News from the School of Chemical Engineering

2009 Level IV Poster Presentation

The Poster Presentation Day was held in the Equinox Function Room in October 2009. We had many exciting research projects undertaken by approximately 60 final-year chemical engineering students.

We thank our generous industry sponsors and congratulate the following students:

Student	Award	Industry Sponsor
Elizabeth Cooter	Best Poster on an Energy Theme	Australian Institute of Energy
William Menz	Best Poster with a Resourcing the Future Theme	BHP-Billiton
Tom Lines	Encouragement Award	Campus Travel
Nicholas Gooding	Best Poster with a Novel Approaches to Unit Processing Theme	GHD
Bhuma Revi	Best Poster with an Environmental Theme	OneSteel Whyalla
Roger Middlemis	Best Poster with an Alternative Energy Resources Theme	Origin Energy
Kenny Hwang	Best Poster with an Innovation or Materials Theme	PIRSA
Joanna Princi	Best Overall Poster	Santos

First Student Chapter of ISPE in Australasia!

Congratulations to the newest ISPE Student Chapter, the Adelaide Student Chapter. The International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers Inc., ISPE, is the world's largest not-for-profit association dedicated to educating and advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing professionals and their industry. It provides an inviting and neutral environment for experts, technologists, regulators, consultants and students to exchange ideas and practical experience.

21 students attended the formation meeting where elected officers approved bylaws and began planning for an active semester of programs and events. The students are off to a great start, led by their elected officers as follows: President: Melissa El Khouri, Vice President: Charlene du Toit, Treasurer: Jessica Parletta, Secretary: Christina Kumar.

The students are ably guided by their ISPE industry advisor Leigh Willis, Quality Manager at Hospira Adelaide Pty. Ltd., and their faculty advisor, Dr Hu Zhang, a lecturer at Adelaide University. For further details please contact melissa.elkhouri@student.adelaide.edu.au.

2009 Merdeka Gala Dinner and Awards Presentation

At the annual Australia-Malaysia Business Council Merdeka (Independence) Gala Dinner and Awards Presentation held in August 2009, Kenny Hwang, a Level IV Chemical Engineering student, received an award for an outstanding Malaysian student completing degree studies at The University of Adelaide. There were only two such awards and Kenny's prize included a significant trophy (made by Eammon Verreker, Adelaide). The patron of the Australia-Malaysia Business Council, Sir Eric Neal, presented the award. Attending the evening were the Malaysian High Commissioner, the Attorney General, the Lieutenant-Governor and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. The Australia-Malaysia Business Council is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote the relationship between the two countries in trade, cultural exchange and educational services.

CHEMS Industry Night

On Thursday 2 April, 2009 CHEMS held its annual Industry Night in the Equinox Function Room at the University of Adelaide.

This event provided an opportunity for students, academic staff and members of industry to discuss the various roles of the chemical engineer in industry, in addition to providing information to students about graduate and vacation work programs. In a relaxed and informal environment, students from the School of Chemical Engineering and the Australian School of Petroleum networked with more than 15 prominent companies and professional organisations operating within the state and beyond.

Algae: the answer to our fuel needs?

Work is underway at the University of Adelaide to develop a clean, "green" fuel that could help solve the global energy crisis.

Led by Dr David Lewis and Dr Peter Ashman from the School of Chemical Engineering, the Adelaide research is part of an innovative $1.89 million project funded by the Federal Government. Headed by Murdoch University in Western Australia, the project involves research partners in India and China.

The project hopes to identify a clean, affordable method of producing biodiesel from algae on an industrial scale. With this in mind Adelaide's research team is investigating cost effective methods of algae harvesting and oil extraction.

Learn more.

Chemical Engineering at the Women In Technology Challenge

As part of the Women In Technology Challenge, 120 school girls gained a detailed insight into Chemical Engineering.

Participants were given an introduction to the discipline of chemical engineering by addressing the question: "What do chemical engineers do?". Afterwards, the key chemical engineering technology of fluidisation was explained and then explored in the laboratory. The session concluded with the girls conducting an experiment verifying that the pressure drop through a fluidised bed is independent of gas velocity.

School of Chemical Engineering