Chemical engineering in an unsustainable world: Obligations and opportunities

Human society faces a set of unprecedented challenges emanating from the unsustainable nature of the current societal model. The creation of a new sustainable societal construct is required, essentially adopting a needs based approach over one based on ever increasing consumption. Failure to achieve this will result in the widespread destruction of our increasingly stressed environment followed quickly by inevitable collapse of society as we know it, both socially and economically.Technology alone is insufficient to meet the challenges at hand; ecological, social and economic considerations must be incorporated through a multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary approach. Because chemical engineers possess a core set of threshold concepts which are central to a sustainable society, and because engineers will ultimately help design any new society, they bear a moral and ethical responsibility to play an active and indeed central role in its development. A new engineering paradigm is required therefore, whereby sustainability becomes the context of engineering practice. To achieve this, a sustainability informed ethos must prevail throughout engineering curricula. Both professional institutions and educators bear responsibility in ensuring this happens without delay. Some key threshold concepts are presented here to demonstrate how this can be advanced through the chemical engineering curriculum.     

Chemical Engineering Education in the Next Century

This paper summarizes the work of the EFCE Working Party Education (WPE) over the last decade and attempts to identify effective educational solutions to meet the challenges caused by the rapid rate of change in technology and society world‐wide. The paper uses the results of the 1994 WPE survey of curricula in European Chemical Engineering Universities to identify a first degree level core curriculum. The problem of how to adapt the discipline to meet technological and societal changes without losing its identity is addressed. Basic sciences, chemical engineering science, integrated systems design and holistic thinking are emphasized as essential elements of the discipline. The paper discusses how Safety, Health and Environment (SHE), biotechnology, computerized models, product design, sustainability and other new subjects have been incorporated into chemical engineering curricula since the original survey. A simple model of the education process is presented to indicate how students might obtain a chemical engineering understanding and mindset. The paper explains how chemical engineering evolved from its origins in the petrochemical, heavy chemical and nuclear industries, to its current wide range of applications in industries, such as fine chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, software, and cybernetics. It is suggested that the impact of changes arising from industry, new technology and society has driven the chemical engineering discipline to a point where it is now ripe for re‐invention. The effects of rapid industrial, technological and societal change on chemical engineering education are studied against the backdrop of a discipline on the threshold of a significant change. The paper concludes by identifying curriculum development, personal development and life‐long learning as three important factors for educating chemical engineers for a successful future.     

Sustainable development and its implications for chemical engineering

Sustainable development presents us all with the challenge of living in ways which are compatible with the long-term constraints imposed by the finite carrying capacity of the closed system which is Planet Earth. The chemical engineering approach to the management of complex systems involving material and energy flows will be essential in meeting the challenge. System-based tools for environmental management already embody chemical engineering principles, albeit applied to broader systems than those which chemical engineering conventionally covers. Clean technology is an approach to process selection, design and operation which combines conventional chemical engineering with some of these system-based environmental management tools; it represents an interesting new direction in the application of chemical engineering to develop more sustainable processes. Less conventional applications of chemical engineering lie in public sector decisions, using the approach known as post-normal science. These applications require chemical engineers to take on a significantly different role, using their professional expertise to work with people from other disciplines and with the lay public. The contribution of chemical engineering to the formation of UK energy policy provides an example of the importance of this role. Recognising the role of engineers as agents of social change implies the need for a different set of skills, which just might make the profession more attractive to potential new recruits.     

Shaping futures: A dialogue on chemical engineering education

Engineering as a discipline, profession, practice, and area of study continues to add substantial value in an increasingly complex world. With continually evolving complexity around the planet, such as the need for massive energy transition, global health technologies, or sustainable food systems, how might engineering education practices and theory be considered within these rapid and necessary changes? This paper presents an experiment of co-creation through experiential reflection about the state of chemical engineering education. Four chemical engineering professors engaged in a dialogue, facilitated by a researcher in education, through collaborative and actionable research. This dialogue uncovered innovative possibilities, educational themes, experiences, and opportunities for others in the profession to consider. The process of dialogue also encouraged the development of an imaginative future sense-making, known as futuring, through a collective experience. The findings reveal instructive perspectives on the shape of chemical engineering education that should be of value not only to engineers, but also other professionals, practitioners, or those in various science, technology, and math fields.     

Wandel in der Verfahrenstechnik — Anforderungen an die Ausbildung

Chemical Engineering in a State of Change – Educational Requirements . The structural change taking place in the chemical industry will influence future requirements for chemical engineers and hence also the training of these engineers. Owing to the advancement of the knowledge base of chemical enginnering, greater emphasis will in future be placed on substance-orientation and a holistic approach. This will allow chemical engineering to enter new areas. There will also be greater demands for such additional abilities as teamwork sensitivity, and creativity. The training of chemical engineers should take account of these developments.     

