Undergraduate Course: Frontiers in Chemical Engineering 2 (CHEE08023)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The aims of the Frontiers in Chemical Engineering 2 course are:
- Explore the Evolution and Challenges of Chemical Engineering:
To provide students with an overview of the history of Chemical Engineering, from its origins to current challenges. The course will highlight the multidisciplinary nature of the field and
explore how Chemical Engineering can address key global issues in energy, health, food, manufacturing, and the environment.
- Introduce Academic and Career Pathways:
To familiarise students with the structure of Chemical Engineering, including the BEng and MEng programs, the different 'specialisation' streams, and the five Research Institutes within the Discipline. Students will also gain awareness of the various career pathways in Chemical Engineering, such as academia, industry, consulting, and government.
- Enhance decision-making and planning skills:
To further develop students' abilities in planning and decision-making, equipping them with these essential skills for their future careers in Chemical Engineering. |
| Course description |
This course consists of 30 hours of contact time, including 9 hours of lectures, 5 hours of seminars, 6 hours of workshops and 10 hours of surgery hours.
Lectures (8 hours):
- Lecture 1: Chemical Engineering attributes. This lecture will provide students with a comprehensive overview of Chemical Engineering attributes and how these are addressed in our BEng and MEng programmes.
- Lecture 2: Chemical Engineering historical overview. Provide students with a comprehensive overview of the history of chemical engineering, from its origins to the current challenges facing the field.
- Lecture 3: Chemical engineering role in today's energy challenges. Historical Context: Historical development of energy sources, energy transitions, global energy consumption patterns. Current Trends: biodiesels, renewable energy, hydrogen/ammonia economy. Future Directions and Opportunities: carbon-free fuels and thorium-based nuclear power.
- Lecture 4: Chemical engineering role in today's health-related challenges. Historical Context: pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical device development and water purification & sanitation. Current Trends: Biopharmaceutical production, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Future Directions and Opportunities: drug delivery systems, sustainable & scalable production and antibiotic resistance.
- Lecture 5: Chemical engineering role in today's food-related challenges. Historical Context: pasteurization, preservatives, colorants, and flavour enhancers. Current Trends: highpressure processing and pulsed electric fields. Future Directions and Opportunities: supper food, food processing & preservation and sustainable agriculture.
- Lecture 6: Chemical engineering role in today's manufacturing challenges: Historical Context: process design, from basic to multi-unit production, process control and scale-up. Current Trends: circular economy, continuous processing and modular manufacturing. Future Directions and Opportunities: digital twins.
- Lecture 7: Chemical engineering role in today's environmental challenges. Historical Context: air, water and soil pollution. Current Trends: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), emission control, plastic and microplastic, waste to energy technologies and water purification. Future Directions and Opportunities: Exploration of geoengineering options and their ethical implications.
- Lecture 8 & 9: Career development in Chemical Engineering. In these lectures, students will gain understanding of the various career pathways available in Chemical Engineering, including academia, industry, consulting, and government. Additionally, students will explore strategies for building a strong networking, finding and working with mentors, navigating career transitions, and leveraging academic and industry connections to advance their careers.
Seminars (5 hours):
In this series, five Chemical Engineering staff members will each deliver a 1-hour seminar, sharing their research, experiences, and perspectives. These seminars will provide students with a deeper understanding of the diverse research areas within the field of Chemical Engineering.
- Seminar 1: Institute for Materials and Processes. Focus: Advanced materials, process engineering, and their applications in various industries.
- Seminar 2: Institute for Energy Systems. Focus: Sustainable energy technologies, energy conversion, and systems integration.
- Seminar 3: Institute of Bioengineering. Focus: Biosensing, biomedical signals and biomedical applications of engineering technology.
- Seminar 4: Institute of Infrastructure and Environment. Focus: Environmental engineering, infrastructure resilience, and sustainable development.
- Seminar 5: Institute of Multiscale Thermofluids. Focus: Fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and their applications across multiple scales in engineering systems.
Workshops (6 hours):
- Workshop 1: The goal of this activity is for students to gain a clear understanding of the differences between today's most important fuels, particularly in the context of energy density and emissions. After an explanation of key concepts, such as energy content, fuel efficiency, and environmental impact, students will have the opportunity to build an energy density model. They will also be able to take home this model as a souvenir.
- Workshop 2: The goal of this activity is for students to understand the key role of catalysis in emission control technology and the differences between various greenhouse
gases in terms of Global Warming Potential and atmospheric lifetime. After an explanation of key concepts such as catalysis, main emission control reactions, and Global Warming Potentials, students will view real after treatment systems, including an on-board carbon capture prototype. They will also have the opportunity to build a molecular model of these greenhouse gases and take one home as a souvenir.
- Workshop 3: The goal of this activity is to host a career session where students can meet Edinburgh alumni from the degree program, as well as current PhD students and postdocs, to discuss their career paths and job experiences. This session provides a valuable opportunity for students to network, ask questions, and explore potential career opportunities.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 9,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 15,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 6,
Formative Assessment Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
67 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework %: 100
|
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Trace the historical development of Chemical Engineering as a discipline, identifying key milestones, influential figures, and major technological advancements that have shaped the field.
- Understand the role of Chemical Engineering in addressing today's challenges by identifying and explaining key emerging technologies and innovations in energy, health, food manufacturing, and environmental sectors.
- Identify and articulate various career pathways available in Chemical Engineering, including opportunities in academia, industry, consulting and government.
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Reading List
- Frontiers in Chemical Engineering Research Needs and Opportunities, National Research Council.
- Balancing Act: The Young Person's Guide to a Career in Chemical Engineering, Bradley James Ridder.
- The Beginner's Guide to Engineering: Chemical Engineering: 3, John T. Stimus
- A Dictionary of Chemical Engineering (Oxford Quick Reference), Carl Schaschke
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Energy,Food,Environment,Health,Manufacturing,Career development in Chemical Engineering |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Francisco Garcia Garcia
Tel:
Email: Francisco.Garcia-Garcia@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Mark Owenson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5533
Email: Mark.Owenson@ed.ac.uk |
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