EESD2021: Proceedings of the 10th Engineering Education for Sustainable Development Conference, Jun 14, 2021
Barriers to the development of renewable energy generally involve non-technical as well as techni... more Barriers to the development of renewable energy generally involve non-technical as well as technical challenges, that are dynamic and context dependent. In the case of opposition to large-scale wind energy and overhead transmission lines for example, existing research reveals a complex and diverse range of conditions that shape public perception. However, conventional engineering practices tend to focus on least cost techno-economic evaluation methods such as cost benefit analysis. Here we use the case study example of Ireland’s North-South interconnector project to demonstrate how a narrow focus on techno- economic analysis resulted in failure to adequately incorporate broader socio-political considerations. It demonstrates that the primarily technocentric worldview, which largely pervades engineering teaching and practices, can cause tensions and inertia, slowing the rate of progress along the low carbon transition. This, we argue, points to the need for a cultural / ethos change in engineering education and practice. Engineers should be encouraged and educated to broaden their perspectives and take a more reflective / pragmatic approach to engineering challenges that embraces the diversity of worldviews within our society. We hypothesise that the clear (and necessary) emphasis within engineering curricula on solving purely technical / mathematical problems may foster a reductionist hubris in engineering practice. To address this, contemporary fit-for-purpose curricula necessitate the inclusion of coursework that considers broader societal complexities, including so-called ‘wicked problems’ such as infrastructure projects, which involve placing engineering solutions in broader societal contexts
Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, University College Cork (Strategic Rese... more Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, University College Cork (Strategic Research Fund)
This paper explores the experiences of an ‘Interdisciplinary Sustainability Assessment Laboratory... more This paper explores the experiences of an ‘Interdisciplinary Sustainability Assessment Laboratory’ (‘ISA Lab’) workshop, which took place over a week at Universitat Politècnica de València during April 2017. The workshop drew together students from a range of disciplines from across engineering and science, law and the social sciences and from a range of countries and backgrounds, including North and South America, Europe and Asia. It also facilitated a rich co-creative learning environment as it was led by (engineering) academic faculty from across Europe (Spain, UK, Netherlands and Ireland) as well as North America (Canada), as well as local experts who helped provide participants with appropriate context and guidance. The workshops culminated with a number of presentations from respective student groups, where they outlined an integrated development plan for a selected real life local project. A necessary constraint of the workshop involved the fact that faculty came from several...
Particle and powder technology education in many chemical engineering degree programmes worldwide... more Particle and powder technology education in many chemical engineering degree programmes worldwide is not afforded the same attention as processes and technologies incorporating liquids and gases. Consequently, many graduating students may be less well equipped to solve problems and effectively contribute to process industries which deal mainly with particulates and powders. In Ireland, the pharmaceutical industry and the food industry are two of the major process industries contributing to over half of all exports in value terms. Both these industries produce, process and handle a lot of particles and powders. A new degree programme in Process & Chemical Engineering at University College Cork has recognised the importance of this technology to the process industries and has tried to incorporate a strong particle and powder technology component into its curriculum. This paper outlines the material taught and the structure in which it is taught. It also describes some visualisation te...
This paper focuses on two mechanical properties of granules, the coefficient of restitution and t... more This paper focuses on two mechanical properties of granules, the coefficient of restitution and the strength, and analyzes their sensitivity to granule geometric parameters. The granules were obtained by fluid bed granulation of glass beads with an aqueous solution of PEG1500. Collisions were arranged between granules, and for granules against two glass plates, the first of them a non-covered plate, whereas the second was a plate covered with a thin film of PEG1500. The coefficient of restitution and the strength were measured for the granules, the former for individual particles also. In the case of individual glass particles the coefficient of restitution was around 0.61 for impacts on the flat glass, and 0.5 on the covered glass; for the granules, this parameter was around 0.44 for both situations and for collisions between granules. Sphericity, lacunarity and fractal dimension of the granule projected area, as well as the granule porosity, were determined. Granules giving the hi...
Abstract This study evaluated the personal carbon footprints of two lecturers who have western li... more Abstract This study evaluated the personal carbon footprints of two lecturers who have western life-styles living in the global north and would also consider themselves as being environmentally and sustainability conscious individuals. Not surprisingly, both had relatively high carbon footprints that were similar to the average in their country of residence at double the global average. A major reflection from the study is that it is difficult for (even environmentally conscious) individuals to drastically reduce their carbon footprints when they live and participate in a society that has a high carbon footprint. Change in complex adaptive holarchic systems is recursive and thus there is a need for concomitant societal change in order to facilitate further the individuals’ capacity to achieve the radical reductions in their carbon footprints required to realise a sustainable society operating within biophysical limits.
Since writing about the ‘the need to embed sustainability’ into chemical engineering programmes i... more Since writing about the ‘the need to embed sustainability’ into chemical engineering programmes in a 2009 paper (Byrne & Fitzpatrick, 2009), the authors have endeavoured to walk the walk by helping embed sustainability into the Process & Chemical Engineering undergraduate degree programme at University College Cork. This has been achieved both through the development of ‘primary’ bespoke modules with explicit sustainability related foci, as well as through the development of a coherent sustainability related context right throughout the programme, and across modules more generally. Nearly a decade on, this approach yielded international recognition, with a successful submission by the authors on behalf of their programme, which resulted in the award of the 2016 Teaching Sustainability Award by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), an award given with the purpose of ‘encouraging the development of better approaches to integrating sustainability principles and values into un...
