Chemical and Process Engineering
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David Walker ME, Chemical and Process Engineering. Completed 2008 Process Engineer |
News and Announcements
Congratulations to the Biomolecular Interaction Centre (Director, Professor Conan Fee) on the award of $1m a year for 3 years.
MEM student of the Year 2009
Congratulations to Jaclyn Hankin
(formerly from CAPE) who was named MEM student of the Year by the class of 2009 at the recent MEM Annual Progress Presentations to Industry Event, 27 November 09
December 2009 Synchrotron Trip
Chris Penniall, Aaron Marshall (CAPE) and Richard Haverkamp (Massey) visited the Australian Synchrotron to conduct X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of some electrocatalytic nanoparticles.
The Australian synchrotron is a $200 million dollar facility which generates x-rays which are many orders of magnitude higher in intensity than common laboratory instruments.
Access was granted for 48 hours of beamtime (running 24 hrs/day) and preliminary results of the data analysis look very promising.
Our key goal was to determine how the atomic / electronic structure influences the catalytic activity of our samples.
Photo shows Chris loading a sample int othe x-ray beam for analysis
Travel and accommodation funding was provided by the New Zealand Synchrotron group.
Photo shows Aaron and Chris in front of the magnet unit used to bend the electron beam in the 200m circumference storage ring. (The magnets are actually NZ made).
More information about synchrotrons is available at http://www.synchrotron.org.au/index.
php/synchrotron-science/about-synchrotrons/what-is-a-synchrotron
Wood Technology Research
A workshop will be held in conjunction with IPENZ Professional Course on Biomass Energy and Bioliquid Fuels at the University of Canterbury on 27th November, 2009.
This professional development course and workshop will cover both overviews and latest achievements from studies conducted by the research team at the University of Canterbury and collaborators.
The Wood Technology Research Centre will hold a Industry-Research Workshop on 5th February, 2010 at the University of Canterbury.
The workshop will give a review on recent research progresses on wood and wood based technologies.
Hannah Farr Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Chemical & Process Engineering is now studying towards a Phd in Bioengineering.
Hannah studied at UC because she heard that UC’s Engineering school ‘was the best’ and she also ‘liked the feel’ of Christchurch.
‘I have really enjoyed living in Christchurch, meeting lots of new people, and was fortunate to be a part of a really friendly and supportive Engineering class."
Hannah is specialising in bioprocess engineering. Her project involves modelling complex chemical pathways – the outcome of which will be used by UC’s Centre for Bioengineering ‘Brain Group’.
‘It is cool to think that the work that the Brain Group is doing now will hopefully one day help those with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and stroke.’
‘My subject excites me because of the possibility that you can help build and shape the world around you.’ Hannah adds: ‘An Engineering degree teaches you lifelong skills that I believe would be useful for any profession: logical problem solving skills, research skills, patience and determination’.
Although Hannah found the Engineering professional years challenging, she believes the ‘secret to her success’ to complete those late night assignments came from the support from family, friends and academic staff.
‘Engineering can be a very challenging degree – asking for help and encouragement from your whānau, friends and academic staff when you need it is very important.’
Academic Board’s revision of the University’s academic progress regulations. From 1 December 2009 students whose Grade Point Average is less than 1.5 or who have not passed half or more of the points in which they were enrolled will have their academic progress reviewed. The consequences of a review have not changed and range from advice or warning through to exclusion from a faculty or the University.
Professor Conan Fee has been short-listed for the Biomolecular Interaction Centre bid for an internally-funded research institute
Vinod Damodaran at the Surface Analysis Laboratory, Colorado State University, USA, on a collaborative research funded jointly by New Zealand Postgraduate Study Abroad Award (Education New Zealand), BIC international travel grant and CAPE.
High Purity Water System for CAPE. ATM has received (September 2009) an Arium 611 UV ultrapure water system that delivers type 1 laboratory water which exceeds the ASTM, NCCLS, 
ISO and USP reagent water standards. This system will produce the water used in research projects where the highest level of purity are required (e.g. investigation of electrochemical alcohol oxidation reaction mechanisms).
Emeritus Professor Arthur Williamson to give lecture to ECan, Wednesday, 23 September on his visits to various energy projects in the USA, UK and Germany in 2009.
Emeritus Professor Roger Keey
publishes his 3rd novel Forest Affairs.
Peter Jones, recipent of the Health and Safety and Well-being Award.
He will attend the 2009 NZ Tertiary Sector Health and Safety conference to be held at U.O.C. in September 2009.
Farewell to Stanley Siemon, First Professor of Chemical Engineering at Canterbury.
Upcoming Conference: CHEMECA 2009 Perth Australia. 27 -30 September 2009
Alumni Reunion Weekend 9-11 Oct 2009 will celebrate the graduating classes of 1969 and earlier; 1979, 1989 and 1999.
This is for graduates who identify with the classes that completed their studies in 1978, 1988, 1998 or before 1968.
The FICFB Lab GasifierTop IPENZ honour for Jackson (2 April)
New Appointments
Prof. Jan Evans-Freeman appointed College PVC (24 Apr)
Research Associate -
Woei Saw joins department June 2009
New academic for 2009
Dr Aaron Marshall
Professor Conan Fee was appointed director of the Biomolecular Interaction Centre.
TEC grant for Immersive Learning through Virtual Reality Peter Gostomski, Conan Fee and Ken Morison were part of the successful TEC grant titled "Immersive Learning through Virtual Reality". This a multi-departmental, multi-organisational grant headed up by Canterbury worth $1.69 million over three years.
Student Achievements
The Department congratulates:- Rhys Macown, NZ Aluminium Smelters Prize and SR Siemon Prize.
- Mick O'Malley, Peter McElroy Prize.
- Hannah Farr, CAPE Research Project Prize and Thomas Hagyard Prize.
- Matthew Smith, Society of Chemical Engineers NZ Prize.