The Siting And Design Of A Manufacturing Facility Using Hazardous Materials

A meaningful freshman engineering design experience course with an interdisciplinary environmental approach was offered at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Spring term 1997 and was taught by faculty from the Chemical and Civil Engineering Departments. The problem assigned was the Siting and Design of a Manufacturing Facility using Hazardous Materials and the process design was for a plant to manufacture aspirin. The project simulated a contract undertaken by a consulting firm to site and design the plant with the assignment given to entry level engineers. This approach does not require that the freshman students be well versed in the “traditional design concepts, background, and knowledge” required in the capstone design courses. Students were grouped into four teams of four students each to site the facility and to perform mass balance calculations for the aspirin manufacturing plant. A USGS Quadrangle map and soil information (prepared by the Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture) for Somerset County, New Jersey were provided to each group. Students were asked to prepare a work schedule, which should include the following: aspirin production estimate, plant size determination, preliminary site selection, sites and surrounding area study, research on environmental restrictions, research on political considerations, economic study, cost analysis, and report preparation. Each team had to select at least three sites for their detailed study and conduct a field recon of the project areas before selecting a final site. At the end of the semester, with the completion of their study, each team submitted a written report and orally presented their recommendations regarding the selected site and the aspirin production requirements to the class and faculty.