Module manager: Dr D Harbottle
Email: d.harbottle@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Product innovation in the chemical industry is of increasing importance in developed economies. This requires chemical engineers to work across the whole innovation supply chain across research, formulation, scale-up, manufacturing, supply, business planning, marketing, and sales. At the end of this module, students will be aware of the challenges faced in bringing a new product to market. Basic skills, linking product benefits and performance to market need, will be developed along with aspects of new product design and the selection processes needed to refine a concept. Linking the desired product to manufacturing capability (and challenges) and the costs associated with these choices will also be introduced.
The development of 'open-ended' problem analysis and problem solving skills within the context of new chemical products design and manufacturing challenges. Application of core chemical engineering skills in an innovative product design context.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Be able to apply knowledge of chemical engineering principles to the design of multicomponent chemical products.
2. Be able to apply knowledge of chemical formulation principles to complex problems with conflicting requirements.
3. Have some understanding of the limits of available technology and of the potential of new and emerging technology.
4. Be able to apply principles of sustainability, economics and ethics to the design of chemical formulated products.
5. Have a broad knowledge and critical awareness of developments at the forefront of chemical engineering.
6. Have a critical awareness of the wider engineering discipline.
7. Understand the limitations of current practice.
8. Have communicated the outcomes of the project work in a professional manner.
9. Have a comprehensive understanding of design processes and methodologies and an ability to apply and adapt them in unfamiliar situations.
10. Be able to work with information that may be incomplete or uncertain, quantify the effect of this on the design and, where appropriate, use theory or experimental research to mitigate deficiencies.
11. Have the ability to generate an innovative design for processes, systems and products to fulfil new needs.
12. Have achieved the design of a novel product for which data are unreliable or limited and economic evaluation of the chemical product design and manufacture.
13. Be able to familiarise themselves with the new and unknown.
14. Be able to develop innovative approaches, addressing combinations of societal, business, and customer needs, while considering diversity, inclusion, cultural, societal, environmental and commercials matters, codes of practice, and industry standards.
15. Be able to evaluate critically technical literature and other information sources; have the ability to evaluate the environmental and societal impact of solutions to complex problems across their entire life-cycle, minimising adverse impacts.
Professionalism
Teamwork
Problem definition
Techno-commercial analysis of options and decision-making skills
Innovation
Communication
- Introduction to chemical products design
- Team working and problem solving
- Analysis of existing products: reverse engineering
- Key aspects of the design process
- Planning
- Definition of product requirements (customer needs)
- Product features
- Brainstorming concepts
- Decision-making and choice of favoured concept
- Manufacturing challenges
- Should-cost analysis
- Justification
- Business assessment
- Reporting and presentations
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision Meetings | 10 | 0.5 | 5 |
| presentation | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Class tests, exams and assessment | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Lecture | 3 | 1.5 | 4.5 |
| Tutorial | 9 | 1.5 | 13.5 |
| Independent online learning hours | 20 | ||
| Private study hours | 102 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 28 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
The module is problem-led and students will have a lot of autonomy (in a team environment) in developing their ideas for a new product, linking this to customer needs. The module will demonstrate the key aspects of chemical engineering of understanding the raw material properties with the unit operations into which they are put, then linking this to the manufacturing issues. Students will need to deliver a focussed new product design report. The open-ended nature of this work will require students to undertake considerable desk-based research around the issues associated with the choice of product and all aspects associated with its delivery to market. The independent learning will be facilitated and guided by an academic mentor through the tutorials.
Progress will be monitored through the tutorials. The conclusion of each tutorial will require students to agree a set of deliverables for the start of the following tutorial.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| In-course Assessment | Class Test | 40 |
| Project | Group Project | 50 |
| Presentation | Group Presentation | 10 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 4/29/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team