’Green’ remote laboratory for chemical engineering degree: A new paradigm for training

Abstract

This paper presents an innovative web-based „green‟ remote process control laboratory focused on the necessity of chemical control education community. The usefulness of the remote laboratory proposed in this paper is justified by two relevant factors: the opportunity of organizing remote experiments, saving students time and money; and the integration of the „Sustainability‟ (transversal competence) in the curricula. A new innovative pedagogical methodology for laboratories is carried out. Furthermore, a set of practices that constitutes the remote lab will be presented covering all the subject of “Chemical Processes Control” in the Chemical Engineering Degree at the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). Students should achieve chemical control systems (modeling and control design) basic knowledge and skills as well as the necessary concepts, real world situation vision and awareness in order to take decisions in their professional live taking into account the Sustainability, economy and efficiency.