FPE-30806 Sustainable Food and Bioprocessing

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

BPE-20806

Continuation courses:

BPE-60312, PDQ-60312

Contents:

Environmentally-friendly and efficient production of high-quality products from our natural (agricultural) resources will be one of the key challenges for the coming decades.
In this course we will study the influences of different choices in production methods and product. New milder processing methods will enable more efficient use of raw materials and lessen the need for a cooled distribution chain. Using alternative ingredients for the same product may imply better use of land, energy and water and result in a lower emission of greenhouse gasses. However, the evaluation of existing and new technologies is difficult and requires appropriate evaluation instruments, plus a process system design that allows optimal use of resources and technologies. This course will provide instruments for both evaluation and sustainable process system design.
A number of methods will be introduced, that allow the evaluation of food production systems (from large-scale supply chain, factory level, down to product and unit operation level) on efficient use of raw materials, energy, water and other utilities. These include the use of Sankey diagrams for visualization of mass, water and energy balances over complex systems. We will discuss the fundamentals of the concept of the quality of different streams (exergy), which can be visualized with Grassman diagrams.
In addition to the lectures and working classes, practically relevant cases will be investigated and options for improvement evaluated. This will preferably be done in collaboration with an industry or institutes that are active in this field.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the course, the student is expected to:
- be able to identify the efficiency in the conversion of agricultural resources, and production of waste and use of water, energy and other utilities;
- be able to evaluate a production system based on Sankey (mass and energy balance) and Grassman (exergy balance) diagrams;
- suggest improvements both in unit operations and in larger-scale production systems.

Activities:

The course consists of lectures, working classes and case studies on practically relevant issues. Each group will present a poster on a poster session or give a presentation.

Examination:

The final grade is based on a written exam and the result of the case studies.

Literature:

A reader will be available at the start of the course.