ChE
416 - Unit
Operations Laboratory II
Winter 2008
Syllabus
Instructors
- Course Goals - Schedule
- Teams - Safety - Grading
- Attendance and Academic Honesty - Notebooks
- Prelab Reports - Postlab
Reports
- Design Orals and Reports - Progress
Reports
Instructors (Return
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Office hours are by appointment. Make all
appointments at
least 2 days in advance to ensure your instructor is available.
Course Goals (Return
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- Develop an ability to identify, plan,
and complete the experimental measurements and calculations required to
achieve engineering objectives.
- Learn to draw and support technical
conclusions from experimental data.
- Develop an ability to design an
engineering system based on experimental data collected.
- Demonstrate and reinforce unit
operations and concepts studied previously, including experimental
design and statistical treatment of data.
- Develop an ability to think beyond a
particular textbook or course.
- Improve written and oral technical
communication skills.
- Practice teamwork and leadership
skills.
- Develop professional habits in safety,
documentation, and planning.
Course Schedule (Return
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Each project has an associated design question
that requires
you to experimentally determine some information. Your laboratory
plans
should be formulated to produce the information needed to answer the
design
question. During your prelab meeting you will explain how your
experimental objectives are related to the project's design question
and any
other specific experimental objectives included in the individual
experiment
write-ups. After you complete the Reaction Kinetics, Multiphase
Mixing, Yeast
Fermentation, and Fluidized Bed
experiments,
you will address the design question associated
with each
of these projects (one team member per project) in a written report and
an oral
presentation.
In general . . .
Prelab Reports are due before you start the experiment.
Arrangements for the prelab meeting date should be made with the
instructor one
week before the first lab period for the experiment. All team members
are expected to attend and participate in the prelab meeting.
Failure to plan ahead and schedule a meeting with adequate leadtime
does not remove this requirement.
Postlab Reports are due Wednesday at 4:45pm,
six days after the last lab period for an experiment.
Due dates for mandatory rewrites are at the discretion of the
instructor for
the laboratory experiment.
You may not begin your experiment until the instructor is
satisfied that
you are sufficiently prepared. Based on your prelab meeting,
your
instructor may require you to rework certain portions of your prelab to
insure
minimum preparation for your laboratory work. This is separate
from the
detailed reading of your prelab report that will take place later.
Experimental Schedule and Due Dates for
Winter
2008.
|
|
|
Experiment #
|
|
Exp.
#1
|
Exp.
#2
|
Exp.
#3
|
Exp.
#4
|
Design
|
|
|
|
|
No
meeting
|
15,
17 Jan.
|
29,
31 Jan.
|
12,
14 Feb.
|
26,
28 Feb..
|
|
|
Team #1
|
Introduction
|
MM
|
YF
|
FB
|
RK
|
Oral
/ Written
|
|
Team #2
|
Introduction
|
YF
|
FB
|
RK
|
MM
|
Oral/ Written
|
|
Team #3
|
Introduction
|
FB
|
RK
|
MM
|
YF
|
Oral
/ Written
|
|
Report Due
|
|
23
Jan.
|
6
Feb.
|
20
Feb.
|
5
Mar.
|
13
Mar.
|
RK = Reaction Kinetics; MM = Multiphase Mixing;
YF
= Yeast
Fermentation;
FB = Fluidized Bed.
[Click on a project name for more information.]
Teams (Return
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Teams have been selected by a random draw
conducted by Drs. Prudich and Young.
Team and Design Project assignments are here.
"Freeloading" is an unacceptable abuse of the
team
structure of this course. Teams are expected to reasonably accommodate
the
strengths, weaknesses, and schedules of their members. They are NOT
expected to
take someone for a free ride. If someone on your team is not
contributing, and
you cannot work it out within your team, set up a team meeting with the
lead
instructor (for Winter 2008, Mike Prudich).
For safety reasons, individuals may not operate the experimental
equipment
alone. However, habitual non-contributors may be required to turn in
individual
reports and be graded based on them, rather than on the team
reports.
