins of questions from a panel of industrialists. Week 13
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Report1M20Milestone I. Group report 20 sides of A4 & appendices. Interview with project supervisors Set week 1
Report2M30Milestone II. Individual report 20 sides of A4 & appendices. Compulsory pass.
Report2M40Milestone III. Group report 100 sides A4 & appendices. Individual report 10 sides A4. Set week 1
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment is a summative appraisal of a student’s understanding of chemical engineering and ability to apply knowledge and skills to an open-ended design problem addressing a typical client specification.
There will be six students per group.

A student must achieve a mark of 40% on the Milestone II report in order to pass the module. Assuming that the module would otherwise have been passed, failure to reach this mark may have the outcome of a 'deferred pass', at the discretion of the Board of Examiners: this means that the failure on the Milestone II report may be redeemed by one re-submission of the Milestone II report without any increase in the original mark. If the Milestone II report remains failed after re-submission, the student will fail the module with a mark of at most 35, and the same principles will apply to a second attempt at the module with one further re-submission of the Milestone II report allowed.

Timetable

Past Exam Papers

General Notes

Original Handbook text:

Welcome to Newcastle University Module Catalogue

This is where you will be able to find all key information about modules on your programme of study. It will help you make an informed decision on the options available to you within your programme.

You may have some queries about the modules available to you. Your school office will be able to signpost you to someone who will support you with any queries.

Disclaimer

The information contained within the Module Catalogue relates to the 2024 academic year.

In accordance with University Terms and Conditions, the University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the modules as described.

Modules may be amended on an annual basis to take account of changing staff expertise, developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Module information for the 2025/26 entry will be published here in early-April 2025. Queries about information in the Module Catalogue should in the first instance be addressed to your School Office.