(513b) Teaching Mixing to Undergraduate Chemical Engineers

Chemical engineers take raw materials and mix them so that
they react to form valuable products and by-products.  The products and by-products are then
separated.  While these steps are being
performed the components may be heated or cooled as necessary.  Of these four basic operations, three are
covered in the undergraduate chemical engineering curriculum.

Smith (Trans. IChemE, 1990)
estimated that the US chemical industry loses approximately $ 1 billion a year
due to problems associated with poor understanding of the role of mixing on the
processes being operated.  Given the
importance of mixing as a discipline, it is surprising that there are very few
universities that offer a formal course on the subject.

After graduation engineers can take continuing education
courses or webinars on mixing organized by, among others, the Center for
Professional Advancement, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the
British Hydromechanics Research Group. 
Some larger companies that employ mixing specialists offer in-house
seminars on mixing to their employees.

If a formal course on mixing cannot be included in the
curriculum due to, for example time constraints, a single lecture could be
included in other courses, such as fluid mechanics, reaction engineering and transfer
processes, that would show how the concepts being taught can be extended to
take the role of mixing into account. 
These modules could be prepared as webinars aimed at undergraduate
students rather than those offering continuing education for engineers in
industry.