This measure will require that the team present their case against the
non-contributor in his/her presence, including documentation of the
non-contributor's
behavior and the measures taken to resolve it. The lead
instructor shall
judge such cases, and there shall be no appeal unless it includes
significant
new evidence.
Team self and peer evaluations will be made the end of the
course.
These evaluations will use the form for Self and Peer
Assessment
of Team Contributions.
Safety (Return
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Penalties for careless, childish, or dangerous
behavior
include expulsion from the laboratory and/or a failing grade for the
course.
Neatness is a safety issue. When a safety hazard is observed, your
team will
be asked to stop work until the situation is corrected to the
instructor's
satisfaction.
· Clean up and properly store your equipment
and supplies.
· Know the location of all fire extinguishers,
safety showers, eye washes, fire blankets and the first aid kit, and
know how
to use them.
· Consider safety when planning and executing
your experiments. Obtain MSDS sheets for chemicals you are using. These
MSDS sheets should be included in the Prelab Report. Know
the key
information concerning hazards, toxicity, and spills. Identify
tasks that
involve risk of personal injury.
· At least two people are required at any
operating equipment.
· Be familiar with equipment before you operate
it. Report malfunctions promptly.
· Address spills or accidents immediately and
report them to an instructor.
· Wear proper attire to laboratory. Proper
attire is not loose fitting. It includes shirts that cover the
shoulders, long
pants, socks, and closed-toe shoes. No sandals, high-heeled shoes, neck
ties,
scarves, or dangling jewelry is allowed. Long hair shall be tied back
or
otherwise confined.
· Wear safety glasses or prescription glasses
at all times; contact lenses are prohibited.
· Wear safety goggles when mixing or pouring
chemicals.
· Wear a hard hat in the high bay area (near
distillation columns).
· Do not put anything in your mouth while you
are in the laboratory. If you need a refreshment, take a break with
your team's
permission.
· Performing experiments while your judgment or
reactions are impaired is dangerous. Schedule your all-nighters and
celebrations accordingly.
Failure to comply with the safety regulations may
result in
grade reductions or even failure of the course for severe
violations. Any
instructor, teaching assistant, or laboratory coordinator may deduct
points for
failure to comply with the safety rules. (Minimum
scale: 1
point for the first violation; 3 points for the second violation; 5
points for
each subsequent violation.)
Grading (Return
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|
|
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Percentage
|
Letter Grade
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Interpretation
|
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90 - 100
|
A
|
Outstanding work
beyond expectations
|
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80 - 89.999
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B
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Good quality in
meeting expectations
|
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70 - 79.999
|
C
|
Acceptable
quality in meeting expectations
|
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60 - 69.999
|
D
|
Tasks poorly
completed
|
|
< 60
|
F
|
Unacceptable;
work incomplete or of very low quality
|
Weighting of the course assignments is as
follows.
|
|
|
Prelab Reports (team)
|
400
points
|
|
Postlab Reports (team)
|
400
points
|
|
Design Oral (individual)
|
100
points
|
|
Design Report (individual)
|
100
points
|
|
Total
|
1000
points
|
- Final grades will be computed as a
percentage of the total points available, although a missing assignment
results automatically in a failing course grade.
- Standard grading worksheets (one for
the Prelab
Report and one for the Postlab
Report) will be used for all experiments. The weighting of
the individual grade sheet components can be expected to vary with
experiment.
- Late assignments are penalized 30%
per business day. Incomplete submissions (reports missing one or
more required elements) will be considered as late.
An assignment may be unacceptable because of
grammar,
organization, content, calculations, or format (see grading sheets).
