Conference Session

New Ideas for ChEs II (aka ChE Potpourri)

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerardine Botte, Ohio University; Keeley Schneider, Ohio University; Bryan Boggs, Ohio University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

capture attention from children who have never expressedinterest in science and math before. In addition, these parties, organized by volunteering collegestudents at local universities and/or colleges, help parents plan and operate educational and funparties. This paper discusses how programs can be developed at universities and collegesallowing college students to give to the community and serve as role models for the futuregeneration of scientists and engineers. The program consists of college students coordinatingentertaining activities for the parties that use safe, easy-to-do, and enjoyable games involvingscience and engineering. The program engages the community: parents, undergraduate students,graduate students, and educators. Examples of

Conference Session

Novel Courses and Content for ChEs II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Margot Vigeant, Bucknell University; James Maneval, Bucknell University; Michael Prince, Bucknell University; Michael Hanyak, Bucknell University; William Snyder, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

EngineeringAbstractHistorically, the senior design sequence in chemical engineering has differed from that ofother engineering disciplines due in large part to problems of scale: a team of mechanicalengineers can reasonably design and produce a prototype stapler, for example, but it isbeyond most schools’ capabilities to have the chemical engineers both design and“produce” a petrochemical plant. Therefore chemical engineering design has focusedprimarily on the “paper” aspects of design, encompassing unit operations, economics,planning, and process simulation. This approach unfortunately misses out on somepotentially important lessons that can be learned from actual process implementation,such as the need for process flexibility and the challenges of controlling a system

Conference Session

Novel Courses and Content for ChEs II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ruben Morales-Menendez, Tecnologico de Monterrey; Tomas Lopez, Tecnologico de Monterrey; Ricardo Ramirez Medoza, Institute Tecnologico De Monterrey; Luis E Garza, Tecnologico de Monterrey

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

, new planning activities may be defined to encompass higher levels ofachievement; evaluation should be modified accordingly.Academic proposalSpecial attention was given to the experimental teaching. Several constraints were identified inour previous projects27. A research project was started in 2006 looking for a solution of somelimitations. The goals of this research project include that students can: 1. interact with industrial equipment 2. avoid the time that is consumed in the that installation and configuration steps. 3. design and implement different control strategies Page 13.451.7Given that there are several tank-level control

Conference Session

Developing Communication/Teamwork Skills in ChEs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joan Alabart, University Rovira i Virgili; Sibel Özgen, University Rovira i Virgili; Magda Medir, University Rovira i Virgili; Hans-Joerg Witt, Witt & Partner

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

same time (they do not know how to prioritize or are not prepared to make personalsacrifices); (c) are not used to studying and working at a constant pace and following a plan, (d)are relatively unaccustomed to learning by themselves, either particular contents from the first-year courses or specific skills such as necessary software programs, (e) are unused to dependingon others for obtaining a mark; etc. Certainly, it can be said that fourth-year students’ main taskis to facilitate first-year students’ change to new learning and work habits by influencing,motivating and inspiring them, that is, by demonstrating leadership competence.7The purpose of this paper is to describe the system of enabling and assessment processesimplemented in the

Conference Session

Developing Communication/Teamwork Skills in ChEs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julie Sharp, Vanderbilt

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

project, I improved my interviewing 4.2 skills. 5. The contact with alumni was beneficial and provided a 3.5 good networking opportunity. 6. I plan to contact one or more of these alumni again. 2.5 7. I enjoyed participating in this project. 4.0 8. Alumni responded in a timely fashion. 4.3 9. Sufficient time was allotted for this assignment. 4.6 10. I met with one or more alumni in person. 1.9 11. My assigned alum and I have had additional 1.2 communication for other reasons besides the interview and alumni

Conference Session

ChE Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yakov Cherner, ATeL, LLC; Jerry Meldon, Tufts University; Anatoly Peresunko, Southern Federal University (Russia)

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

, seawater desalination, and petroleum refinery. We also plan to includesections that show how fundamental principles of evaporation and condensations along with gaslaws are applied to the design of modern refrigerators and air conditioners. The presented materials were developed with partial support from the National Science Foundation. Page 13.1080.7

Conference Session

ChE Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Krantz, National University of Singapore

