RE4S012 - Bioprocesses for a Circular Economy 11 Dec 2020 - 31 Aug 2026 | Version 2
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | RE4S012 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Bioprocesses for a Circular Economy | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science | ||
| Faculty Group: | Research and Innovation | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Sustainable Environment Research Centre | ||
| Module Leader: | Adam Henley, Sandra Esteves | ||
| Module Team: | Rajkumar Gangappa, Tim Patterson, Iain Michie, Jaime Massanet-Nicolau, James Reed, Angela Oliveira, Richard Dinsdale, Savvas Savvas, Rhys Jones | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2020 | Final Year of Intake: | |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 20 | Credit Level: | 7 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | 100175 - energy engineering | ||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | 100 | ||
Document Version Information
| Version | 2 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 11 Dec 2020 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2026 |
Module Aims
Understand the various bioprocesses and technologies that underpin the biological recovery of resources from wastes.
Recognise and critically evaluate the factors affecting the selection, design and utilisation of these bioprocesses.
Critically assess environmental, economic and social benefits and impacts of using bioprocesses to drive a circular economy.
Content Summary
This module investigates the bioprocesses that are available for use within a circular economy for conversion of biodegradable wastes to energy and products.
The module starts with landfills moving onto composting and anaerobic digestion as examples of current methods of waste processing before moving onto advanced anaerobic digestion treatment processes, biochemical electrical cells, and the concept of the biorefinery.
The module discusses the selection, utilisation and integration of these bioprocesses within an industrial setting (e.g. wastewater treatment) including the key pre and post processing stages required for operation of the bioprocesses.
Sustainability issues in terms of materials recovery/disposal and water and energy conversion and economic assessment of the various typical process flow diagrams are discussed and studied.
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 36 |
| External visits | 12 |
| Independent Study | 147 |
| Formative Assessment - Scheduled | 5 |
| Total Hours Selected | 200 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Critically evaluate the environmental and economic benefits and impacts of utilising bioprocesses in terms of treatment efficiency, energy savings, or net energy yield as well as production of other products from biodegradable wastes. |
| LO2 | Demonstrate a sound knowledge and critical understanding of the scientific and technical principles of the bioprocesses including process selection, design and operation for each bioprocess. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asynchronous Assessment | Report 1 | Students work in groups to complete a technical, regulatory, financial and environmental report based on information gained during a site visit. | 0 | 1800 | 30 | No | 40 |
| Asynchronous Assessment | Case study 1 | Students prepare a business case based capital funding application for a bioprocess facility for any of the following waste streams (urban or industrial wastes or wastewaters or rural wastes) | 0 | 4200 | 70 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Report 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Case study 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |