This paper introduces a novel virtual method to conduct continuous distillation experiment in an undergraduate unit operation laboratory with the help of SPM 700 Distillation Column, one of the modules available in Simtronics, a commercial process operation simulator. Simtronics simulator is a powerful tool to teach process industry skills and it…

While process simulation tools offer immense potential in chemical engineering, effectively integrating them into the educational curriculum poses challenges. This work explored and practiced online-offline blended teaching in process simulation courses. The design of this blended course was based on a comparison of students' performances in fully…

A practical for students to experience a process plant is presented, based on operating a solvent absorption plant for carbon dioxide capture. The student must operate the plant in assigned roles that closely identify with a chemical plant environment, to achieve specific performance targets. Students must overcome technical challenges that…

The global outbreak of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) gave rise to a sudden shift to the online education delivery system from the conventional in-person teaching method. Though instructions were moved to a virtual learning platform, it was a critical challenge to provide hands-on training to teach complex engineering software. This article discusses the…

A sample class project utilizing Excel spreadsheets to develop a flash drum simulator is demonstrated. In addition to solving equations for mole and enthalpy balances, students are trained to carry out vapor-liquid equilibrium calculations. More importantly, students gain a solid understanding of the link between hand calculations and simulator…

More than 40 interactive "Mathematica" simulations were prepared for chemical engineering thermodynamics, screencasts were prepared that explain how to use each simulation, and more than 100 ConcepTests were prepared that utilize the simulations. They are located on www.LearnChemE.com. The purposes of these simulations are to clarify…

This paper illustrates a teaching technique used in computer applications in chemical engineering employed for designing various unit operation processes, where the students learn about unit operations by designing them. The aim of the course is not to teach design, but rather to teach the fundamentals and the function of unit operation processes…