Sarawak Campus

Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science

Higher Education Division

Unit of Study Outline

HEC3622
Reaction Engineering
(Semester 01, 2016)
Version date (7 March, 2016)

Unit of Study Outline

Unit of study code

HEC3622

Unit of study name

Reaction Engineering

Teaching Term/Semester & Year

Semester 01, 2016

Contact Hours (hrs/wk) or total contact

hours

5 hours per week

Prerequisites

HES1525 or CHE10002: Chemistry 2

Corequisites

None

Credit Points

12.5

Aims
The aim of the unit is to equip students with the fundamentals of chemical reactions. This unit
provides students with the knowledge of:
- factors influencing the generation of product from a reaction, and
- principles of chemical reactor analysis and design.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. formulate and solve material balances and energy balances for systems with chemical reaction.
(K1,K2)
2. explain basic principles and concepts of chemical kinetics. (K3,S2)
3. collect and analyze kinetic data and determine the rate law. (K1,K3,S1,S2)
4. describe the types of reactors which are used in industry and different modes of operating
reactors. (K3,K4,K5)
5. apply this knowledge to reactor design and evaluate reactor performance with respect to
environmental impact (K4,K5,K6,S3,A3)
6. communicate effectively all aspects of reaction engineering via teamwork, assignments and
reports. (A2,A7)

Contents
1. Introduction, mole balances; mole balances - batch reactor
2. Continuous stirred tank reactor, plug flow reactor, packed bed reactors
3. Conversion and reactor sizing - BR,CSTR,PFR,PBR
4. Rate laws and stoichiometry
5. Isothermal reactor design - BR,CSTR, PFR, PBR, MR
6. Collection and analysis of rate data; multiple reactions
7. Bioreactions and bioreactors
8. Steady state non-isothermal design
9. Catalysis and catalytic reactors

Page 2 of 8

Key Program Outcomes (Swinburne Engineering Competencies) for this Unit of Study
This unit will contribute to your attaining the following Program Outcomes (Swinburne Engineering
competencies):
K1 Basic Science: Proficiently applies concepts, theories and techniques of the relevant natural
and physical sciences to the solution of complex engineering problems.
K2 Maths and IT as Tools: Proficiently uses relevant mathematics and computer and information
science concepts as tools in complex engineering activities.
K3 Discipline Specific: Proficiently applies advanced technical knowledge of the Chemical
Engineering within that context.
K4 Emerging Disciplinary Trends: Proficiently applies research principles and methods on
current or emerging complex problems of the Chemical Engineering.
K5 Practice Context: Discerns and appreciates the societal, environmental and other contextual
factors affecting professional engineering practice.
K6 Professional Practice: Appreciates the principles of professional engineering practice in a
sustainable context.
S1 Engineering Methods: Applies engineering methods in practical applications and complex
engineering problems.
S2 Problem Solving: Systematically uses current or emerging knowledge and research methods
to undertake independent research in solving complex engineering problems and as preparation
for research higher degrees.
S3 Design: Systematically uses engineering methods in designing solutions to complex
engineering problems.
A2 Communication: Demonstrates effective communication to professional and wider audiences
including in complex engineering activities.
A3 Entrepreneurial: Appreciates entrepreneurial approaches to engineering practice.
A7 Teamwork: Demonstrates effective team membership and team leadership.

Learning and Teaching Structure

3 hours lecture and 2 hours tutorial or lab per week.
In a Semester, the students should normally expect to spend, on average, twelve and a half hours
of total time (formal contact time plus independent study time) a week on a 12.5 credit point unit of
study.

Page 3 of 8

Provisional Schedule
Week

Week
Beginning

1 March

Unit Outline and Overview

Mole Balances

8 March

Conversion and Reactor Sizing

Mole Balances, Conversion

and Reactor Sizing

15 March

Rate Laws and Stoichiometry

Rate Laws and Stoichiometry

22 March

29 March

Isothermal Reactor Design

(Part 1)
Isothermal Reactor Design
(Part 2)

Isothermal Batch, CSTR and

PFR Design
Isothermal PBR and MR
Design

5 April

Multiple Reactions

Multiple Reactions

12 April

19 April

Steady-State Non-Isothermal
Reactor Design
Steady-State Non-Isothermal
Reactor Design

26 April

10

3 May

Steady-State Non-Isothermal
Reactor Design (Part 1)
Steady-State Non-Isothermal
Reactor Design (Part 2)
Collection and Analysis of Rate
Data (Part 1)
Collection and Analysis of Rate
Data (Part 2)

11

10 May

Bioreactions and Bioreactors

Lab 3

12

17 May

Catalysis and Catalytic

Reactors

Bioreactors

13

24 May

14

31 May

Lecture Topic

Lab/Tutorial Topic

RTD

Lab 1

Assessment

Quiz

Test 1

Test 2

Lab 2

Catalytic Reactors and RTD

Lab-based
Project Report
Due
Lab-based
Project
Presentation

Unit Wrap Up

Teaching Staff
Name

Siti Salwa
Hashim

Role
1. Unit of Study
Convener
2.Lecturer
3.Tutor

Campus &
Room No.
Sarawak
Campus
E104

Phone
No.

