Projects Lab
The Projects Lab offers our students the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience with state-of-the-art processing and analytical equipment housed in the 3 main department labs.
Purpose:
The Projects Laboratory has a key role in promoting practical and hands-on education throughout the undergraduate careers of chemical engineering students at the University of Utah. For our freshmen, this laboratory accommodates CH EN 1705, Chemical Engineering Design & Innovation. Courses such as CH EN 3853, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, use the lab to allow students to develop a practical understanding of complex theory. Finally, our seniors cap their coursework with the Projects Laboratory two-semester sequence, CH EN 4903 and 4905, where they perform large-scale projects, develop creative proposals, and execute their final projects.
The Projects Lab is where students apply their knowledge of theory by conducting experiments, operating production size equipment, and optimizing chemical processes. Our goal is to provide a state-of-the-art environment where students become proficient at both the physical and creative skills needed in the workforce.
Facilities & Equipment:
The Projects Lab has a wide range of state-of-the-art training equipment for a variety of chemical processes. The lab is continually changing and being updated as chemical process technology advances. Currently, the lab houses numerous experiments involving heat transfer, fluid flow, chemical processes, computer control, separations and others, along with a wide range of analytical equipment. A list of each piece of equipment and related details may be viewed below.
Heat Pipe
Heat pipes are thermal transfer devices capable of transferring heat and energy several hundred times faster than conventional methods. ...
Multi-Tank Liquid Level
A multi tank water level controller is a wired system that controls the water level in multiple tanks and can protect the motor, pipeline, and other devices. ...
Bambu 3D Printer
Key Features: Active heated chamber reaches up to 60°C Print speeds of up to 500mm/s Material extrusion up to 320°C ...
Reclaimer
The Filabot Reclaimer is a granulator unit that breaks down plastic, in failed print form, waste plastics, etc. and turns that plastic into particles that can be further...
Thermal Camera
Diagnose potential faults in industrial, electrical, and mechanical systems, or discover temperature anomalies in R&D testing with the 464 × 348 resolution FLIR T540...
Plasma Cleaner
Our Basic Plasma Cleaner...
Electron Microscope
The Phenom XL G2 desktop scanning electron microscope pushes the boundaries of desktop electron microscope with unprecedented opportunity for automation. Combining the...
Testing System
The 3340 single column, 3360 dual column table models, and 3380 floor models were first introduced in 2002 and were designed to perform tensile, compression, flexure/bend...
Milling Machine
Full Enclosure kit for Tormach PCNC 770 mill 16g sheet metal Powder Coated Large sliding front doors with 33 in. opening 2 large...
Laser Cutter
A laser cutting machine is often used in engineering for the precision cutting of components of machines. ...
Liquid Level
Liquid Level Controllers are devices used in upstream and midstream applications to monitor the level of liquid and ensure that the liquid is maintained at the set level...
Liquid Flow Bench
The liquid flow bench is a system of pipes, valves and pressure measurement devices used to study fluid dynamics. ...
Mini Heat Exchangers
Shell and tube heat exchangers are used for the flow of in-line heating and cooling. The innovative design allows the movement of fluids through the tubes and exterior...
Ultrafiltration & Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a water purification process that uses a semi-permeable membrane (synthetic lining) to filter out unwanted molecules and large particles such as...
Plug Flow Reactor
The plug flow reactor model (PFR) is normally the name given to a model used in chemical engineering to describe chemical reactions in continuous, flowing systems of...
Pump Lab
Numerous experimental and research opportunities are available and readily conducted with the Pump Lab System. The installed pressure and flow sensors allow basic...
Multiple Continuously Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTRs)
This reactor set up consists of three small CSTRs in series each equipped with a conductivity probe. ...
Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
The BioTek Synergy HTX is a compact, economical multimode reader for 6- to 384-well microplates and Take3 microvolume plates. The unique dual optics design provides...
Ovens
Applications: Sample drying, baking, aging tests, glassware drying, dry sterilization, processing electronics Outstanding temperature uniformity and...
Microscopes
Instruments designed to magnify samples or specimens with a light source; includes compound, infrared, simple, and stereo microscopes as well as lamps and accessories. ...
Universal UV Unit
Universal UV units can be used to disinfect and sterilize air and water, and to reduce mold and bacteria. ...
-80°C Freezer
The freezers are manufactured using a heavy welded Galvannealed steel. The interior and exteriors are powdercoated giving them a durable finish for a reliable ...
UV-VIS Spectrophotometer
Cary UV-Vis (ultraviolet-visible) spectrophotometers are ideal for both routine and research measurements, with flexibility, longevity by design, and software to ensure...
Centrifuge
The 5702 family of low speed, general purpose centrifuges was especially designed to meet the requirement of low- to mid-throughput clinical research and cell culture labs...
Econo UV Monitor
The Model EM-1 Econo UV monitor is a single-wavelength detector for flowthrough monitoring of effluents from chromatographic columns, centrifugation gradients, and other...
Plate Reader
The SpectraMax® iD3 and iD5 Multi-Mode Microplate Readers measure absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence. In addition, the iD5 reader measures TRF and FP and can be...
Gas Pycnometer
Vortexer
The vortex mixer is the ideal vortex mixer for every lab with its compact size, ease of use, and its economic price point. The 3000 rpm fixed speed...
Peristaltic Pumps
Masterflex® peristaltic pump systems, engineered for a long life, provide superior accuracy and repeatability, ensuring optimal performance from the research...
Stir/Heat Plates
Easy and safe to use. Excellent for general lab heating and stirring in environments between 4° to 40°C (39° to 104°F). Fit virtually anywhere in lab ...
