Building Bridges in Chemical Engineering Education – Curriculum Integration via Biodiesel Production

This framework shows how to weave biodiesel production throughout the chemical‑engineering curriculum, linking theory to real engineering work. It uses transesterification of various renewable oils as the central reaction and gives a step‑by‑step way to study core topics such as organic chemistry, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, separations, and process control. For undergraduates, the framework guides a complete process‑design project that moves students from lab‑scale experimental data to full‑scale plant design and simulation. The project focuses on optimizing the process, performing detailed mass and energy balances, sizing unit‑operation equipment, analyzing safety, and evaluating the economic feasibility of a biodiesel plant. By building the design around a real renewable‑energy

application, the framework helps students create multi‑scale engineering solutions that progress from basic chemical reactions to complex flowsheets and control strategies. This organized approach lets students combine knowledge from many disciplines into a single, buildable design project.

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