A respiration experiment to introduce ChE principles

A laboratory experiment was described in which a wide range of chemical engineering principles are introduced to the students through application to the process of respiration. The experiment and module were found to be suitable for a freshman engineering course or a sophomore material balances course. In the experiment, the students measured physiologic variables like breathing flow rate and respiratory gas compositions both at rest and during moderate exercise on an exercise bicycle ergometer. The purpose of the experiment was to give students a first exposure to real engineering measurements, principles and calculations and to provide motivation for future in-depth study of mass balances during the sophomore year.