Unacceptable assignments may be returned for rewriting and
resubmission. An
assignment will be penalized each time it is returned for a mandatory
rewrite. The point penalty for a mandatory rewrite will vary on a
scale
depending upon how many rewrites have been assigned to a team during
the
quarter. The point penalties are: 1st rewrite - 10
points; 2nd
rewrite - 15 points; 3rd and subsequent rewrites - 20 points
each. The new due date is at the
instructor's discretion. The original, graded report ust be
submitted with
the mandatory rewrite. Sections modified and those not
modified
should be clearly labeled. No rewrites will be assigned
for the
design reports or for the postlab report on the fourth experiment.
A team may voluntarily rewrite any prelab and/or postlab
report not
requiring a mandatory rewrite (except the postlab report for the fourth
experiment) one time, without penalty, in order to achieve a
higher
grade. Additional points will not be awarded simply for
correcting minor
spelling and grammar errors in reports being rewritten. However,
additional
points may be deducted if marked errors are not corrected. A
report that
has been submitted as a mandatory rewrite cannot be resubmitted as a
voluntary
rewrite. All voluntary rewrites of reports must be submitted to
the
appropriate lab instructor within one week of receiving the original
graded
report. The original report should be submitted with the
voluntary
rewrite.Sections modified and those not modified should be clearly
labeled.
Mistakes not discovered on the original grading may result in a
reduction of
points if discovered while grading the rewrite report.
All team members will receive the same grade for
each Prelab
Report and each Postlab Report. Individual grades will be given
for
Design Orals and Design Reports.
Attendance and Academic
Honesty
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You must attend all laboratory periods and your
team's
prelab meetings. Absences will be excused according to the
guidelines in
the Ohio
University Undergraduate Catalog. You must have a verified
written
excuse
that can be checked. It is the student's responsibility to
document such
absences, and to advise the instructor in advance when possible.
Penalties
for unexcused absences include a zero for the period, a zero for the
assignment, and/or a failing grade for the course.
Engineering is a profession; professional
behavior is
expected of you. You may not use reports produced by other
students to inform
your work. Possession of other students' work (including,
but not
limited to previous year's unit operations lab reports) will be
considered
academic dishonesty. Published work, course notes, and
discussions with colleagues and instructors are acceptable sources of
information. You must give credit when you are assisted by the
ideas or
efforts of others. Please refer to the section on plagiarism in
the Guidelines
for Technical
Writing. Academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to
the
guidelines provided by the Ohio
University Judiciaries.
Laboratory Notebooks (Return
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Take all notes in a laboratory notebook and submit
carbon
copies of each day's data to the instructor. All laboratory notebooks
are
company property (normal industrial policy). Your instructor (boss) may
inspect
your notebook any time. Point deductions may be made on your
postlab
report for poor quality notebooks.
· Write only in waterproof ink, leaving at
least one inch margin on all sides.
· Title and date each page on the top
line. Include your team number on the top line.
· Record all data directly in the notebook, not
on loose sheets of paper.
· Permanently fasten (tape, staple, glue)
calibration curves or literature data into the notebook.
· Data that is incorrectly measured or recorded
should be marked through with a single line, initialed, and explained
by a
brief note. If the data was correctly recorded, but you later decide
not to use
it, do not mark it out. Just add a note of explanation.
· "Z-line" the unused portion of any
page.
· All team members initial and date each page
1/2 inch below the last line of data.
· Do not remove pages (except copies) or cross
writing out so it becomes illegible.
Carbon copies of each laboratory period's data
sheets
must be submitted to that experiment's instructor no later than noon of the day immediately
following
the lab period. The data sheet copies may be placed on the
mailboxes
outside of the instructor's door or left in a box designated for this
use in
the Unit Operations Laboratory.
Prelab Reports (Return
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A Prelab Report explains what you intend to
determine
experimentally and how you will do it. You may not begin an experiment
until
your Prelab Report is approved. You must demonstrate that you know how
to
operate the equipment, you understand the engineering principles
involved, you
are aware of potential hazards and errors, and you have a
well-conceived
experimental plan. You must be able to explain the particular values
you
selected, the capabilities of the equipment, which parameters are
critical, and
how potential sources of error affect your results. You must include a
detailed
plan for data reduction and analysis. You must be able to explain
how
your experimental plan is related to the design question for the
project.
