Evaluating the problem-solving skills of graduating chemical engineering students

Research has shown that engineering students may not be learning to solve the kinds of complex problems they will be required to solve as practicing engineers (“authentic problems”). Though it is widely believed that we teach engineering problem-solving throughout the undergraduate chemical engineering curriculum, this has not been tested. In this study we use a new instrument for measuring the authentic problem-solving skills of graduating seniors in chemical engineering at two different universities in the context of chemical process design. We find large variations across different areas of process design problem solving as to how expert-like students are in general, and variations between the two institutions. Students were able to identify the same safety issues as experts, but they were conspicuously “nonexpert” in other areas, such as in identifying the important features of a design problem. By examining the respective curricula at the two institutions, we are able to show how the variations both within and across institutions in the specific problem-solving skills students master matches with the practice they get during their undergraduate careers. The results imply that more thoroughly integrating practice in authentic design and problem-solving decisions into the undergraduate curriculum would result in students graduating with capabilities more comparable to those of skilled engineers.     

Teaching water desalination through active learning

Active learning refers to the direct involvement of students in the learning process rather than being passive receptors of materials. This paper evaluates the implementation of active learning in teaching seawater desalination as an elective course in chemical engineering curriculum. Desalination is a multi-disciplinary engineering science that encompasses elements of water chemistry, material science, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, engineering design, and corrosion. Water desalination is an important course in most chemical and mechanical engineering curricula, where the design and analysis of different water desalination processes are addressed. The current teaching method, however, relies heavily on classical lecture-presentation of the course materials, without any direct involvement of the students. A simple approach that utilizes Excel and Ez-Solve in designing and analyzing desalination processes has been developed. Active learning is the central part of this course development, where students are heavily involved in class activities and can directly assess the effect of input variables on the design parameters, allowing them to carry out “What If” or parameter sensitivity analysis.     

Current situation and future implementation of safety curricula for chemical engineering education in France

The paper describes an overview of the curricula concerning the safety and loss prevention courses delivered in the three following French departments of chemical engineering: Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques de Nancy (ENSIC), Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Ingénieurs en Arts Chimiques et Technologiques de Toulouse (ENSIACET) and Ecole Nationale Supérieure en Génie des Technologies Industrielles de Pau (ENSGTI).The arguments to introduce safety in the chemical engineering were first examined. The two main ways to teach safety, health and loss prevention concepts were then discussed. The detailed content of the courses was reported and compared with the recommendations of EFCE Bologna (I), of IChem (UK) and of Dechema GVC (D) guidelines. The proposed core compulsory curricula and the optional or elective courses were formulated according to the first and second cycle degrees European system, with the corresponding European Credit Transfer Unit (ECTU).Finally an evaluation of the safety education experimented in the three chemical engineering departments was commented. Some propositions concerning the amelioration and the future development particularly from the point of view of the ethics and social process of safety were suggested, but the challenge is strong.     

Chemical Engineers for the 21st Century – Challenges for University Education

At the beginning of the 21st century, the education of chemical and process engineers is facing enormous challenges. The number of new students has dropped substantially since the early 1990s. The globalization of the world's economy has altered the working environment and the job market for chemical engineers. The areas in which chemical engineers are active now extend far beyond the boundaries of the chemical industry. As a result, universities are having to compete much more, not only for undergraduate and graduate research students but also in order to keep courses and even departments open. This paper aims to shed some light on the current situation at the universities, the changes in the conditions and job environment in the chemical engineering field, and the demands being placed on tomorrow's chemical and process engineers and on the education they receive. From an organizational point of view, it is important that the universities actively participate in and influence this ongoing process of change. In terms of course content, increasing emphasis must be placed on teaching students modern, relevant engineering knowledge and methodological and systematic skills, as well as those aspects of their education that are relevant for the ever more flexible, interdisciplinary and intercultural nature of chemical engineering work. Elements that could usefully contribute include support for study abroad programs and the provision of broad, high‐quality extra‐curricular studies. Despite the changes that have occurred, such as the introduction of new (bachelor and master) degrees, it is essential that the universities retain their characteristic and established profiles. At the same time, it is important to make the universities more accessible to well‐qualified graduates from Germany's Fachhochschulen (universities of applied science).     

