Chemical Forums
Specialty Chemistry Forums => Chemical Engineering Forum => Topic started by: triethanolamine on April 07, 2006, 10:55:28 PM
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So do practicing chemical engineers really use thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, or even stat mech and quantum mechanics? I'm interested, because from the chemistry side I can say without qualification that the number of chemists, and physical chemists are not an exception, who really understand thermodyanmics is almost zero. They talk it, but it is only hand waving.
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Are there any practicing chemical engineers on this site? If so please see question above. What you're taught in school and what you do on the job often have little or no connection don't you know.
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As a chemical engineer I've NEVER user thermodynamics. Once when i tried to use it, results were awful.
PS sorry for my poor English
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As a chemical engineer I've NEVER user thermodynamics. Once when i tried to use it, results were awful.
PS sorry for my poor English
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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I am a ChemE and I use thermodynamics. Whether or not a particular job will require using thermodynamics is highly dependent on the job requirements. For example, if you need to deal with recycling solvents, predicting the VLE behavior might be important.
Brian
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My work is in the middle of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.... Last week I needed to use thermodynamics twice ... once for a petroleum refinery plant, and the other for a petroleum production heater-treater.... Usually, I use it at least once per week ...
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Triethanolamine:
It depends upon what type of chemical engineering one does. Many chemical engineers go into marketing (i.e., plant equipment, engineering services, etc.) and have little if any need for using thermodynamics. Other chemical engineers go into plant operations and also have little need for using thermodynamics.
However, chemical engineers who go into process design must use thermodynamics and fluid mechanics on a daily basis. Such engineers are using thermodynamics or fluid mechanics when:
-- Determining friction factors to be used in sizing piping runs.
-- Reading and using steam tables.
-- Making heat balances using enthalpies of process streams
-- Calculating compressor horsepowers using isentropic or polytropic compression equations.
-- Calculating the steam required by a steam turbine by calculating the isentropic expansion involved.
-- Calculating adiabatic flashes of single component liquids for vapor compression refrigeration systems or for flashing multicomponent hydrocarbon liquids in process plant material balances.
-- Calculating the flow rates through orifices.
-- Using specific heats in heat balances and heat transfer calculations.
and a multitude of other design tasks.