Introductory description

There are increasing pressures on engineers to maintain and conserve materials within society. Landfill and incineration are widely becoming disfavoured with governmental organisations and society pushing for products to be made in a more circular fashion. This pressure is only going to increase and be more prominent during the careers of today's students. This module examines the need for significant change in the design philosophy employed in product and process design through the application of circular eco-design principles. It also goes on to critically analyse the responses to those pressures including consumer behaviour, legislation and alternative design practices. All of this is performed in the context of being able to metricise the improvements that are being made to a given system through the application of life cycle engineering; understanding the environmental, economic and social impacts of circular eco-design and communicating them to wider stakeholders.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Introduction - principles of green engineering and circular eco-design principles
Assessments - life cycle assessment (environmental & social), life cycle costing
Energy - understanding impacts of energy usage in both design and use phases
Materials - making materials more circular, industrial symbiosis
End of life - existing and emerging end-of-life strategies that avoid landfill/incineration
Design - how bad design prevents usage, design for disassembly, repair, recycling

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced understanding of the significance and importance of circular eco-design principles to professional design engineers.
• Systematically apply circular eco-design principles including reduced material and energy consumption for small scale products and large scale projects.
• Evaluate the environmental impact of engineering design decisions taken in product and process design on factors such as global warming
• Show understanding of the systems-level effects of implementing circular eco-design principles across the entire life cycle of products and processes

Indicative reading list

Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things. Braungart, M., McDonough W. North Point Press 2002. ISBN 9780865475878
Thinking in systems: a primer. Meadows, D.H. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008. ISBN 9781603581486
The Circular Economy - A User’s Guide. Stahel, W.S. Routledge, 2019. ISBN 9780429259203
Engineering for Sustainability: A Practical Guide for Sustainable Design. Jonker G, Harmsen J. Elsevier 2012. ISBN 9780444538475.
Manufacturing systems engineering: a unified approach to manufacturing technology, production management, and industrial economics. Hitomi, K. Taylor & Francis, 1996. ISBN 9780203748145
Systems life cycle costing: economic analysis, estimation, and managment. Farr, J.V. CRC Press, 2009. ISBN 9781439828915

Research element

Students are tasked with research on how to improve the circularity of a product or process of their choice.

Interdisciplinary

Students will develop the interdisciplinary skills required to undertake analyses of the life cycle for products, processes, and systems and understand the impact of designing a system, component in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.

Subject specific skills

Sustainable Engineering
Circular Eco-design Materials & Process Selection
Life Cycle Assessment

Transferable skills

Critical thinking: Make informed decisions on the value of a range of sources allowing an evidence-based conclusion based on this analysis.
Problem-solving: Use rational and logical reasoning to deduce appropriate and well-reasoned conclusions Communication - Verbal: Communicate orally in a clear and sensitive manner which is appropriately varied according to different audiences.
Communication - Written: Present arguments, knowledge and ideas, in a range of formats.
Teamwork: Operate within, and contribute to, a respectful, supportive and cooperative group climate.
Sustainability: Understands the climate emergency and committed to an active contribution to a sustainable world.