5 replies to this topic

[Benzoid]

Hello everyone !

Im pretty new to chemical engineering, in fact I have not even began my undergraduate course yet. It seems a pretty complex yet interesting course.

Are there any books out there you guys would recommend which would brush up my knowledge a little ? My knowledge of chemical engineering at the moment is limited to college level physics and chemistry. Even those I need to brush up.

[Art Montemayor]

Benzoid:

I don't know if by "undergraduate course", you are referring to the main Chemical Engineering courses beyond the normal preparatory and complimentary courses like General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Physics, Math, and others. I also don't know how they teach the ChE curriculum in Singapore, but I would expect it is like most other places: you don't get into the "hard core" Chemical Engineering courses (within the School of Chemical Engineering) until after your first year of university. The reason I mention this is because there is little that prepares you for the material that is going to be thrown at you in the School of Chemical Engineering, except the basics that you are expected to assimilate your first year: the basic principles of chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics and chemical reactions, the properties of enthalpy and entropy, differential calculus, etc., etc.

Normally the School of ChE takes you and immediately exposes you to the principles of heat and mass balance using the skills you acquired the first year. You are immersed in Dimensional Analysis and its application to Fluid Mechanics. You are introduced to the basic Ch E divisions of Unit Operations (first) and Unit Processes (secondly). You take heat transfer courses either in the School of Ch E or in Mechanical Engineering – but either way, you are exposed to Process Heat Transfer.

The reason I mention this is because you say you want to know how you "would brush up my knowledge a little?" but you don't even mention WHAT knowledge you are referring to. Absent that information, the best advice I can give you is to review, review, and work on the basic principles you were taught your first year: phase equilibria, vapor pressure, partial pressures, stoichiometry, material balances, the Equation of State for gases (the "gas law"), enthalpy changes, the concept of entropy and how it plays a part in thermodynamics, the Bernoulli energy equation, etc. etc.

These, I believe are among some of the most important tools you will need to succeed in the School of Ch E at any university. Notice that I say "tools" and not "knowledge". You will be required to use these time and time again in resolving typical Ch E problems and that is what Chemical Engineering courses will pose for you: problems that require an engineering solution – not a simple numerical answer. You will need to have the skill and common sense of selecting which one(s) of your "tools" to apply to the solution of a problem. You will find that as you progress through the curriculum it will be expected that your "chest of engineering tools" will grow progressively – together with the ability of knowing how and when to apply them.

College level physics and chemistry figure pretty high up in their ability to furnish you with those prerequisite tools that you need in the School of Ch E. Therefore, that is where you start and the books you are looking for are actually the ones you are supposed to master during your first year. Trying to understand how to apply or size a pump, heat exchanger, or compressor before your second year is not only a waste of time, but it will only confuse you because you are not yet prepared to understand the basic engineering principles that make these Unit Operations possible.

Good luck.

[Benzoid]

Thanks !

I was not preparing to read up anything more than what is required for my first year. I have a very good grasp of college level chemistry however they seem a far cry from Che E.

My first year topics next year seems rather general - Chemical , Biological , Physical Sciences and Engineering mathematics.

My second and third year goes into the core of Che E and Biomolecular E with the subjects you mentioned - Heat transfer, Reaction Engineering, Fluid mechanics , Process control etc.

Are the basic principles such as partial pressures, chemical equilibra retaught or reinforced at the first year ? I am looking into any reading material that can expand my knowledge on these basics and not just be limited to the classroom perspective and limitation on those modules in my college.

As you said I've read a little on the heavier core areas of Che E and even on my side I'm not crazy enough to rush into those subjects without being adequately prepared.

Then again, is it good to have a minute level of exposure to subjects like reaction engineering and fluid mechanics ? Would there even be a simple understanding to the foundations of how those modules work based on my own reading up ?

