Chemical engineering unites chemistry, physics, and engineering to design and optimise processes at industrial scale. Assignments range from mass and energy balance calculations through to complex reactor design, separation process modelling, and full process flow diagram development. Our chemical engineers cover the entire curriculum.
| Fundamentals | Process Engineering | Advanced Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Mass balances (steady-state and dynamic) | Distillation (binary, multi-component, McCabe-Thiele) | Process simulation (Aspen Plus/HYSYS) |
| Energy balances (heat duties, enthalpy) | Absorption, stripping, and extraction | Process optimisation |
| Chemical engineering thermodynamics (VLE, EOS) | Heat exchangers (LMTD, NTU-ε methods) | Process safety (HAZOP, fault tree) |
| Reaction kinetics and rate laws | Membrane separation | Polymer engineering |
| Ideal reactor design (CSTR, PFR, batch) | Crystallisation and drying | Biochemical engineering |
| Fluid mechanics for process systems | Process control (PID, transfer functions) | Electrochemical engineering |
| Heat and mass transfer | Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) | Sustainability and green engineering |
The most foundational skill in chemical engineering is drawing a clear system boundary around the process unit before writing any balance equation. Accumulation = in − out + generation − consumption. Every term must be accounted for. Students frequently miss recycle streams, purge streams, or bypass flows — each of which fundamentally changes the balance equations.
The choice between CSTR, PFR, and batch reactor designs depends on the kinetics, conversion target, and reaction order. Each has a different design equation: the CSTR design equation assumes perfect mixing (exit concentration equals reactor concentration); the PFR design equation requires integration of the rate expression. Applying the CSTR equation to a PFR problem or vice versa produces a completely wrong answer.
Vapour-liquid equilibrium (VLE) calculations require selecting the appropriate thermodynamic model (Raoult's law for ideal systems, NRTL or UNIQUAC for non-ideal liquid mixtures, Peng-Robinson for high-pressure systems). Using Raoult's law for a strongly non-ideal system produces incorrect equilibrium compositions and downstream distillation design errors.
Always check your degrees of freedom before attempting to solve a chemical engineering problem. Count the unknowns, count the independent equations (including equilibrium relations, stoichiometric constraints, and specifications), and verify DOF = 0. A positive DOF means you're missing information; negative DOF means you have contradictory specifications. This check prevents wasted work on unsolvable problems.
Mass/energy balances, reactor design, distillation, process simulation, and process control — full working with correct units throughout.
Yes. Process simulation assignments using Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS — steady-state simulation, sensitivity analysis, distillation column design, heat exchanger networks — are handled by our process simulation specialists. Share your simulation files and assignment brief and we work directly from them, delivering the simulation results with correct interpretation and discussion.
Yes. Process hazard analysis, HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study) methodologies, fault tree analysis, and consequence modelling are covered in process safety assignments. These require systematic application of the guideword methodology and clear tabular presentation — the format we provide.
Yes. PFD and P&ID development for process design assignments is handled by our process engineers. We produce clear diagrams with correct symbols (ISA 5.1 standard for instrumentation), mass/energy balance tables, and equipment specifications as required by the assignment brief.