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Hi everybody!
I have been working in a petrochemical plant for about a year and am feeling that I the place that i am is such that "you have to learn on your own for your personal development." these are my reasons:
1) i am doing everything on my own in taking care of the plant. Being a fresh grad, I am mostly learning equations from books on how to use them for real life calculations. The question is what is the best way for me to self study so that my development can be on par to someone who has a lot of real life experience.
2) i heard that in large establishments, there will be a senior attched to new engineers and there will be rotations in different departments for every few years so that that the newbie can learn. This I believe would help in the career development of an engineer.
I also do not have the chance to use simulation software.
Can anybody help me on this?
regards,
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Personal Development For Chemical Engineer
Started by faz, Apr 29 2006 10:26 AM
7 replies to this topic
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#2
sgkim
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Posted 05 May 2006 - 07:30 AM
Hi Faz,
It seem you as a newbie are eager to learn a lot from your plant. Then all you have to is define the subjects you want to know. Not so many chemical engineers are happy enough to have a chance like you to have experience on chemical process plants. Most of your subjects could be answered from the materials that your company has already. Operation manuals, basic and detail design documents, technical documents for process development and/or trouble shooting, vendor prints, training and education materials, etc. all are just near at your own hands. Lots of chemical equipment can be found everywhere. In all things around you there are full of "pearls". Remember a proverb, "Pearls can't be seen to the swine."
Try to make a "keyword" of a question what you do not understand clearly. Then ask your seniorman for the key word, look it up in your plant's library or the texts you have and search web materials using the keyword.
(Keep in mind, however, that all web materials is not always correct and do not fully answer to your question.)
Review all the material you have got, then summarize yourself. Now define a new keyword, repeat the same procedure as before. Sort your keywords as you like and file all that you have summarized in several folders. In some years or so you will become a seniorman - much earlier than your fellows and much more well-informed.
No better solution than the above.
sgkim
It seem you as a newbie are eager to learn a lot from your plant. Then all you have to is define the subjects you want to know. Not so many chemical engineers are happy enough to have a chance like you to have experience on chemical process plants. Most of your subjects could be answered from the materials that your company has already. Operation manuals, basic and detail design documents, technical documents for process development and/or trouble shooting, vendor prints, training and education materials, etc. all are just near at your own hands. Lots of chemical equipment can be found everywhere. In all things around you there are full of "pearls". Remember a proverb, "Pearls can't be seen to the swine."
Try to make a "keyword" of a question what you do not understand clearly. Then ask your seniorman for the key word, look it up in your plant's library or the texts you have and search web materials using the keyword.
(Keep in mind, however, that all web materials is not always correct and do not fully answer to your question.)
Review all the material you have got, then summarize yourself. Now define a new keyword, repeat the same procedure as before. Sort your keywords as you like and file all that you have summarized in several folders. In some years or so you will become a seniorman - much earlier than your fellows and much more well-informed.
No better solution than the above.
sgkim
#3
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- guestGuests
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Posted 15 May 2006 - 02:19 AM
hi faz
regard your statues first step is to increase current knowledge of your process plant ,what are the design or theoretical operating paremetrs,what is thr current operation data of equipment,actual operation paremeter of the plant and what is causing the plant to performe below its theritecal effecency and what shall be done to correct that deficiency
regard your statues first step is to increase current knowledge of your process plant ,what are the design or theoretical operating paremetrs,what is thr current operation data of equipment,actual operation paremeter of the plant and what is causing the plant to performe below its theritecal effecency and what shall be done to correct that deficiency
#4
trilok_sontakke
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Veteran Member
Posted 15 May 2006 - 06:26 AM
Hi Faz
Chemical Engineer Has many fields to work in like production,process design and development,technology transfer,projects,safety etc. So you have to define your area first in which you want to progress.
to be efficient in these fields you should have your own ''collection of material'' so that you can answer any question from these fields.you can get technical material from library/internet etc. so start collecting it.
