Circular Economy and Carbon Management

Recommended Prerequisites

Calculus, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer, Chemical Reactors; Thermodynamics; Separation Processes; Process Design and Control

Teaching Methods

The syllabus will be taught in: theoretical classes (T) - where the programmatic topics will be presented and developed, using audiovisual media; tutorial classes (OT) - in which concepts and tools will be applied / discussed in group tasks, under the tutorship of the teachers.

The preparation of a work in group will allow students to research and analyze a circular economy approach, as well as to present and defend their knowledge. Whenever possible, the analysis of practical cases will be promoted with the participation of external experts.

Learning Outcomes

Overall objectives:

To acquire and apply theoretical and practical knowledge of chemical engineering towards a sustainable, carbon-neutral economy, free of toxic elements and fully circular.

Specific Objectives:

To acquire fundamental and technical knowledge of engineering for the chemical processes and products design that: privilege the use of renewable and recycled feedstocks; minimize energy input, resource efficiency and achieve zero emissions; intensify reuse and recycling; circular water usage; reduction-recycling-reuse.

Identify and apply circular economy practices and tools;

Formulate and solve problems regarding the circularity and carbon management. Develop the domain of theoretical knowledge, capacity for analysis and synthesis and ability to integrate knowledge to solve practical problems with critical thinking.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Circular economy principles

2. Develop an understanding of circular economy approaches (benefits and limitations of each one)

3. Application of circular economy on chemical engineering

3.1. Application of circular economy models in processes, products and business;

3.2. Advancing circular economy through industrial ecology and design

3.3. Chemical process intensification and circularization;

3.4. Longer lasting chemical products;

3.5. Waste as feedstock;

4. Biomimicry

5. Thinking in the circularity of the chemical industry

6. Tools, Metrics and standards to measure circular economy performance, and circularity at a product, process and organization level

7. Tools and metrics for carbon management

7.1. Lifecycle Assessment Process

7.2. Carbon footprint

8. Carbon capture, utilization and storage

9. Implementing carbon strategies

10. Carbon offset markets and regulatory systems

Head Lecturer(s)

Jorge Fernando Brandão Pereira

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Frequency: 40.0%
Project: 60.0%

Bibliography

1. Sillanpaa, M.; Ncibi, C., The circular economy: Case studies about the transition from the linear economy. Academic Press, London, 2019.

2. Lacy, P.; Long, J.; Spindler, W., The circular economy handbook: realizing the circular advantage. The Palgrave Macmillan, UK, 2020.

3. Mavropoulos A.; Waage Nilsen, A., Industry 4.0 and Circular Economy: Towards a wasteless future or a wasteful planet? John Wiley & Sons Ltd, West Sussex (UK), 2020.

4. Ghosh, S.K.; Waste Management as Economic Industry Towards Circular Economy, Springer Nature Singapore Pt Ltd., 2020.

5. Ren, J.; Wang, Y.; He, C., Towards Sustainable Chemical Processes: Application of sustainability assessment and analysis, design and optimization, and hybridization and modularization, Elsevier, Amesterdam (Netherlands), 2020.

6. Macaskie, L.E.; Sapsford, D.J.; Mayes, W.M., Resource recovery from wastes: towards a circular economy. RSC Green Chemistry Series, 2019.