Email Address

Consultation
Times
Wednesday,
3:30 5:30 pm

7040

shashim@swinburne.edu.my

Other timeBy
appointment

Blackboard Site for this Unit of Study

Important information concerning this unit of study is placed on a website on the Swinburne course
management system (Blackboard), accessible via http://blackboard.swinburne.edu.my
It is your responsibility to access on a regular basis
the Blackboard site for your unit of study,
the Announcements section on Blackboard, and
any emails sent by the teaching staff to your email address via Blackboard
It is your responsibility to ensure that your email address on Blackboard is set to your
preferred email address. To set your email address on Blackboard, go to My Institution,
click on TOOLS > PERSONAL INFORMATION > EDIT PERSONAL INFORMATION.
Page 4 of 8

Assessment
a. Assessment Task Details:

Assessment Task

Individual/ Group Task

Related
Learning
Outcomes(s)

Weighting

Due Date

Quiz

Individual

1,2

Week 3

Test 1

Individual

1,2,4

10

Week 6

Test 2

Individual

1,2,4

15

Week 9

Group/Individual

1,2,3,4,5,6

20

Week 12

Individual

1,2,4,5

50

TBA

Laboratory-based
Project and
Presentation
Final Exam

b. Participation Requirements
It is good practice for student to be involved in active class participation through questioning of
difficult concepts and tutorial problems, which may not be easily understood so as to provide
feedback to the Unit Convenor.
Attendance shall be taken during lecture and tutorial sessions to ensure active participation and for
record purpose.
It is the students own responsibility to catch up with his own work should he/she be absent from
any lecture and tutorial sessions. Requests to repeat lectures shall not be entertained. Therefore, it
is the students responsibility to be present at all official contact hours.
Student should attend all oral presentations assessment. The absence will lead into failure in the
given assessment except for a proper evidence of excuse that is provided as per university rules
and regulations.
c. Minimum Requirements to Pass this Unit of Study:
In order to achieve a pass in this unit of study, you must:

achieve an aggregate mark for the unit of 50% or more, and

at least 35% in the final exam

Students who do not achieve at least 35% for the final exam, will receive a maximum of 44% as
the total mark for the unit and will not be eligible for a conceded pass.
Accreditation Checkpoints
In order to fulfil EACs accreditation requirements, you must also achieve at least 35% of the
possible final marks in the following assessment(s) utilised for assessing EAC Programme
outcomes:

Test 2 (15%)
Lab-based Project and Presentation (20%)

Students who do not achieve at least 35% of the possible marks for the above accreditation
checkpoints will receive a maximum of 44% as the total mark for the unit and will not be eligible for
a conceded pass.

Page 5 of 8

d. Assessment Criteria:
In order to achieve high marks, students must:

produce original work by writing and interpreting books and research materials in their own
words to demonstrate their understanding on the subject

fulfil all requirements and answer all questions as stated in the lab-based project report

submit lab-based project report on time

present during their lab-based project oral presentation

In case of legitimate absence with valid reasons (sickness etc.) alternative tests will be arranged.
Students must produce proper documentation to support their cause.
e. Submission of Assignments:
The Unit Convenor will instruct students on how to submit assignments/projects. The format of the
hardcopy of assignments/projects shall be explained to students in advance. If required to submit
electronic copy, it must be submitted using the assignment submission system on Blackboard.
It is advisable to:

keep photocopy of work as record and to back up electronic data

work on drafts to prevent accidental over-writing of actual report or assignment

observe good time management to ensure submission prior to deadline

f. Extensions and Late Submissions:

Only in exceptional circumstances will

extensions be granted

late work be accepted without penalty.

Penalties for late work: 20% of the marks will be deducted for each day late up to a maximum of 3
days, after which it will not be accepted. Any part of a day will be counted as 1 day. Weekends
and public holidays are not counted.
g. Availability of Assessment Results, Retention of Assessed Materials:
Assessed material will be returned to students, but you must retain all assessed material that
contributes to the final grade up until such time as the final grades are published. The assessed
material must, after a reasonable time, be produced on demand for review by the Convenor. Noncompliance with this requirement may result in loss of all credit for the assessed material not so
produced.

h. Groupwork Guidelines:
A group project is the collective responsibility of the entire group, and if one member is temporarily
unable to contribute, the group should be able to reallocate responsibilities to keep to schedule. In
the event of longer-term illness or other serious problems involving a member of a project group, it
is the responsibility of the other members to make the Unit Convener aware of the situation straight
away.
The format of group project reports shall be explained to students prior submission.

