Institute of Chemical Process Engineering and Plant Design
The Institute of Chemical Process Engineering and Plant Design deals with mechanical and thermal process engineering, membrane technology, electrical engineering, measuring and process control engineering, process automation, reaction technology, polymer process technology, process development, apparatus engineering, CAD, plant design and maintenance.
Disciplines
Fluid processing technology
Fluid processing technology deals with processing fluids and gases by cleaning, separating, and concentrating the individual components with selective separation techniques.
The processes involved - from the starting idea to the actual implementation - are paramount in this work. These processes are used in production as well as in water and sewage treatment.
Energy process technology
Energy process technology deals with processes and plants in energy conversion. The focus is in the conversion, distribution, storage, and above all, the sustainable use of energy resources.
Plant design
Plant design deals with planning, designing, and realizing projects in plant construction during the different stages of engineering, procuring, constructing, commissioning, and installing. Further focus points are project management and controlling as well as apparatus construction.
Reaction technology
Reaction technology deals with scaling up chemical reactions from the laboratory scale to the production scale. An example of this is the production of ethylene glycol as anti-freeze for vehicles and solar plants.
Polymer processing technology
Polymer processing technology deals with producing, processing, and recycling polymers. An example of this is manufacturing PET for foodstuff packaging and bottles.
Process development
Process development deals with scaling up ideas for obtaining raw materials and manufacturing products for the material-conversion industries to an industrial scale.
An example is developing a process for recycling PET-bottles.
Cost estimates
The fixed investments and the production costs must be estimated in each different planning phase of a production plant.
In the early project phases, this is carried out with stochastic methods.
Electrical engineering
Almost all devices need electricity to run and electricity cannot be produced, transmitted, or with the help of electric drives, converted into mechanical work without knowledge about electrical engineering.
Renewable energy sources (wind and solar) also deliver electricity.
Process measurement technology
Process measurement technology includes measuring temperature, pressure, fill level, flow, gas concentration, density, humidity, as well as fluid analysis.
Plants can only be operated with reliable measurements.
Process control technology
Process control technology methods are used to monitor, regulate, control, and optimally operate plants and processes.
An example is the automatization of a rectification column in an oil refinery.
Process data analysis
Statistical methods are used to analyze measurement series and determine the connections between different measurements.
An example is determining the most important factors that influence a chemical reaction.