I/EC
The Professional Side
Dynamics of Chemical Engineering, 1960 It is expedient to locate the principal vectors of chemical engineering today against the backdrop of modern science and technology
M
AN looks at himself a n d his environment with three viewpoints by which he sees the m a c r o cosm, the microcosm, a n d the h u m a n being. H e views the macrocosm t h r o u g h astronomy, classical physics, a n d classical chemistry; microcosm through nuclear physics and atomic a n d molecular chemistry; the hum a n being through the humanities, history, sociology, psychology, a n d cybernetics. T h e interaction of these viewpoints leads to some of our most interesting activities. Intersection of the macroscopic a n d microscopic viewpoints forms what we call engineering science, which represents a progressive reduction to m a n a g e a b l e size, partially explained by microscopic models, of m a n y engineering d a t a and observations of the past. Intersection of the macroscopic viewpoint with our knowledge of the h u m a n being leads to activities u n d e r the heading of g r o u p dynamics, social psychology, decision making, a n d so forth. Intersection of the microscopic viewpoint with our knowledge of the h u m a n being leads to such interesting things as econometrics, adaptive systems, neuron models for the h u m a n intelligence, and function. If we are traditional chemical engineers, the macrocosm predominates in our thinking—classical thermodynamics, classical physics and chemistry, the unit operations, chemical engineering reaction kinetics, properties of materials. O u r view of the microcosm tends to be dim a n d poorly based on only the rudiments of atomic a n d m o lecular physics a n d chemistry (now and then with a touch of nuclear science). Statistical t h e r m o d y n a m ics a n d q u a n t u m physics are the 92 A
rare exception. M a t h e m a t i c a l l y we tend to be fair a t deterministic analytics—continuous functions of not m a n y variables—but woefully ignorant of numerical and stoichistic relationships. O u r look at the h u m a n being is so cloudy that we are reduced largely to saying that psychology, history, sociology, etc., are just plain impractical a n d as for cybernetics, group dynamics, and the like—? A few years ago we discovered the microcosm in our search t h r o u g h the details of unit operations a n d reaction kinetics. This has proved highly interesting a n d sometimes helpful. W e are becoming a w a r e of statistical thermodynamics. W e are beginning to feel scientific. Engineers function in their society through the solution of engineering problems. Avoiding the cyclic definitions of " e n g i n e e r i n g " in the dictionaries, engineering problems have the following characteristics: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
N u m b e r of variables is u n known. N u m b e r of variables > n u m ber of relationships. Relationships are usually inequalities. A payout function is to be evaluated. P a y o u t function includes time a n d cost of the solution.
In defining chemical engineering about all we have to say is that problems m a y involve some chemistry. Chemical engineers m a y feel a twinge of insecurity over the notion that the only difference between chemical a n d other engineering is that r a t h e r casual statement a b o u t there being a bit of chemistry involved. O n e says, " G o o d Heavens,
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
R. R. White, director of the Institute of Science a n d T e c h nology, University of Michigan, received his P h . D . in chemical e n g i n e e r i n g from that university in 1940, a n d h e b e g a n his teaching career as instructor in chemical e n g i n e e r i n g there. H e has b e e n a consulting engineer since 1943. Dr. White has received n u m e r o u s awards from professional societies a n d universities. H e is a m e m b e r of ACS, AIChE, American Gas Association, American Association of University Professors, AAAS, Michigan E n g i n e e r i n g Society, a n d American Society of Professional Engineers. H e is the author of n u m e r o u s publications on fractional distillation, reaction kinetics, phase equilibrium, mass a n d heat transfer, a n d rate processes.