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

recorded student presentations, four hours of lectures by theWorkshop Coordinator, and illustrative PowerPoint® and poster presentations given by theWorkshop Coordinator were also posted on the website. The website also serves as a forum forfeedback from the students.3. Organizing a Technical Paper PresentationA technical paper presentation can involve the following components: (1) Abstract; (2) TitleSlide; (3) Outline; (4) Introduction; (5) Review of Prior Studies; (6) Research Plan; (7)Discussion; (8) Conclusions; (9) Future Work; (10) Acknowledgments; and (11) ‘Thank You’slide. Components (2), (3), (4), (5), (7), and (8) are critical to any technical presentation, whereasthe others might not be necessary in some cases.3a. The AbstractAn

Conference Session

Novel Courses and Content for ChEs II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lawrence Decker, Wentworth Institute of Technology; William Hansen, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Robert Dewar, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

system for thegreenhouse will be in the form of closed loop geothermal heat pump system powered by a 7.5kW photovoltaic system.project designThe proposed greenhouse will be a south facing structure with a 25 ft. by 40 ft. footprint, asshown in Figure 1. The north wall of the greenhouse was moved away from the existing labbuilding wall to make room for an exiting stairway at the east end of the building. The floor ofthe greenhouse will be sunk approximately 5 ft. below the grade of the western side of thegreenhouse. See Figure 1 for western and southern elevations and a plan view of the greenhouse.The frame of the greenhouse will be made of metal and the walls will be finished with 3 inchwide brick and 3.25 inch thick fiberglass insulation on the

Conference Session

Developing Communication/Teamwork Skills in ChEs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sibel Özgen, University Rovira i Virgili; Joan Alabart, University Rovira i Virgili; Magda Medir, University Rovira i Virgili

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

. o Investigates the capacities of the team and its individual members and encourages them to improve continuously.Builds the Team o Is responsible for the team charter (clients, stakeholders’ needs and requirements, team norms, project scope, time schedule, product definition, communication processes, etc.). o Monitors process execution and manages changes in the planning. o Assesses team members to improve performance (givesManages the continuous feedback and quantitative performance appraisal toProject team members, applies balance of consequences). o Handles conflicts

Conference Session

The Latest in Improving Learning in ChE Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Zollars, Washington State University; Christopher Hundhausen, Washington State University; Jonathan Brown, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

, we plan to conduct a formal experimentalstudy that compares the ChemProV tool to simple paper-and-pencil—the current “goldstandard” medium for solving chemical balance problems. In our within-subjects study, agroup of twelve to 20 students recruited from an introductory chemical engineeringcourse will be asked to solve two chemical balance problems that are isomorphic withrespect to difficulty: one using the ChemProV tool, and the other using pencil-and-paper.Task and treatment order will be fully counterbalanced in order to guard against ordereffects. We will record students’ problem solving activities. Their solutions will beevaluated with respect to four dependent measures: time to complete the task, accuracy ofthe process flow

Conference Session

Innovations in the ChE Laboratory

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Vaughen, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Of Understanding SafeLaboratory Practices And MSDS Sheets.Ñ 15 Again, there was little, if any, mention of a riskassessment in these papers or laboratory procedures. Page 13.556.3A ÐRubric for Laboratory ExperimentsÑ that included safety was located (this rubric is useful tomeet ABET EC2000 requirements).16 However, among the five evaluation parameters under theÐDesign, Perform Safe ExperimentsÑ headings: 1) Design of safe, effective laboratory experiment 2) Laboratory execution according to safe, approved experimental plan 3) Understanding of how equipment works, equipment limitations, safe operation 4) Understanding of how

Conference Session

Developing Communication/Teamwork Skills in ChEs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Lefebvre, Rowan University; Loren Connell, Rowan University; Kevin Dahm, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

). 4 3 2 1 1. Formulates Can easily convert Forms workable Has difficulty in Has difficulty appropriate solution word problems to strategies, but may planning an getting beyond the strategies equations. Sees not be optimal. approach. Tends to given unless what must be done Occasional reliance leave some directly instructed on brute force problems unsolved 2. Identifies relevant Consistently uses Ultimately identifies Identifies some Cannot identify and principles

