2024
- New videos of the setup and use of equipment for the Unit Operations and Fundamentals Labs (37 total videos with 3.5K views as of June 18, 2024) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJnea9UkHIDSe7ZjXN6cCbA
- New bioreactor experiments for the 479 UO lab (oxygen concentration optimization, yogurt production, GFP bacteria growth kinetics)
- Auxiliary equipment and testing completed to verify operation of distillation column under vacuum which was used for a capstone project
- Inventory of plate heat exchangers increased for use with the PBL (problem-based learning) lab in 479 (UO lab) with associated use of vegetable oil for heat exchanger efficiency observation and design (per Dr. Larry Baxter)
- High visibility vacuum chamber for demonstration of multiple chemical engineering scenarios
- High pressure transparent cell for demonstrations of low-pressure or high-pressure phenomena such as single component vapor pressure
- Custom vapor pressure setup for solids and liquids used for experiential learning projects and for capstone (461)
- Two Shimadzu gas chromatographs with updated software for chemical analysis
- Customized microscope with software for observation and concentration determination of green fluorescing bacteria (GFB)
- Incorporated non-newtonian pressure drop and air flow experiments into 285
- New 285 lab for measurement of viscosity of water and ethanol under different temperatures using Cannon-Fenske glass viscometers
2023
- New terrarium experiment for 345 with diffusion and the kinetics of CO2 plant uptake (experiment setup with student results published in the 2024 ASEE Conference Proceedings)
- New vapor pressure experiment for 285 (pressure and temperature gauges with heater to collect data and observe vapor pressure differences with temperature)
- Fundamentals lab website incorporated into the TIPICE website (https://tipice.byu.edu/fundamentals-lab)
- New external flow experiment (sphere drop through isobutyl alcohol, glycerine, iosbutyl alcohol and water mixture with interface, and water) for 285
- Safe and effective heaters added to PBL lab with upgraded problem statement for 479
- Water filter option added to PBL with upgraded problem statement for 479
- Analytical capability of UO Lab upgraded with Karl Fisher titrator and additional densitometer