units

CHE5299

Faculty of Engineering

18 September 2017 26 December 2024
Monash University

Postgraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelPostgraduate
FacultyFaculty of Engineering
Organisational UnitDepartment of Chemical Engineering
OfferedClayton Term 4 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Professor Gill Garnier

Synopsis

An examination of the chemical engineering aspects of current biomass conversion operations, biomass resources, products from biomass conversion, practical engineering aspects of biorefinery processes and the economic and social aspects of the operation of biorefineries.

Outcomes

Learning objectives of this unit are that the student will:

  1. Acquire an increased knowledge and understanding of:
    • Chemical engineering aspects of current biorefineries - sugar plantations and refining, converted pulp and paper mills, ethanol and xylitol refineries
    • Biorefiner platforms - Products (chemicals, materials, energy, food), Feedstocks (carbohydrates and lignocellulosics) and Processes (Pretreatments, Biotechnology - enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and algal, and Reaction engineering - pyrolysis and green processes/chemistry)
    • Social aspects of establishing biorefineries
    • Economics of biorefineries
    • Operation of biorefineries

  1. Develop the skills required to:
    • Analyse new developments in practical aspects of biorefineries and make appropriate and innovative recommendations
    • Keep up to date with developments biorefinery legislation and incentives

  1. Demonstrate the ability to:
    • Undertake in depth research of the literature on the practical spects of biorefineries, analyse the information obtained and produce a report which demonstrates understanding and insight
    • Organise practical experiments, make detailed observations of experiments, analyse the results and produce an accurate and detailed report

Assessment

Assignments and reports: 40%
Test: 10%
Final Examination: 50%

Workload requirements

52 hours preliminary and major assignment, 28 hours lectures and 8 hours laboratory classes in the main contact week, 63 hours private study

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Karen Hapgood