Donors support essential chemical lab equipment

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University has received funding to acquire a new, state-of-the-art heat exchanger lab device. This apparatus will enhance hands-on learning opportunities for students in the Unit Operations Lab and support the college’s commitment to providing educational experiences with equipment commonly used in industry.

Aggies helping Aggies

All chemical engineering students at Texas A&M participate in a course or lab that involves heat transfer. The current equipment on campus is outdated and fails to function as needed, which prevents students from experiencing core heat exchanger operations properly. With the support of donors of all levels, a new device will be purchased for the Common Labs in the Zachry Engineering Education Complex, giving chemical engineering students the opportunity for hands-on learning in energy efficiency, process design, and safety.

The new lab equipment will give students a hands-on way to study how different heat exchangers work — these devices transfer heat between two streams without mixing them. Students can compare three common types of industry-standard heat exchangers, all matched in size to ensure fair comparisons.

Students will also change how the fluids flow — either concurrent or countercurrent — to see which setup works best for a given application. The unit supports experiments with hot water, cold water, and steam, measuring key parameters like temperature, flow rate, and pressure throughout each trial. With these features, students can gain a clearer understanding of how design, materials, and operating conditions affect heat exchanger efficiency.

To enhance the student experience and lab equipment in College Station, donors have come together to fund the purchase and installation of the new device.

The donors who made this purchase possible are:

• Jay Cheatham ’69
• Chris Coxon ’04
• Mary and Mark Cooke ’75
• Jo Anne ’98 and Mike Donovan ’96
• Swetha and Prasad ’02 Garimella
• Michael ’83 and Laura ’85 Hlavinka
• Bill B. ’81 and Johnita D. Jones ’83
• Mark ’96 and Valerie ’00 Therrien
• Danielle Waterman ’15
• Donnice and Doug White ’78
• Wendy Young ’96
• Daniel H. Zivney ’73