ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Hours of tutorials: 1 Expository Class: 6 Interactive Classroom: 20 Total: 27
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Chemistry Engineering
Areas: Chemical Engineering
Center Higher Technical Engineering School
Call: Second Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable | 1st year (Yes)
- To carry out a review of the different basic tools and methodologies available both in the Department of Chemical Engineering and in the general services of the USC, that allow the student to know the tools used in the different research lines of the Department.
- To study the applicability of some of these methodologies in order to determine the most important parameters for their subsequent use in monitoring, modelling, and control activities of the different equipment and processes used.
- To put the students in contact with the different doctoral students in the Department in order to get acquainted with their day-to-day research work.
The contents to be developed in the course are directly related to those indicated in its descriptors: ‘Review of the different basic methodological tools available in R+D. General research support equipment and services at the USC. Instrumental and analytical techniques in research laboratories of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the USC. Methodologies for the interpretation and application of the obtained results to research. Waste management in R&D laboratories’.
The programme of the subject contains the following units:
Unit 1. Characterisation of environmental samples I (Solids and biomass): Physical parameters: settling velocity, volumetric indices, density and particle size. Composition: COD, volatile suspended solids, proteins, polysaccharides, DNA, elemental analysis. Morphology and identification: electron microscopy, FISH and flow cytometry.
Unit 2. Characterisation of environmental samples II (liquid and gaseous phases): Spectrophotometry, gas chromatography, TOC, NTK, HPLC, FPLC, capillary electrophoresis, gel electrophoresis, NMR, GC-MS, electrodes, microsensors, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy.
Unit 3. Evaluation of biological activities and applications - Determination of activities: Introduction. Biogas production. Substrate consumption. Respirometry Enzymatic activities. Titrimetric methods. Microcalorimetry. Measurement of bioactivities of natural substances. Applications: Obtaining kinetic parameters. Biodegradability and characterisation of waste water. Toxicity and inhibition. Control and monitoring.
Unit 4. Techniques based on the measurement of physical properties: Thermogravimetric analysis. Calorimetric techniques. Thermal analysis techniques (DSC and DMA). Rheological techniques. Viscometric techniques.
Unit 5. Research support equipment and infrastructures at the USC (RIAIDT): Magnetic resonance. X-rays. Electron and confocal microscopy. Mass spectrometry. IR-Raman spectroscopy. Elemental analysis. Other services. Institute of Ceramics of Galicia.
Unit 6. Waste management in R&D laboratories: Liquid and solid waste management. Identification and classification of waste. Storage and management. The case of the USC.
Unit 7. Case studies.
Basic bibliography
APHA-AWWA-WPCF. Métodos normalizados para el examen del agua y de las aguas residuales. 17th Ed. Washington. (1989).
Complementary bibliography
SEVIOUR, R.J and L.L. BLACKALL. The microbiology of activated sludge. Dordrecht, Holanda: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999. ISBN 0412793806
SOTO M., R MENDEZ. and J.M. LEMA. Bases cinéticas y microbiológicas en el diseño de digestores anaerobios. Ingeniería Química,1993, XXIV (274), 191-201. ISSN 0210-2064
SOTO M.,R. MENDEZ and J.M. LEMA. Ensayos de actividad metanogénica y no metanogénica. Bases teóricas y montaje experimental. Water. Res., 1993, 27, 1361-1376. ISSN 1879-2448
SPANJERS, H. et al. Respirometría en el control del proceso de lodos activados: Principios. Informe científico y técnico Nº 7. Londres : IAWQ, 1998. ISBN 1900222043
https://www.usc.gal/gl/investigar-na-usc/RIAIDT
Knowledge:
(CN02) To acquire advanced knowledge and demonstrate, in a scientific and technological or highly specialised research context, a detailed and grounded understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects, and methodology of work in one or more fields of study in Chemical Engineering.
Competence:
(CP03) To design products, processes, systems and services of the chemical industry, as well as the optimisation of others already developed, taking as a technological basis the various areas of chemical engineering, comprising processes and transport phenomena, separation operations, and engineering of chemical, nuclear, electrochemical, and biochemical reactions.
(CP04) To design, construct and implement methods, processes and installations for the integral management of supplies and waste, solid, liquid and gaseous, in industries, with the ability to assess their impacts and risks.
