Innovative Process Design and Optimization: Transforming Raw Materials into Valuable Products

NWKT
Open Closing on April 28, 2025 / 3 spots left
Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Co-op Program Specialist
1
Timeline
  • May 26, 2025
    Experience start
  • July 15, 2025
    Midterm Check-in
  • August 9, 2025
    Experience end
Experience
3 projects wanted
Dates set by experience
Preferred companies
Anywhere
Any company type
Any industries

Experience scope

Categories
Data visualization Data modelling Chemical engineering Biotechnology Environmental sustainability
Skills
circular economy laboratory safety process design engineering design process emerging technologies energy efficiency improvement feasibility studies chemical engineering process simulation aspen plus
Learner goals and capabilities

This experience allows learners to tackle real-world industry challenges by applying their knowledge in chemical engineering, process simulation, and sustainability.


Participants will engage in projects that enhance their understanding of process design, energy optimization, the circular economy, and emerging technologies such as AI and hydrogen/fuel cell systems. By working on these projects, learners will develop practical skills and insights directly applicable to industry needs while contributing to innovative solutions in transforming raw materials into valuable products.


Students are proficient in:

  • Process simulation software (Aspen Plus, MATLAB, COMSOL)
  • Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) & numericalmodellingg
  • Experimental design, data collection, & lab safety
  • Emerging technologies: AI, waste recovery, circular economy, hydrogen & fuel cells
  • Receive structured project deliverables, including detailed design and simulation reports.


Low-risk, high-reward collaboration – contribute to an industry challenge and gain insights from top student talent.

Learners

Learners
Undergraduate
Intermediate levels
21 learners
Project
80 hours per learner
Educators assign learners to projects
Teams of 3
Expected outcomes and deliverables
  • Comprehensive process design reports with optimization strategies
  • Well-documented process designs and models (Aspen Plus, MATLAB, CFD).
  • Analysis, validation, and key insights into efficiency, sustainability, and feasibility.
  • Energy efficiency improvements, process optimizations, and economic analysis
  • Simulation models demonstrating energy efficiency improvements
  • Feasibility studies for integrating AI in process operations
  • Proposals for circular economy initiatives in manufacturing
  • Technical assessments of hydrogen/fuel cell technology applications





Project timeline
  • May 26, 2025
    Experience start
  • July 15, 2025
    Midterm Check-in
  • August 9, 2025
    Experience end

Project Examples

Requirements
  • Designing an energy-efficient chemical process for a manufacturing plant
  • Developing a simulation model to optimize resource usage in production
  • Proposing a circular economy strategy for waste reduction in production
  • Assessing the viability of hydrogen technology in industrial applications
  • Evaluating the potential of fuel cells in reducing carbon emissions
  • Designing a sustainable supply chain model for raw material sourcing
  • Analyzing the impact of process changes on sustainability metrics
  • Distillation Column Optimization: Use Aspen Plus to enhance separation efficiency and energy savings.
  • Reaction Engineering Develop a catalytic reactor model focusing on kinetics, heat transfer & scalability.
  • Comprehensive Process Design Integrate economic, safety & environmental considerations into a large-scale industrial challenge.

Additional company criteria

Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:

  • Q1 - Text short
    Is there a NDA required?  *
  • Q2 - Text short
    Would students get the opportunity to work with students with PH designation?  *
  • Q3 - Text short
    Are you open to providing feedback on student work in terms of its technical quality and alignment with real-world industry standards?  *
  • Q4 - Text short
    What types of real-world problems do your projects aim to solve, and how do you measure success in these areas (e.g., performance metrics, user feedback)?  *