Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Courses now feature new Design Challenges

August 21, 2017 - FACETS

undergrad deisgn projects 2017

Many undergraduate chemical engineering courses are getting an upgrade in the form of new Community-, Industry-, Research-, and Entrepreneurship-based Design Challenges.  In the CBE 101: Introduction to Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering course, students have been exploring numerous design challenges spanning a combination of all four fields, including projects where students are tasked with developing new applications for antimicrobial chemicals, temperature controlled shipping containers, cooling water bottles, and solutions for water contamination due to mine runoff.  Two semesters of cohorts have experienced the new version of the 101 course, responding favorably to having the opportunity to apply technical material to real world problems. 

In the sophomore course CBE 251: Material and Energy Balances, two years of students have now explored the stages of large scale production of algal biofuels.  This project, involving jig saw groups and parlay sessions, is taught in an interactive studio classroom where students are actively involved in learning technical material, working in groups, and making design decisions. 

Other design projects currently underway are in the CBE 311: Fluids and Heat Transfer course where students are exploring Kirtland Air Force Base Fuel Leak mitigation and remediation, as well as three new design projects in CBE 361: Biomolecular Engineering involving drug delivery and cellular sensors.