Ability:
(HD01) To have ability to solve problems that are unfamiliar, incompletely defined, and have competing specifications, considering possible solving methods, including the most innovative ones, selecting the most appropriate one, and to be able to correct the implementation, evaluating different design solutions.
(HD09) To approach problems from a scientific perspective, recognising the importance of searching for and managing existing information.
In all cases, the Virtual Learning Environment of the course (Moodle) will be used as a repository for all the material delivered, as well as for student-teacher communication.
The development of the subject is closely linked to the research activities in the laboratories of the research groups of the Department of Chemical Engineering. In the seminar sessions, students will visit the different laboratories. During these visits, the operation of the different equipment will be explained and some of them will be demonstrated. Where possible, students will be able to carry out determinations of some relevant parameters on different samples.
Case study: Students will prepare at least one case study under the supervision of the teacher, who will resolve any doubts that the student may have in carrying out the proposed study. This work will be carried out in groups of 2 to 4 students depending on the total number of students. These hours will be aimed at encouraging interaction not only among the students themselves but also with the teacher. Students will give an oral presentation of their work in front of their classmates and the teacher.
Group tutorials: These will be used to resolve any specific questions the students may have regarding the case study.
Individualised tutorials: These will be carried out through the MS Teams platform at the student's request.
The competences to be acquired by the student during the different activities of the course are distributed as follows:
- Seminars: CN02, HD09
- Laboratories: CN02, CP03, HD09
- Tutorials and assignments: CP04, HD01
The nature of the course, associated with the activities in the research laboratories, makes attendance at all the aforementioned activities compulsory.
The student's grade will be a weighted average of the activities carried out according to the performance obtained in each of the following sections:
1. Class participation: 10%. Participation in tutorials: 10%.
2. Individual report of each student as proposed by the teacher: 40%.
3. Individual presentation and discussion of the previous report: 40%.
The activities in which the various competences are assessed are listed below:
- Group tutorials and seminars/laboratories: CN02, CP03, HD01, HD09.
- Activities carried out: CP04, HD01
The consideration of "not-shown" will be given if no assessable activity (exam, group tutorial, laboratory seminars, or team work) is attended.
For the second opportunity in the same academic year, the marks obtained in the teamwork, group tutorial, and laboratory sections will be retained.
For cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the "Regulations for the assessment of students’ academic performance and revision of qualifications" will apply.
A total of 75 h (3 ECTS) is estimated, which are divided between 29 h in a face-to-face mode and 46 h of autonomous work by the student. The distribution of face-to-face hours according to the type of activity will be as follows:
- Expositive lectures: 6 h
- Interactive teaching in the laboratory/computer room: 20 hours.
- Tutorisation in reduced groups: 1 h
- Exam and revision: 2 h
A basic command of English is recommended to facilitate the consultation of books, scientific articles, and websites.
The main language of instruction in this course will be Spanish.
For the laboratory, students must come equipped with a lab coat and safety goggles. The admission and permanence of students enrolled in the practical laboratory requires that they know and comply with the rules included in the ‘Protocolo de formación básica en materia de seguridade para espazos experimententais’ of the School of Engineering, available in the safety section of its website, which can be accessed as follows:
1. https://www.usc.gal/gl/centro/escola-tecnica-superior-enxenaria
2. Access the intranet with your personal credentials.
3. Go to Comisións > Seguridade e Saúde > Formación
4. Click on ‘Protocolo de formación básica en materia de seguridade para espazos experimententais’.
In relation to safety and occupational risk prevention, for each of the experiments, students will be provided with a basic operating manual that covers the most relevant aspects.
The Virtual Learning Environment will be used as a tool to provide information/announcements about the teaching activity throughout the course, and complementary materials for the study of the subject. MS Teams may also be used if appropriate.
Ramon Mendez Pampin
Coordinador/a- Department
- Chemistry Engineering
- Area
- Chemical Engineering
- Phone
- 881816791
- ramon.mendez.pampin [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: LOU (Organic Law for Universities) Emeritus
| Tuesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00-18:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A6 |
| 05.23.2025 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Classroom A6 |
| 05.23.2025 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom A6 |
| 07.07.2025 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Classroom A6 |
| 07.07.2025 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom A6 |