The Challenge of Future Mobility – Students Evaluate Alternative Fuels with the CBL Approach

The three-hour final event of the “Advanced Fuels” module took place on 27.01.2021. Over the course of the semester, the students examined the possible future paths of sustainable fuel supply. During the course, the various possible solutions in the context of the energy transition, or more specifically the transport transition, were reflected upon, compared with each other and indicators for possible expansion paths were developed. Throughout the semester, the students took a closer look at one of these possible solutions using the challenge-based learning approach and worked out the relevant advantages and disadvantages. The aim of the final event was to stimulate an exciting and extensive discussion between the different working groups.

At the beginning of the semester, the students were divided into three working groups, in which they should and could organise themselves freely and independently. Each working group had one of the alternative fuel paths as its thematic focus. The fuel paths worked on were biofuels, hydrogen and synthetic fuels. As a framework condition, the students were given the task of methodically developing a total of three sustainability criteria for the respective fuel path and then applying them accordingly. In order to ensure a certain comparability of the fuel paths, the criteria of CO2 emissions and total operating costs were defined after an initial research phase. In addition, all working groups were asked to define a sustainability criterion that is specific to their own fuel pathway and to work on its significance for the respective fuel pathway.

During the final event, which took place digitally via Zoom, the technological processes, the balance limits used and the basic advantages and disadvantages of the fuel paths were first presented to the other working groups. Afterwards, expert commissions were formed by the students. At least one person from each working group was to go to the expert commissions on CO2 emissions and total operating costs and collect and discuss the results and findings of the working groups together on a mural (a collaborative online tool). The independent organisation within the expert commission as well as the subsequent way of presenting the results was left free to the students as an additional challenge. The diversity of the collected results and findings can be seen in the pictured mural board from the working phase. At the end of the event, the fuel pathway-specific sustainability criteria were presented and the groups reflected on each other’s findings.