MATLAB as a tool as Analysis and Problem Solving Competency Development in Chemical Engineering Degree using MATLAB

Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 15 MATLAB as a ool as Analysis and P oblem Sol ing Compe ency De elopmen in Chemical Enginee ing Deg ee using MATLAB Ma ía-Fe nanda López-Pé ez, S.C. Ca dona, J. Lo a, A. Abad Depa amen o de Ingenie ía Química y Nuclea . Uni e si a Poli ècnica de València (UPV). Plaça Fe àndiz i Ca bonell, s/n 03801 Alcoy, Alican e (Spain). * Co esponding au ho : Email: [email p o ec ed].es; Phone: + 34 966528586 Recei ed: 2016-05-06; Accep ed: 2016-08-18 Abs ac Analysis and sol ing p oblems is a Chemical Enginee ing s uden capabili y. In o de o de elop his abili y, ac i i ies ha encompass p oblem-sol ing by s uden s may in ol e p oblems in eal-wo ld se ings. In Chemical Enginee ing deg ee, MATLAB is a nume ical so wa e package ha helps in he p ocess o designing, e alua ing and implemen ing a s a egy o answe an open-ended ques ion o achie e a desi ed goal. In his con ex , Ma lab is so wa e used in p ocess simula ion. Se e al lec u es o Escuela Poli écnica Supe io d’Alcoi p esen ed an inno a ion and imp o emen educa ional esea ch p ojec (PIME) in o de o used MATLAB, like coo dina ion eaching ool be ween some subjec s. The p incipal pu pose o his wo k is he s uden s imp o emen using, as has been men ioned p e iously, MATLAB in a p oblem-based lea ning me hodology. This me hodology allows a mo e e ec i e coo dina ion in he deg ee. The p esen pape p esen s a eal- wo ld p oblem and he common elemen s o mos p oblem-sol ing con ex s and how is designed o unc ion ac oss all disciplines. Keywo ds Analysis and sol ing p oblems, p oblem-sol ing lea ning, MATLAB, coo dina ion Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 16 1. In oduc ion Due o he p o ound change ha mus ake place in lea ning in he uni e si y con ex , he mos impo an s ep is educa ion-based aining and e alua ion o compe encies. The UPV, in line wi h he Bologna p ocess has launched a numbe o s a egies o e alua ing hem, s a ing wi h gene ic compe encies, linked o nume ous subjec s o uni e si y deg ees (V. Yepes, 2014). The gene ic compe encies ha ha e de ined he UPV a e: • Unde s anding and in eg a ion. • Implemen a ion and p ac ical hinking. • Analysis and p oblem sol ing. • Inno a ion, c ea i i y and en ep eneu ship. • Design and p ojec . • Teamwo k and leade ship. • E hical, en i onmen al and p o essional esponsibili y. • E ec i e communica ion. • C i ical hinking. In he p esen case, he gene ic compe ency o be ea ed in his wo k is he compe ence o Analysis and P oblem sol ing. Acco ding o he UPV, his compe i ion can be de ined as "analyze and sol e p oblems e ec i ely, whe e signi ican elemen s a e iden i ied and de- ined”. Th ee le els o complexi y can be es ablished: i s demons a ion p o iciency, p oblem sol ing using knowledge lea ned in he class oom o in books. A second le el, which is de eloping i s own c i e ia in o de o sol e he p oblems, using e lec ion and expe ience. And a hi d, mo e de eloped, when he s uden is able o de elop and p opose solu ions in unusual and un amilia opics (A Villa, 2007). In he Deg ees, he equi ed Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 17 le els would be he i s wo, he i s le el o yea s 1s and 2nd and he second le el o de elopmen would be aken in o 3 d 4 h. The nex le el would co espond o Mas e s udies. The subjec s need a coo dina ion ollowing EEES amewo k (C. A mengol, 2009). This coo dina ion mus be add essed bo h ho izon ally and e ically le el, ocusing on coo dina ion o con en and e alua ion o speci ic and gene ic subjec compe encies o he same cou se o special y, and ensu e he co ec dis ibu ion o esou ces (D. Cazo la, 2010; JF Mo ales, 2013). This equi es a lo o dedica ion on he pa o academic commi ees o Deg ee and his complex wo k mus