Institute of Biological Engineering 2010 annual Conference

(1)

SOLVING PRACTICAL PROBLEMS AS A WAY FOR

TEACHING ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Iram Mondaca-Fernandez, Maria Guadalupe Aguilar-Apodaca, Veronica Hernandez-Suarez, Eunice Guzman-Fierros, Jose de Jesus Balderas-Cortes, Pablo Gortares Moroyoqui, Maria Mercedes Meza Montenegro

Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora Sonora State México Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, Sonora State, México

Institute of Biological Engineering 2010 annual Conference

(2)

Outline:

• Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora

• Regional Development

BS P

Bi t h

l

i l E

i

• BS Program: Biotechnological Engineering

• Environmental Engineering Education

• Traditional

d

f

l

• Study of regional wastes

• Project development for student education

• Regional problem solving

(3)

Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora

N th

t f Mé i

g

•Northwest of México

•Yaqui Valley-- agriculture and small industrial activity

•A lot of solid residue from pig, cow and chicken farms

•Significant amount of vegetable waste: carrot, chili, tomato

Significant amount of vegetable waste: carrot, chili, tomato

•Most of the wastewater do not receive treatment.

(4)

Participation of University in Regional Development

•International District of Agribusiness

•Experimental and Technology Transference Center

p

gy

•Research and Innovation Center in Environmental

and Agricultural Biotechnology

•Third Europe-Latin American Forum for Regional Development

(5)

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

ENGINEERING COURSES

COURSES

Process Analysis Engineering Introduction General Education Analytical Techniques Engineering Foundamentals Quality

Systems Process _Design

Vegetal & Environmental Biotechnology Bioquímica Microbiana Biología Molecular Tópicos de Biotecnología Desarrollo Personal I Desarrollo Personal II Formación Empresarial I Formación Empresarial II Pensamiento Pensamiento Ed ió Métodos Práctica Profesional II Práctica Termodinámica Básica Fenómenos de transporte Balance de Materia y energía Operaciones unitarias Crítico y Comunicación I Crítico y Comunicación II Contextual I Contextual II Educación Ecológica Ecuaciones Diferenciales Álgebra Lineal Básica Métodos numéricos Optativa I Optativa II Práctica Profesional III Optativa III Fisicoquímica Deporte y Salud Arte y Creatividad Mecánica General C/Lab Bioestadística Diseño de Experimentos Ingeniería de Procesos Optativa IV Lenguaje Matemático Química Inorgánica Química Bioquímica General Bioquímica de Alimentos Microbiología General C/Lab Métodos Instrumentales de Análisis C/Lab Análisis de Alimentos Cálculo II Cálculo I Certificación de Ingeniería de sistemas Instrumentación Bioingeniería Ingeniería De costos Ingeniería de Fermentaciones Introducción a la biotecnología Inorgánica

C/Lab orgánica básica

General C/Lab

Alimentos C/Lab

Alimentos

C/Lab industrial Procesos Bioingeniería

Práctica Profesional I

(6)

Environmental Engineering Education:

Traditional 2002

Traditional 2002--2006

2006

Traditional, 2002

Traditional, 2002--2006

2006

•Students analyzed model wastes in Lab

•Students made a lab report

•Some lab projects include compost, silage and

wastewater treatment

Lab reports Good technicians

(7)

Academic project: manual lab reports vs. project proposals

Strategy:

Objective: Develop team work, analysis/synthesis and problem solving skills

Strategy:

•Half of the student teams—traditional Lab sessions

•Half of the student teams- working with regional wastes

Planning 2007-2008:

•One year in advance: reagents, materials, lab space

Analysis of results:

•Analysis of projects by professor •Student survey

(8)

Academic project: manual lab reports vs. project proposals

Survey: eight questions with a 1-5 range of values to answer

1 LABORATORY FOUNDAMENTALS

2 PRACTICAL LAB SKILLS

3 SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

4 TECHNICAL PROBLEM SOLVING

5 REGIONAL PROBLEM SOLVING

6 WASTE TREATMENT DESIGN

7 PROFESIONAL DEVELOPMENT

8 ENVIRONMENTAL AREA VOCATION

(9)

Academic project: manual lab reports vs. project proposals

Result of survey

(10)

Academic project: manual lab reports vs. project proposals

New skills developed: team working with regional wastes, team work, analysis/synthesis and problem solving skills

Products:

Traditional

Projects

Traditional

Projects

Grass and corn silage

Carrot, fish waste silage, lab scale,

pilot scale proposal

Aerobic treatment of

domestic wastewater

Anaerobic treatment of

slaughterhouse wastewater, lab scale

Kit h

t

Milk f

t l b

l

Kitchen waste compost

Milk farm manure compost , lab scale,

farm scale proposal

Additional projects: ethanol from carrot waste, lab scale

(11)

Proposal of Education 2008

Proposal of Education 2008--2009:

p

2009:

Regional liquid and solid waste

Lab analysis

Bi f t t t

Bioprocess for treatment or added value

Proposal of solution

(12)

2009

2009--2010 Challenge: Solving regional problems

2010 Challenge: Solving regional problems

g

p

Silage losses by molds

Improve the process Make compost

Pellets 106 _{Tons/year of wheat straw} Pellets

No till

Gassification Gassification

(13)

2009

2009--2010 Challenge: Solving regional problems

2010 Challenge: Solving regional problems

g

p

Minimal processed products, dried products

Carrot and vegetable waste dried products

Carotenoids, capsaicinoids

Arsenic, pathogens in water Municipal treatment Arsenic, pathogens in water

Household treatment

(14)

2010

2010--2011 New paradigm: problem solving

2011 New paradigm: problem solving

p

g

p

g

Problematic situation

Solid or liquid waste

proposal

lab field

results

(15)

Opportunities:

•A place in the University farm to make projects with agricultural wastes

•A place in the industrial district to add value to wastesp and foods

•Management of a small town wastewater treatment plant (the plant was constructed in the land of our University)

Challenges:

•Change of mental paradigms of local producers •Funding

•Funding

Challenges and opportunities:

•Interdisciplinary work (interdepartmental work)p y ( p ) •Collaborative work with other universities

(16)