Showing papers in "Chemical engineering education in 2011"

Improved Student Achievement Using Personalized Online Homework for a Course in Material and Energy Balances

Abstract: Personalized, online homework was used to supplement textbook homework, quizzes, and exams for one section of a course in material and energy balances. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that students using personalized, online homework earned better grades in the course. The online homework system asks the same questions of each student while changing one or more numeric values in the problem statement. A comparison of performance on common quizzes, exams, and final course grades between students using the textbook and online homeworks versus students completing textbook homework and simple, multiple choice reading quizzes showed a statistically significant increase in achievement for the students using online homework. Of note, 91% of the students using online homework achieved C or better as their final course grade compared with 72% of the students in the control group. Student evaluations show that 66% of the students prefer textbook homework in combination with online homework to maximize learning of the course material.

Fundamental Research in Engineering Education — Identifying and Repairing Student Misconceptions in Thermal and Transport Science: Concept Inventories and Schema Training Studies

Abstract: This paper summarizes progress on two related lines of chemical engineering education research: 1) identifying persistent student misconceptions in thermal and transport science (fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics); and, 2) developing a method to help students repair these misconceptions. Progress on developing the Thermal and Transport Concept Inventory is discussed and preliminary results from an experiment to study the effect of schema training on students’ understanding of emergent processes is presented.

Drug Design, Development, and Delivery: An Interdisciplinary Course on Pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: We developed a new interdisciplinary course on pharmaceuticals to address needs of undergraduate and graduate students in chemical engineering and other departments. This course introduces drug design, development, and delivery in an integrated fashion that provides scientific depth in context with broader impacts in business, policy, and ethics. Emphasis on case studies of real drug products, combined with in-class student project presentations, employs active learning with direct relevance to industrial practice and daily life.

Combining Experiments and Simulation of Gas Absorption for Teaching Mass Transfer Fundamentals: Removing CO2 from Air Using Water and NaOH.

Abstract: Laboratory experiments and computer models for studying the mass transfer process of removing CO2 from air using water or dilute NaOH solution as absorbent are presented. Models tie experiment to theory and give a visual representation of concentration profiles and also illustrate the two-film theory and the relative importance of various resistances to mass transfer with and without reaction.

Class and Home Problems. Modeling an Explosion: The Devil Is in the Details.

Abstract: The object of this column is to enhance our readers’ collections of interesting and novel prob­ lems in chemical engineering. We request problem that can be used to motivate student learning by presenting a particular principle in a new light, can be assigned as novel home problems, are suited for a collaborative learning environment, or demonstrate a cutting-edge application or principle. Manuscripts should not exceed 14 double-spaced pages and should be accompanied by the originals of any figures or photographs. Please submit them to Dr. Daina Briedis (e-mail: briedis@egr.msu.edu), Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1226.

Two-Compartment Pharmacokinetic Models for Chemical Engineers

Abstract: The transport of potassium permanganate between two continuous-stirred vessels was investigated to help chemical and biomedical engineering students understand two-compartment pharmacokinetic models Concepts of modeling, mass balance, parameter estimation and Laplace transform were applied to the two-unit process A good agreement was achieved between experimental and predicted data The setup was used by a group of students who studied the effects of dose size on the concentrations of potassium permanganate in the two vessels

Lehigh Design Course.

Abstract: This paper discusses a two-semester senior design course that combines traditional steady-state economic process design with dynamic plantwide control. This unique course has been taught at Lehigh for more than a decade and has garnered rave reviews from students, industry, and ABET. Each student design group has its own industrial consultant who provides a design project for that group and serves as a mentor/expert for the students. Design projects are begun immediately at the beginning of the fall semester. Lectures are given on overall design principles, design trade-offs, reactor design, distillation column design, simple heuristic optimization methods, and engineering economics. In a computer-aided laboratory the students learn how to use a steady-state simulator. By the end of the first semester, each group has developed an economically optimum flowsheet. During the spring semester the students learn how to use a dynamic simulator, and lectures are given on control of individual units, plantwide control principles, and the interaction/conflict between design and control. The groups develop rigorous dynamic simulations of their multi-unit processes and evaluate alternative plantwide control structures for product quality performance and operability. A major advantage of incorporating dynamic simulation in the design course is that is permits quantitative dynamic studies of process safety issues. Quantitative studies of dynamic reactor runaways and vessel over-pressuring can be made with the dynamic simulations of the process equipment.

Education Modules for Teaching Sustainability in a Mass and Energy Balance Course.

Abstract: 265 Sustainability is a vital issue for the long-term, healthy development of human society. As the United Nations pointed out, “We cannot carry on depleting natural resources and polluting the earth. The principal aim of sustainable development is to achieve progress on all fronts—economy, environment, and society.”[1] The chemical industry, like other manufacturing industries, has been facing tremendous challenges due to economic globalization, environmental pressure, natural resource depletion, etc. The industry fully recognizes its commitment to product stewardship and sustainable development.[2] Echoing the industrial need and society’s expectation, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has specified that sustainability is a key element to be integrated into engineering curricula. Its 2005-06 criteria for program accreditation states: “Engineering programs must demonstrate that their students attain an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.”[3] The quest for sustainability reflects a crucial paradigm shift for the 21st century: the transition from environmental management to systems design—coming up with solutions that integrate environmental, social, and economic factors to radically reduce the use of resources while increasing health, equity, and quality of life for all stakeholders.[4]

Integration of Biological Applications into the Core Undergraduate Curriculum: A Practical Strategy.

Abstract: A web database of solved problems has been created to enable faculty to incorporate biological applications into core courses. Over 20% of US ChE departments utilized problems from the website, and 19 faculty attended a workshop to facilitate teaching the modules. Assessment of student learning showed some gains related to biological outcomes, as well as improvement in student confidence. Incorporation of the problems seems to reaffirm student attitudes about their interest in bio-related careers.

A Simplified Model of Human Alcohol Metabolism That Integrates Biotechnology and Human Health into a Mass Balance Team Project.

Abstract: 21 Chemical engineers are important players in meeting the growing challenges of the 21st century, particularly in the areas of biotechnology and sustainable development. Most chemical engineering curriculums (including ours), however, still generally consist of a single path, through a set of fundamental courses, which teaches a necessary set of standard skills.[1-3] The challenge for chemical engineering is refocusing some topics to create a program of study that has an overall modern feel, integrated with the strong tradition in the core values and fundamental skills that allow chemical engineers to be the important players in these emerging fields.[2] In our Mass and Energy Balances course, we felt it was critically important to provide our sophomores with a clear understanding of the unique role of chemical engineering in the biotechnology field as well as illustrate the impact of these efforts on human health. This goal was reinforced by a survey of career interests given the first day of class; nearly 30 percent of our students had career interests in biotechnology.

Microfluidics Meets Dilute Solution Viscometry: An Undergraduate Laboratory to Determine Polymer Molecular Weight Using a Microviscometer.

Abstract: This paper describes a student laboratory experiment to determine the molecular weight of a polymer sample by measuring the viscosity of dilute polymer solutions in a PDMS microfluidic viscometer. Sample data are given for aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). A demonstration of shear thinning behavior using the microviscometer is described as well. The results of the implementation of the procedure with undergraduate students are also discussed.