Faculty of

Engineering

CHEE 351 Separation Processes

Winter 2015
Class Schedule
Section 1 (CRN 165): T & TR 14:35 16:05, Wong 1020, Jan 6 Apr 16

Instructor
Jeff Gostick, P.Eng.
Office: Wong 4160 (ignore directory by elevator)
Phone: 514-398-4301
Email: jeff.gostick@mcgill.ca
Office Hours: TBD

Teaching Assistants (TA)

Stephanie Fernandez: stephanie.fernandez@mail.mcgill.ca
Jacob Rozenblit: iakiv.rozenblit@mail.mcgill.ca
Pardis Rofouieeraghi: pardis.rofouieeraghi@mail.mcgill.ca

Communication
myCourses (accessible via www.mcgill.ca/lms) will be used to distribute course materials,
including lecture slides, reading assignments, and instructions assignments.
If you need to reach me, please send an email to jeff.gostick@mcgill.ca (as opposed to via
myCourses). I usually respond as soon as I get it, but I reserve the right to wait 24 hours.

Learning Outcomes

Develop deep understanding of equilibrium-based separations

o Emphasis is on fundamentals, foundations and basics, rather than a practical,
detailed, and nuanced treatment (Take Advanced Separation Processes
CHEE510 next fall for this)
Appreciate the power of counter-current cascades to effect maximal separation
Apply the principles of chemical phase equilibria that are covered in Thermo.
o All engineers do thermo, but only chemical engineers care about phase
equilibria. This is our bread and butter.
To fully internalize the chemical engineering mantra what goes in must come out unless
it stays there
1

Faculty of
Engineering

We will extensively use external balances, internal balances and component

balances, and combine to solve seemingly complex problems easily.
Develop some appreciation for practical aspects of separation design and operation so it
wont be completely foreign to you when encountered in a work place.
o This includes tray and packing design, typical operation parameters and their
ranges, and understanding how design decision affect operation
Incorporate mass transfer limitations into equilibrium calculations for a more realistic
description of separation
o

Course Materials
Required Textbook:
Separation process engineering by Philip Wankat, Prentice Hall, 2011/12. Available
electronically at: http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/745061773
Important Note: Only 6 copies of this may be viewed at one time. This is a limitation placed on
us by the publisher and cannot be changed (Ive tried). Consequently, you might find this book
unavailable when you really need it, so you should consider alternatives.

Supplementary Textbooks and Materials:

Separation Process Principles by Seader, Roper and Henley, Wiley, 2011. Library Page:
http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/648148046

Instructional Methods
The course will involve a regular full lecture schedule of 3 hours per week.
New this year: A lab component has been officially added. The distribution of hours is now 31-5, instead of 3-0-6.
These are labs with a twist. Instead of writing up lab reports, you will simulate the lab
mathematically. These simulations will be essentially identical to what I used to hand out as
assignments, but instead, your assignment will be to perform a calculation based on the lab data.
Each student will submit their own report, which should look like a typical assignment and include
calculations, equations, graphs, and brief explanations so the TA can follow the work.
Lab 1: Washing
This is really more of a demo and group activity than a lab. Well be doing it IN CLASS, YEAY!
Each person will use the same set of data that was collected in class and attempt to do a mass
balance around each stage to simulation the cascade effectiveness.
Lab 2: Distillation
A pilot scale distillation column has been recently acquired by the department (see the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT8F-mS8_xE). This is the first year this still has been run
2

Faculty of
Engineering

and technical challenges are expected, thus this lab may be scheduled later than Lab 3 and
may be subject to change.
Lab 3: Flooding
This lab will use the new distillation column, but will be not be run in distillation mode. Instead
air and water will be run through the column at various flow rates to observe when flooding
occurs.
Lab 4: Gas Absorption in a Packed Bad
A gas absorption column was built last year and works very nicely. This lab will study CO2
absorption into water in a packed bed, and will use mass transfer analysis rather than
equilibrium stages.

Laboratory Rules
Lab Sign-ups and Show-ups
Lab signup will be conducted the old fashioned way, with schedules posted outside my office
door. Signup will be on a first come first served basis, and I will post on myCourse when the
schedules are to be posted. You must sign-up for a time slot that suits your schedule. Dont
worry about group mates much, as the report will be individual. The sign-up sheets will be taken
down the Friday before the labs start, scanned and posted on-line for you to check.
Failure to show up for your chosen time slot is an intolerable sin, highly unprofessional, and will
be dealt with accordingly. You will be allowed to join another group to collect data, but you receive
a 50% reduction from your mark on that assignment. Exceptions will be made for legitimate
reasons (i.e. a Drs note). Failure to even sign-up for a time slot, then approaching the TA 2 days
before the lab ends will be handled similarly. Please, dont let this happen, I beg you! It is a
headache that nobody needs.
WHMIS
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training/exam is mandatory for all
students registered in CHEE370 (or 314). If you haven't completed this training yet (i.e.
CHEE291), please inform your instructor.
Statement of Safe Laboratory Practice
The Department of Chemical Engineering is committed to providing a safe laboratory environment
for its faculty, staff, students and visitors. We must wear appropriate attire and personal protective
equipment when present in the lab. We must report accidents, dangerous incidents or suspected
occupational illnesses to our immediate supervisor without delay. We must refrain from
manipulating any hazardous materials prior to undergoing appropriate safety training and
receiving safety instructions. Finally, the use of cell phones is prohibited in the laboratories.
The laboratory technicians, teaching assistants and professors have the authority to expel from
the lab anybody who does not abide by any of these rules. More information can be found on the
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) website:www.mcgill.ca/ehs/.
3

Faculty of
Engineering

Evaluation and Assessment

Quizzes: 12.5% 2 = 25%
Lab Simulations: 6.25% 4 = 25%
Final: 50%

Faculty of
Engineering

Course Content and Lecture Schedule (Approximate and Tentative)

Week

Monday
Date
Lecture Topic

Wednesday
Date
Lecture Topic

Jan 6

Jan 8

Washing: In-class Demo!

Jan 13

Admin, Introduction,
Washing & Counter-Current
Cascades
Flash Drum (Equipment,
Calculations)

Jan 15

Jan 20

Jan 22

Jan 27

Binary Distillation (Internal

& External Balances)
Binary Distillation (McCabeThiele)

Feb 3

Quiz 1

Feb 5

Feb 10

Feb 12

Feb 17

8
9
10

Feb 24
Mar 3
Mar 10

Absorption & Stripping

(More McCabe-Thiele,
Concentrated Solutions)
Column Operation
(Efficiency and Energy Use)
Buffer Day
Reading Week
Mass Transfer Review

Equilibrium Cascades,
Introduction to Distillation
(Equipment, Variables)
Binary Distillation (CMO &
Lewis Method)
Binary Distillation (Column
Design, Limiting Operating
Conditions)
Absorption & Stripping
(McCabe-Thiele Method)
Absorption & Striping
(Column Design, Operation)

11

Mar 17

12

Mar 24

13
14

Mar 31
Apr 7

Packed Columns (HTUNTU)

Packed Columns (Mass
Transfer Coefficients)
Gas Permeation
Buffer Day

Jan 29

Feb 19
Feb 26
Mar 5
Mar 12
Mar 19
Mar 26
Apr 2
Apr 9

Column Operation (Internal

Flow and Sizing)
Quiz 2
Reading Week
Packed Columns (Equipment,
HETP, Film-Theory)
Packed Columns (HTU-NTU)
Membrane Separations
(Equipment, Variables)
Reverse Osmosis
Review