(366n) A Hands-on Experience to Study Membrane Technology Developed By Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Students

Here we describe the development of an experiment to study separation using membrane technology. A reverse osmosis pilot plant equipment, donated by industry, was put in operational conditions at a low cost by a team of two undergraduate students. Our reverse osmosis system is simple, versatile, and portable. The undergraduate students improved the equipment design and prepared the operation and maintenance procedures. Also, they prepared an experimental handout and a video demonstration for the reverse osmosis experiment. This new experiment will be incorporated into the Chemical Engineering Senior Laboratory course. The students who participated in this project were exposed to a learning experience via an open-ended approach; they acquired the ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze, and interpret data, use engineering judgment to draw conclusions, and improve their technical writing and communication skills. This project has a broader impact, after implementing the reverse osmosis experience in the laboratory course, chemical engineering undergraduate students will have the opportunity to perform various hands-on experiments, learning the theory and practice of an important membrane separation process.