CBE 154

Course Number: CBE 154

Course Name: Chemical Engineering Laboratory

Units: 4

Offered: FALL, SPRING

Requirement Satisfied: CORE

Concentration(s):

Past Professors: Marjorie Went, Shannon Ciston

Summary: This is a lab-based course that assesses you entire understanding of chemE. You work in groups of 3 or 4, conduct a different chemE oriented lab every other week, and present technical oral reports to the instructors. You are also required to submit 2 technical reports during the semester.

Official Prerequisites: CBE 142, CBE 150B, all other preceding courses

“Legit” Prerequisites: All ChemE core classes except 162, 160

Topics Covered: Flow measurement, distillation, heat transfer, mass transfer, absorption & reaction (kinetics), reverse osmosis (separation)

Workload: You and your teammates meet twice a week during the scheduled 4 hour lab periods. You have two weeks (4 lab periods) to complete your assigned lab. Labs do not necessarily take 4 periods, so your group can perform data analysis and create your presentation during the remaining lab periods, instead of going into lab and conducting more measurements. You definitely need to meet outside of class at least two more times to analyze your data and make the presentation. You definitely get what you put into this class. I recommend using office hours to address any questions or uncertainties you have with the lab. Technical written reports take a lot of time, since you need to use COMSOL to create simulations. The more detailed and direct you are, the better grade you will receive.

When to take: Spring Junior year or Fall Senior Year

"What’s next" Courses: CBE 160, CBE 162

Usefulness for research / internships: It's the most application-based class you will take. It's the first time you actually use the distillation columns and pumps that we discuss in lectures. Applies a lot of general knowledge from classes like reverse osmosis, modeling equilibria reactions in MATLAB, and modeling heat transfer. The technical oral and written reports also are useful in refining your skills.

Added Comments or Tips: Find a good group of teammates, not necessarily the smartest people you know, but individuals who will be able to collaborate together and communicate effectively.