Department of

Chemical Engineering

l About | Brief History | Objectives l Facilities
l Educational Program | Courses l Publications
l Academic Staff l Address

Faculty of Technology | Addis Ababa University | Other Links

 

 

 

 

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1 About the Department

 

The department located at the northern campus of the Faculty of Technology offers a five-year programme leading to a B.Sc. Degree in Chemical Engineering. About 100 students are currently enrolled at the Department.

The Department is led by the Head of the Department. Existing subcommittees in the department are:

  1. Examination committee
  2. research and publication committee
  3. computer management committee

Department Chairman: Dr.-Ing. Nurelegn Tefera

technorth.aau@telecom.net.et

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1.1    Overview & Brief History 


An investigation of the Ethiopian industries reveals that about 90% of the gross value of industrial production is accounted for by the process industries.   Raw materials are changed continuously from one form to another  until the desired final products are obtained in these industries.  These process industries,  where Chemical Engineering plays an important role, have and will continue to  have significant impact to the industrialization  process of the country.

About 95% of the factories in Ethiopia are largely dependent on imported raw materials and the utilization of these factories is below capacity. Moreover, these factories are mainly engaged in the formulation and packaging of imported semi-processed or finished products. Thus the need to develop raw materials and to transform the low technological level is of paramount importance.  This transformation requires first and foremost the critical professional input of the chemical engineer.

Graduates in Chemical Engineering are able to select, design, install and operate process plants and supervise the production in process industries such as chemical, food and beverage, leather, fuels, fertilizers, plastics, artificial fibers, paints, glass, minerals, refined metals, cement, paper and pulp, essential and edible oils, sugar, soap, ceramics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals industries, and others.
 
The need to open Chemical Engineering Department in the Faculty of Technology was recognized as early as 1973.  Preliminary investigation was made in terms of space and facility availability as well as resource requirements such as manpower (staff), material and finance.  When the present Faculty's building was planned, there were five laboratories reserved for chemistry and physics.  But they could not be utilized for a long time since the preparatory courses of physics and chemistry were given by the respective departments.  These unused laboratories were considered as the foundation stone for the development of a Chemical Engineering Department in the Faculty of Technology.  To this end, the Faculty of Technology assigned specialists to investigate prerequisites and to elaborate proposals for measures that could enable the Faculty of Technology to start a Chemical Engineering Programme.
 
After a thorough investigation of the need of the discipline and the facilities, the following conclusions were reached.

  • A special branch for Chemical Engineering should be founded with the Mechanical Engineering Department
    •

     A full-fledged Chemical Engineering Department should be developed in a phased manner to provide time for the development of human and material resources as well as gathering experience in running the programme.

    The first courses in Chemical Engineering were offered as a Minor Programme within the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Technology Addis Ababa University from 1981 to 1986.  During this time in addition to conducting the courses of the Minor Programme, the staffs were engaged in the development of course materials, the acquisition of text and reference books, the erection and organization of the necessary  laboratory facilities and preparation of a five-year study programme in Chemical Engineering.  It was after five years of intensive preparation that the present full-fledged Chemical Engineering education leading to B.Sc. Degree started in the Faculty of Technology, Addis Ababa University in 1986.

     

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    1.2     Objectives


        - The Department has the following three main objectives:

  • a.     Teaching,
    b.     Research, and
    c.     Consultancy and Technical Services.
    •

         a.    Teaching

  • The courses are designed to produce qualified Chemical Engineers who are instrumental in the development of the industrial sector of the country. The specific objectives of the training programme of the department are:
    •

     
        b.    Research

  • Chemical Engineering is one of the most fertile areas of research in a country like Ethiopia. Industrial raw material research, process improvement and product development are some of the areas that require Chemical Engineering research.  Thus, one of the objectives of the Chemical Engineering Department is to carry out research in line with the development needs of the country, these comprise:
    •

         c.    Consultancy and Technical Services
     

  • Consultancy and technical services are aimed at solving specific problems that may arise in the production process in areas such as energy consumption, raw material identification and conversion,  and process selection.  Thus, another objective of the Chemical Engineering Department is to provide consultancy and technical services to the industrial sector and other socio-economic sectors of the country.

