Course Overview

Overview

Objectives:

The objective of this programme is to provide participants with an understanding of the basic principles which underpin Process and Chemical Engineering and how they are applied in the process industries. Students on the Certificate/Diploma programme will be exposed to the fundamentals of process engineering, heat, mass and momentum transfer and their application to a number of unit operations and process technologies, through both lectures and supplementary laboratory and pilot plant exercises and demonstrations. Students will also be exposed to other elements of Process Engineering, such as environmental engineering, reactor design, engineering chemistry, plant design, safety and project management, and will be required to complete a project which will incorporate elements from each of these modules.

Main area of study:

The main area of study is Process and Chemical Engineering. This includes not only the fundamental principles which underpin Process Engineering (fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, thermodynamics) but also the applications of these principles (pumps and piping systems, flow measurement and sampling systems, heat exchanger design, energy conservation and integration, thermal process engineering, refrigeration, combustion, steam generation, combined heat and power plants, and a range of separation processes involving heat and mass transfer). The important area of powder technology (characterisation, storage, handling, dust control) is also be covered as is process instrumentation and control.

Target Audience and Requirements:

Throughout the process industries (Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Food, Biopharmaceutical, etc.) there are many cases where personnel with a strong scientific background are in contact with Process and Chemical Engineers and/or whose job develops in such a way that they require a greater understanding of Process and Chemical Engineering principles and applications. The Diploma programme can provide these people with the opportunity to develop these skills further in earning a formal qualification in the area.

In addition there is a demonstrated growing requirement in the PharmaChem sector for people with Engineering qualifications. This has been quantified in the 2003 Forfás Expert Group Report on Engineers the results of which are reported below:

Projections of Annual Demand for Certificate, Diploma & Degree holders in the PharmChem Sector inIreland.

Year         Certificate & Diploma           Degree

2003                       21                             46

2004                       22                             49

2005                       24                             53

2006                       25                             56

2007                       27                             60

2008                       28                             63

2009                       30                             67

2010                       32                             72

2011                       34                             76

2012                       36                             82

Source: The Demand and Supply of Engineers and Engineering Technicians, A Study for the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs by McIver Consulting, Forfás, May 2003).

In addition, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs in their August 2016 report, has identified the Process/Chemical/Pharma/Biopharma sector as one which will have enormous skills shortages over the coming years. Please see the full report here: http://www.skillsireland.ie/Publications/2016/Biopharma-Skills-Report-FINAL-WEB-VERSION.pdf