A Prelab Report has two parts: written and oral.
At your
appointed time before you intend to begin the experiment (an
appointment for
the prelab meeting should be made one week in advance of the first lab
period),
submit a written Prelab Report and discuss it with the instructor. All
team members are expected to attend and participate in the prelab
meeting. All
members
of the team will receive the same Prelab Report grade. Refer to the Guidelines for
Technical
Writing web page, and to any specific guidelines from your
instructor, in
writing the Prelab Report.
Text must be double spaced in 12 point font,
except in
tables and figures, where font sizes from 10 pt to 16 pt may be used
for
effect. All figures must be at least 1/2 page in
size.
All margins must be at least one inch. You may "steal" from one
section to gain space for another, but the written prelab should not
exceed 12
pages. Pages, equations, figures, and tables should be
numbered.
Submit the Prelab Report with a completed and signed Prelab
Report Check Sheet.
Attach a cover sheet showing the following
information to
the front of your prelab:
· The words "Prelab Report"
· The name of the project (e.g. Fluidized Bed)
· The course number and quarter (e.g. ChE 416 -
Winter 2008)
· The team number
· The names of all team members
A written prelab includes:
- Experimental Objective
- Three Sentences Maximum
State the results (not the data) you intend to determine experimentally
so you can meet your design objective. Summarize the design
objective (briefly), but focus on the experimental objective.
Write in the future tense, since you will do this.
- Introduction - One Page
Maximum
Briefly describe the engineering/science principles involved in the
design and the experiment, including appropriate equations. Focus
on what must be determined experimentally to complete the design.
Explain what results are needed, and what data will be collected to
obtain those results. Tell what variables you need to control and
measure to meet each experimental objective. Write in the present
tense for things that are known (e.g., engineering/science principles)
and in the future tense for things you will do.
- Experimental Methods -
Six Pages Maximum
Describe in detail how you will collect your data. Provide a
schematic and a description of the experimental equipment
(photographs of the apparatus
are nice and may be included but are not
a substitute for a detailed flow schematic). Provide a
test
matrix which shows the operating conditions for each experiment and the
expected consumption of supplies. Provide an operating procedure
of sufficient detail that someone else could repeat your work, given
the same access to course materials and manuals. In developing
your test matrix and procedure, consider how to use your time most
effectively and minimize experimental uncertainty. Provide an
estimate of the time required to implement your experimental
matrix. Plans to perform duplicate runs should be explicitly
described. State safety concerns and safety measures
prominently. For example, you may refer the reader to an MSDS for
details of exposure limits, but you should state in your report that a
particular chemical is corrosive and gloves should be worn when
handling it. Present tense (for descriptions) and imperative
statements (for procedures) are appropriate.
- Expected Data and Results
- Two Pages Maximum
Provide estimated values of data (what you measure) and results
(quantities calculated from your data). You might provide
tabulated numbers or plots which show behavior
semi-quantitatively. From information gathered to write your
Experimental Methods, you should be able to predict the range of data
you expect to observe. From information gathered to write your
Introduction, you should be able to predict approximate values for your
results, and whether values will rise exponentially or decrease
linearly, for example. Use this section in the lab to decide
whether your experiment is working correctly. Present and/or
future tense are appropriate.
- Data Analysis - Three
Pages Maximum
Take the reader step-by-step
through the equations and methods
(engineering, scientific, statistical) that you will use to convert
your data to results. Include methods for quantifying
experimental uncertainty.
- References
Complete references for publications cited in the text.
Acknowledgment of assistance from individuals.
A discussion of propagation of error, useful for writing your Data
Analysis
section, can be found at the following locations: Propagation
of Error , Error
and Uncertainty.
Please see the Prelab
Grading Sheet, the Guidelines
for Technical Writing web page, and the individual experiment pages
(Reaction
Kinetics, Multiphase
Mixing, Yeast
Fermentation, Fluidized Bed) for additional prelab information.