EESD2021: Proceedings of the 10th Engineering Education for Sustainable Development Conference, Jun 14, 2021
Barriers to the development of renewable energy generally involve non-technical as well as techni... more Barriers to the development of renewable energy generally involve non-technical as well as technical challenges, that are dynamic and context dependent. In the case of opposition to large-scale wind energy and overhead transmission lines for example, existing research reveals a complex and diverse range of conditions that shape public perception. However, conventional engineering practices tend to focus on least cost techno-economic evaluation methods such as cost benefit analysis. Here we use the case study example of Ireland’s North-South interconnector project to demonstrate how a narrow focus on techno- economic analysis resulted in failure to adequately incorporate broader socio-political considerations. It demonstrates that the primarily technocentric worldview, which largely pervades engineering teaching and practices, can cause tensions and inertia, slowing the rate of progress along the low carbon transition. This, we argue, points to the need for a cultural / ethos change in engineering education and practice. Engineers should be encouraged and educated to broaden their perspectives and take a more reflective / pragmatic approach to engineering challenges that embraces the diversity of worldviews within our society. We hypothesise that the clear (and necessary) emphasis within engineering curricula on solving purely technical / mathematical problems may foster a reductionist hubris in engineering practice. To address this, contemporary fit-for-purpose curricula necessitate the inclusion of coursework that considers broader societal complexities, including so-called ‘wicked problems’ such as infrastructure projects, which involve placing engineering solutions in broader societal contexts
Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, University College Cork (Strategic Rese... more Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, University College Cork (Strategic Research Fund)
This paper explores the experiences of an ‘Interdisciplinary Sustainability Assessment Laboratory... more This paper explores the experiences of an ‘Interdisciplinary Sustainability Assessment Laboratory’ (‘ISA Lab’) workshop, which took place over a week at Universitat Politècnica de València during April 2017. The workshop drew together students from a range of disciplines from across engineering and science, law and the social sciences and from a range of countries and backgrounds, including North and South America, Europe and Asia. It also facilitated a rich co-creative learning environment as it was led by (engineering) academic faculty from across Europe (Spain, UK, Netherlands and Ireland) as well as North America (Canada), as well as local experts who helped provide participants with appropriate context and guidance. The workshops culminated with a number of presentations from respective student groups, where they outlined an integrated development plan for a selected real life local project. A necessary constraint of the workshop involved the fact that faculty came from several...
Particle and powder technology education in many chemical engineering degree programmes worldwide... more Particle and powder technology education in many chemical engineering degree programmes worldwide is not afforded the same attention as processes and technologies incorporating liquids and gases. Consequently, many graduating students may be less well equipped to solve problems and effectively contribute to process industries which deal mainly with particulates and powders. In Ireland, the pharmaceutical industry and the food industry are two of the major process industries contributing to over half of all exports in value terms. Both these industries produce, process and handle a lot of particles and powders. A new degree programme in Process & Chemical Engineering at University College Cork has recognised the importance of this technology to the process industries and has tried to incorporate a strong particle and powder technology component into its curriculum. This paper outlines the material taught and the structure in which it is taught. It also describes some visualisation te...
This paper focuses on two mechanical properties of granules, the coefficient of restitution and t... more This paper focuses on two mechanical properties of granules, the coefficient of restitution and the strength, and analyzes their sensitivity to granule geometric parameters. The granules were obtained by fluid bed granulation of glass beads with an aqueous solution of PEG1500. Collisions were arranged between granules, and for granules against two glass plates, the first of them a non-covered plate, whereas the second was a plate covered with a thin film of PEG1500. The coefficient of restitution and the strength were measured for the granules, the former for individual particles also. In the case of individual glass particles the coefficient of restitution was around 0.61 for impacts on the flat glass, and 0.5 on the covered glass; for the granules, this parameter was around 0.44 for both situations and for collisions between granules. Sphericity, lacunarity and fractal dimension of the granule projected area, as well as the granule porosity, were determined. Granules giving the hi...
Abstract This study evaluated the personal carbon footprints of two lecturers who have western li... more Abstract This study evaluated the personal carbon footprints of two lecturers who have western life-styles living in the global north and would also consider themselves as being environmentally and sustainability conscious individuals. Not surprisingly, both had relatively high carbon footprints that were similar to the average in their country of residence at double the global average. A major reflection from the study is that it is difficult for (even environmentally conscious) individuals to drastically reduce their carbon footprints when they live and participate in a society that has a high carbon footprint. Change in complex adaptive holarchic systems is recursive and thus there is a need for concomitant societal change in order to facilitate further the individuals’ capacity to achieve the radical reductions in their carbon footprints required to realise a sustainable society operating within biophysical limits.
Since writing about the ‘the need to embed sustainability’ into chemical engineering programmes i... more Since writing about the ‘the need to embed sustainability’ into chemical engineering programmes in a 2009 paper (Byrne & Fitzpatrick, 2009), the authors have endeavoured to walk the walk by helping embed sustainability into the Process & Chemical Engineering undergraduate degree programme at University College Cork. This has been achieved both through the development of ‘primary’ bespoke modules with explicit sustainability related foci, as well as through the development of a coherent sustainability related context right throughout the programme, and across modules more generally. Nearly a decade on, this approach yielded international recognition, with a successful submission by the authors on behalf of their programme, which resulted in the award of the 2016 Teaching Sustainability Award by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), an award given with the purpose of ‘encouraging the development of better approaches to integrating sustainability principles and values into un...
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Papers by Edmond P Byrne