Process Equipment Design Course | NPTEL IIT Roorkee | Chemical Engineering
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 95 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Core |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Categories | Chemical Engineering, Minor 2 in Chemical |
| Credit Points | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 19 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Master the Art of Designing Chemical Process Equipment
For any aspiring or practicing chemical engineer, the ability to design the core equipment of a process plant is a fundamental and highly sought-after skill. From the reactors where transformations occur to the separation units like distillation columns, each piece of equipment must be meticulously designed for safety, efficiency, and economy. If you're looking to build or solidify this critical expertise, the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) offers an exceptional resource: the Process Equipment Design course by Prof. Shabina Khanam of IIT Roorkee.
Course Overview: What You Will Learn
This 12-week undergraduate-level course is a deep dive into the principles and practices of designing key unit operations in chemical plants. It moves beyond theoretical concepts to focus on applied, step-by-step design methodologies used in industry.
The course curriculum is meticulously structured to cover:
- Heat Transfer Equipment: Comprehensive design of Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers using both Kern's and Bell's methods, Double Pipe Exchangers, Condensers, and Reboilers.
- Separation & Concentration Equipment: Detailed process design of Evaporators, Crystallizers, and Packed Columns for absorption/stripping.
- Core Process Design: An extensive module on the process design of Distillation Columns, the workhorse of separation processes.
- Mechanical Design Integration: A crucial module dedicated to the mechanical design of Distillation Columns, ensuring structural integrity and compliance with standards.
Meet Your Instructor: Prof. Shabina Khanam
The course is led by Prof. Shabina Khanam, an Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at IIT Roorkee. With a strong academic background including a B.Tech from AMU Aligarh and M.Tech & Ph.D. from IIT Roorkee, Prof. Khanam brings nearly a decade of teaching and research experience to the table.
Her expertise in Process Integration, Energy Management, and Modeling & Simulation directly informs the practical approach of this course. Having supervised numerous Ph.D. and M.Tech theses and authored over 50 research publications, she is well-equipped to guide students through the complexities of equipment design.
Who Should Enroll?
This course is intentionally designed to benefit a wide audience:
- Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Students: It serves as an ideal supplement to your core curriculum, providing practical design skills that are often the highlight of placements and internships.
- Practicing Engineers & Industry Professionals: If you work in process design, operations, or optimization, this course offers a valuable refresher and a structured way to fill knowledge gaps in specific equipment design protocols.
- Postgraduate Students & Researchers: Those beginning research in process systems will find the foundational design principles invaluable.
Course Prerequisites & Structure
To get the most out of this course, you should have a basic understanding of:
- Heat Transfer Principles
- Mass Transfer Operations
NPTEL helpfully links to its own courses on these topics for those who need a review. The course unfolds over 12 weeks, with detailed video lectures breaking down each design concept.
Detailed 12-Week Course Layout
| Week | Focus Area | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Heat Exchanger Fundamentals & Design | Introduction, Classifications, Double Pipe Exchangers, Shell & Tube (S&TE) design using Kern's and Bell's methods. |
| 5-6 | Condenser & Reboiler Design | Detailed design procedures for condensers and various types of reboilers. |
| 7-8 | Evaporators & Crystallizers | Design principles for concentration (evaporators) and solidification (crystallizers) equipment. |
| 9 | Packed Column Design | Process design for packed towers used in absorption and stripping. |
| 10-12 | Distillation Column Design | Comprehensive process design followed by detailed mechanical design (including stresses, skirt, base ring, etc.). |
Essential Reference Books
The course content aligns with classic chemical engineering texts, making it easy to follow along with standard references:
- Coulson and Richardson's Chemical Engineering Series (Vol. II & Vol. VI)
- Process Heat Transfer: Principles and Applications by Serth, R.W.
Why This Course is a Career Catalyst
In the chemical process industries—from petroleum refining to pharmaceuticals and fertilizers—the design of efficient and reliable equipment is paramount. This course provides the exact skill set that industries value. Completing it demonstrates proactive learning and a strong grasp of practical chemical engineering, significantly boosting your profile for core engineering roles in design, process engineering, and operations.
Whether you are a student preparing for your career or a professional aiming to upskill, Process Equipment Design by IIT Roorkee is a structured, authoritative, and free pathway to mastering one of the most critical aspects of chemical engineering. Enroll today and take a significant step towards becoming a proficient process engineer.
Enroll Now →