Postlab Reports (Return
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A Postlab Report presents your experimental
results and
explains their significance. It assumes the reader has the Prelab
Report, and
notes deviations from information and procedures in the Prelab.
Postlab
Reports are due Wednesday at 4:45pm,
six days after the last lab period for an experiment. All team
members
will receive the same Postlab Report grade.
Text must be double spaced in 12 point font, except in tables and
figures,
where font sizes from 10 pt to 16 pt may be used for effect. All
figures
must be at least 1/2 page in size. All margins must
be at
least one inch. Pages, equations, figures, and tables should be
numbered. Submit the Postlab Report with a completed and signed Postlab
Report Check Sheet and a copy of your Prelab Report.
Attach a cover sheet showing the following
information to
the front of your prelab:
· The words "Postlab Report"
· The name of the project (e.g. Fluidized Bed)
· The course number and quarter (e.g. ChE 416 -
Winter 2008)
· The team number
· The names of all team members
A Postlab Report includes:
- Experimental Objective
- Three Sentences Maximum
State the results (not the data) you determined experimentally to meet
your design objective. Summarize the design objective (briefly),
but focus on the experimental objective. Write in the past tense,
since have done this.
- Presentation of Results
Present the numbers, relationships and trends you determined by
experiment. Use tables, graphs, and/or text for effective
presentation.
Confirm that you followed the plan presented in your Prelab Report or
describe and justify any changes that you made.
Indicate experimental uncertainty on all numbers reported.
Provide a detailed sample calculation (may be in the Appendix).
The sample calculation should include the appropriate equations in
symbol (variable) form and with actual numerical values with
units substituted for the variables. Even if you used a
spreadsheet or a Matlab program, show the step-by-step procedure for a
particular case.
- Discussion - Five Pages
Maximum
Provide quantitative analysis of trends or anomalies in your results,
quantitative comparison of the results with your expectations based on
engineering principles and quantitative assessment of experimental
uncertainty. Describe your results and compare them to what you
expected. Use quantitative descriptions like, "The value dropped
5 %, but this is insignificant compared to the experimental uncertainty
of +/- 10 %."
- Conclusions - One Page
Maximum
Directly link your experimental results to your experimental objective,
perhaps by restating those key results in the order they were presented
in your Experimental Objective section. Note how limitations of
your experimental results (e.g., range of values tested, experimental
uncertainty) will affect your experimental design.
- References
Complete references for publications cited in the text.
Acknowledgment of assistance from individuals.
(See the Guidelines
for Technical Writing web page.)
Please see the Postlab
Grading Sheet, the Guidelines
for Technical Writing web page, and the individual experiment pages
(Reaction
Kinetics, Multiphase
Mixing, Yeast
Fermentation, Fluidized Bed) for
additional
prelab
information.
Design Orals and Reports (Return
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Each project has an associated design question
whose
solution requires some experimentally-determined information.
Each person enrolled in the course must present
one Design
Oral and Design Report based on an experiment's design
objectives.
Experiments will be assigned to individuals based on the blind draw
held during
the orientation period.
Design Oral. Prepare a 10-12 minute
presentation.
Expect 5-10 minutes of questions. State your design problem, show how
you have
addressed the problem, tell what information you determined
experimentally, and
assess the uncertainty in your experimental results and what effect
this has on
the reliability of your design. (Design Oral Grading Sheet - link
to be added)
Design Report. The design report should consist of a 3-5
page
(excluding Appendix) technical memorandum that documents your design
strategy
and results. Detailed calculations in support of your design
conclusions
should be included in an Appendix to the memorandum. The Prelab
and
Postlab Report may be cited as a source in the Design Report.
(Design
Memo Grading Sheet - link to be added)
Progress Reports
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Instructors may require intermediate progress
reports at
their discretion. In any case, you are encouraged to analyze the first
period's
data promptly so that you may make efficient use of the second period
of
laboratory time, and meet with the instructor to discuss this
intermediate
analysis.