Overview
CHEM402 is a capstone chemical engineering project in which students independently or collaboratively investigate and resolve an open-ended engineering problem. Projects may address process design, optimization, experimentation, modelling, simulation, product development, environmental systems, energy conversion, or process intensification.
Students define project scope, review technical and patent literature, identify stakeholder needs, evaluate ethical and sustainability considerations, develop project plans and risk assessments, select appropriate methodologies, and manage technical data. Depending on project requirements, students apply material and energy balances, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, transport phenomena, separation principles, instrumentation, process control, statistics, economics, and sustainability assessment. Deliverables include a proposal, work plan, design basis or experimental protocol, progress reviews, reproducible technical analysis, a final report, supporting data or simulation files, and an oral presentation or defense. Emphasis is placed on safety compliance, uncertainty evaluation, professional documentation, teamwork, independent problem solving, and the defense of engineering decisions before technical and nontechnical audiences.
Learning Outcomes
- Formulate a clearly scoped chemical engineering problem using stakeholder requirements, technical constraints, ethical considerations, and sustainability objectives.
- Evaluate scientific, engineering, and patent literature to establish a defensible technical basis for project decisions.
- Design a suitable experimental, computational, or process-development methodology, including risk controls, data-management procedures, and validation criteria.
- Apply relevant chemical engineering principles to analyse systems, interpret data or simulations, and quantify uncertainty.
- Manage an engineering project through structured planning, resource allocation, progress monitoring, teamwork, and compliance with safety requirements.
- Synthesize reproducible technical evidence into professional project documentation supported by appropriate calculations, models, data, and references.
- Critically evaluate the validity, limitations, and implications of project results in relation to technical, economic, environmental, and operational objectives.
- Defend engineering decisions and conclusions through clear oral and written communication to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | First term |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Weekly | First term |
| Practicum | 4 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Seminar | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | Second term |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Project proposal and stakeholder requirements | 10.00% |
| Assignment | Literature and patent review | 10.00% |
| Deliverable | Design basis or experimental protocol and risk assessment | 10.00% |
| Attendance | Progress reviews (4 × 2.5%) | 10.00% |
| Deliverable | Validated data, model, or simulation package | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Final technical report | 25.00% |
| Exam | Oral presentation and project defense | 20.00% |
Prerequisites
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
