7 replies to this topic

[Qasem215]

Hello everyone

I'm a fairly new process/operation engineer and while working, I can say that the amount of experience I have is very low compared to some other professionals and unfortunately, many people refuse to share knowledge at work.

I love learning and I don't stop asking experienced people questions and I'm not in a hurry to gain experience such as those professionals because I know they have spent years learning.

But i would like to ask everyone who'd like to share in this post for everyone's learning benefit.

What would you recommend for someone to do to learn quickly and benefit themselves and their co-workers?

Personally, i find it very useful to try to learn every little detail and saving what I've learnt in a folder on my device and uploading it to a drive so I won't lose it in the future, while also not beating myself about it if there are somethings that are too complicated to learn.

P.S.

I'm working in an Ammonia Production plant

[Pilesar]

Learn the process. Each piece of equipment and each instrument has a function. Find out what that function is and how the equipment is designed to support that function. Learn from the operators. Learn from the maintenance department. Learn the high pressure steam generation. Learn the cooling water system. Learn water purification. Learn how to simulate the plant by computer. Trace the lines and compare what you find to the P&IDs. Learn the control system. No one has learned all of process engineering. Take it a bite at a time and chew that bite thoroughly. You may not remember everything you learn, but keep learning anyway.

[Bobby Strain]

You learn best by doing. Just carry out your assigned tasks. And spend time in the process facilities and observe the operators.

 

Bobby

[breizh]

hi ,

To build your expertise you need to confront yourself with the equipments , during start up , turn around, maintenance shut down . You also need to spend time with operators on site and in control room,with peers and management team. Be part of the daily operation meeting to better understand the process .

About literature plenty are availabe these days using your favorite search engine or fora like this one .

In other words be curious of everything, in particular to the details.

 

Good luck .

Breizh 

Edited by breizh, 02 June 2020 - 06:22 AM.

[shvet1]

Reality is the only teacher, do not rely upon persons and texts.

 

Start with: Latexman

General: Perry, Felder&Rousseau

Process Safety: Kletz, Lees, Cheremisinoff, BP, CSB, CPS, CCPS, HSE

Operations Lieberman, Kister, Zink, GE

Engineering: Ludwig, Walas&Couper, Reid&Prausnitz, Idelchik, Bloch, Liptak, Fisher, Handwerk, 

 

P.S. For a newbie I would recommend to start with sect. 5 Lieberman's Troubleshooting Process Operations.

Edited by shvet1, 02 June 2020 - 07:09 AM.

[Sharma Varun]

Working in a live plant is the biggest opportunity to learn, be observant. See every operation going on in details and ask questions to everyone without hesitation. You may find different people giving totally different explanations for various doubts. Try validating same with literature and research.

Above all perform all tasks allotted with utter sincerity and as an opportunity to learn. 

[Chemitofreak]

All the above members have guided you how to learn.

 

All I want to add is 'A teacher is always better than two books'. You have to develop and maintain relation/rapport with your seniors/ colleagues (from other department as well), once you do that I am sure everyone will lend a helping hand.

 

Also, don't blindly follow what others say, you have to question (to yourself) whether the logic explained to you is correct or not.

 

Mind you the field of Chemical engineering is very vast, even after 14 years of work experience I feel I have to learn a lot.

[Qasem215]

Many thanks to you all for your suggestions.