be well planned, so ha he c ea ion o ools o acili a e he coo dina ion wo k will be needed (Y. Ga cia, 2013). In he case o Enginee ing, he use o ma hema ical models ha desc ibe he beha io o p ocesses is an impo an pa o he basic knowledge ha a s uden mus possess (S.C. Ca dona, 2014). In enginee ing, he use o ma hema ical so wa e o s uden aining (J.M. Gonzal ez, 2013) is necessa y and essen ial. Because he ma ke he e a e many so wa e o sol ing ma hema ical models, a wide dispe sion o so wa e o he same pu pose appea s, a s uden manages di e en so wa e o each subjec o sol e p oblems in a ious a eas, bu ac ually use he same nume ical me hod (e.g., sol ing o dina y di e en ial equa ions). One consequence o using wo o mo e so wa e o he same pu pose du ing he deg ee is ha he s uden doesn’ domina e any o hem, because he ime is limi ed. This lack o eache coo dina ion in he use o so wa e could cause g ea unce ain y o s uden s abou he pu pose o he ma hema ical ools and ha educe ime o lea ning he con en s o each subjec . The e o e, he use o he same gene al pu pose ma hema ical so wa e can be a ool o coo dina ion and in eg a ion o he con en s o many o he deg ee subjec s and his ool could enhance a wo king me hod based on p oblem-examples (Ma ia-Fe nanda Lopez- Pe ez, 2012.2013), o s eng hen he gene al compe ency de elop. Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 18 A P ojec o Inno a ion and Educa ional Imp o emen o se e al eache s has been aised o eal coo dina ion in he Deg ee o Chemical Enginee ing, and enhance analysis and p oblem sol ing compe ency. The pu pose o he p ojec en i led "Using MATLAB as a eaching s a egy and ho izon al and e ical coo dina ion be ween subjec s Chemical Enginee ing Deg ee" is he use o his so wa e as a eaching ool ha se es as a link be ween subjec s. To imp o e coo dina ion be ween he subjec s and pose a eaching me hodology based on p oblem sol ing is he main objec i e. 2. P oposed me hodology: in eg a ion o di e en eaching me hods In his P ojec , wo king me hod based on p oblem-examples ha ein o ce con en s ha a e impo an in he applica ion o chemical enginee ing, using MATLAB as an in eg a ion ool is he main objec i e. Fo his, se e al asks we e de eloped: 1. In ol e Chemical Enginee ing Deg ee lec u es using single ma hema ical so wa e in hei subjec s in he complex ma hema ical calcula ions. 2. Con e he s uden in an ad anced use in MATLAB. 3. De elop a lea ning me hodology based on ans e sal p oblems ha allows s uden s o achie e he analysis and p oblem sol ing compe ency. 4. P omo e coo dina ion o he con en s o di e en subjec s, bo h ho izon ally and e ically in he di e en cou ses. The coo dina ion p o ides g ea e cohesion o he deg ee. Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 19 3. Discussion o he p oposal and esul s 3.1 Pa icipa ion o in e es ed lec u e s The nex s ep was o in ol e di e en lec u es who each a he Chemical Enginee ing Deg ee o pa icipa e in his coo dina ion p ojec using MATLAB. This ma hema ical so - wa e would be used in p oblem sol ing and also should coo dina e he subjec con en s by sol ing a complex p oblem in o de o he compe ency. The subjec s we e a o al o eigh (Table 1), om he i s yea o ou h, whe e he equi ed le el o knowledge and he ma hema ical complexi y inc eased. Table 1. Subjec s in o Coo dina ion p ojec using MATLAB. Subjec Cha ac e Yea Semes e Ma hs II Basic o ma ion 1 B Calcula ion me hods Obliga o y 2 A Chemical Kine ics Obliga o y 2 B Mass ans e Obliga o y 2 B Chemical eac o s Obliga o y 3 A Expe imen al Chemical Enginee ing II Obliga o y 3 A Analysis and simula ion o p ocesses Obliga o y 3 B Biological was ewa e ea men Elec i e 4 B The e o e, all subjec s we e adap ed o he eache s. The eache used MATLAB o sol e p oblems. Because some eache s did no ha e he su icien le el ma hema ical so wa e, se e al wo kshops we e conduc ed. Th ee wo kshops we e suppo ed by he Ins i u o en Ciencias de la Educación (ICE) and we e augh by a deg ee o Chemical Enginee ing, eache wi h high knowledge in MATLAB. Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 20 3.2 S uden s as ad anced use s in MATLAB. In some subjec s, du ing he deg ee, (Expe imen al Enginee ing I, II, and III) s uden s ha e planned MATLAB wo kshops. In hese wo kshops, a manual a e gi en o s uden s, wi h he mos ep esen a i e MATLAB unc ions in o de o be used in sol ing he p oblems o he cou se. These wo kshops o e he possibili y ha s uden s lea n MATLAB along he deg ee, which acili a es s uden s each educa ional compe encies. The e o e, he basic con en s assimila ion in he subjec s o he deg ee is imp o ed. Also, be e cohesion in he de elopmen o he i le is achie ed. Finally, s uden s will lea n, along he i le, an ad anced le el in nume ical/symbolic so wa e, which will p o ide added alue he deg ee; p o essional ma ke app ecia es his knowledge. 3.3 Analysis and p oblems sol ing compe ency de elopmen All asks ha ha e been discussed abo e mus be e lec ed in he con en s o he deg ee subjec s. Chemical enginee ing examples o p oblems will inc ease di icul y while s uden s ad ance in hei s udies o achie e he compe encies. The e o e, o he de elopmen o Analysis and p oblems sol ing compe ency, p oblem- based lea ning me hodology we e used. This ype o lea ning has he highes "lea n o sol e p oblems by sol ing p oblems". These p oblems mus be app op ia e o he le el o he cou se, and should ca ee o managemen s a emen s, should be mo i a ing o he o ma ion and de elopmen o concep s is acili a ed. S uden s pe cei ed cohesion o con en and ue coo dina ion when he concep s a e ela ed o eal examples along he cou ses, s uden s could also unde s and he concep s in a mo e e ec i e way, inc easing hei mo i a ion o he subjec s. Fi s , a complex p oblem ha is esol ed in semes e B du ing 4 h cou se was chosen. Tha p oblem was he design o a Sequencing Ba ch Reac o SBR. This p oblem is e y complex, since he design o such eac o s implies knowing: Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 21  Bac e ia ha emo e con aminan s, espi a ion and kine ics o mic oo ganism g ow h.  Kine ic o biodeg adable o ganic ma e .  Oxygen ans e p ocess om he gas phase o he liquid The e o e, in eac o design he s uden mus possess concep s s udied in many o he abo e subjec s. This subjec s and concep s coo dina ion is e y di icul . The p oblem s a emen migh be: “In a milk company in --- own, SBR eac o is going o be ins alled o emo ing pollu an s ha discha ged in o he was ewa e sewe . The discha ge low is 200 L/d and he con ol pa ame e s discha ge mus be below discha ge limi s. Design he eac o ( olume) and ope a ional pa ame e s”. As you can see he s a emen is comple ely open, so ha each eache can adap i o you needs and pu poses. To be e unde s and how he p oblem a ises, we will be de eloping subjec by subjec , wha a e he p oblems associa ed wi h he design o he SBR and ha can be esol ed in each o hem, hei complexi y and how o ela e wi h o he s. Remembe ha o 1s and 2nd cou se, analysis and p oblem sol ing compe ency include iden i y and analyze a p oblem o gene a e al e na i e solu ions. Fo 3 d and 4 h cou se he le el o esul s equi ed inc eases, in which he s uden mus use he expe ience and judgmen o analyze he causes o a p oblem and build a mo e e icien and e ec i e solu ion. In he i s cou se s uden s will deal wi h concep s ha should ha e o design he bio eac o . The subjec Ma h II; as is well known is a discipline ha some imes is a s umbling block o s uden s. Ma h is di icul , bu also s uden s do no see he use ul in he eal li e. In he p esen case, sol ing sys ems o di e en ial equa ions a e needed o he de elopmen o Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 22 SBR eac o design, because i is a ba ch p