School: Engineering

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Chemical Thermodynamics
  • Unit Code

    ENS3111
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Nilesh JHA

Description

This unit will investigate the impact of the fundamental laws of thermodynamics on steady and unsteady state processes. Phase and chemical equilibrium will also be investigated in the context of the Gibbs free energy of a system. Methods to critically analyse data and/or equations related to particular processes will be explored. Students will be equipped with the tools and knowledge to tackle unfamiliar problems using these principles.

Co-Requisite Rule

Must have passed, or be concurrently studying ENS2160

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply the first and second law of thermodynamics to steady/unsteady state systems and reacting/non-reacting systems.
  2. Calculate the extent of reaction or reaction potential for a given reaction and set of conditions.
  3. Choose a suitable equation of state for a given situation and apply equations of state in process calculations.
  4. Explain the basis for all chemical and phase equilibrium and explain what partial molar properties are and why they are important for equilibrium calculations.
  5. Explain what excess properties are and the origins of excess properties.
  6. Explain what ideal and non-ideal solutions are, their causes, and the effects of non-ideality on phase and chemical equilibrium.
  7. Use activity models in phase equilibrium and reaction equilibrium calculations and be able to choose an appropriate model for a given situation.
  8. Use commercial software to calculate the equilibria, phase and reaction of multi-component systems, and analyse the impact of process conditions on the equilibria.
  9. Use phase equilibrium charts and pre-dominance diagrams to perform equilibrium process calculations.

Unit Content

  1. 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics with applications.
  2. Chemical equilibrium in gas phase, liquids and gas-liquid mixtures.
  3. Criteria for equilibrium.
  4. Phase equilibrium in multicomponent systems; including vapour-liquid equilibrium, liquid-liquid equilibrium, solid-liquid and solid-gas equilibrium.
  5. Thermodynamic properties of ideal and real mixtures; including partial molar properties, free energy, activity coefficient models and electrolyte solutions.
  6. Thermodynamic properties of pure substances; including equations of state, corresponding states and phase boundaries.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 213 x 1 hour labNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 2 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 2 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentTheory-based assignments20%
Laboratory Work ^Laboratory work and reports20%
TestMid semester test20%
Examination ^End of semester examination40%

^ Mandatory to Pass


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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