Conference Session

New Ideas for ChEs II (aka ChE Potpourri)

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Birnkrant, Drexel University; Matthew Cathell, Drexel University; Priscilla Blount, Martha Washington Elementary School; Jean Robinson, Martha Washington Elementary School; Adam Fontecchio, Drexel University; Eli Fromm, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

local store and used as received. In order to measure mass and Page 13.798.4volume a balance and graduated cylinder were used. For the mass balance, students constructedpaper chutes of different designs. The students used science journals to record their work, asshown in figure 2. The module lesson plan and activities are available online from the Drexel UniversityGK-12 program website at http://gk12.coe.drexel.edu/ and are freely available for download. Asynopsis of these lesson plans is provided.Activity 1: The Mass & Volume of Candy In this activity, students learn about mass and volume using a balance, graduatedcylinder

Conference Session

The Latest in Improving Learning in ChE Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Silverstein, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

graphing functionality. Perhapsthe most interesting feature of Google Docs is the ability to share a single online documentamongst multiple users, and when configured appropriately, to enable simultaneous editing bymultiple users. Page 13.1323.2Students in two chemical engineering courses were each assigned a different group problem forwhich they were expected to use the Google spreadsheet to solve. To prepare them for thisprocess, they were given basic instruction in group problem solving, focusing on planning asolution and task distribution. Students then were placed in separate rooms and asked to create aspreadsheet solution using the online

Conference Session

Looking at the ChE Curriculum

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Annette Jacobson, Carnegie Mellon University; Rosemary Frollini, Carnegie Mellon University; Susana Steppan, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

in engineering applications of nanomaterials andmacromolecules. This paper describes how the development of a Master’s program resulted in aminor for engineering undergraduates that is relevant to industrial technology.The CPS graduate program developed because the late Dr. Howard Gerhart, then vice presidentfor R&D at PPG Industries and later adjunct professor of chemical engineering at CarnegieMellon University, took the lead in approaching Carnegie Mellon with specifics of hiscompany’s needs in basic training and continuing education for technical employees. Hisrequirements fit well with existing planning by the polymer research group of the chemistrydepartment to launch a graduate curriculum in polymers and by the chemical

Conference Session

New Ideas for ChEs I (aka ChE Potpourri)

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Franklin King, North Carolina A&T State University; Shamsuddin Ilias, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

. Our objectives are to increase the number of seniors that take the FE exam and toincrease the pass-rate of our graduates. NCEES2 reports that 55% of engineeringgraduates take the FE exam. We suspect, however, the percentage of chemicalengineering graduates taking the FE is much lower. Our goals are to get over half of ourgraduates to take the exam and for them to perform above the national average. Abouthalf of our graduates have taken or plan to take the exam during the two-year period. Forthe April 2007 exam, our pass rate was less than 100%. On average, our graduates scoredwithin 3 points of the FE passing score, which was estimated by the authors’ to be 133points out of 240 points. For the October 2007 exam, our pass rate was 100%, but

Conference Session

The Latest in Improving Learning in ChE Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Kelly, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

studentgroups to specify and design heat transfer equipment . The second part of the projectprovides an opportunity for the student groups to identify the need for a newtechnology/design involving heat transfer and to develop a plan as to how to develop the Page 13.448.3technology and ultimately market/implement the technology. For the purposes of thestudy conducted in the fall 2007, exam performances of the two sections were comparedagainst each other to assess the degree to which an increase in active learning promotesunderstanding and retention, and entrepreneurial tendencies were noted for individualstudents as they worked on this second part of the group

Conference Session

Novel Courses and Content for ChEs I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allen White, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Glen Livesay, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Kay C Dee, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

significantly (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon signed ranks test) higher than scores on pre-tests.Students with a preference for kinesthetic learning (on the VARK test) showed a larger change inpre- to post-session test scores than non-kinesthetic learners. Students with grade point averagesin the range of 2.51 – 3.00 showed a larger change in pre- to post-session test scores thanstudents in other ranges of grade point average, and female students showed a largerimprovement from pre- to post-session scores than male students. The present work describesthe instructional approach used to develop kinesthetic active exercises for the sessions, presentsassessment results, and describes changes planned for the next iteration of this experiment. Page