Dissolved Oxygen Meter
Microprocessor-based, the YSI 5000 and 5100 will store 100 sets of data with RS-232 interface for direct link to your computer. Both models are user upgradeable through the...
pH Meters
pH meters and ion meters measure the water quality parameters critical to many laboratory, industrial, chemical, and processing applications. Whether you are...
Syringe Pump
All KD Scientific syringe pumps have a menu and alphanumeric display to quickly prompt you through set up. All pumps feature preset rate and volume control plus automatic...
Density Meter
Applications 4 Measurement of true density and density-related values 4 Concentration determination, e.g. in the food, beverage, photography...
Sonicators
The sonication mechanism is used in ultrasonic cleaning which includes cleaning of particles that adhere to the surfaces. It is used in laboratories for cleaning fragile...
Refractometer
For measuring the concentration and refractive index of liquids and pastes, the Abbemat 3X00 refractometers embody reliability, precision, and convenience. These benchtop...
Gas Chromatograph System
The 7820A Gas Chromatograph system performs great day-to-day analysis. The system provides reliable capabilities for a wide range of application areas, meeting regulatory...
High Performance Liquid Chromatograph
The 1260 Infinity II LC System is a robust high performance liquid chromatography instrument that offers the widest choice of modules for analytical HPLC and entry-level...
Differential Scanning Calorimeter
The Q20 (Q20, AQ20, Q20P) is a cost-effective, easy-to-use, general-purpose DSC module, with calorimetric performance superior to many competitive research-grade models...
Atomic Absorption Spectrometer
Whether you choose the AAnalyst™ 200 or AAnalyst 400, you’ll discover an easy, affordable and reliable flame atomic absorption (AA) solution. We’ve simplified the...
Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer
The Agilent 5977B GC/MSD is a routine and reliable workhorse for environmental impurities and food testing, chemical and petrochemical analysis, as well as the analysis of...
Vacuum Coater
Producing homogenous and conductive metal or carbon coatings for SEM and TEM analysis was never before more convenient than with the Leica EM ACE200 coating system. ...
Automated Critical Point Dryer
The procedure of critical point drying is an efficient method for drying delicate samples for SEM applications. It preserves the surface structure of a specimen which...
Automated Thermal Desorber
TD100-xr™ is an automated thermal desorption system for the rapid and unattended processing of up to 100 sorbent tubes in a single sequence. It’s the perfect thermal...
Thermal Desorption System
UNITY–ULTRA-xr™ is an automated thermal desorption system for the rapid and unattended processing of up to 100 sorbent tubes in a single sequence. Additional options...
Gas Chromatograph Flame Ionized Detector
The flame ionization detector (FID) is the most widely used detector for gas chromatography because of its reliability, versatility, and ease of use. It responds to...
Bench Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer
BenchTOF-select is a fast, high performance reflectron time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer (MS) or gas chromatograph (GC) for analyzing ultra-trace level volatile and...
Bioreactor
TThe Eppendorf BioFlo 120 offers simplicity and ease of use, without sacrificing capability. No matter if you are in an academic, governmental or industrial research...
Autoclave
Autoclaving, sometimes called steam sterilization, is the use of pressurized steam to kill infectious agents and denature proteins. This kind of “wet heat” is...
Cell Counter
The Chemometec Cell Counter is an integrated fluorescence microscope which determines the concentration of yeast cells in solution. ...
Conductivity Meter
Measurements include conductivity, resistivity, salinity, total dissolved solids and temperature. With YSI’s exclusive accurate Resistance Ratio TechnologyTM...
CSTR
A continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is a container used for chemical reactions. It allows the substances needed for the reaction to flow in, while the products flow...
DI Water
This piece of lab equipment uses various filters to provide deionized water. ...
Distillation Column
The distillation column separates two or more liquids based on the differences in their volatility ...
Ebulliometer
The ebulliometer accurately determines the boiling point of liquids. The liquid and condensed vapor phases may be analyzed to produce x-y diagrams. ...
Extruder
The EX2 Extruder is our entry-level extrusion system, designed to be simple for those who are just starting to make filament. The EX2 features a compact three-stage...
FTIR
The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer measures the absorbance of infrared light across a range of wavelengths simultaneously. ...
Fuel Cell
This apparatus is used to test the efficiency of generating electricity from hydrogen gas using a proton exchange membrane. ...
Gas Absorber
The gas absorber flows liquids and gassed through pack columns in order to transfer chemical substances from one to the other. ...
Glassware
The projects lab contains a wide variety of glass containers and apparatuses. ...
Heat Conduction
The heat conduction experiment is used to measure the heat transferred along cylinders of various sizes and compositions. ...
Incubator
The Incubator maintains a constant temperature for growing cell cultures. ...
Osmometer
The osmometer measures the osmotic strength of a solution my measuring the force felt on a semi-permeable membrane separating the solution from pure solvent. ...
Photobioractor
The Photobioreactor is used to study the growth of photosynthetic microorganisms, such as algae and cyanobacteria. ...
Pycnometer
Pycnometers are used, in conjunction with scales, to measure the density of known volumes of samples contained within them. ...
Spray Dryer
The spray dryer uses compressed air and high temperatures to atomize liquid slurries and create dried particulate product. ...
Temperature Baths
Temperature baths are used to keep samples or circulating liquids at a constant temperature. ...
uPrint 3-D Printer
This printer extrudes melted polymer onto a stage to create 3-D objects. ...
Safety:
A safe working environment for students, faculty, and visitors in the Projects Lab is of the utmost concern. Please review our safety material before you enter the projects laboratory.
Also, for each piece of equipment in the Projects Lab the standard operating procedure should be read and understood to assure safe and proper use. A list of each piece of equipment may be found here, and most all have a link to their respective standard operating procedures.