Undergraduate design project ideas in sustainability: Rethinking Ammonia synthesis

Abstract

We are piloting undergraduate product design projects that address a chemical process very familiar to students - ammonia synthesis - and that use process simulation tools that they are comfortable with (after process design), but that have design objectives that are unusual and new to the students. These new objectives are those governing sustainable, distributed, carbon-free small-scale ammonia synthesis systems. Such systems are called for in unusual circumstances where stranded renewable energy resources (wind, solar, etc.) need to be used, and ammonia can provide energy storage, hydrogen-carrier, and fertilizer possibilities. In our case we can also offer the students the opportunity to use data from a working pilot plant (associated with a wind farm). The poster presentation will describe our experience with the teams of student piloting this product design, focusing on pedagogical challenges and progress that will be of interest to other ChE design instructors.