(528d) The Two-Semester Senior Capstone Design Course Sequence at UMass Lowell – Preparing Students for Engineering Careers in Industry

The senior capstone design course is a bedrock core course required by ABET in all engineering disciplines at all universities in the United States and probably throughout most of the world. Ideally, the implementation of a comprehensive capstone design project provides the soon-to-be chemical engineering graduate a chance to leverage the skills and knowledge learned over their undergraduate career in a group project that prepares them for the exciting challenges they will face as a practicing chemical engineer, be it in further academic graduate studies, or more likely, in a new position within industry.

Here at UMass Lowell, we have developed a comprehensive two-semester course sequence that incorporates many of the skills and challenges our graduates will face in their careers. Components of our program include:

• Six week intensive Engineering Economics segment in the Fall Course where students are introduced to the economics of business and project evaluations, including the Time Value of Money, Cash-Flow Analysis, Rates of Return Metrics (PW, FW, MARR, IRR, etc.) Depreciation, and Pro-Formas.
• Three group projects (3-4 students per group) in the Fall Semester:
  • Fundamentals Project – a four-week deep dive project into a particular piece of equipment (compressors, membranes, filters, relief valves, etc.) or process (LL Extraction, Crystallization, Pollution Abatement), including design fundamentals, selection criteria and costing.
  • Feasibility Project – a four-week study on the feasibility (technical, regulatory and market) for a potential new processing plant to manufacture a chemical within the United States.
  • Design Project – a three-week “simple” design project to introduce the design process.
• A full comprehensive capstone design project during the Spring semester done by “companies” of 6-7 students for a new greenfield plant to be designed and built within the continental United States. Each student is assigned two specific roles: one technical (e.g., Process Design Equipment – Separations, Material Transport Engineer – Liquids, Process Control, etc.) and one non-technical (e.g., Chief Financial Officer, Marketing, Human Resources Officer, Project Manager). The project deliverables include:
  • A comprehensive FEED package (PFDs, P&IDs, Piping, Facility Layouts, Equipment Specifications, etc.)
  • A 20-year economic analysis of the project of the economic feasibility of the project, including proposed financing for construction and start-up of the facility and all capital and operating costs (raw materials, personnel salaries and benefits, utilities)
  • A “go-to market” strategy and analysis on how the company will succeed as a new venture.
  • Oral presentation (e.g., “pitch”) of their project to outside interests and potential investors.

A more detailed description of the many elements and evolution of this capstone design sequence will be covered, including plans for how it may evolve in the future.