Process Systems Engineering: Halfway through the first century

The area of chemical engineering which has become known as Process Systems Engineering developed initially out of the availability of a tool, the high-speed digital computer. Coincidentally, 50 years ago, computers appeared for the first time, and as they became more generally available and useful, chemical engineers were amongst the first to recognise and exploit their potential for large scale calculations. Most of the efforts of early process systems engineers were focused on circumventing the limitations of early computers, particularly their lack of speed and of storage capacity to handle the very large problems whose solution was an ultimate aim. Over the last few years these constraints have practically vanished. However, some of the discipline's most important long-term achievements have come in the form of a better understanding of large-scale concepts; these have resulted from the need to analyse and decompose problems and procedures so that they might be accessible to computing machines of limited capacity. This has also made them more accessible to we human computing machines of likewise limited capability. The first half century of process systems engineering was dominated by mathematics. Over the next half century, mathematics will be taken for granted, and emphasis will shift to information and understanding: how it can be represented, captured, accessed, transferred and exploited. The ability to perform very large numerical calculations in a simple and routine manner will encapsulate the mathematical achievements of the last 50 years and make them accessible to all chemical engineers. Future research can thus concentrate on new areas. The current ready availability of computers is already having a major effect on the way in which all chemical engineers and scientists work. In the future, computers will become not just available, but ubiquitous, providing instantaneous access to the sophisticated mathematical and informatic tools which have been and will be developed. It is difficult to predict the impact of this ubiquity, and any prediction is likely to be an underestimate. Still harder to assess are the consequences of not just the power and ubiquity of computer tools, but their connectivity. This will provide fast, worldwide connection between computer software and computer users on an unprecedented scale, and seems likely to create a qualitative change in the way in which engineers will use creatively their expanding range of powerful tools.     

The Neal Amundson era. Rapid evolution of chemical engineering science

Neal Amundson (1916–2011) influenced the chemical engineering profession more profoundly than any other single individual, and in this article the author has attempted to capture the man and his era, as well as his lasting legacy. His influence extended well beyond those of other chemical engineers of renown, whether they were known for exploring and establishing new avenues, or for the resolution of outstanding issues, or for other forms of creative endeavors. Amundson reached into the depths of the profession, noted for its expanse, complexity and diversity that had led earlier efforts into a shrine of empiricism, to foster a culture of strongly scientific thinking with a mathematical edifice, which must be the crux of all engineering. The growth of chemical engineering science owes most significantly to Amundson's extraordinary role as an educator, department head and leader, and to the lasting impact of his contributions to chemical engineering research and practice. This article is in salutation of the man who came to be known as the Minnesota Chief, and was responsible for an academic movement that raised the intellectual level of the chemical engineering profession. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3147–3157, 2013     

Sustainability in the Chemistry Curriculum: A Call for Action

Sustainable development and sustainability are two widely used umbrella concepts, both “brilliantly ambiguous.” Many fields of study, including engineering, business, the humanities, and the sciences offer opportunities for instructors to connect content with sustainability. As the central science, chemistry is surely one of them. This paper issues a call for action to chemistry instructors to build stronger connections in the college chemistry curriculum to the local, regional and global challenges that we face on our planet. These challenges, multi‐faceted and multi‐disciplinary, include providing clean energy, protecting the environment and stewarding its resources, employing wise agricultural practices to supply food, and insuring clean water and clean air to those in all communities. As a chemical concept, the carbon cycle connects to challenges such as these. It is presented as a possibility for building stronger connections to sustainability in the curriculum.     

Sustainable leadership and management of complex engineering systems: A team based structured case study approach

Societal goals have been shifting over the last seventy years towards global sustainability concerns, diversity, and equity. As the goals have shifted, societal demands on engineers and organizations have been shifting. This has implications for how we educate engineers. Sustainable engineering leadership and management consider the organizational aspects of the development and operation of complex designs in a sustainable manner with safety and risk management being key elements of sustainable design, operation, and management of engineering projects. This work explores the intersection of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the current outcomes based engineering education accreditation framework, and risk based process safety management. It further elaborates on how these elements can be integrated into a structured case study approach to connect the role of the underlying values, ethics, assumptions, and beliefs of people who lead, manage, and work in complex engineering projects towards the enactment of a sustainability culture or a safety culture or both. The proposed case study structure reinforces engineering education outcomes, the United Nations sustainable development goals, and Risk Based Process Safety (RBPS) management in order to further develop technical and professional skills in undergraduate and graduate students better preparing them for their future roles in a world demanding sustainable solutions.     