if this is all that distinguishes the field, I ' m really not so different a n d my so-called special talent a n d training are wide open to the incursions of all sorts of other engineers a n d maverick scientists"—but this is precisely a n d exactly true ! Chemical engineering today is "suffering" in a search for its identity. This recurrent theme is becoming almost obsessive. T h e security of the " u n i t operations," embroidered by "chemical reaction kinetics" that have been our rallying points since 1920, has evaporated in the flux of scientific and engineering research and development. It is obvious that the unit operations are
trivial a n d r a t h e r confusing as a means of organizing o u r theoretical ideas a n d the thought of reverting to the status of e q u i p m e n t classifiers only is r e p u g n a n t . T o m a k e matters worse, incursions into our domains by others are a n extremely serious c o m m e n t a r y an o u r own abilities. Look w h a t has h a p p e n e d in nuclear engineering! W h o is doing the significant work in combustion a n d propulsion? In process control, the m a t h e m a t i c i a n s , electrical engineers, aeronautical engineers, a n d physicists are moving a h e a d of us. T h e search for security in a h u m a n is n o r m a l , but when intensified becomes a neurosis. A neurosis is typified by a n autocatalytic process whereby uncomfortable feelings lead to behavior which is most likely to continue the distress, a n d ultimately to "psychosis." T h e present behavior of chemical engineering is disturbingly close to being neurotic. W h a t are we doing to find a new identity? A new or broader mission? For the most part, more, intensive research a n d development in unit operations a n d reaction kinetics ! ! ! ! O u r most recent p u b lication is highly scientific, its standards are superb, but it is focused on m a t h e m a t i c a l sophistication a n d theory in the same old paths. W e a r e hearing more a n d more a b o u t w h a t m a y m e a n less a n d less in the big scene. Somehow we mu_,t become adults in o u r professional outlook a n d not frustrated children. W e must accept the facts of progress a n d shift our emphases with the times or accept a less influential position even in the chemical industry. Whereas t h e r m o d y n a m i c s a n d unit operations were once a center of gravity in chemical engineering, scientific a n d engineering progress have m a d e t h e m so accessible to all t h a t they no longer are an effective distinguishing characteristic of our profession. Insistence on relying u p o n t h e m as the most i m p o r t a n t p a r t of our efforts is neurosis indeed. It seems clear that our destiny lies in the direction of chemistry a n d what might be called the processing of information. At the same time our b r e a d t h of scientific knowledge must be e x p a n d e d . D u r i n g the past two decades the m o v e m e n t of chemical engineering has been away from r a t h e r t h a n
toward chemistry. W e have taken the position t h a t the i m p o r t a n t p a r t of chemistry was physical chemistry a n d a p p a r e n t l y b o u g h t the notion that we got a good bit of this t h r o u g h physics. Detailed examination of unit operations has led us towards physics r a t h e r t h a n chemistry. As a result our present scheme of research, development, a n d education in chemical engineering is pretty m u c h applied physics a n d our aspirations towards this " s c i e n c e " without the basic viewpoint of physics leads to something t h a t might be called "imitation physics." T o d a y , it is a rare chemical engineer even with a P h . D . who knows more t h a n elementary physical chemistry, a n d yet his work a n d effectiveness are largely d e p e n d e n t u p o n his knowledge of the less well correlated a n d delineated fields of chemistry. W e badly need more exploratory work. E. R. Gilliland said it well long ago, when he pointed out that while most chemical engineers work h a r d a n d do well at process improvement, raising a n efficiency from say 80 to 90, or 90 to 9 2 % , the real payoff performances almost always involve rapid development of new processes to production status, using baling wire a n d prayers if necessary. A solid chemical background makes this sort of thing possible a n d likely. Complete emphasis on analysis a n d physics leads only to reasons w h y the process w o n ' t work. By itself, "applied science" is often a backward look—a tidying u p of corners containing bits of d a t a — a n analytical introspection. Creativity in science requires not only science but c o u r a g e — t h e plain guts that it takes to strike out away from the crowd. This kind of courage does not prosper in a conservative and neurotic profession. T h e tradition of chemistry a n d , for that matter, " p u r e " physics is one of intrepid courage. Systems T h e second major facet of our future rests in the area of systems— essentially plants or factories for the processing of material, energy, a n d information. T h e y m a y be thought of as doing this processing at various levels of sophistication, on the highest of which the system adapts to its environment. At the lowest level, material a n d energy are absorbed, products a n d wastes a r e removed, a n d energy is conserved
