Postgraduate - Course4612 - Master of Bioresource Engineering

This course provides science or engineering graduates who wish to pursue a career in the bioresource industry with an enhanced understanding of the scientific and engineering aspects of the conversion of bioresources into fuel, materials and specialty chemicals. Participants may focus on biorefining or on the specific conversion of bioresources into pulp and paper. The latter area has a further stream which is designed for those whose specific interest is project and maintenance management. Students not currently working in industry are brought into contact with industry through the close contact staff of the Australian Pulp and Paper Institute (APPI) have with industry. This course is coordinated by APPI within the Department of Chemical Engineering.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate Attributes. For more information refer to http://opvclt.monash.edu.au/curriculum-by-design/aligning-course-outcomes-with-aqf-bologna.html.

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that graduates will be able to:

• critically evaluate the political forces, public attitudes and ethical issues which have an impact on the utilisation of bioresources, including issues such as the carbon footprint and the effect of legislation which places a price on carbon and introduces carbon trading
• develop creative solutions to minimise the water and energy resources required for biomass conversion processes and the effluent from such processes
• if taking the maintenance and project management stream, efficiently plan and analyse the maintenance of equipment and manage small projects
• have a comprehensive understanding of the availability of bioresources for conversion into energy, chemicals and materials in biorefineries and into pulp and paper products, in a global context
• have sufficient working knowledge of statistics to plan and analyse the results of trials
• understand biomass conversion processes and products, and product and process control, equipping them to analyse problems and develop creative solutions

Students entering the master's program with a four-year undergraduate degree in engineering, science, applied science or an appropriate equivalent degree may be eligible for a total of 24 points of credit.

A maximum of 25 per cent (18 points) of course requirements for previous graduate-level studies may be credited for prior study.

24 credit points

This course consists of:

(a.) 48 credit points (eight units) in one of the following streams:

• biorefinery
• pulp and paper
• maintenance and project management

(b.) 24 points (four units) of general elective units

(c.) a mill visit program organised independently of the units and submission of a satisfactory written report.

Streams

Students must complete one of the streams below.

Biorefinery stream

Students must complete the following core units:

• CHE5290 Biomass resource and its utilisation
• CHE5292 Chemistry of biomass processing
• CHE5295 Control of processes and quality
• CHE5296 Minimising environmental impact
• CHE5298 Biorefinery foundations
• CHE5299 Biorefinery processes

and two electives from the following:

• CHE5201 Special topics
• CHE5291 Engineering aspects of pulping
• CHE5293 Processing fibres into paper

Total: 48 points

Pulp and paper stream

Students must complete the following core units:

• CHE5290 Biomass resource and its utilisation
• CHE5293 Processing fibres into paper
• CHE5294 Performance of paper products
• CHE5295 Control of processes and quality
• CHE5296 Minimising environmental impact

and three electives from the following:

• CHE5201 Special topics
• CHE5291 Engineering aspects of pulping
• CHE5292 Chemistry of biomass processing
• CHE5297 Recycling and contaminant removal
• CHE5299 Biorefinery processes

Total: 48 points

Maintenance and project management stream

This stream is not available to international students.

Students must complete the following core units:

• CHE5290 Biomass resource and its utilisation
• CHE5291 Engineering aspects of pulping
• CHE5293 Processing fibres into paper
• MRE5002 Maintenance management
• MRE5003 Industrial techniques in maintenance management

and three electives from the following:

• AFG9071 Introductory accounting
• CHE5295 Control of processes and quality
• CHE5296 Minimising environmental impact
• CHE5297 Recycling and contaminant removal
• CIV5311 Infrastructure project management
• MRE5001 Terotechnology and lifecycle costs
• MRE5004 Asset management techniques
• MRE5006 Machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis

Total : 48 points

Electives

Students must complete four units from:

• CHE3163 Sustainable processing I
• CHE3165 Separation processes
• CHE3171 Bioprocess technology
• CHE3175 Sustainable process case studies
• CHE4161 Engineers in society
• CHE4162 Particle technology
• ENE3608 Environmental impact assessment and management systems
• MTE2541 Nanostructure of materials
• MTE4593 Materials and the environment

Total: 24 credit points

Students wishing to exit this course early may apply to graduate with the following, provided they have satisfied the requirements for that award:

• Graduate Certificate of Bioresource Engineering after completion of the first four general elective units.

Master of Bioresource Engineering