B.S. Chemical Engineering,
Carnegie Mellon University, 2000
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When I started working at MPR in July of 2000, after graduating from Carnegie
Mellon University with a B.S. in chemical engineering, I was still not sure what kind
of engineering I would be doing. What kinds of chemical engineering work would I do at
this firm, which seemed to work on mostly mechanical engineering? As it turns out, I
have done a number of chemical engineering jobs, but I have also had the opportunity
to delve into other engineering fields, including mechanical, electrical, civil,
instrumentation and controls, and human factors.
One of my first assignments was to perform a stress analysis on a part of a valve
assembly. The valve was used in a power plant and had been leaking contaminated water.
Being a chemical engineer, I had to learn the basics of statics and stress analyses in
just a few days. It was a strange introduction to the company, but it was fun and
interesting to learn something new and apply it immediately. During that project, I
got to know several engineers who were supportive and willing to help guide me down
the right path. I especially appreciated that the other engineers trusted me to be
competent and capable enough for the job, and that they treated me as a peer. I seemed
to have a certain amount of respect and the corresponding responsibility instantly
upon arrival.
I have worked on several projects that focused on chemical engineering, but in the
real world, the lines between disciplines are often blurred. In one project, I had to
determine how to remove heavy hydrocarbons (in this case, tar) from a gas stream
before the gas was compressed and run through a gas turbine. The turbine could be
damaged by almost any condensed liquids and would likely fail if the tars were allowed
to enter the turbine. One suggested approach was to use an oil-injected screw
compressor to absorb the tars and compress the gas in a single step. The analysis
required a great deal of chemical engineering knowledge to determine the optimal
compressor inlet conditions and the phase and composition of the gas at the inlet and
outlet of the compressor. I needed to revisit everything from mass balances to unit
operations to fugacity. My analysis showed that the gas required some cooling and
scrubbing before it could enter an oil-injected compressor. Furthermore, I found that
the oil used in the screw compressor would evaporate into the gas stream, which would
require additional filtration before combustion. Based on my analysis, it was clear
that the oil-injected compressor would not be cost effective.
Although I have not done strictly chemical engineering while I have been at MPR, I
have always been given choices about the type of my work involvement. I enjoy the
variety of work I am exposed to and the opportunities to be involved in completely
different fields.
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