What does a chemical engineer do?
Overview
Energy & fuels
(like oil, natural gas)
Agricultural chemicals
(like fertilisers)
Synthetic fibres
(like nylon, polyester)
Exciting new areas
Nanotechnology
Alternative energy
(like fuel cells)
Biotechnology
Functions of a chemical engineer
Design
In this virtual tour you will understand how a chemical engineer designs chemical production process by working on similar engineering assignments.
Supervise
In this virtual tour you will understand how a chemical engineer supervises chemical production by working on similar engineering assignments.
Note: Assignments are quite simplified compared to real work so that high school students can solve them
Tour Compatibility: Tours can be viewed well only on laptops/desktops and not on mobile phones currently.
OTHER FUNCTIONS
Test
Chemical engineers plan and conduct tests to check the performance of equipment and production processes, and analyse the outcome. They may also routinely test the quality of product being manufactured.
Example:
Test equipment in a plant to ensure it is not only working efficiently but also complying with safety and environmental regulations
Research
Research ways to improve existing or invent new product/process, and evaluate them for development feasibility and market potential
Example:
• Developing new methods for efficient biofuel production
• Improving systems for harnessing heat energy released into atmosphere along with exhaust gases, in a factory
What will I study in chemical engineering?
Fluid Mechanics
Study of fluids (liquids, gases) at rest and in motion, and the forces involved
Practical example
Fluid systems in aircrafts, pumps, brakes
Related high school topics
Pressure in fluids, streamline flow, Bernoulli’s principle, viscosity, Reynolds number, surface tension
Thermodynamics
Study of heat and temperature and their relation to energy and work
Practical example
Coffee-maker, air-conditioner
Related high school topics
Thermal equilibrium, heat, internal energy, work, laws of thermodynamics, specific heat capacity, thermodynamic state variables & equation of state, heat engines,refrigerators, heat pumps, Carnot engine, enthalpy
Heat Transfer
Study of exchange of thermal energy between physical systems
Practical example
Coffee-maker, air-conditioner
Related high school topics
Temperature & heat, thermal expansion, specific heat capacity, calorimetry, change of state, Newton’s law of cooling
Materials Science and Engineering
Study of properties and applications of materials such as metals, ceramics,
polymers
Practical example
Materials for spacecrafts to withstand extreme temperatures
Kinetics and Reactor Design
Study of rate of chemical reactions and design of reactors to produce required product with highest efficiency
Practical example
Reactor to produce ethyl acetate which is used in paints, perfumes, as solvent etc.
Related high school topics
Basics of rate of chemical reactions
Separation Processes
Processes like distillation, absorption, adsorption, drying, crystallisation, filtration, centrifugation
Practical example
Distillation at an oil refinery to separate crude oil into fractions of different boiling points
Related high school topics
Basics of topics mentioned in above description
Process Design
Design and analysis of chemical production processes and equipment, including by use of software
Practical example
Designing chemical plant to produce large quantities of ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen
Process Dynamics and Control
Process control system involves monitoring and controlling a production process to get a desired output
Practical example
Control system to regulate the temperature of a reactor at a chemical plant to get desired product yield
Chemical Process Calculations
Material and energy balances in systems involving chemical reactions and physical changes
Practical example
Determining amount of reactants required to produce desired quantity of products in a reactor
Engineering Chemistry
Organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, electro chemistry
Practical example
Understanding chemical reactions occurring in reactors
Related high school topics
Basics of topics mentioned in above description
Pre-requisites
Understanding of below concepts and equations (wherever mentioned) is required
Reaction stoichiometry
Relationship between quantity of reactants and products given by a balanced chemical reaction.
Example:
CH4 + 2O2 -> CO2 + 2H2O
As per above reaction, one mole of CH4 reacts with two moles of O2 to give one mole of CO2 and two moles H2O
Molar mass
Mass of one mole of a substance. It is generally in g/mole.
Example: molar mass of water is 18 g/mole
Distillation
Distillation is separation of components from a mixture based on difference in their boiling points. It involves selective evaporation and condensation.
Volume of right cylinder
V = πr2h
(where V = volume, r = radius, h = height)
Pre-requisites
Understanding of below concepts and equations (wherever mentioned) is required
Crystallization
Crystallization is a process that separates a pure solid in the form of its crystals from a solution.
