I&EC FUNDAMENTALS THE COMPLETE VOL 8, NO. 3 AUGUST 1 9 6 9
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Reproduction
ENGINEER
Chemical engineering shows signs of developing a split personality. We have come far since the "unit operations" of the thirties, when we developed the auxiliary separation processes but paid little heed to the chemical reactor, which is the heart of our business. We now contribute in many new areas, from artificial kidneys to pollution abatement. But there would seem to be a growing lack of rapport between the practicing engineer in industry and the engineering scientists and analysts, most of whom are in the universities. Engineers in industry complain that university programs do not relate to the problems of the real world. They are not impressed with the importance or relevance of much of the academic research. Most of the research published is of high quality, so why should industry be critical? If the complaint has justification, the problem is serious for the profession—much more important than curricula studies, or questions of four vs. five years for the baccalaureate. Large groups of chemical engineers have little in common. The engineer in industry develops processes, builds plants, and produces better things for better living. His tools are empirical facts and a great assortment of basic concepts. He uses little calculus, and employs computers primarily for arithmetic. His qualitative concepts are sound and enormously useful, and he is usually highly successful. The research engineer and analyst is engaged in the mathematical development of concepts, model building, and problem solving. Industry's complaint would seem to be that many of the problems he elects to solve are of no real importance. Research and development engineers could benefit by paying more attention to the techniques developed by the academic analyst, even when these are employed in dealing with problems in which they are not interested. The analyst could serve a more useful purpose if he were to focus on real problems. As long as we have the profit system, industry will develop processes and build plants with inadequate understanding of how the processes work. Few industries stem from analysis. If we waited for understanding, we would have no catalytic processes, pharmaceuticals, or polymers. Since we don't even yet understand turbulence, we should not have heat exchangers and long pipelines. Research and analysis come along later to explain what industry has been doing, and to suggest how it might be done better. Analysis is one of the most powerful tools the engineer can have, but it is only a tool. The great analysts of our profession— McCabe and Thiele (distillation), Thiele (catalysis), Aris and Amundson (reactors)—justify our admiration and pride. The complete engineer, however, is both analyst and builder. The engineer in industry must learn to use the techniques of analysis better, and the academic analyst must show more concern for the immediate problems of industry, if the gulf between the two is not to widen. The basic point seems to be that engineering science and analysis are directed towards understanding, but stop there. The central themes of engineering are development, design, and building. Here understanding, like analysis, is but a tool for the practicing engineer. THOMAS K. SHERWOOD VOL.
8
NO.
3
AUGUST
1 9 6 9
365
