Applying PBL methodologies to the chemical engineering courses: Unit operations and modeling and simulation,using a joint course project

Unit Operations and Modelling and Simulation have been for long time a staple of the academic formation of any chemical engineer. Both are integral to the analysis of any chemical process, discretizing it into smaller specific processes that can then be characterized and modelled through the solution of balance, thermodynamics and transport equations. However, students usually perceive these subjects as separate fields of knowledge, and they do not develop the ability to correlate and integrate them to solve real-world problems in their future profession. On account of this, a Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology was proposed in the redesign of the abovementioned undergraduate courses, focusing initially in Unit Operations. This PBL method was implemented alongside a joint course project, consisting on the design, assembly and characterization of a centrifugal pump, to be analyzed experimentally and computationally. To assess the success of this methodology, a survey was conducted on the students after they finished their courses. The results were mostly positive (85%), as the students appreciated the design component of the project, considering that it benefits their learning process, as well as the challenge it presented. This difficulty forced them to resort to different sources of information and areas of knowledge, alien to those provided in the courses. The limitations of the chosen project revolved around its limited scope and lack of connection with other topics of the courses (i.e. distillation columns). These limitations will be addressed with the design of transversal projects, which can cover more of the subjects seen in both classes.     

Study of Binqui. An application for smartphones based on the problems without data methodology to reduce stress levels and improve academic performance of chemical engineering students

Chemical Engineering students are usually exposed to stress and anxiety situations during university period. Authors consider that a reduction in students’ stress levels can improve their academic results. A new experience based on the introduction of gamification strategies by incorporating a new methodology for solving engineering problems called PWD (problems without data) was proposed. This was related with a specific app design. Two students’ groups were randomly done and, despite having the same academic content and teacher, only one group used this methodology. Results showed that using these new elements for a subject called Basic Operations, belonging to the area of Chemical Engineering area of the University of León, the comfort and stress level of the students improved significantly. Thus, the average value of the stress perceived by the students, which initially was above a value of 5 out of 10, was reduced for those students who have followed the proposed methodology to levels below 3.5. Additionally, an related to the academic degree, a difference of 1.5 points (out of 7) was found for the students who had used the PWD methodology with respect to the control students.     

Towards a methodology for the systematic analysis and design of efficient chemical processes: Part 1. From unit operations to elementary process functions

A successful intensification of a chemical process requires a holistic view of the process and a systematic debottlenecking, which is obtained by identifying and eliminating the main transport resistances that limit the overall process performance and thus can be considered as rate determining steps on the process level. In this paper, we will suggest a new approach that is not based on the classical unit operation concept, but on the analysis of the basic functional principles that are encountered in chemical processes.A review on the history of chemical engineering in general and more specifically on the development of the unit operation concept underlines the outstanding significance of this concept in chemical and process engineering. The unit operation concept is strongly linked with the idea of thinking in terms of apparatuses, using technology off the shelf. The use of such “ready solutions” is of course convenient in the analysis and design of chemical processes; however, it can also be a problem since it inherently reduces the possibilities of process intensification measures.Therefore, we break with the tradition of thinking in terms of “unit apparatuses” and suggest a new, more rigorous function-based approach that focuses on the underlying fundamental physical and chemical processes and fluxes.For this purpose, we decompose the chemical process into so-called functional modules that fulfill specific tasks in the course of the process. The functional modules itself can be further decomposed and represented by a linear combination of elementary process functions. These are basis vectors in thermodynamic state space. Within this theoretical framework we can individually examine possible process routes and identify resistances in individual process steps. This allows us to analyze and propose possible options for the intensification of the considered chemical process.     

Among the trends for a modern chemical engineering,the third paradigm: The time and length multiscale approach as an efficient tool for process intensification and product design and engineering

To respond to the changing needs of the chemical and related industries in order both to meet today's economy demands and to remain competitive in global trade, a modern chemical engineering is vital to satisfy both the market requirements for specific nano and microscale end-use properties of products, and the social and environmental constraints of industrial meso and macroscale processes. Thus an integrated system approach of complex multidisciplinary, non-linear, non-equilibrium processes and phenomena occurring on different length and time scales of the supply chain is required. That is, a good understanding of how phenomena at a smaller length-scale relates to properties and behaviour at a longer length-scale is necessary (from the molecular-scale to the production-scales). This has been defined as the triplet “molecular Processes-Product-Process (3PE)” integrated multiscale approach of chemical engineering. Indeed a modern chemical engineering can be summarized by four main objectives: (1) Increase productivity and selectivity through intensification of intelligent operations and a multiscale approach to processes control: nano and micro-tailoring of materials with controlled structure. (2) Design novel equipment based on scientific principles and new production methods: process intensification using multifunctional reactors and micro-engineering for micro structured equipment. (3) Manufacturing end-use properties to synthesize structured products, combining several functions required by the customer with a special emphasis on complex fluids and solid technology, necessating molecular modeling, polymorph prediction and sensor development. (4) Implement multiscale application of computational chemical engineering modeling and simulation to real-life situations from the molecular-scale to the production-scale, e.g., in order to understand how phenomena at a smaller length-scale relate to properties and behaviour at a longer length-scale. The presentation will emphasize the 3PE multiscale approach of chemical engineering for investigations in the previous objectives and on its success due to the today's considerable progress in the use of scientific instrumentation, in modeling, simulation and computer-aided tools, and in the systematic design methods.