Transport Phenomena

Transport Phenomena is the application of common principles to the study of mass transfer, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics. These three fields intersect through the physical phenomenon of diffusion (molecular mixing), and the fluid-mechanical phenomenon of turbulence (convective mixing). Mass transport is the movement of material, often chemical species, usually expressed as concentrations in solution. Heat transport is the movement of thermal energy, usually expressed in terms of temperature. Fluid mechanics is the transport of momentum, which is a vector, and as we will see in this course, that is where the common principles begin to break down.

Instructor: Brian Lowry (please contact the instructor to request an up-to-date syllabus)
Prerequisite: MATH 2513 (or any other math course with material on partial derivatives and multiple integrals)

Why take this course?

• This course introduces a broad range of concepts, especially in heat and mass transfer, and as such it provides a solid foundation of basic knowledge in both of those fields.
• In this course, fluid mechanics is treated more as a backdrop for the other concepts, as the full math of momentum transport is well beyond the intended level for this course. The second half of the course is very mathematical, but the math is primarily used to provide context for simpler approaches that avoid any extremely mathematical tasks (such as solving partial differential equations).
• Transport Phenomena is an excellent foundation for further study in Chemical Engineering, but it also provides a broad set of technical approaches for those needing only basic mass transfer and/or heat transfer knowledge.

Course details

Students have six months from the registration date to complete the course. All course exams and/or assignments must be completed by the designated end date.

Assignments and examinations

• 10 x Assignments (15%)
• 3 x Quizzes (45%)
• 1 x Final Test (40%)

Fees and payments

There is a $150 non-refundable/non-transferable online fee per course in addition to applicable tuition & fees. Learn more about tuition and fees and methods of payment.