Does the industry still need professionals who can conduct chemical process simulation calculations?
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As the title says. I worked at a design institute for several years, only to sadly realize that my interest lies in chemical process simulation calculations (I’m actually a girl from the process engineering field). This is considered non-mainstream in the field of craftsmanship! (Those who are in this industry know this,) but as for classes, well, the cruel reality is that in most design firms, at least those of medium and small size, most of the work related to process design involves drawing piping diagrams, with little emphasis on calculations. The company where the girl works is also going through a tough period in this industry – there are fewer and fewer projects (she hasn’t had any work to do for many months, so she doesn’t receive any bonuses) ； And I myself am also confused: I don’t want to spend my whole life drawing piping. Well, are there any good job positions for doing chemical engineering calculations? In the factory, at the design institute, anywhere ； It’s accepted by foreign companies, state-owned enterprises, and private enterprises alike—could anyone who knows something about this matter give me some comfort and confidence? Thank you! !
I find flow field analysis to be pretty cool: lol
Do you use HYSYS or ANSYS for analysis? Should we use Eastern simulation analysis instead? I know that those who work in CAE are in high demand. I’m not sure if there’s a high demand for this skill as well, but CAE specialists are currently scarce; however, there are still enough people with basic knowledge to carry out basic design analysis and calculations. But for large projects, professional expertise is required
It’s in a downturn now; switching to piping works normally. . . But your advantage over those in piping work is that you understand the manufacturing process~~ When a project comes along, it’s still you who will do the simulations~~~
It seems to be a downturn for the chemical industry as a whole; it doesn’t seem easy to change jobs these days
I switched from process engineering to piping work, and I found that piping is more complex than process engineering. Moreover, using 3D software makes piping work quite interesting; after all, men are naturally inclined to work with mechanical things
Chemical process simulation requires theoretical knowledge to a certain extent; when it comes to piping, it is a technical task at a deeper level, while at a simpler level it relies on experience. Most pipeline engineers don’t know anything about materials, fluid resistance, or thermal stress; they just move the pipelines back and forth as long as they can fit.
The overall situation is poor; CAE companies also have few job opportunities. When searching online for jobs related to Ansys or stress analysis, there are very few openings. Most of these jobs are related to automotive parts, as well as boilers, and many of them require a master’s degree
I fully share the author’s experiences. Based on my very limited work experience and what I know about my colleagues in this field, it’s almost impossible to find a position focused solely on technical calculations within the design industry. Design firms with a staff of a few hundred people probably don’t have such positions available, and as for factories, I would advise you not to even think about it. A more likely approach is to specialize in process engineering (processes + process systems), and to carry out simulations as part of each project; otherwise, the workload associated with performing simulations would be considerable. . . You understand. Especially in design institutes where the work involves pipeline installation in the process engineering field, the kind of work you want to do – pure process engineering work, without any elements related to process systems or pipeline installation – should be treated as a hobby or a skill to develop; otherwise, where will the bonuses come from? If a tough economic period hits, you’ll be left begging for money. Not to mention pure process engineering – even process engineering plus process systems are considered non-mainstream in some design institutes; they can’t compare to piping systems in terms of importance. In today’s design field, experience is what counts most; as for simulation, people often say it’s not accurate, haha. Personally, I still think that in a design firm, there should be someone who is an expert in this field and can confidently say that there are no fundamental issues with a project, provided that this person has extensive experience and a thorough understanding of the processes involved. Otherwise, the calculations made may not be reliable or could be too idealistic. Finally, I wish the original poster success in finding a suitable job.
Girl, it’s not easy in this industry; personally, I think the craftsmanship is pretty good
So, don’t say that piping work is a technical task reserved for specialists; rather, it should be said that certain people are specialists in this field. After working in piping for several years, they go from initially looking up to the techniques involved to being able to handle them on an equal footing. They understand the entire process related to piping and can even offer suggestions for improving those processes. . After all, process calculation isn’t a specialized field, so there’s no need to get involved in it. As for materials and stress, it’s not really my area of expertise; of course, you can claim to be an expert in materials, stress, and piping as well