    The areas of consultancy and technical services comprise:

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    2.     Educational Programme


    2.1 Design of the Programme

     

    The programme is designed in such a way that it will:

    Students join the Chemical Engineering Department after  taking the core  subjects common to all undergraduate engineering programmes. The educational programme of   the Chemical Engineering Department has the following broad categorization and credits allocation:
     

    Basic Sciences  (including Chemistry).
    General Education  
    Major Courses:  
              Chemical Engineering.
              Mechanical Engineering
              Other Related Engineering Courses     		48 Credits 
    27 Credits 

    66 Credits  
    30 Credits 
    14 Credits

    T o t a l

    		 185 Credits

     

    Basic Science
        - consists of Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry,  etc.

    General education
        - consists of English, Economics, Environmental Science,  etc.

    Major Courses

  • - comprise:
     
    i.    Chemical Engineering

    The programme is designed to include the following major groupings:

    •

        ii.    Mechanical Engineering

  • The programme is designed to include the following major groupings:
    •

        iii.    Other related engineering courses

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    2.2    Courses list leading to a B.Sc. degree in Chemical Eng.

     

    Year I
    Biol 101Introduction to Biology 
    Chem 101 General Chemistry 
    Flen 101College English 
    Math 101 Preliminary Mathematics 
    Phys 101 Mechanics 
    Phed 101 Physical Education    		 3 
    3 
    4 
    4 
    3 
    0    		 Biol 102Introduction to Biology 
    Chem 102 General Chemistry 
    Flen 102 College English 
    Math 160 Freshman Mathematics 
    Phys 102 Elec. & Management 
    Phed 102 Physical Education    		 3 
    3 
    4 
    4 
    3 
    0
    Year II
    Geol. 100 Environmental Science 
    M.E. 102 Descriptive Geom & Tech.Draw 
    C.E. 201 Engineering Mechanics Statics) 
    FlEn 201 Sophomore English 
    E.E. 212 Prob. & Static 
    Maths 231 Applied Mathematics    		 3 
    3 
    3 
    3 
    2 
    4    		 Econ. 101 Intro. to Economics 
    M.E. 201 Technical Drawing 
    M.E. 202 Eng’g Mechanics II 
    C.E. 204 Strength of Materials 
    Maths 232 Applied Mathematics 
    ChEg 200 Intro. to Chem. Eng’g    		 3 
    3 
    3 
    3 
    4 
    2
    Year III
    M.E. 206 Workshop Technology 
    M.E. 204 Machine Drawing I 
    M.E. 303 Thermodynamics 
    ChEg 232 Introduction to physical Chem. 
    Chem. 261 Inorganic Chemistry 
    E.E. 318 Introduction to computing 
    Maths 331 Mathematics for Engineers    		 2 
    3 
    3 
    2 
    3 
    2 
    4    		 ChEg 312 Unit Operations I 
    ChEg 314 Heat & Mass Transfer 
    ChEg 351 Drawing 
    Maths 332 Applied Mathematics 
    M.E. 306 Fluid Mechanics I 
    M.E. 424 Machine Element 
    ChEg 502 Computational Methods     		 3 
    3 
    2 
    4 
    3 
    3 
    2
    Year IV
    M.E. 401 Fluid Mechanics II 
    M.E. 423 Engineering Materials 
    ChEg 413 Unit Operations II 
    ChEg 421 Chemical Eng’g Thermodynamics 
    ChEg 431 Process Industries I 
    E.E. 421 Fundamentals of Elec. Eng’g 
    ChEg 441 Chemical Eng’g Lab. I    		 3 
    3 
    3 
    3 
    3 
    3 
    1    		 Chem. 250 Organic Chemistry 
    ChEg 414 Unit Operations III 
    ChEg 422 Chemical Reaction Eng’g I 
    ChEg 432 Process Industries II 
    E.E. 422 Electrical Machines & Instr. 
    ChEg 503 Fluid Machines 
    ChEg 442 Chemical Eng’g Lab. II    		 3 
    4 
    3 
    3 
    1 
    3 
    1
    Year V
    ChEg 504 Safety & Env. Protection 
    ChEg 510 Control & Instrumentation 
    M.E. 515 Industrial Management 
    ChEg 523 Chemical Reaction Eng’g II 
    ChEg 533 Process Industries III 
    ChEg 553 Chemical Eng’g & Proc. App. Design 
    ChEg 543 Chem. Eng’g Lab. III    		 2 
    3 
    3 
    3 
    3 
    4 
    1    		 M.E. 501 Machines Lab. I 
    M.E. 510 Maintenance of Machinery 
    M.E. 412 Ref. & Air Cond. 
    ChEg 506 Dept. Selected Topics 
    ChEg 202 Substance Parameters 
    ChEg 508 Final Project 
         		 1 
    2 
    3 
    2 
    2 
    6 
     

