Studies

What is process engineering?

Process engineering is a quite interdisciplinary field that involves subject areas out of mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology. This discipline is mainly dealing with development and implementation of technical processes and plants that are able to change the state, the properties as well as the composition of a material. The focus is on design, operation, control and optimization of chemical, physical and biological processes. Moreover, also the importance of computer-based methods in process engineering is continuously increasing.

In process engineering, the huge variety of technical applications is divided into a manageable number of unit operations based on their functional principle. Exchange, investigation and optimization of these fundamental principles are an essential part of teaching and research at the Institute of Process Engineering. Also the industrial implementation of developed products, processes and concepts is of major interest. Nowadays, also biotechnological processes play a major role in chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries.

Therefore, lectures and research projects in process engineering are subdivided into:

• Plant engineering and construction
• Thermal process engineering
• Chemical process engineering
• Bioprocess engineering
• Mechanical process engineering und particle technology

As an example, a few unit operations applied in the production process of sugar are shortly introduced. In this Download figure (in German) (PDF, 292 KB), the production steps are schematically illustrated.

Sugar beets as feedstock are washed and afterwards cut and mixed with water (Vorbereitung der Rohstoffe). These applied unit operations belong to mechanical process engineering. The conversion in the reactor as well as the subsequent separation steps are needed to produce the final product (sugar) and byproducts. This steps are part of thermal und chemical process engineering. Plant engineering and construction is responsible for design, planning, completion and commissioning of the plant with respect to the given requirements.

Job profile as process engineer

A common career entry as process engineer is the research and development department of a company in the chemical or pharmaceutical industry, the food industry, environmental engineering or mechanical engineering. A typical task could be design, optimization, planning and finally commissioning of a plant including process. Process engineers work in nearly all disciplines related to technology like municipal administration, consulting, journalism or in the service sector.