新时期高校物理化学实验教学改革与实践探究

在高校的教育教学工作中,物理化学属于重要科目,对于环境治理、生物研究、化学化工等方面知识的学习具有很大帮助。在实验教学过程中,实验教学扮演着至关重要的角色,将直接关系到教学质量。基于此,主要对高校物理化学实验的教学改革进行了研究。     

基于就业导向的化学化工专业实验课程规划的思考

文章阐述了化学化工实验教学对化工专业毕业生提高就业竞争力的重要作用。从培养目标、课程体系及教学大纲的修订、实验教学方法和手段、实习等方面阐述了地方本科院校化学化工专业实践性环节教学改革的方法和措施。     

浅谈技工院校化工工艺专业化学课程的教学

在技工院校化工工艺专业中,化学是重要课程设置的组成部分,是化工工艺学生必备的专业基础知识。就目前化学在技工院校化工工艺专业中的教学现状、存在的问题和对策进行了初步探讨。     

如何工程化生物学

随着化学学科的发展和应用需求,化学工程应运而生;随着生物学的发展和工程化需求,代表着“生物学第三次革命”的合成生物学也随之诞生。合成生物学,即生物学的工程化,它从工程学角度设计创建元件、器件或模块,以及通过这些元器件改造和优化现有自然生物体系,但是如何对复杂生命进行工程化一直是合成生物学工作者不断探索的重大科学问题。本文系统地阐释了迄今为止工程化生物学的4个特点:①模块化和标准化;②正交性;③鲁棒性;④适配性及其对应研究进展。最后从“设计-构建-测试”循环的研究模式入手提出了今后如何进一步有效地工程化生物学。     

Verfahrensingenieure für das 21. Jahrhundert – Herausforderungen für die Hochschulausbildung

Chemical Engineers for the 21st Century – A Challenge to University Education The education of chemical engineers at the dawn of the 21st Century faces enormous challenges. The number of new students has dropped significantly since early 1990s. Globalisation is having an effect on the working environment of the engineering profession and changing the job market for process engineers whose activities now extend far beyond the chemical industry. As a result, universities and engineering schools now face increasing competition for students and scientific staff and for retention of degree programs and departments. This article throws light on the current situation of the universities, changes in working environment and conditions, and the demands placed on future chemical engineers and their education. Whatever changes may occur, e.g. through the introduction of Bachelor and Master degrees, the characteristic and proven profiles of engineering school and university training must be maintained while enhancing the conditions for good graduates.     

Polymer reaction engineering: From reaction kinetics to polymer reactor control

Polymer reaction engineering is a relatively “young”, very broad, multidisciplinary, rapidly developing field. It is the combination of polymer science, chemistry and technology with process engineering principles. The outcome of this high degree of synergism has evolved over the last fifteen or so years towards an area that includes any or all of the following: polymerization and post-polymerization (chemical modification) reaction kinetics; mathematical modelling and process simulation; polymer reactor design and scale-up; sensor development and process monitoring; and polymer reactor optimization, state estimation and computer control. This article will attempt to give an overview of the results obtained in our laboratory over the last seven years from systematic studies of polymer reaction engineering and polymer production technology problems. These problems cover all aspects of polymer reaction engineering mentioned above. Going from fundamentals to practice, the basic premise of the article is that only by adopting a holistic approach can one devise effective strategies in order to achieve the final objective of more efficient polymer reactor design and control, and hence improved production systems of polymeric materials.     

CAPE in der Verfahrenstechnik aus industrieller Sicht – Status,Bedarf, Prognose oder Vision?

CAPE in chemical engineering from an industrial viewpoint – Status, demands, outlook. The use of computers for solving chemical process problems is steadily gaining in importance. Simulation, design, optimization, and synthesis of processes are the main applications. The working group “Process simulation and process design” in the Dechema specialist committee “Use of computers in chemical engineering” has discussed the state of the art of simulation tools. Demands of industry on future tools have been outlined and a new simulator concept presented. If this concept is pursued, then interested companies will have to support development. The article presents background information and is intended to stimulate further interest.     

