Undergraduate Calendar 1998-1999

Chemical Engineering is the responsible application of science to develop processes or systems for the economic production and distribution of beneficial materials through the physical, chemical, or biochemical transformation of matter.

Chemical Engineers combine a sound background in fundamental understanding of science and mathematics with highly-developed problem-solving skills to improve existing processes or methods, or to implement new ones. The principles of economic production and distribution differentiate engineering activities from those of science. Chemical engineers will be required for many exciting new developments during the next few decades. The Department of Chemical Engineering also is the home department for the related Environmental Engineering (Chemical) Program described elsewhere in this chapter.

Chemical engineers design, analyse, optimize and control processing operations, or guide others who perform these functions, in industry, government, universities or private practice.

Activity areas include:

Energy : conservation; improved production and use of renewable and non-renewable resources.

Materials : minerals; fertilizers; petrochemicals; biochemicals; processed foods; paints; pulp and paper; polymers; textiles; etc.

Environment : pollution control; recycling; environmental safety and regulations; etc.

People : management functions; group leader, plant manager, research director, president; etc.

In a world faced with growing shortages of non-renewable resources and a finite limit on the amounts of renewable resources, persons wishing to use their talents to optimize the recovery or utilization of matter and energy will find Chemical Engineering a challenging and satisfying career, one which will place them in enviable positions with respect to the availability of employment opportunities.

In recent years, significant numbers of women are entering the engineering profession and this trend is increasing as they become more aware of the career opportunities available. More women now enter Chemical Engineering or Environmental Engineering (Chemical) than any other branch of engineering.

Waterloo offers the student a first-rate opportunity to obtain a sound, relevant background in the discipline of Chemical Engineering. The Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo is one of the largest and most active departments in North America. There are over 25 full-time faculty, each of whom specializes in a particular sub-field through research and consulting activities, thereby bringing depth as well as breadth to the instruction and professional development of students.

Chemical Engineering at Waterloo is a co-operative education program and offers many advantages:

• an opportunity through work terms to gain exposure to a variety of job-related experiences within Chemical Engineering
  
• work term salaries effectively reduce the costs associated with university education
  
• Waterloo graduates receive favourable recognition from employers for their work term experiences
  
• work terms can offer an opportunity to travel through a worldwide network of co-op employers
  
• academic terms become more meaningful and relevant against a background of work term related experience

THE WATERLOO CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM

The main emphasis in the first and second year is on courses in science and mathematics which provide the foundations upon which engineering skills can be built. The upper-year core and elective courses assume and require this background.

Engineering is both a quantitative and an applied discipline, requiring the skill to be able both to set up the mathematical equations which describe a process and then to solve the equations to analyse and predict its behaviour. This requires a strong mathematical ability. Courses in Calculus, Algebra, Computer Science, Differential Equations, and Statistics help develop this ability. More specialized Engineering Mathematics courses extend into the third year.

To perform successfully, the Chemical Engineer must be able to design, analyse, and control processes to produce useful and desirable products from less valuable raw materials in an efficient, economic, and socially responsible way. The knowledge and skills essential for achieving these goals are developed in the core Chemical Engineering courses taken mainly in the third and fourth years (e.g., in fluid mechanics, process flowsheeting, heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics, reactor design, biotechnology, process control, process and equipment design, engineering economics). Most of these courses are a mixture of theory and practice. Detailed computer simulations are used in several courses to reinforce the theoretical principles.

All students in the fourth year do either an individual research or design project, or a group process design project in direct collaboration with one of their professors. Numerous Canadian companies also sponsor projects.

The range of subject matter within Chemical Engineering is much too extensive to be mastered by any one student during the four-year program. Consequently, in the fourth year, a student may select several technical elective courses to further develop her/his understanding of, and ability to use, engineering principles applied to important Canadian industrial sectors.

Many of these electives are grouped within a common specialty theme which is covered in some depth. Students are required to take at least two of the elective theme courses which are described briefly below. The remaining technical elective requirements can be met by taking additional courses within the Department, or approved courses of interest elsewhere in the University.

