Development of a Web-Based Self-Teaching and Assessment Module for Chemical Engineering Microchemical Systems

Abstract

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported an undergraduate curriculum reform project in chemical engineering with an overall objective of developing a web-based educational resource for teaching and learning. One aspect of this project involves the development of Interlinked Curriculum Components (ICCs). These are web-based learning sites that aim to strengthen student knowledge in the fundamental subjects that span all chemical engineering courses, and to broaden their exposure to emerging technologies and non-traditional applications. This paper describes the development of an ICC that is focused on microprocess technology. This is a key emerging technology in chemical engineering that has applications ranging from discovery research of new catalysts and materials to small-scale manufacturing of high value-added products, toxic reagents, explosives, and other chemicals where point-of-use is preferred over a large-scale centralized manufacturing plant. The ICC module design follows a standardized protocol that includes five major sub-components: pre-testing quantitatively assess existing student knowledge on the module topic; (2) a set of topic notes so that students can perform a self-paced on-line review of the required subject matter; (3) examples that provide illustrations of various problems; (4) a series of exercises and problems having increasing complexity that allow the effect of various model equation set-ups and the effect of various model parameters to be studied in a conversational type of mode with graphical output; and (5) post-testing for quantitative assessment of student knowledge progression for validation of the desired modules outcomes. The examples, exercises and problems mentioned above employ a software tool called COMSOL Multiphysics as the numerical engine to simulate various microprocess system components involving fluid flow, heat transfer, and species transport, such as micro-scale fluidics and fluid micro mixers, micro heat exchangers,