How can one truly learn, understand, and operate an air separation unit? How long does it take to learn*?
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As a new employee who has just started working in a chemical production facility, from which aspects should one learn to understand air separation units? This post was last edited by chc1125 on 2008-10-30 14:55.]
First, one must understand the principles and the process; avoid rote memorization, and under no circumstances pretend to understand when one actually doesn’t
About 1.5 years, I guess. But if it comes from the chemical industry, it’s better; personally, I think it might take around 3 years longer
If you’re interested and willing to put in the effort, then just follow what I mentioned above – doing it for 3 months should definitely work
It’s not difficult to learn air separation, but mastering it requires a great deal of effort and time. There are no shortcuts to learning the methods – one must use their mouth, hands, and brain!
Knowing, understanding, and mastering a set of equipment are different concepts. Give me 3 months, I’ll hand over the air separation unit to you – what will you dare to do? Start by learning the ordinary processes first, as you don’t have a foundation yet. Draw more process diagrams and go through those processes multiple times; focus on completing the tasks that need to be done regularly. Think while you work – your priority is to avoid making mistakes. After about half a year, once you’re more familiar with these processes, you can start learning more from DCS, which will help you improve more quickly. Study the operating procedures carefully and understand why certain actions are taken. What’s most important is to have an overall perspective when adjusting the operating conditions, and to consider how such actions might affect the stability of subsequent systems as well as other systems or equipment. Finally, once you have mastered this, whenever someone mentions a certain phenomenon, you will know what causes it and how to deal with it – at that point, you can be considered to have 80 points. Ultimately, through years of experience and learning, it is necessary to understand its weaknesses, identify areas that need improvement and know how to make those improvements. By formulating technical improvement plans, it is possible to maximize the production capacity of the equipment without overloading it, ensuring its stable operation over a long period of time
Hehe, this boss is really impressive. After graduating from school, I had no experience with air separation units; I applied for a job at an air separation company as a technician. It took me a little over two months before I was able to work independently on such tasks (conducting technical services and adjustments related to air separation units in field projects). But then again, it’s hard to quantify this in terms of time.
To truly master it, one needs no less than 10 years; if one has worked as an ordinary technician or operator, 2 years is generally sufficient
I learned it in 2005 (after working in the chemical industry for 9 years); I mainly studied on my own and mastered it in about eight months. Now I am the main person in charge of the air separation unit at our company.
How can one truly learn, understand, and operate a methanol plant? How long does it take to learn*?
Learn from experienced masters; practical experience is the most important.
I agree with what was said above; experience is gained over time, so one should learn from experienced masters as much as possible*. It has been 8 months since I graduated and started learning air separation technology; I have completed the theoretical part, but I still lack experience in practical applications, especially when it comes to handling certain types of accidents.
What was said on the sixth floor is right; one needs to keep a clear mind when working in this field, consider the overall situation, and possess comprehensive analytical skills. It’s ideal to have professionals who are knowledgeable in all aspects such as process engineering, instrumentation, electricity, and machinery.
Personally, I think air separation isn’t that complicated, but achieving stable operation still requires some effort. Practical experience is very important; theoretical knowledge alone is useless, and one will be at a loss when faced with major issues. So it’s better to first lay a solid foundation and master the theoretical knowledge, before gradually learning from experience, observing more, thinking more, and keeping in touch with the entire system. The air separation industry is also a rather dangerous one; improper handling of oxygen and nitrogen can lead to accidents. Therefore, care and attention must be paid during operation and maintenance – one cannot be careless or negligent, as even a small mistake can result in a fatal accident.
It’s not difficult to get a basic understanding of air separation technology. By following instructions and carrying out simple tasks, one can acquire the necessary skills in about a year. To be able to handle common problems on one’s own, it takes 2–3 years. It takes 5–7 years to become a competent operator; with extra effort, one can learn to manage the system, solve various technical issues, and develop relevant plans – but this requires more than ten years of continuous effort! :)
Achieving stable operation still requires some effort; practical experience is very important. First, it’s necessary to lay a solid foundation and master the theoretical knowledge, before gradually acquiring practical experience.
Three years to understand, ten years to master: lol
Visit the site frequently, use your brain, and ask your mentors for advice regularly; there are no shortcuts.
What kind of requirements lead to the development of what kind of people? What kind of enterprises require what kind of operators and technicians? What kind of management style fosters what kind of managers?
There are also many types of air separation, and the most common one nowadays is the cryogenic type. If it is completely liquefied, things are relatively better, as less time is required ； If it is supplied in gaseous form and has to be liquefied, it will take longer. But the basic principles are the same; mastering the operation, being able to troubleshoot issues, and adjusting the operating conditions smoothly is not something that can be achieved in a short time – at least two years are required. Some people, after working for a long time, are unable to become the main operator.
I completely agree with the person above! The master shows the way, but it’s up to the individual to practice!