An important component of the development of a professional engineer, which receives emphasis throughout the entire four-year curriculum, is frequent practice in learning to communicate technical results clearly, accurately and effectively to others. Written practice is provided in the requirement for co-op work term reports which are graded by faculty. Written and oral report requirements in laboratory and other courses provide additional practice opportunities.

Many courses are common core courses for both the Environmental Engineering (Chemical) and Chemical Engineering students, so there is a significant environmental focus in much of the core Chemical Engineering curriculum.

COMBINED BACHELOR'S - MASTER'S PROGRAM IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Provision is made for outstanding students to pursue a combined Bachelor's - Master's Program. This program provides a quicker route to the MASc degree. Admission is normally granted to qualified students possessing a consistently good cumulative academic record at the end of the 3A term. See 'Combined Bachelor's - Master's Program in Engineering' for more details.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION AVAILABLE IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TRANSPORT PROCESSES

Transport Processes

As an extension of the core curriculum, this covers advanced aspects and industrial applications of fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, reaction kinetics and petroleum engineering.

Mathematical Analysis, Statistics and Control

This also deals with the further development of a core area of Chemical Engineering. It involves studies in optimal control, economic and process optimization, simulation, and statistics. Dedicated computer process laboratory and state-of-the-art industrial software systems provide excellent vehicles for learning.

Polymer Science and Engineering

This elective theme has a wide scope, but special emphasis is placed on the physics and physical chemistry of polymers, and on the modifications of polymer structure by physical or chemical means.

Biochemical Engineering (Industrial Biotechnology)

This theme deals with the processing of systems where biochemical phenomena are important. It is concerned with fermentation operations and equipment which manufacture products such as alcoholic beverages, yeasts, antibiotics, therapeutics, vitamins and enzymes, often using genetically-engineered organisms, and with waste treatment and food processing.

Pollution Control Engineering

This elective package presents aspects of industrial waste treatment and pollution abatement techniques which are becoming increasingly important for the proper use of technology in a quality conscious society.

COMPLEMENTARY STUDIES ELECTIVES (CSE's)

Five one-term courses in non-technical areas (that is, outside the engineering, sciences and mathematics disciplines) and a core course in engineering economics must be taken. This requirement is organized on a Faculty basis and is detailed elsewhere in this Engineering Chapter. If some Complementary Studies Electives are satisfied by distance education or from other institutions on Letters of Permission, each term's minimum course load must be maintained by substituting an approved 'free' elective (technical or non-technical).

OPTIONS AND MINORS

A number of Faculty or University Designated Options available to Engineering students are listed and described elsewhere in this Engineering Chapter. Students who satisfy the option requirements (usually seven or eight courses) will have the appropriate designation shown on their transcript.

Minors are sequences of courses, usually totalling ten, which are arranged in conjunction with another department such as Economics, Biology, Psychology, etc. and lead to an appropriately designated degree. Approval from both Chemical Engineering and the other department is required.

Usually students must take extra courses to complete a Minor or a Designated Option.

Students interested in the Management Sciences Option should review the material described in the Management Sciences section of this Engineering Chapter. Information on sequencing can be found in the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Office (E1-2509).

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

For students entering in Fall 1996 or later, Chemical Engineering will be a Stream 4 program as listed below.

1. Transport Processes
   CH E 512 Separation Processes
   CH E 514 Fundamentals of Petroleum Production
   
2. Mathematical Analysis and Control
   CH E 522 Advanced Process Control
   CH E 524 Process Control Laboratory
   
3. Polymer Science and Engineering
   CH E 542 Polymerization and Polymer Properties (2 term course credits)
   
4. Industrial Biochemical Technology
   CH E 562 Fermentation Engineering
   CH E 564 Food Process Engineering
   
5. Pollution Control Engineering
   CH E 572 Air Pollution Control
   CH E 574 Aqueous Inorganic Wastes
   

^aAlso offered in Fall 1998
^bAlso offered in Spring 1998 and 1999

All undergraduate course descriptions including Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering course descriptions are located in Chapter 17.

The Undergraduate Calendar is published by the
Office of the Registrar, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
Inquiries: infoucal@www.adm.uwaterloo.ca
Revised February 1998