[Art Montemayor]

Benzoid:

You appear to be an enthusiastic and, perhaps, a very talented student. I commend you for your enthusiasm and caution you about getting into the detailed elements of Chemical Engineering – for now. You will have ample opportunity (perhaps too much of an opportunity – in the form of assigned work load) in the immediate future (approximately 12 to 18 months) to have your plate full of interesting, tough, and challenging courses. Again, I emphasize the fact that these future "tough" and demanding courses will be based on your ability to walk into them with full and ample knowledge of the BASICS. Here, what I mean by basics is what I mentioned before:

1) The Bernoulli Equation;
2) The Gas Law (including the concept of compressibility and molecular interaction);
3) The Thermodynamics of Physical Chemistry and physics; here, you should totally understand the concepts of Enthalpy, Entropy, the first and second laws of Thermodynamics, and have a general knowledge of thermodynamic processes and the concept of reversibility; Thermo is VERY IMPORTANT;
4) The concepts of vapor pressure and partial pressures in General and Physical Chemistry;
5) The ability to resolve stoichiometric problems in Chemistry;
6) An understanding of basic heat transfer (Fourier equation) in Physics;
7) A complete understanding of the Laws of Conservation of Matter and of Energy;
8) A complete understanding of Phase equilibria, latent heat, and the various states of matter from Physical Chemistry;
9) An understanding of all the important thermo-chemical properties of compounds – density, specific gravity, viscosity, specific heats, and their dependence on pressure, and temperature;
10) An ability to derive most of all the basic equations involved in all of the above: the Bernoulli equation, the Gas Law equation, etc

I would expect that at any good, qualified University, the basic principles, such as partial pressures, chemical equilibria, etc. would be taught or reinforced during the first year. This is a very critical and important point for a 1^st year Ch E student – no matter how smart or talented he/she may be. You are very wise in bring up this subject and even wiser if you make it your business to be fully up to speed on this important subject during your first year. This is analogous to knowing the fundamentals of staying afloat and knowing how to survive in the water BEFORE being thrown into a deep swimming pool to see if you can survive. Survival in the heat of competition is what Chemical Engineering studies are all about. It is best for you to be aware of this hard and factual truth before being exposed to that scenario.

If you haven't started your first year yet, I do not recommend you try to understand the theory of reaction engineering and fluid mechanics. To fully appreciate what you are reading you would require thermodynamics (which I believe you lack) and Dimensional Analysis. Otherwise, as I said, you are wasting your valuable time that could better be applied to such items as the basics I listed.

Do not let me cool down your enthusiasm. Take my advice as a caution and an alert as to what lurks ahead. Being prepared is very important and you are being wise in taking that into consideration. You must also take into consideration that your mind – like your body – needs some restful conditioning and can't be subjected to 100% exertion all the time. Use the basic knowledge to build on and you will be fine.

Good Luck.

[Benzoid]

CODE

1) The Bernoulli Equation;
2) The Gas Law (including the concept of compressibility and molecular interaction);
3) The Thermodynamics of Physical Chemistry and physics; here, you should totally understand the concepts of Enthalpy, Entropy, the first and second laws of Thermodynamics, and have a general knowledge of thermodynamic processes and the concept of reversibility; Thermo is VERY IMPORTANT;
4) The concepts of vapor pressure and partial pressures in General and Physical Chemistry;
5) The ability to resolve stoichiometric problems in Chemistry;
6) An understanding of basic heat transfer (Fourier equation) in Physics;
7) A complete understanding of the Laws of Conservation of Matter and of Energy;
8) A complete understanding of Phase equilibria, latent heat, and the various states of matter from Physical Chemistry;
9) An understanding of all the important thermo-chemical properties of compounds – density, specific gravity, viscosity, specific heats, and their dependence on pressure, and temperature;
10) An ability to derive most of all the basic equations involved in all of the above: the Bernoulli equation, the Gas Law equation, etc

[Qalander (Chem)]

Dear Art.

Hello/Good afternoon,

you hav'nt been around in last few days. I hope you are well and healthy. A nice reply as I admire your guidance to youth/others.

Best Regards
Qalander