You should have your own programms/spreadsheets for calculations/process equipment design or sizing like Heat Exchangers,distillation columns,reactors,pumps,compressors etc. also line sizing etc.
always try to interpriate the things properly with deep understanding and add to your own folder of materials.
Thanks
bye
Chemical Engineer Has many fields to work in like production,process design and development,technology transfer,projects,safety etc. So you have to define your area first in which you want to progress.
to be efficient in these fields you should have your own ''collection of material'' so that you can answer any question from these fields.you can get technical material from library/internet etc. so start collecting it.
You should have your own programms/spreadsheets for calculations/process equipment design or sizing like Heat Exchangers,distillation columns,reactors,pumps,compressors etc. also line sizing etc.
always try to interpriate the things properly with deep understanding and add to your own folder of materials.
Thanks
bye
#5
faz
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Brand New Member
Posted 16 May 2006 - 05:36 AM
Thx guys!
Would really practise it!!
Would really practise it!!
#6
Doggert
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Posted 28 June 2006 - 02:46 PM
Faz,
Every response I've seen to your question is good - and you seem to have the right attitude for learning your profession.
I haven't been in the industry very long (about 8 years since graduation) - but I have learned enough to know that you never stop learning. As an engineer, you are constantly learning new things and mastering new skills. The worst thing you can do is become complacent in your job and "set in your ways". Always strive to better yourself.
Many engineers are placed into positions where they do not have the oppurtunity to learn first-hand in a plant experience, so count yourself fortunate - you are already gaining an edge on many of your peers. I've worked in a few different positions in my career thus far, and it's very easy to tell the what we call the "plant engineers" from the "desk engineers".
The best way I've found to tackle the problem of learning a new plant is to begin with PID's and go through the plant unit by unit - not moving forward until you completely understand the basic concept. Take the time to look at operating manuals, past operation data, trends, etc. A very good source of information is to interview plant personnell - especially your maintenance workers. Many times, they are able to point out interesting things about the equipment and processes that do not make it onto the pages of the manuals or across the desks of the "desk engineers". You can learn a lot from this. Take this knowledge and use it to discuss the processes with your superior or your fellow engineers at the plant. If you have the oppurtunity, operate as much of the equipment yourself as you can. Get a "feel" for it. Learn how the utilities supply the process, and examine the logistics of how the plant operates.
A chemical engineers professional career can be compared to an extended lab course - you are actually seeing the concepts at work. What makes you an engineer is that you understand the theory and mechanisms behind what is apparent to everyone else and are able to make recommendations based on the science and theoretical possibilities of the process. You will find very quickly that, like someone else here mentioned, you will notice "pearls" in the process where others see none. It is in noticing these issues and having the ability to deal with them that makes you, as an engineer, valuable to the company.
One last piece of advice - there is a common mistake that many young engineers in your position can make and that is to over analyze an issue. I've done it, my colleagues have done it, it's common. You can spend too much time costing out things that do not need to be looked at, designing/drawing things that do not need to be drawn, etc. This is common for young engineers, as a lot of it is you explaining the process to yourself. You will find that with experience, this "over-preparation" will subside. It's very similar to how you learned mathematics: When you first learned about integrals in calculus, you probably had to really think about them and write down every step of the problem. By the time you graduated, however, you had learned your own shortcuts, and were able to comfortably move quickly through a problem. It's the same way in the professional world - you will, over time, learn your own shortcuts and you will gain the ability to "know" an estimate of the answer to a problem without needing to go through every mundane calculation. This is experience, and it will come in time.
Hope this helps!
Every response I've seen to your question is good - and you seem to have the right attitude for learning your profession.
I haven't been in the industry very long (about 8 years since graduation) - but I have learned enough to know that you never stop learning. As an engineer, you are constantly learning new things and mastering new skills. The worst thing you can do is become complacent in your job and "set in your ways". Always strive to better yourself.
Many engineers are placed into positions where they do not have the oppurtunity to learn first-hand in a plant experience, so count yourself fortunate - you are already gaining an edge on many of your peers. I've worked in a few different positions in my career thus far, and it's very easy to tell the what we call the "plant engineers" from the "desk engineers".
