Learning and researching based on local experience and simulation software for graduate and undergraduate courses in chemical and environmental engineering

This work deals with the use of a commercial simulation package, ASPEN Plus®, to design and assess a biorefinery based on olive-derived biomass. The starting point was the selection of the raw material itself, which is one of the most abundant in Mediterranean countries and well known by the students to whom the study is addressed. Moreover, the work was based on the research activities performed by the authors in the topic of renewable compounds production from agricultural residues. One of the main objectives was to take advantage of the fact that students are familiar with the raw materials to foster their interest in research and to improve their understanding of the basic concepts of Chemical Engineering. This was demonstrated by the survey students did along three years, where they showed their satisfaction with the work. The procedure could be applied to other raw materials, the ones typically found somewhere else, with probably similar results.