ocess whe e he a iables change o e ime. One o he hema ic uni s in Ma h II is o dina y di e en ial equa ions and hei analy ically sol ing. When he ma h concep s ha e been explained, he p oblem can be p esen ed o he s uden . Bu , his p oblem should be p esen ed as a eal si ua ion, he eache explain he impo ance o was ewa e ea men and he used eac o s o his pu pose. The lec u es each was ewa e p oblem can be he ma h lec u e o a pe son amilia wi h was ewa e ma e . Some ideos o biological eac o ope a ion could be p esen ed. The ideo leng h would be a maximum o 15 minu es, because he subjec can’ be in alida ed. A his poin he eache will gi e he bac e ia g ow h di e en ial equa ion, oxygen and pollu an a ia ion di e en ial equa ions. Such p ocesses can be modeled and a e o dina y di e en ial equa ions which can be sol ed analy ically (Laplace). A he i s he eache uses only a a iable, i can bac e ia, o la e , o e s he s uden s a mo e complex p oblem , which a ies no only bac e ia a iable, bu also he subs a e and oxygen, hen he eache p esen s he comple e sys em o o dina y di e en ial equa ions (Eq. sys em 1).   02 11 1 1max 1 1 1 * 2 02 11 1 1max 011 11 1 1max 1 1 CC(0) 1 · )0( )( )0( 1 )(             endoTOTAL H S O HH endoH H S H H S OX SK S Y Y CCKla d Cd XX OX SK S d dX SSX SK S Y d dS  (Sis . Eq. 1) Whe e S1 is subs a e, XH a e he e o ophic bac e ia and C is oxygen concen a ion. All cons an s nume ic alue is p o ided, because he aim objec i e is he sys em esolu ion and no he physical concep s. When s uden s sol e he p oblem on he pape manually, he p oblem should be sol ed wi h MATLAB, wi h he ele an unc ions, dsol e o ODE. The eache has seen a e y simple esolu ion and a eal applica ion o he subjec . Mul idisciplina y Jou nal o Educa ion, h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/muse.2016.4623 Social and Technological Sciences EISSN: 2341-2593 López-Pé ez e al. (2016) h p://polipape s.up .es/index.php/MUSE/ Mul . J. Edu. Soc & Tec. Sci. Vol. 3 Nº 2 (2016): 15-29 | 23 The nex subjec is Calcula ion Me hods in Chemical Enginee ing (2nd yea , semes e A), whe e equa ions and sys ems o o dina y di e en ial equa ions a e sol ed nume ically by he me hods o Eule , Runge-Ku a and mul is ep. In his poin , bo h subjec , Ma h II and Calcula ion Me hods a e ela ed. The same p oblem can sol e wi h MATLAB, now nume ically, once s uden s ha e lea ned o sol e sys ems manually. I is in e es ing ha s uden s lea n o do wi h MATLAB and can see he sa ings in ime. In hese wo subjec s hey ha e lea ned concep s and ha e go a way o sol ing sys ems wi h MATLAB. S uden s ha e also seen he use ulness o he concep s lea ned. In his momen , s uden s ha e seen he ma hema ical pa o he SBR eac o design, so ha enginee ing concep s can be in oduced. In o de o make a ma hema ical model, whe e he e a e chemical eac ions, he eac ion a e has o be s udied o ob ain a kine ic equa ion whe e ela es he eac ion a e wi h ope a ional condi ions and composi ion. - A=[K(T)][ (CA,CB,…) (eq. 2) – A is eac ion a e (mol/l.·h), K is a cons an (is Tempe a u e unc ion) and CA, CB, eac i e concen a ion. Calcula ion o he kine ic cons an and he eac ion o de a e desc ibed in his subjec . MATLAB is used in his subjec o sol e hese p oblems, using in e pola ion as poly i o linea izing. S uden s ha e expe imen al da a o kine ic equa ion esol e, e.g. O ganic ma e educ ion o bac e ia ac ion. The e a e se e al models, such as: he i s o de model Monod. Speci ic a e cons an (usually exp essed by k) is ob ained in i s o de kine ics, while o he model Monod, h ee cons an s ha e o be e alua ed: he a ini y cons an (Ks), he speci ic a e (μmax/Y) and inally, he maximum g ow h cons an (μ). In his pa , he eache would gi e s uden s expe imen al da a (subs a e concen a ion e sus ime), and s uden s could use he equa ions p esen ed abo e o ob ained hese cons an s using MATLAB.