The best way I've found to tackle the problem of learning a new plant is to begin with PID's and go through the plant unit by unit - not moving forward until you completely understand the basic concept. Take the time to look at operating manuals, past operation data, trends, etc. A very good source of information is to interview plant personnell - especially your maintenance workers. Many times, they are able to point out interesting things about the equipment and processes that do not make it onto the pages of the manuals or across the desks of the "desk engineers". You can learn a lot from this. Take this knowledge and use it to discuss the processes with your superior or your fellow engineers at the plant. If you have the oppurtunity, operate as much of the equipment yourself as you can. Get a "feel" for it. Learn how the utilities supply the process, and examine the logistics of how the plant operates.
A chemical engineers professional career can be compared to an extended lab course - you are actually seeing the concepts at work. What makes you an engineer is that you understand the theory and mechanisms behind what is apparent to everyone else and are able to make recommendations based on the science and theoretical possibilities of the process. You will find very quickly that, like someone else here mentioned, you will notice "pearls" in the process where others see none. It is in noticing these issues and having the ability to deal with them that makes you, as an engineer, valuable to the company.
One last piece of advice - there is a common mistake that many young engineers in your position can make and that is to over analyze an issue. I've done it, my colleagues have done it, it's common. You can spend too much time costing out things that do not need to be looked at, designing/drawing things that do not need to be drawn, etc. This is common for young engineers, as a lot of it is you explaining the process to yourself. You will find that with experience, this "over-preparation" will subside. It's very similar to how you learned mathematics: When you first learned about integrals in calculus, you probably had to really think about them and write down every step of the problem. By the time you graduated, however, you had learned your own shortcuts, and were able to comfortably move quickly through a problem. It's the same way in the professional world - you will, over time, learn your own shortcuts and you will gain the ability to "know" an estimate of the answer to a problem without needing to go through every mundane calculation. This is experience, and it will come in time.
Hope this helps!
#7
faz
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Brand New Member
Posted 06 July 2006 - 08:15 AM
QUOTE (Doggert @ Jun 29 2006, 03:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Faz,
Every response I've seen to your question is good - and you seem to have the right attitude for learning your profession.
I haven't been in the industry very long (about 8 years since graduation) - but I have learned enough to know that you never stop learning. As an engineer, you are constantly learning new things and mastering new skills. The worst thing you can do is become complacent in your job and "set in your ways". Always strive to better yourself.
Many engineers are placed into positions where they do not have the oppurtunity to learn first-hand in a plant experience, so count yourself fortunate - you are already gaining an edge on many of your peers. I've worked in a few different positions in my career thus far, and it's very easy to tell the what we call the "plant engineers" from the "desk engineers".
The best way I've found to tackle the problem of learning a new plant is to begin with PID's and go through the plant unit by unit - not moving forward until you completely understand the basic concept. Take the time to look at operating manuals, past operation data, trends, etc. A very good source of information is to interview plant personnell - especially your maintenance workers. Many times, they are able to point out interesting things about the equipment and processes that do not make it onto the pages of the manuals or across the desks of the "desk engineers". You can learn a lot from this. Take this knowledge and use it to discuss the processes with your superior or your fellow engineers at the plant. If you have the oppurtunity, operate as much of the equipment yourself as you can. Get a "feel" for it. Learn how the utilities supply the process, and examine the logistics of how the plant operates.
A chemical engineers professional career can be compared to an extended lab course - you are actually seeing the concepts at work. What makes you an engineer is that you understand the theory and mechanisms behind what is apparent to everyone else and are able to make recommendations based on the science and theoretical possibilities of the process. You will find very quickly that, like someone else here mentioned, you will notice "pearls" in the process where others see none. It is in noticing these issues and having the ability to deal with them that makes you, as an engineer, valuable to the company.
