Engineering Glossary

Absolute pressure The system pressure above a vacuum as described in

gauge pressure (q.v.)

Acetaldehyde An (undesirable) product of fermentation

Acid condensation Condensation of sulphur compounds to form acidic

solutions

Activated carbon Powdered or granular carbon used for purifying by

adsorption

Actuation To make work

Air pressure Air exerts a pressure on its surroundings that gradually

reduces with altitude. It also varies slightly with the
weather.

Algae Microscopic plants

Algal See algae

Ammonia A colourless, pungent gas, nh3

Anion An ion or group of ions having a negative charge

Atomising Turning into very fine droplets

Auxiliary Giving assistance or support; helping

Bar Air at sea level has a pressure of one bar

Biocides Chemicals which destroy organisms

BOD Biological oxygen demand

Calorific value Potential heat content

Carbonation The act of adding carbon dioxide to a liquid

Cation An ion or group of ions having a positive charge

Caustic Sodium hydroxide: powerful, corrosive detergent

CFC See hydrochlorofluorocarbons

Chlorinated See chlorine

Chlorine Yellow, poisonous gas: effective bacterial destroyer

Chlorine dioxide See chlorine

Chlorofluorocarbons See hydrochlorofluorocarbons

Page 1 of 7
CHP Combined heat & power

CIP Cleaning in place

Coagulant See coagulate

Coagulate Bring together into a mass

Coal A natural dark brown to black graphite like material used

as a fuel, formed from fossilized plants and consisting of
amorphous carbon with various organic and some
inorganic compounds

Coefficient of performance Refrigeration output relative to the input

Coliform Bacteria which indicate faecal contamination

Combustion The process of burning.

Compression Putting a gas under pressure

Compressors Machines for compressing gas

Condensation point See dew point

Condense Change phase from a high energy state (e.g. Gas) to a

lower (e.g. Liquid)

COP See coefficient of performance

Corrosive Gradually destructive

Deaerated All traces of oxygen removed.

Deflection The deviation of an object from its normal position

Demineralised All minerals (salts in particular) removed

Deodorising Removing smells

Dessicant A substance which will absorb water

Dew point The temperature at which air becomes saturated and

moisture starts to condense (at a given pressure)

Dimethlysulphide (DMS). An (undesirable) product of fermentation

Distillate See distillation

Distillation Boiling fluid and collecting the condensed vapour: the

distillate

Enthalpy The sum of the internal energy of a system and the product
of its volume and pressure [synonyms: heat content, total
heat]

Page 2 of 7
Erosion The process by which material is worn away

Ester A product of fermentation. Undesirable in excess.

Ethanol Alcohol

Ethylene glycol Extremely poisonous alcohol.

Evaporate Change phase from a low energy state (e.g. Liquid) to a

higher (e.g. Gas)

Expansion Increase in size.

Flocculant See flocculate

Flocculate To cause to form lumps or masses

Friction The effect of 22 surfaces rubbing together. Friction

absorbs energy

Fuel oil A liquid or liquefiable petroleum product that is used to

generate heat or power

Gas Synonym for natural gas: a fuel

Gas oil Light fuel oil (q.v.)

Gauge pressure The pressure of a system above atmospheric pressure

GRP Glass reinforced plastic

Hardness See temporary hardness & permanent hardness

HCFC See hydrochlorofluorocarbons

Heavy fuel oil High density fuel oil

Heavy metal A metal with a specific gravity greater than about 5.0,
especially one that is poisonous, such as lead or mercury

Helical Having the shape of a helix i.e. A spiral.

Hermetic Completely sealed, especially against the escape or entry

of air

HFO See heavy fuel oil

Hydrocarbons Any of numerous organic compounds, such as benzene

and methane, that contain only carbon and hydrogen.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons Primary refrigerants: known as Freon

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) An (undesirable) product of fermentation. Rotten egg

smell.

Inert Does not react

Page 3 of 7
Insulation Material separating a body from others by nonconductors,
so as to prevent the transfer of electricity or of heat.

Ion An atom or a group of atoms that has acquired a net

electric charge by gaining or losing one or more electrons

Ion exchange A reversible chemical reaction between an insoluble solid

and a solution during which ions may be interchanged,
used in water softening.

Joule A unit of energy equal to the work done when a force of

one Newton acts through a distance of one meter

Lagering Storing (maturing) bulk beer.

Langelier index An index used to indicate whether water is “corrosive” or

“scaling”

Latent heat The heat exchanged during a change of phase

Legionnaires disease Serious, often fatal lung disease. Bacterium is frequently

found in evaporator cooling water.

