HEAT TRANSFER AND LABORATORY - 2020/1

Module Overview

Heat Transfer: Knowledge of heat transfer is vital for Chemical Engineers. In order to effectively design and operate many unit operations, such as heat exchangers and reactors, a sound understanding of the fundamentals of heat transfer is required. This part of the module is intended to introduce students to the basic mechanisms of heat transfer and to allow them to apply this understanding to the design of heat exchangers.

The laboratory element extends upon the skills developed in FHEQ Level 4 of the degree programmes, with particular attention to investigations that demonstrate and reinforce concepts of several FHEQ Level 5 modules.

Module provider

Chemical and Process Engineering

Module Leader

LEE Judy (Chm Proc Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Completion of the progression requirements to FHEQ Level 5 of the degree courses in Chemical Engineering, Chemical and Bio-Systems Engineering and Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, or equivalent.

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Heat Transfer

Introduction to Heat Transfer

• Temperature driving force


• Setting up and solving simple transient problems

• Log mean temperature concept - parallel and cross flow


• Heat capacity rates, NTU, heat exchanger efficiency


• Correction factor method


• Overall and film heat transfer coefficients, fouling.


• Concept of thermal resistance and electrical analogue

• Steady state heat conduction, Fourier’s law


• Conduction through cylindrical layers, critical lagging thickness


• Convection mechanisms, boundary layer theory


• Unconfined and confined flow. Entrance lengths


• Dimensionless numbers and HTC correlations


• Pipe flow – constant surface temperature and constant heat flux


• Radiation - mechanisms, total enclosure, basic radiation exchange calculations

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A 

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate successful attainment of the full range of learning outcomes covered in lectures and practised in tutorial classes. Where appropriate, the assessments will reflect industrially relevant systems.

 Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Examination – 65%, 2 hours (LO1 – LO4)


• Coursework (Laboratory) - 35%, comprising of: a Full Investigation Report (15%), a Short Investigation Report (8%) and 3 Results and Executive Summary Reports (3x4%), with the inclusion of additional dissemination elements such as verbal presentations and proposals for new operational / briefing guides. (LO5 – LO8)

• In-Semester Test (Heat Transfer) – Combination of questions addressing fundamental knowledge (LO1, LO2) with open ended design calculations (LO3)

• Weekly verbal feedback during tutorial classes (LO1 – LO4)


• Verbal feedback during optional drop-in tutorial classes (LO1 – LO4)


• Written feedback on Coursework with full worked solutions published on SurreyLearn (LO1 – LO4)


• Written and verbal feedback on Coursework (LO5 – LO8)


• Demonstrator feedback on equipment operational matters during the course of the laboratory work (LO5, LO6)

Module aims

• Familiarise students with the mechanisms of heat transfer and with the basic approach to solving steady state and transient heat transfer problems
• Teach performance and design calculation methods for a range of heat exchanger types.
• Introduce heat flux calculations for conduction, convection and radiation transfer mechanisms
• Analyse heat transfer in pipe flow
• Develop the practical skills necessary for problem solving, analysis, and technical dissemination through laboratory experimentation.
• Further underpin the many theoretical aspects of the degree programmes through practical experimentation.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Present the fundamental material in lectures in the context of industrially relevant examples


• Allow students to practice the techniques developed in lectures through extensive tutorial examples. The solution of these problems will involve both guided study in tutorial sessions and independent study.


• Provide the students with basic guidance on the laboratory task with the support resources to facilitate creative and critical thinking and an explorative approach to the work.


• Provide students with repetitive practice and feedback on report dissemination.

• Lectures – 2 hours per week for 11 weeks


• Tutorials – 1 hour per week for 11 weeks


• Laboratory work                     12 hours laboratory classes in 2 hour sessions


• Guided work                          12 hours guided work in support of the labs (2 hours per lab)


• Independent learning – 6.8 hours per week for 12 weeks

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENG2121

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.