chemical engineer

The Chemical Engineer

• Before exploring about the work of a chemical engineer let us answer the question “Who is worthy enough to be an engineer”…

• The answer would be “someone with the ability to solve social, technical and commercial problems through the application of scientific knowledge ”.

• Ok I get it, a chemical engineer is meant to solve problems relating to chemistry because he IS a “Chemical” Engineer.

• Well, yes and no. Yes because applied chemistry is certainly an important concept for us it doesn’t really mean that we’re the beaker/test tube kind. In fact major part of our work isn’t even related to chemistry at all.

Let Me Explain!

What you study as a chemical engineer is only the outlook of what reality is in industry. The machine that seems easy to draw is actually composed of dozens of components both mechanical and electrical. For Example...

This is called a tapered bearing, it is usually for heavy load purposes and works under the conditions of load… it goes into the bearing box on it’s upper side from where the shaft enters it…

• Whoa! Whoa! Hold on, I didn’t say you ignore chemistry I just said that it is a rather a small to medium size portion of the chemical engineering. Let me give you a chart to explain that... Let us say we want to cook a dish called “chemical engineering”, what would the recipe be?

• (Disclaimer! This is how I see chemical engineering)

19%

43%

19%

14%5%

Recipe (%)

Maths Designing ProgrammingChemistry Arts

Your Typical Plant

• Modern Chemical engineering is really just to know your skills and employ them to the best of your benefits. Some of the tools that I’ve learnt up till now are…

• (Mathematical)• Differentiation/Integration• Numerical Computations• (Programming)• C++• Mat lab• (Designing)• Auto CAD• Particulate Technology [Size Reduction Tech.]• Heat Transfer [Heat Exchanger Tech.]• Mass Transfer [Things like drying, SSE*, DC* etc.]• Fluid Dynamics

How?

• Now, comes the real question as to how to be one i.e. how to be a true warrior... I mean... a chemical engineer.

• Well, this one day is tumbled upon a .pdf file that my mind seems to agree upon, I wish to lay down the summary of it in the following presentation.

• First off comes the market analysis, because no matter what kind of skill you have it won’t be useful unless you can “sell” it.

• Therefore if asked for or if you happen to be an entrepreneur you might find yourself doing a market analysis/market forecasting.

Market Analysis

• Now, comes the real question as to how to be one i.e. how to be a true warrior... I mean... a chemical engineer.

• First off comes the market analysis, because no matter what kind of skill you have it won’t be useful unless you can “sell” it.

• Therefore if asked for or if you happen to be an entrepreneur you might find yourself doing a market analysis/market forecasting.

The Chemical Route

• Having decided which product to manufacture or byproduct to dispose of, the next step is to select the appropriate chemical reaction routes around which to develop a process design. Aids which can generate % alternative chemical reaction routes are well established in the area of generally exotic organic chemistry.

The Industrial Process

• Each plausible reaction route requires one to develop an industrial process which can implement the necessary reactions, separations, heating, cooling, pressure changes etc., to effect the chemical route economically. Here the largest number of aids currently exist or are being developed.

• "Synthesis" aids exist for helping to invent the structure of the process.

• These range from mixed integer linear programming aids used extensively by the oil industry for selecting the complex sub processes to include in a refinery design, to the aids for suggesting the particular equipment needed for a more detailed chemical process design.

• The analysis aids which allow one to do simulation and design calculations for a fixed structure are well developed and extensively used, particularly for steady-state (DC. analysis in electrical engineering jargon) calculations. Called "flow sheeting systems," most are based on a single program architecture, one not well suited for many important design calculations. We will discuss the variety of architecture used for these aids to expose their individual advantages and disadvantages. Dynamic simulation, the bread and butter of electrical circuit analysis, is much less used in process design. We will consider some of the efforts here and indicate reasons for the slow development.

Equipment Selection And Cost Estimation

• The process design resulting from the above design activities describes each piece of equipment functionally — e.g. a pump is needed or a heat exchanger is needed.

• A crude cost estimate at this time is developed and used by management to help decide whether to continue the design.

• The next step is a major one and is to develop the list of actual equipment which must be purchased to implement the design.

The P&ID

• The approach is to develop the list by developing a two-dimensional diagram called a Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (PID) spread over some 40 to 60 large sheets of paper and showing the connectivity of all equipment. In parallel, major equipment items are ordered and detailed designs are initiated for them* Aids here are heavily supported by standard catalogue oriented data bases and by interactive graphics.

The 3D Stuff

• The design activity remaining prior to plant construction is to develop a three-dimensional model of the plant, either in plastic or within the computer. This step establishes the relative placement of equipment and the piping needed. It is then used as a blueprint for construction.

• The last design step to be considered is the development of operating procedures to run the plant - from start-up to normal operation, from normal shut-down to emergency operation.

My Sand Mill Model In Google Sketch Up

Developing The Instruction And Safety Manuals

• The last design step to be considered is the development of operating procedures to run the plant - from start-up to normal operation, from normal shut-down to emergency operation.

Tips And Tricks

• Never be afraid of failure if you can learn from it...

• If you let people discourage you, you’re letting them win, don’t!

• The one ability you need to develop as an engineer is to translate physical phenomena into mathematical ones and although it is NOT easy, it makes the world all the more precise.

• Practice makes you perfect but smart thinking makes you a genius...

• Learn to be happy because happiness is efficiency and efficiency is money.

Because The Force Is IN YOU!

• About The Author• I am an aspiring chemical engineering student. I may not be the best out there but I definitely view things with an open mind and wish to become someone who designs and implements solutions. I would really appreciate any advice so please feel free to ask and criticize my content. I wish you the best in your life!

• Hashim Khan• Email: www.hashim_khan127@yahoo.com

• Index• 1*Solvent Extraction• 2*Distillation Columns