One last piece of advice - there is a common mistake that many young engineers in your position can make and that is to over analyze an issue. I've done it, my colleagues have done it, it's common. You can spend too much time costing out things that do not need to be looked at, designing/drawing things that do not need to be drawn, etc. This is common for young engineers, as a lot of it is you explaining the process to yourself. You will find that with experience, this "over-preparation" will subside. It's very similar to how you learned mathematics: When you first learned about integrals in calculus, you probably had to really think about them and write down every step of the problem. By the time you graduated, however, you had learned your own shortcuts, and were able to comfortably move quickly through a problem. It's the same way in the professional world - you will, over time, learn your own shortcuts and you will gain the ability to "know" an estimate of the answer to a problem without needing to go through every mundane calculation. This is experience, and it will come in time.
Hope this helps!
Every response I've seen to your question is good - and you seem to have the right attitude for learning your profession.
I haven't been in the industry very long (about 8 years since graduation) - but I have learned enough to know that you never stop learning. As an engineer, you are constantly learning new things and mastering new skills. The worst thing you can do is become complacent in your job and "set in your ways". Always strive to better yourself.
Many engineers are placed into positions where they do not have the oppurtunity to learn first-hand in a plant experience, so count yourself fortunate - you are already gaining an edge on many of your peers. I've worked in a few different positions in my career thus far, and it's very easy to tell the what we call the "plant engineers" from the "desk engineers".
The best way I've found to tackle the problem of learning a new plant is to begin with PID's and go through the plant unit by unit - not moving forward until you completely understand the basic concept. Take the time to look at operating manuals, past operation data, trends, etc. A very good source of information is to interview plant personnell - especially your maintenance workers. Many times, they are able to point out interesting things about the equipment and processes that do not make it onto the pages of the manuals or across the desks of the "desk engineers". You can learn a lot from this. Take this knowledge and use it to discuss the processes with your superior or your fellow engineers at the plant. If you have the oppurtunity, operate as much of the equipment yourself as you can. Get a "feel" for it. Learn how the utilities supply the process, and examine the logistics of how the plant operates.
A chemical engineers professional career can be compared to an extended lab course - you are actually seeing the concepts at work. What makes you an engineer is that you understand the theory and mechanisms behind what is apparent to everyone else and are able to make recommendations based on the science and theoretical possibilities of the process. You will find very quickly that, like someone else here mentioned, you will notice "pearls" in the process where others see none. It is in noticing these issues and having the ability to deal with them that makes you, as an engineer, valuable to the company.
One last piece of advice - there is a common mistake that many young engineers in your position can make and that is to over analyze an issue. I've done it, my colleagues have done it, it's common. You can spend too much time costing out things that do not need to be looked at, designing/drawing things that do not need to be drawn, etc. This is common for young engineers, as a lot of it is you explaining the process to yourself. You will find that with experience, this "over-preparation" will subside. It's very similar to how you learned mathematics: When you first learned about integrals in calculus, you probably had to really think about them and write down every step of the problem. By the time you graduated, however, you had learned your own shortcuts, and were able to comfortably move quickly through a problem. It's the same way in the professional world - you will, over time, learn your own shortcuts and you will gain the ability to "know" an estimate of the answer to a problem without needing to go through every mundane calculation. This is experience, and it will come in time.
Hope this helps!
thx doggert!
#8
engware
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Gold Member
Posted 07 July 2006 - 10:00 AM
Faz:
In addition to the good suggestions that you have already received from the Cheresources.com members, I would encourge you to participate in the Cheresources.com fourms and visit other engineering sites of interest to you (in the past, this was never available in such a form and amount on worldwide basis 24/7) where you can find lots of useful engineering information that for some reason may not be easy to find and available at your company -- free software, knowledge, experience, guidance etc.
Keep pushing forward and you will find out that engineering is lots of fun ...
Good luck!
Thanks,
Gordan
In addition to the good suggestions that you have already received from the Cheresources.com members, I would encourge you to participate in the Cheresources.com fourms and visit other engineering sites of interest to you (in the past, this was never available in such a form and amount on worldwide basis 24/7) where you can find lots of useful engineering information that for some reason may not be easy to find and available at your company -- free software, knowledge, experience, guidance etc.
Keep pushing forward and you will find out that engineering is lots of fun ...
Good luck!
Thanks,
Gordan
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