Engineering ethics and accreditation

The teaching of ethics in engineering poses challenges to teachers as well as to accreditors who need to identify and assess the ethical content of the engineering curriculum. If a stand-alone module on ethics is offered, the task might appear easy; however, the introduction of ethics within an engineering degree should not be constrained to a single module, but rather considered in relation to the whole curriculum. Consequently, the accreditors face a harder task: questions such as, “how should the modules been looked at?”, “how should the assessment of ethics been carried out?” are just examples clarifying the difficulty. Since the accreditation is based on learning outcomes, additional challenges arise when devising the questions that the accreditors ask the students. The paper concentrates mainly on the accreditation process; the teaching and assessment of the ethical provision is not considered in detail. A checklist that could be used as a practical tool during accreditation visits is introduced as a possible guide. Although mainly based on the experience drawn from Chemical Engineering in the UK, the results are quite general and could be translated and applied to the majority of engineering curricula worldwide.     

地方高校化学专业创新创业型人才培养模式的构建

湖南文理学院化学化工学院在原有培养模式基础上,将创新创业理论融入到专业基础教育中,探索并构建了化学专业创新创业型人才培养模式,通过实施“理论＋实践＋辅助活动”的创新创业教育模式以及“四层递进式”（基础课程与实验→专业课程与实验→综合课程与实验→创新创业集中实践）人才培养模式,学生创新意识与创业能力得到了很好的锻炼,使就业率稳定在98％以上。     

Systemverfahrenstechnik – Eine philosophische Begriffsanalyse

The notion of “process systems engineering” seems often vague and unclear. Based on a philosophical analysis of the terms “system”, “engineering”, and “process”, a sound definition of process systems engineering is developed and put forward for discussion. Thereby, it is emphasized that especially the focus on the system level distinguishes the said discipline from other subdisciplines of process engineering.     

The current situation on the use of Computers in Chemical Engineering Education in Europe

The computing activity in the chemical engineering departments of the European universities (excluding England) is reviewed. The past activities and future program of EURECHA—the European Committee for Computers in Chemical Engineering Education—are described.     

Flash sintering of ceramics

Flash sintering is a novel densification technology for ceramics, which allows a dramatic reduction of processing time and temperature. It represents a promising sintering route to reduce economic, energetic and environmental costs associated to firing. Moreover, it allows to develop peculiar and out-of-equilibrium microstructures.The flash process is complex and unusual, including different simultaneous physical and chemical phenomena and their understanding, explanation and implementation require an interdisciplinary approach from physics, to chemistry and engineering. In spite of the intensive work of several researchers, there is still a wide debate as for the predominant mechanisms responsible for flash sintering process.In the present review, the most significant and appealing mechanisms proposed for explaining the “flash” event are analyzed and discussed, with the aim to point out the level of knowledge reached so far and identify, at least, possible shared theories useful to propose future scientific activities and potential technological implementations.     

Umweltschutz,eine Aufgabe der Verfahrenstechnik

Environmental protection, a task of chemical engineering . The environmental burden in air and water in Germany is surveyed. The terms “eco-unobjectionable technology” and “disposal technology” are then considered with the aid of examples. These are fundamental chemical engineering approaches for reducing or eliminating environmental burdens due to industrial production processes. “Ecounobjectionable processes” are those in which undesired pollutants are not even formed, i. e. when possible emissions are eliminated at source. If this is only partly possible, or impossible, then disposal measures are adopted. This means removal of unavoidable pollutants from waste gases and waste water, and the disposal of other wastes.     

polyMOF Formation from Kinked Polymer Ligands via ortho-Substitution

Reticular chemistry is an important tool in the crystal engineering of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Isoreticular chemistry allows for the preparation of MOFs of the same topology from ligands with related geometries. In this work, reticular chemistry is used to explore the scope of polyMOFs, which are frameworks synthesized from polymer ligands. “Linked” ortho-substituted benzene dicarboxylate polymer ligands with varying length alkyl spacers were used to synthesize polyMOFs and elucidate the effects of polymer architecture on resulting crystal formation. It was found that these “kinked” polymer ligands were able to form polyIRMOF architectures, but did not readily form polyUiO-66 topologies.