Lime Calcium hydroxide

Liquid petroleum gas A type of natural gas (q.v.)

LPG See Liquid petroleum gas

Lubricants A substance, such as grease or oil, that reduces friction

when applied as a surface coating to moving parts.

Malt conditioning Drying & kilning of malt (q.v.)

Mega 1 million

Micro-organisms Very small organisms: includes bacteria, some algae and

fungi.

Natural gas A gaseous fuel: propane, butane or methane.

Oil Synonym for fuel oil (q.v.)

Orifice plate Measures flow through the differences in pressure from the
upstream side to the downstream side of a partially
obstructed pipe.

Osmosis Diffusion of fluid through a semi permeable membrane

from a solution with a low solute concentration to a solution
with a higher solute concentration until there is an equal
concentration of fluid on both sides of the membrane.

Osmotic pressure The pressure exerted by the flow of water through a semi
permeable membrane separating two solutions with
different concentrations of solute

Page 4 of 7
Oxidation A reaction with oxygen: e.g. Combustion (q.v.)

Oxidation. A chemical reaction with oxygen(foreign gas). In beer

results in haze and off-flavours

Ozone An unstable, poisonous allotrope of oxygen, o3, that is

formed naturally in the ozone layer from atmospheric
oxygen by electric discharge or exposure to ultraviolet
radiation

Parasitic Something which lives on something else, without

advantage to the host.

Pasteurisation The process of heating beverages such as beer, to a

specific temperature for a specific period of time in order to
kill micro organisms that could cause disease, spoilage, or
undesired fermentation

Permanent hardness Due mainly to sulphate, chloride and nitrate ions of calcium
and magnesium. –so4, -cl, -no3

pH Indication of acidity/alkalinity

Phenols Organic chemicals: poisonous: can react with chlorine to

form medicinal type flavours/aromas

Photosynthesis The method plants use to make food. It uses sunlight as an

energy source.

Potable Drinkable

Propylene glycol An alcohol with low freezing temperature

q.v. Latin: quod vide: which see.

Reciprocating Up and down motion (a car engine is typical)

Refrigerant The liquid/gas which performs the refrigeration effect

Refrigeration A process that removes heat

Regeneration Make as new

Salts A chemical compound formed by replacing all or part of the

hydrogen ions of an acid with metal ions or electropositive
radicals. Frequently cause scale.

Saturated Can contain no more

Secondary refrigerant Used to transport the refrigeration effect around the

process

Sediment Material that settles to the bottom of a liquid

Semi hermetic Partially sealed

Page 5 of 7
Semi permeable membrane Allows only certain molecular size chemicals to pass
through it

Septum A flexible membrane (usually rubber)

Sintered Manufacture with tiny holes permeating the structure

Softened water Water which has had magnesium and calcium salts
removed

Solubility The ability to dissolve

Specific enthalpy Is the enthalpy (total energy) of a unit mass (1 kg).

Specific heat The heat required to raise unit mass of a substance

through 1k.typical units of measurement; kj/kg.k

Specific heat capacity A measure of the ability of a substance to absorb heat. It is

the amount of energy (joules) required to raise 1 kg by 1°c.

Spent grains The grains discharged from the lauter tuns after wort has
been extracted

Static Remaining still

Sterile Absence of micro organisms

Sub cooled liquid. Liquid state of a compound in which the most stable state
at standard conditions is a solid

Sulphur An element: frequently present in fuel: corrosive in soluble

forms.

Superheat It is possible to heat vapour to a temperature beyond its

boiling point. The heat applied is termed ‘superheat’.

Superheated A temperature greater than the equilibrium temperature.

Synthetic Prepared or made artificially

TDS Total dissolved solids

Temporary hardness Due to the bi-carbonate salts of calcium and magnesium. --

HCO3.

Thermostatic expansion Reacts to temperature change

valve

Toxic Capable of causing injury or death

Trub Precipitated protein and hop residue from the whirlpool

Turbidity Cloudiness

Turbulence Violent movement

Page 6 of 7
Ultra violet Radiation in the wavelength of 200 to 280 nm. It kills micro
organisms

UV See ultra violet

Venturi A short tube with a constricted throat used to determine

fluid pressures and velocities by measurement of
differential pressures generated at the throat as a fluid
traverses the tube.

Volatiles Chemicals which evaporate easily at room temperature

WHO World health organisation

Wort Fermentable liquid obtained from malt

Page 7 of 7