Canama's BSChE e-Portfolio
Problem Analysis
Facing the reality of life, there will always be a constant development of problems, may it be of our personal lives or of the industry that we are in. As engineers, we are fashioned to identify and analyze problems in order to come up with sound decisions and solutions that may resolve such problem. In the chemical engineering world, problems may entail design optimization, selection and evaluation, troubleshooting, among others.
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In this section, artifacts of how I demonstrated such outcome by producing and conducting laboratory investigations throughout the program.
Laboratory Investigations
To simulate the ability of a student on how he dwells on a particular problem, laboratory experiments were introduced in ever semester of the program. In this activity, the student is able to identify the problem based on the objectives set by the experiment, come up with a strategic plan on how to work on the experiment, be able to answer inquiries regarding the technical and scientific explanations of the experiment, and finally perform the necessary tasks and produce results by presenting a report to the instructor.
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The showcase of such ability is seen through a timeline of reports submitted during one of the experiments in Physical Chemistry 1 laboratory class. Here, the experiment entails the determination of the reaction order in the hydrolysis of sucrose to its monomers (glucose and fructose) with hydrochloric acid (HCl) as catalyst. This utilizes a polarimeter which determines indirectly the concentration of sucrose in the system.
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First off, my groupmates and I formulated an experiment plan based on the manual provided by the department. Along with the planning is the familiarization of the equipment, its safety precautions, and availability of materials in the lab counter. After submitting the plan, our instructor asked us some questions regarding the experiment. Here is a the document containing the experiment plan made by my group. I was assigned to come up with the task delegation and information flow diagram.
Upon approval of our instructor, we then conducted the experiment and record its results. These results were then processed based on the plan. After the generated recorded data is processed, an analysis is made based on the inferences developed from the results. A report is then produced containing a detailed explanation of the phenomenon. In the process, I was assigned to make inference out of the processed data which is the angle difference vs. time graph which tells the change of concentration over time (by virtue of Biot's Law). The inferences shows that a first-order reaction occurred in the breakdown of sucrose to its monomers. Click on the button to see the Data Processing and Analysis Report (DPAR) of the said experiment.
To cap off the experiment, a summary of the entire experiment is made based on the plan and of the processed data. This is similar to a research journal where a theoretical background is made, followed by the methods used, and finally generate results and discuss the data made to form conclusions and recommendations. Unlike the DPAR, this report is made individually based on the assigned experiment set by the instructor. Here is the Individual Laboratory Report (ILAR) of the polarimeter experiment.
Although it looks simple in process, the rigorous questioning and assessment could be very daunting. Having the department to set such high standard in the laboratory is a tall order. However, through their guidance (and a little bit of scolding) we were molded to look at things at various perspective and to train ourselves to fact-check all the time to produce quality reports. This can be reflected on its capstone which is the reseach manuscript.
Case Studies
Another evidence where I showcased my problem analysis skills is by identifying the possible causes of actual phenomena through case studies. Though theoretical in form, these case studies have gone through literature reviews and comparative studies. The scenarios to which the case would resolved to are to be logically backed with factual data. Thus, coming up with a possible solution is strongly proposed based on the reviews and actual solutions sought by those who have experienced it.
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In the program, these case studies have been a part of our lives as we have to do a lot of it in subjects that is in need of one. The case studies are "conceptual happenings" to which we can get basis on once we become professional working in actual fields. This helps us get a heads up on what possible problems may occur in the industry and how we can relate the scientific explanations to why such phenomenon happened. Examples of the case studies we have made are on material failures and wastewater treatment facilities. See more of these by clicking the button beside each image.
