Sub-department of Unit Operations

Courses within Sub-department of Mechanical, Thermal and Separation Processes provide students with knowledge in the field of fluid transport, heat and mass transport phenomena as well as basic mechanical-physical laws, which are necessary for the understanding of process engineering and food engineering. Additionally, students acquire a theoretical knowledge in basic and auxiliary unit operations and devices (basic parts, work principle and application). Students solve problems encountered in practice in the field of hydrodynamics, pumps, mechanical and physical operations, and operations that take place with the simultaneous heat and mass transfer. 

Through laboratory and industrial practice, students get an insight to the practical implementation of unit operations in production processes. In addition, students gain the insight into the industry impact on the environment, possibility of applying preventive measures in the construction or reconstruction of process plants in order to protect the environment.

Postgraduate courses introduce students to the heat and mass transfer phenomena in unsteady-state conditions, the advanced techniques of drying, the advanced techniques of extraction, the basic mathematical methods of interpolation, function approximation and numerical integration, and their application in solving problems in food processing engineering.

Scientific research and professional work of employees of the Sub-department of Mechanical, Thermal and Separation Processes deals with the subject matter covered by the courses at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate studies. Current researches are in the field of: 

• Extraction of bioactive compounds from biologically treated agricultural waste and food industry waste
• Encapsulation of biological active compounds
• Drying of the organic and inorganic material.

Head of sub-department:
Mirela Planinić, PhD, full professor