4 replies to this topic

[EthanRendlen]

Hello All,

    I just saw an article about how Microsoft Office is coming to the smartphones in both iOS and Droid laungages. I have a numerical methods class next semester, (I  am a Senior) and I want to start to make Chem E tools for smartphones. Excell will be an easy way to get the scripts functional on your mobile device, and as far as I know, nothing like this exists yet. I have found some Chemistry apps, but they are very limited. Do any professionals out there have advice for me specifically and is there anywhere I should look to get more information? I would love to put the steam tables into an application so that no student ever again has to flip through a mass of tabulated data to answer questions. I am sure that I could easily make a Shomate Equation solver and a compressibility calculator. Anything that was correlated would go easily into application form, fugacity, Lee-Kessler, and so on. I am sure that there are many applications that would be usefull. Any and all input is appreciated.

 

 

Thanks and best regards to all,

Ethan Rendlen.

Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago

CHE 2014

[Bobby Strain]

Ethan,

    There is lots of stuff already that will work on smartphones and pads. They are pretty much all done with javascript and html. And steam tables can already be found on the internet, available with a browser. Looks like the money is in the clouds. Serious engineering should not be done with a smartphone, unless it's done via the cloud. And, EXCEL should never be used for any serious work beyond adding a column of numbers. If you want to test some stuff, go to checalc.com and try out the numerous calcs, including steam tables and equations of state. I put my stuff on the web and all the calculations are locked away in code. See how it shows on your device. It works well with IPAD. You can google my name to find the site.

 

Bobby

[thorium90]

You could search those app stores. There are tons of apps for all these stuff. You don't even need to connect to the web to lookup bobby's page, there are apps out there that design vessels, pipes, distillation columns, tanks on your handphone instantly...
Although their capabilities might be questionable but then again, its a step...

(Sorry Bobby, but those apps are really more convenient than you! Sometimes even better than this forums!)

 

Then again, more apps are always welcome. You might even get to sell them and make money too. If they are really good...

 

(For android)

 

Tank design

https://play.google....Gl0YW5rbWFpbiJd

 

Pipes

https://play.google....y5hbmRyb2lkIl0.

 

Steam tables

https://play.google....S50YWJsZXMiXQ..

 

All Others

https://play.google....2FsY3VsYXRvciJd

Edited by thorium90, 26 April 2013 - 10:47 PM.

[Bobby Strain]

Ethan,

The problem that remains with any app or web software is the question about whether it is accurate and complete. As far as I know, there is no authority to certify software of this type. I don't believe any employer would look favorably on the use of such applications, even mine, without validation. So, that leaves the user to validate the software. If you can see the code, that helps. But I won't release any code for my apps because I consider much of it proprietary. Use of my site also includes a disclamer about the use of the software there. If you look at the login page, you will see a checkbox for registered users to check every time they login. Read the terms of use and you might see the hurdles to unrestricted software distribution. When you graduate, come to Texas where jobs are abundant and pay is good. Better still, go to Australia where welders make as much as $350,000 a year. If you are interested in app development, see what the pros are using. You need go no further than Microsoft's developer site for windows 8 mobile apps.

 

And, T, I must agree that almost anything in code beats a spreadsheet. When I designed processes and equipment to earn my bread and butter, I would not allow the use of spreadsheets for the work. Unfortunately, my attitude is in the minority. Most of the companies doing design work don't even know what spreadsheets are being used, nor have they been validated.

 

Good Luck,

Bobby

[marchem]

Ethan,

I have read that version of Office will not be available before 2014,

of course you can create apps in different ways,

perhaps the real point is about the advantages that programming would offer to the students,

but that's for you to decide.