     

     

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    3.    Academic Staff


    Existing Staff Profile
     

    Belay Woldeyes (Dr.-Ing.) 
    Gizachew Shifferaw (M.Sc.) 
    Nurelegne Tefera (Dr.)
    Teshome Worku (M.Sc.)  
    Lemma Dendena (M.Sc.) 
    Temesgen T/Mariam
    Solomon Bogale (M.Sc)
    Kassahun Tarekegne (B.Sc.)
    		Associate Professor 
    Assistant Professor 
    Assistant Professor 
    Lecturer 
    Lecturer 
    Lecturer
    Lecturer 
    Assistant Lecturer

     
     
    Staff members on Study Leave
      

    Ato Ibrahim Yimer 
    Ato Zebene  Kifle
    Ato Berhanu Assefa 
    W/o Rahel G/Wold 
    Ato Ephrem Hunde 
    W/o Netsanet Shifferaw 
    Getye Gesit
    Tensae Yilikal
    		 towards     Ph. D. 
    towards     Ph. D. 
    towards     Ph. D. 
    towards     Ph. D. 
    towards     Ph. D. 
    towards    Ph.D. 
    towards    M.Sc 
    towards    M.Sc.

     

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    1. Facilities

    The Department has five laboratories devoted to teaching and research. Laboratories in the Department are equipped with modern equipment. These are used for research and teaching activities. The Department also owns a number of computers with printers, a scanner and a plotter to assist teaching and research activities. The Department has simulation software, which is designed to assist in the design of apparatus and process plants.

    * Laboratories

     

    Mechanical Unit Operations 
    Thermal Unit Operations 
    Mass Transfer Unit Operations 
    Kinetics and Reactors     		 ChEg 441 
    ChEg 442 
    ChEg 442 
    ChEg 543 

     

            ChEg 441

    Deals with  experiments on Crushing and Grinding, Granulometric Analysis, Vacuum and Centrifugal Filtration, Thickeners and Clarifies, etc.

            ChEg 442

    Consists of experimental works such as Analogy Model, Rheological Investigation, Steam Generators,  Double Pipe Heat Exchanger, Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger, Rectifying Distillation, Convective  Drying  etc.

            ChEg 543

    Focuses on Extraction /Leaching, Absorption,, Kinetics, Chemical Reactors, and other related works.

    Additional Laboratories:

     

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    Publications

    Belay Woldeyes (Dr.-Ing)

  • B.Woldeyes, Reduction of sulphate content from coated alumina by hydrogen spillover, Zede, Journal of EAEA, Vol. 14 1997.

    B.Woldeyes, operation characteristics of venture scrubber with variation of the diffusor geometry, Zede, Journal of EAEA, Vol. 11, 1994

    •

    • Nurelegne Tefera (Dr.)

  • N. Tefera etal, Modeling of free radical polymerization up to high conversion I. A Method for selection of models by simultaneous parameter estimation, J. Appl. Polym. Sci, 63 1649 (1997)

    N. Tefera etal, Modeling of free radical polymerization up to high conversion II. Development of a mathematical model; J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 63, 1663 (1997).

    N. Tefera etal, Free radical suspension polymerization kinetics of shyrene up to high conversion, Macromol, Chem. Phys. 195, 3067 (1994)

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    Address

    All inquiries to the department should be to:

    Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Technology, AAU

    P.O.Box 385, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Tel.:    +251-1-12 35 72

    Fax:    +251-1-55 26 01

    e-mail:  technorth.aau@telecom.net.et

    Copyright ©1999 Chemical Eng. Dept., Faculty of Technology