Page 6 of 8

All group members must be satisfied that the work has been correctly submitted. Any penalties for
late submission will apply to all group members, not just the person who submitted.
Oral presentation is an individual assessment unless it is stated in the project instructions.
i. Swinburne University of Technologys definition of plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the action or practice of taking and submitting or presenting the thoughts, writings or
other work of someone else as though it is your own work. Plagiarism includes any of the following,
without full and appropriate acknowledgment to the original source(s):
(i) the use of the whole or part of a computer program written by another person;
(ii) the use, in essays or other assessable work, of the whole or part of a written work from any
source including but not limited to a book, journal, newspaper article, set of lecture notes,
current or past students work, any other persons work, a website or database;
(iii) the paraphrasing of anothers work;
(iv) the use of musical composition, audio, visual, graphic and photographic models,
(v) the use of realia, that is, objects, artefacts, costumes, models and the like.
Plagiarism also includes the preparation or production and submission or presentation of
assignments or other work in conjunction with another person or other people when that work
should be your own independent work. This remains plagiarism whether or not it is with the
knowledge or consent of the other person or people. It should be noted that Swinburne
encourages its students to talk to staff, fellow students and other people who may be able to
contribute to a students academic work but that where independent assignment is required,
submitted or presented work must be the students own.
Enabling plagiarism contributes to plagiarism and therefore will be treated as a form of plagiarism
by the University. Enabling plagiarism means allowing or otherwise assisting another student to
copy or otherwise plagiarise work by, for example, allowing access to a draft or completed
assignment or other work.
The information outlined in this section above is covered in more detail in Swinburne Sarawaks
Plagiarism Policy and Procedure. Students must be familiar with the Policy and Procedure, found
at
http://www.swinburne.edu.my/ppd/docs/student_information/Plagiarism.pdf?recnum=POL/2007/36
j. Assessment and Appeals Policy and Procedure
The information outlined in the Assessment sections above is covered in more detail in Swinburne
Sarawaks Assessment and Appeals Policy and Procedure. Students must be familiar with the
Policy and Procedure, found at
http://www.swinburne.edu.my/ppd/docs/student_information/Assessment%20and%20Appeal.pdf?r
ecnum=POL/2007/19
The Policy and Procedure provides details about:

Assessment issues such as the conduct of examinations, plagiarism policies and details
explaining how to apply for a review of results and other appeals, and

Student progress issues such as unsatisfactory academic progress and early intervention
procedures, and

Information for students with disabilities and special needs and procedures for applying for
special consideration.

Students should make themselves familiar with all aspects of the Policy and Procedure, as failure
to do so is not grounds for appeal.

Page 7 of 8

Student Feedback:
Swinburne seeks student feedback in a number of ways, including through periodic Student
Feedback on Units and Student Feedback on Teaching surveys, as part of the universitys
approach to quality assurance and improvement. Possible improvement based on both student
and staff feedback is considered by Unit Convenors, Unit Panels made up of relevant teaching
staff, Program Panels, Faculty Academic Committees, and the Academic Programs Quality
Committee, as appropriate.
Safety Standards and Conduct Requirements:
The University executes safety drills without warning. Be prepared to follow instructions from staff
and/or wardens to evacuate the building in a safe and orderly manner.
All students are expected to respect the rights and sensibilities of their fellow students and
teaching staff. This also applies in respect of the content of video and audio work submitted for
assessment. The University has implemented anti-discrimination and harassment policies and
procedures to promote a discrimination and harassment free work and study environment for all
staff and students:
http://policies.swinburne.edu.au/ppdonline/showdoc.aspx?recnum=POL/2008/125
Safety procedures in laboratories must be followed. For your own safety, bare feet, thongs and
other open sandals are forbidden. Eating, drinking or smoking in laboratories is not allowed. A
mature, sensible attitude and a healthy respect for the equipment are always required. Juvenile, illmannered or reckless behaviour will not be tolerated, and the laboratory supervisor has the right to
exclude students from the laboratory should their behaviour constitute a danger to themselves or
others. Such behaviour would result in forfeiture of all marks for that experiment. The playing of
computer games is not allowed in the computer labs.
Special Needs
If you have special needs you should advise your Faculty and the Unit of Study Convenor by the
end of the second week of the teaching period. In addition, you are recommended to notify the
Equity Office if you have not already done so.
See also the Sarawak Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Section of the Assessment
and Appeals Policy & Procedure, at
http://www.swinburne.edu.my/ppd/docs/student_information/Assessment%20and%20Appeal.pdf?r
ecnum=POL/2007/19
Resources and Reference Materials:
1. H. Scott Fogler, Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN:
0130473944 (2006).
2. http://www.umich.edu/~elements/
Additional Resources:
1. H. Scott Fogler, Essentials of Chemical Reaction Engineering, 1st Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN:
0137146124 (2011).
2. http://umich.edu/~essen/index.htm
3. Levenspiel, O., Chemical Reaction Engineering, John Wiley, 3rd Edition, 1999. ISBN 0-47125424.
4. Coulson and Richardsons. Chemical Engineering Series, Volume II. 5th Edition
All additional material such as solutions to problems, laboratory handouts and other handouts will
be made available to students on Blackboard. Students will be informed about publications and
other reference materials as necessary.
Page 8 of 8