- UCAS course code
- H801
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Master of Engineering (MEng)
MEng Chemical Engineering
A chemical engineering master's degree from Manchester opens up a world of opportunity.
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Duration: 4 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: H801 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
Scholarships available
Accredited course
- Typical A-level offer: AAA including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: AAB including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: ABB including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at HL, including specific requirements
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £36,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
At The University of Manchester we're committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.
For information about scholarships and bursaries please see our undergraduate fees pages and check the Department's funding pages .
Course unit details:
Fundamentals of Thermodynamics
| Unit code | CHEN10081 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 10 |
| Unit level | Level 1 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Thermodynamics was born in the 19th century to improve the efficiency of engines and thus increase the amount of useful work obtained from a given source of energy (combustion of coal at those times). The name itself denotes power developed from heat (energy). The theoretical framework of Thermodynamics is based on some fundamental postulates, or laws, that were originally developed for steam engines, but have a general validity. The legitimacy of these laws cannot be proved mathematically, but instead lies in the absence of contrasting experimental evidence. The mathematical framework and associated physics built on these fundamental postulates are applied to many practical problems of Chemical Engineering and constitute main ingredient of the present course.
The following is the list of the main topics covered in this unit:
- Introduction to thermodynamic systems and states of matter.
- The First Law of Thermodynamics. Heat, work, and internal energy.
- Enthalpy and heat capacities.
- Reversible and irreversible processes.
- PVT behaviour of pure substances. Phase diagrams.
- Heat associated to physical transformations. Steam tables.
- Energy and mass balance for open systems.
- Application of energy and mass balance to engineering devices: turbines, compressors, throttling valves, nozzles, mixing chambers, heat exchangers.
- The Second Law of Thermodynamics. The Kelvin-Planck and Clausius statements.
- Heat engines and thermal efficiency.
- The Carnot cycle and principles.
- Entropy and the increase of entropy principle.
- Entropy balance for closed and open systems.
- Properties of T-s, P-h and h-s diagrams.
- Isentropic efficiency of engineering devices.
- Compression and expansion. Reciprocating and centrifugal compression. Adiabatic and polytropic systems. Multistage compression.
- Cascade refrigeration.
- Gas turbines: the Brayton cycle.
- The Rankine cycle and the reheat Rankine cycle.
Aims
This unit aims to connect the key principles and laws of classical thermodynamics to processes and chemical engineering devices involving heat and work transfer.
It will give students a basic understanding of the postulates of classical Thermodynamics and how to apply them to open and closed systems.
Learning outcomes
ILO 1:Define a thermodynamic system in terms of physico-chemical properties and boundary conditions.
ILO 2:Develop a fundamental understanding of internal energy, heat, work, enthalpy and entropy.
ILO 3: Apply mass and energy conservation principles to closed and open systems.
ILO 4:Interpret phase diagrams and thermodynamic tables of pure substances and apply them to design chemical engineering devices.
ILO 5:Perform basic calculations to estimate the heat associated to phase transformations.
ILO 6:Apply energy and entropy balances to analyse the performance of heat engines and refrigerators.
ILO 7:Calculate the efficiency of thermodynamic cycles.
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures provide fundamental aspects supporting the critical learning of the module and will be delivered as pre-recorded asynchronous short videos via our virtual learning environment.
Synchronous sessions will support the lecture material with Q&A and problem-solving sessions where you can apply the new concepts. Surgery hours are also available for drop-in support.
Feedback on problems and examples, feedback on coursework and exams, and model answers will also be provided through the virtual learning environment. A discussion board provides an opportunity to discuss topics related to the material presented in the module.
Students are expected to expand the concepts presented in the session and online by additional reading (suggested in the Online Reading List) in order to consolidate their learning process and further stimulate their interest to the module.
Study budget:
- Core Learning Material (e.g. recorded lectures, problem solving sessions): 20 hours
- Self-Guided Work (e.g. continuous assessment, extra problems, reading): 50 hours
- Exam Style Assessment Revision and Preparation: 30 hours
Assessment methods
Final exam - 50%
Group coursework - 30%
Online test - 20%
Feedback methods
For each assessment
Recommended reading
Reading lists are accessible through the Blackboard system linked to the library catalogue.
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Antonios Anastasiou | Unit coordinator |
| Daniel Lee | Unit coordinator |