A Unit Operations Laboratory (UOL) is fundamental to undergraduate chemical engineering education. This article discusses a new course structure for the University of Kansas UOL and details for three new experiments covering the fundamentals of vapor-liquid equilibrium, fluid mechanics, and kinetics. Students apply knowledge from these courses as…

Through the experiments described in this article, students become acquainted with the principles behind ternary liquid-liquid systems and/or Aqueous Two-Phase Systems (ATPS), and their characterization by the determination of the binodal curve, tie-lines, tie-line lengths and critical point, as well as in applying the non-random two-liquid model…

A unit operations laboratory course was significantly modified to be an open-ended problem-based experience with an emphasis on teamwork and communication skills. Students were surveyed to assess gains in engineering self-efficacy as well as to indicate which course structure components were most beneficial to learning. Students showed significant…

The objective of this paper is to present a laboratory experiment that explains the phenomenon of sinking in quicksand simulated as a fluidized bed. The paper demonstrates experimentally and theoretically that the proportion of a body that sinks in quicksand depends on the volume fraction of solids and the density of the body relative to the…

This experiment and analysis offer an effective experience in greenhouse gas reduction. Ammoniated water is flowed counter-current to a simulated flue gas of air and CO2 in a packed column. The gaseous CO2 concentrations are measured with an on-line, non- dispersive, infrared analyzer. Column operating parameters include total gas flux, dissolved…

The implementation of troubleshooting within a pre-existing expository laboratory is described and evaluated. Student feedback indicated that troubleshooting activities are highly effective in providing a hands-on opportunity to exercise problem-solving skills and gain a better understanding of the whole process in addition to effectively…

This article describes the assembly of a simple, low-cost, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system and its use in the undergraduate chemical engineering laboratory course to perform simple experiments. By interpreting the results from these experiments students are able to gain significant experience in the general method of…

Pre-recorded video demonstrations of laboratory experiments are used to introduce students to various experiments in a lab course instead of an in-class tutorial. In addition to saving time for both the students and the instructor, this allows students to watch the videos in an "on-demand" setting at their convenience, which is helpful…

Fluency with poroelastic theory is prerequisite to advanced study of material and mass transport properties in a wide range of contexts. Often the greatest challenge in introducing students to the subject is to help them visualize the fluid flows and deformations that accompany phenomena such as creep and stress relaxation. We have developed a…

In order to interpret laboratory experimental data, undergraduate students are used to perform linear regression through linearized versions of nonlinear models. However, the use of linearized models can lead to statistically biased parameter estimates. Even so, it is not an easy task to introduce nonlinear regression and show for the students…

Social networking platforms and computer games represent a natural informal learning environment for the current generation of learners in higher education. This paper explores the use of game-based learning in the context of an undergraduate chemical engineering remote laboratory. Specifically, students are allowed to manipulate chemical…

Continuous feed and bleed ultrafiltration, modeled with the gel polarization model for the limiting flux, is shown to provide a rich source of non-linear algebraic equations that can be readily solved using numerical and graphical techniques familiar to undergraduate students. We present a variety of numerical problems in the design, analysis, and…

The purpose of this paper is to describe a Centrifugal Pump Experiment that provided an experiential learning experience to chemical engineering undergraduates at the University of Missouri in the spring of 2010 in the Unit Operations Laboratory course. Lab equipment was used by senior students with computer-based data and control technology. In…

This experiment and analysis offer an economic yet challenging semi-batch reactor experience. Household bleach is pumped at a controlled rate into a batch reactor containing pharmaceutical hydrogen peroxide solution. Batch temperature, product molecular oxygen, and the overall change in solution conductivity are metered. The reactor simulation…

Techniques are presented for improving the technical writing of chemical engineering students enrolled in an undergraduate laboratory course. The principles of writing covered are adopted from the book, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, by Joseph M. Williams: General examples of writing are taken from this book and then are recast into examples…