Automatic Process Control for Chemical Engineers

Bioreactor Design for Chemical Engineers

Fermentation — the essence of bioprocessing — predates the discipline of chemical engineering by thousands of years. Ancient civilizations used bioprocessing to create such useful and tasty items as beer, wine, sauerkraut, kim-chi, and cheese. Until the discovery of penicillin and its commercialization in 1943, bioprocessing was not performed on an industrial scale with equipment resembling tha...

Chemical Engineers and Energy

In 1859, Edwin Drake drilled one of the world’s first commercial oil wells south of Titusville, PA, which produced 25 barrels of petroleum (then called rock oil) on its first day from a geological reservoir located 69 ft below the surface. At the time, people were beginning to recognize the value of petroleum, mostly for its ability to lubricate and illuminate. So, in a sense Drake’s gusher hel...

Hydrogen Economy - An Opportunity for Chemical Engineers?

Fossil fuels have provided a convenient and plentiful energy source, and have been used profitably in all sectors of the global economy. However, continued reliance on fossil resources must take note of, and may even be placed in jeopardy by several factors. First, worldwide oil demand continues to increase, and replacing the produced oil is technically and politically demanding and very capita...

Chemical Engineers and Environmental Stewardship

Industrial activities have also long contributed harmful pollutants to the air, waterways and land, but for years few were concerned. Specific incidents began to raise concern among the populace, such as the 1952 London smog blamed for the death of 12,000 citizens, but they were generally considered aberrations. During the 1960s, a number of industrial accidents and widely publicized pollution ...

An Introduction for Control Engineers