An example of project‐based learning with the support of a process simulator applied to the chemical engineering final course project

• Published in: Computer applications in engineering education Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 490 - 504
• Main Authors: Vasconcelos, Mateus K., Guedes, Matheus N., Melo, Pedro G. F., Amore, Clara R., Linares, José J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2022
• Subjects: Chemical engineering; Curricula; Distillation; Engineering education; Fermentation; final course project; Learning; Microbalances; Optimization; process simulator; Project design; project‐based learning; Simulation; Students; whiskey plant
• ISSN: 1061-3773; 1099-0542
• DOI: 10.1002/cae.22468

As the culmination of the Chemical Engineering curriculum, students face the challenging and stimulating elaboration of a whole design project that integrates all the knowledge gained throughout the course. The subject is divided into two parts, gaining a theoretical background in the ninth semester and a proposed teamwork project design with the aid of a process simulator in the tenth semester. This paper presents the challenge of designing a whiskey distillery elected by a group of students applying the project‐based learning methodology. As a strategy for a more efficient design, the process is divided into three blocks: prefermentation, fermentation, and distillation. Calculations involve mass and energy balances and the design of the different units, including the optimization of a distillation column assisted by the ASPEN HYSYS® simulator. Students must publicly present their results in front of the class and a jury formed by chemical engineers. A survey was carried out to assess the student's satisfaction and feedback. The results manifested the significance of the subject for the future and the satisfaction of the proposed teaching strategy.