Metallic surfaces with special wettability

Metals are important and irreplaceable engineered materials in our society. Nature is a school for scientists and engineers, which has long served as a source of inspiration for humans. Inspired by nature, a variety of metallic surfaces with special wettability have been fabricated in recent years through the combination of surface micro- and nanostructures and chemical composition. These metallic surfaces with special wettability exhibit important applications in anti-corrosion, microfluidic systems, oil-water separation, liquid transportation, and other fields. Recent achievements in the fabrication and application of metallic surfaces with special wettability are presented in this review. The research prospects and directions of this field are also briefly addressed. We hope this review will be beneficial to expand the practical applications of metals and offer some inspirations to the researchers in the fields of engineering, biomedicine, and materials science.     

Robustness analysis of chemical process systems based on complex network non-linear load capacity model

In the complex network of chemical process systems, if a node fails, it may trigger cascading failures and affect normal operation. To enhance the ability of chemical process systems to maintain normal operation after the cascading failure, this paper presents cascading failure modelling and robustness analysis of chemical process systems based on the complex network non-linear load capacity model. First, based on complex network theory, a complex network model of the chemical process is constructed; then, three cascading failure models are constructed using a combination of linear and non-linear load capacity models and initial load and initial residual capacity redistribution strategies; and finally, the nodes with the maximum node degree are deliberately attacked to analyze the robustness of the chemical process system in response to cascading failure. The case study shows that the proposed models are valid and feasible, and the robustness of the chemical process system is enhanced as the load and capacity parameters are increased. By reasonably setting the initial load and adjusting the model parameters, the robustness can be effectively improved, providing a theoretical reference for improving the robustness of the actual chemical process system in response to cascading failure.     

化工实训课的教学体会和改进措施

化工实训课是一门工科专业技术基础课程,是自然科学领域的实验课程向工程科学的专业课过渡的桥梁。根据化工实训的教学内容,针对实训教学现状,介绍了教学过程中个人的体会,并且为提高化工原理实训教学的质量,提出一些改进措施,从而实现了在教学中充分发挥学生的主观能动性,提高学生对实训课程的兴趣。     

Process systems engineering: From Solvay to modern bio- and nanotechnology.: A history of development, successes and prospects for the future

The term Process Systems Engineering (PSE) is relatively recent. It was coined about 50 years ago at the outset of the modern era of computer-aided engineering. However, the engineering of processing systems is almost as old as the beginning of the chemical industry, around the first half of the 19th century. Initially, the practice of PSE was qualitative and informal, but as time went on it was formalized in progressively increasing degrees. Today, it is solidly founded on engineering sciences and an array of systems-theoretical methodologies and computer-aided tools. This paper is not a review of the theoretical and methodological contributions by various researchers in the area of PSE. Its primary objective is to provide an overview of the history of PSE, i.e. its origin and evolution; a brief illustration of its tremendous impact in the development of modern chemical industry; its state at the turn of the 21st century; and an outline of the role it can play in addressing the societal problems that we face today such as; securing sustainable production of energy, chemicals and materials for the human wellbeing, alternative energy sources, and improving the quality of life and of our living environment. PSE has expanded significantly beyond its original scope, the continuous and batch chemical processes and their associated process engineering problems. Today, PSE activities encompass the creative design, operation, and control of: biological systems (prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells); complex networks of chemical reactions; free or guided self-assembly processes; micro- and nano-scale processes; and systems that integrate engineered processes with processes driven by humans, legal and regulatory institutions. Through its emphasis on synthesis problems, PSE provides the dialectic complement to the analytical bent of chemical engineering science, thus establishing the healthy tension between synthesis and analysis, the foundation of any thriving discipline. As a consequence, throughout this paper PSE emerges as the foundational underpinning of modern chemical engineering; the one that ensures the discipline's cohesiveness in the years to come.     

Chemical Engineers for the 21st Century – Challenges for University Education

At the beginning of the 21st century, the education of chemical and process engineers is facing enormous challenges. The number of new students has dropped substantially since the early 1990s. The globalization of the world's economy has altered the working environment and the job market for chemical engineers. The areas in which chemical engineers are active now extend far beyond the boundaries of the chemical industry. As a result, universities are having to compete much more, not only for undergraduate and graduate research students but also in order to keep courses and even departments open. This paper aims to shed some light on the current situation at the universities, the changes in the conditions and job environment in the chemical engineering field, and the demands being placed on tomorrow's chemical and process engineers and on the education they receive. From an organizational point of view, it is important that the universities actively participate in and influence this ongoing process of change. In terms of course content, increasing emphasis must be placed on teaching students modern, relevant engineering knowledge and methodological and systematic skills, as well as those aspects of their education that are relevant for the ever more flexible, interdisciplinary and intercultural nature of chemical engineering work. Elements that could usefully contribute include support for study abroad programs and the provision of broad, high‐quality extra‐curricular studies. Despite the changes that have occurred, such as the introduction of new (bachelor and master) degrees, it is essential that the universities retain their characteristic and established profiles. At the same time, it is important to make the universities more accessible to well‐qualified graduates from Germany's Fachhochschulen (universities of applied science).     

