Process engineering

Overview

Typical processes include cement production from limestone, beer brewing, wastewater treatment, flue gas cleaning in power plants, instant coffee production and the processing of crude oil into fuels and plastics.

Mechanical process engineering

Material conversion through mechanical action: size reduction, agglomeration, mixing and separation. This usually also includes storing, conveying and dosing bulk solids and liquids. Examples: grinding, tableting, filtering, pneumatic conveying, silo storage.

Thermal process engineering

Applied thermodynamics. Core processes are distillation, rectification, extraction, absorption, crystallization and drying. Examples: crude oil refining, sugar production, spray drying of milk powder.

Bioprocess engineering

Material conversion using microorganisms, cell cultures and enzymes. Examples: fermentation, biogas from slurry, biological wastewater treatment (activated sludge process), vaccine production in bioreactors.

Chemical process engineering

Material conversion through chemical reactions, including scale-up from the laboratory via the pilot plant to production. Topics: reaction control, kinetics, residence time, design of stirred tank and tubular reactors.

Summary based on Wikipedia: Process engineering