(324d) Role of Scaling and up-Scaling in the Che Engineering Curriculum

Concepts of scaling and up-scaling are critically important for the future professional engineer. These concepts have been introduced, traditionally, into the curriculum via a relatively simple approach and, mostly, for linear-based processes. Situations that involved non-linear sources and scales in the micro and nano levels require a more fundamental-based approach. In addition, most the ChE curricula expose the students to the up-scaling and scaling concepts during the last part of the curriculum making the learning process stiff instead of working progressively with them. In this contribution, the authors will discuss the different aspects involved in scaling and up-scaling and illustrates the discussion with examples taken from real-world problems. In addition, they will discuss the importance of identifying a learning process (as opposed to hide it) that allows students to incorporate such concepts in a rational and efficient way into the curriculum. The authors will use examples from transport and reaction, biological, and biomedical areas to illustrate the process.