Mastering digitized chemical engineering

This paper highlights the importance of digitalization in chemical engineering industries, in the frame of Industry 4.0, and the consequences on the employability and profession of chemical engineers. Training content must necessarily evolve to meet industry expectations and maintain the level of innovation required to meet the challenges of the future such as competitiveness, global warming, or depletion of resources. Higher Education Institutions must evolve, and digitalization also makes it possible to provide new training methods and tools that will help the teachers to face these challenges.     

Importance of surface science and fundamental studies in heterogeneous catalysis

At Union Carbide Corporation, surface science and fundamental studies have played extremely important roles in the discovery, development, and diagnosis of several valuable commercial and developmental catalyst systems. Prior to the late '60s, it was very common among scientists and engineers to refer to catalysis, particularly heterogeneous catalysis, as either an “art” or “magic”. Primary reasons behind these labels were our inability to understand the performance of “poor” and “good” catalysts nominally having the same bulk composition. With the development of surface science in the early '70s, heterogeneous catalysis field was relatively easy picking for diagnosis and improved understanding of many of these poorly understood catalyst systems. In fact, there were many “sad” stories across the chemical industry of catalysts that prematurely deactivated or essentially died and there was no known cause or relationship of performance with observable physical–chemical properties. In all such instances, the bulk characterization techniques failed to identify or uncover the cause or causes of such activity decline. However, through the use of surface science and fundamental characterizations, three such “sad stories” turned into “success stories” at Union Carbide. In addition, it will also be shown that the early use of surface science and fundamental studies led to the discovery, development and enhanced understanding of several catalyst systems. Many of the early surface science techniques along with the newly developed techniques continue to and will play a very important role in the future development of next generation catalysts and catalytic processes for the industrial use and environmental protection. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Der Verfahrensingenieur in der Chemischen Industrie

The role of the chemical engineer in the chemical industry. The principal tasks and activities of the chemical engineers in the chemical industry can be divided into four large areas which are often grouped together from an organizational standpoint: pilot and development engineers are concerned with process development and chemical research, as well as developments relating to chemical engineering unit operations. The task of the plant construction engineer is to build production plant, and the plant engineer is responsible for maintaining the technical standard of the production plant. The work of the chemical engineer in the chemical industry comprises a spectrum of the non-technical tasks which have to be mastered within an engineering framework. Of particular importance is the observation of economic factors. The important subsidiary roles include observation of socioenvironmental conditions, whether of a legislative, social, or human nature. Such knowledge and ability are rarely taught in University courses and have to be acquired in the plant. An increasing demand for chemical engineers is expected in the next few years. The number of new graduates has remained constant for several years and is unlikely to change in the forseeable future.     

Chemical engineering for the Anthropocene

The environmental and resource crises that confront human life on earth demand changes to the whole socio-economic metabolic system. The changes will affect all aspects of life, including the practice of chemical engineering. The historical association of the profession with the fossil carbon economy means that the expertise that makes up chemical engineering must be re-examined and repurposed urgently if the discipline is to play a full role in the socio-economic transition. In this article, we review the historical development of chemical engineering to identify its unique features and find ways in which it can change to meet the challenge. A pattern of 30-year cycles in the development of the discipline is revealed, showing the way it has built up by incorporating approaches from other disciplines and also developing a unique set of skills and knowledge. Chemical engineering as taught needs to prepare graduates to operate under the kind of social contract embodied in declarations by professional bodies. We propose ways in which the expertise comprising chemical engineering can be applied in the ‘just transition’ to a less unsustainable society, including new approaches to plant and process design and also applications ‘outside the pipe’ to environmental modelling and industrial ecology. The unsustainability crisis results from a history of poor public and private decisions, so examination of the different types of decisions is timely. Specific roles for chemical engineers in deliberative decision processes are identified, including enhanced emphasis on risk and precaution.     

Rohrleitungstechnik und Verfahrenstechnik

Pipework engineering and chemical engineering . Piping must be included as an essential part of a plant in the chemical engineering design of the process units. The necessary engineering specifications for an appropriate, minimum cost design of pipe systems and the job integration of pipe planning, which demonstrates the strong links between pipework engineering and chemical engineering in the planning and construction of plant, are discussed. The use of computers in pipe engineering began about 12 years ago. Development proceeded via computer mass listings, computer-plotted isometric drawings, automatic material listings to the contemporary computed plotted flow charts, leading to increasing confrontation of chemical engineers with these programs with repercussions in their work. A report is presented on the development of new systems and on the present state of implementation of these computer methods; the scope and limitations are indicated.