CHE5882 Biomass and biorefineries
Faculty of Engineering
CHE5882 Biomass and biorefineries is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2025 in Semester 2 at Clayton and Suzhou (SEU). It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 2
- Clayton, Suzhou (SEU)
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before CHE5882
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After CHE5882
No unit lists CHE5882 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be currently enrolled in a master’s course in engineering or related STEM and in a related discipline. The unit assumes that you have the necessary foundational knowledge.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
The unit covers biomass reaction engineering including kinetics, reaction/mass transfer limitations, selectivity, improving reaction rates, and homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. The role of biotechnology including enzymatic reactions, fermentation, selectivity will also be studied together with common separation liquid and liquid-solid separation processes.
Global concepts relevant to biorefineries will be emphasised including the carbon cycle (micro and macro perspectives), overall sustainability of water, energy, and minimising by-products from biorefineries.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | Blended |
| Term 3 | Suzhou (SEU) | On campus |
Assessment
- Practical in-class asessmentExercise10%
- Case study 1Exercise20%
- Case study 2Exercise20%
- Case study 3Exercise25%
- Executive group reportPerformance25%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Analyse new developments in fundamental aspects of biorefineries by identifying the main pathways of chemical conversion within biorefineries, the resulting products and their applications.
- 2
Critically evaluate and critique new advances and applications for biorefineries from a technical perspective to devise a strategy based on the economic factors, safety considerations and environmental impacts and use them to inform engineering decision-making.
- 3
Research, analyse and recommend an appropriate biorefining approach for various biomass feedstocks.
- 4
Review and critique recent biorefinery research literature to systematically synthesise the finding and insights to design a solution to a problem and/or the project
- 5
Create and analyse experimental data to produce an accurate and detailed report
Workload and teaching
- Lectures24 hours
- Lectures8 hours
- Practical activities24 hours
- Workshops2 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
You are encouraged to take a broad perspective on the fundamental aspects of biorefineries and to use this knowledge to assess real-case industrial problems and recommend solutions.
The unit consists of lectures, practice classes, and a group project. Learning in the unit is mainly through lecture materials, book chapters and contemporary journal papers which will be supplied throughout the semester. For some of the assignment problems, there are no right or wrong answers, but you will be expected to provide solutions based on the application of theory taught in the class or given through reading materials. The lecturer will also provide in-class activities to engage students individually or in group mode.
Learning resources
Technology resources
- Zoom
- You will be required to have your own device to access the online materials and resources for this unit.
Where it fits
CHE5882 is part of 1 area of study in the 2025 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Gil Garnier
- Associate Professor Bai-Qian Dai
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Gil Garnier
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for CHE5882?
CHE5882 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is CHE5882 offered?
In 2025, CHE5882 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton and Suzhou (SEU).
How much work is CHE5882?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does CHE5882 have an exam?
No. CHE5882 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include CHE5882?
CHE5882 is part of Chemical engineering.