Chemie Ingenieur Technik, Vol.75, No.3, 177-183, 2003
Challenges to theory for the example of mechanical process engineering
Due to rapid technological developments new opportunities for chemical engineers evolved leading to additional demands in education. The present article describes how this challenge is faced in the subject particle technology: Fundamentals are emphasised even more, with exemplary treatment of classical as well as new applications. Key item of the curriculum is the product property approach. Furthermore, the view of complete processes is emphasised. The courses are structured in three levels: Fundamentals, Unit Operations and Processes/Applications. From the methodological point of view a twofold approach is used: Teaching the fundamentals is complemented by an active participation of the students in working on examples and application problems as well as lab and virtual experiments. By following an integrated view of university education also soft skills of students are promoted.