a n d degraded. This describes a chemical plant a n d o u r present level of knowledge a n d practice. Information is a necessary concomitant of this process, but it does not play a central role. O n the next higher level, the system m a y process information, sensing it, c o m m u n i c a t i n g it, m a k i n g decisions, a n d effecting actions. I t m a y carry out this process according to a n accepted script with no modification, as in a highly instrumented a n d controlled refinery. At a still higher level, the inform a t i o n , material, a n d energy entering the system m a y change its figuration to perform lower level functions in a new fashion, in which case the system has " a d a p t e d . " This a d a p t a t i o n m a y again be at a relatively low level, the result of realization of one of several foreseen states of the environment or it may a d a p t to a completely unforeseen environment, yielding a higher level of sophistication, in which case we would agree that the system h a d " l e a r n e d . " T r u l y adaptive systems for practical purposes are still in the future but will surely come. Preparation for a n understanding of "systems" viewpoints must begin with " l o g i c , " m a t h e m a t i c s of discrete fields such as set theory, probability, information theory, decision theo r y — a n d chemical engineers today receive only vestigial a m o u n t s of these powerful disciplines. Small wonder t h a t they m a y lag behind others in the very field of their specialty, the process design of chemical plants. Professionalism I n another area engineers m a y have less u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h a n their brethren in the legal a n d medical professions—professionalism. T h e connotations of the word "professional" vary greatly with different groups of people. O n e group associates the word with football, public entertainment, or merely legal licensing. T h e r e is a similar difficulty with " e n g i n e e r i n g , " which has been applied to m a n y divergent activities such as driving a locomotive a n d drafting. T h e more enlightened lay public thinking of medical doctors a n d lawyers attached the connotation of personal contact a n d responsibility to the word " p r o fessional" as in the doctor-patient or lawyer-client relationship. When these concepts are applied in enVOL. 5 1 , NO. 12
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DECEMBER 1959
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INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
gineering, the difference between t h e actual position of engineers in o u r society as c o m p a r e d to doctors is at once a p p a r e n t . Relatively few en gineers practice privately. Their contact with the public is small and, by a n d large, their work is with large corporations, govern ment, or similar organizations, where often it is difficult to appraise their personal contributions a n d responsi bilities, as they function as contrib uting m e m b e r s of large teams m a d e u p of m a n y different kinds of indi viduals. T h e r e a r c few analogies a m o n g lawyers, doctors, a n d engineers, a n d we m a k e a mistake in straining for the same definitions a n d relation ships. As W . K . Lewis has pointed out, engineering is a profession because of its proved intellectual quality derived from t h e m a g n i t u d e a n d quality of o u r contribution to society in applying science to its benefit. O u r claim to professional status must be based not only on technical skill b u t on intellectual quality. Λ professional engineer is a m a n whose j u d g m e n t we trust, particularly in those technical areas where h e professes competence. W e have confidence that h e can appraise w h a t he knows, b u t even m o r e important, w h a t he m a y not know. Basically this is a m a t t e r of intellec tual a n d personal integrity a n d not mere scientific o r technical skill. This discourse has emphasized the notion that overemphasis o n a n y o n e of t h e viewpoints toward the macrocosm, t h e microcosm, o r the h u m a n being cannot lead to sound professionalism. Chemical engineering today seems e m barrassed by its macroscopic back g r o u n d a n d is a t t e m p t i n g to find identity by a b a n d o n i n g t h e macro scopic in favor of a n overcompensating emphasis on t h e microscopic. This makes us a p p e a r to be imitation scientists, a n d does not remedy o u r lack of knowledge of t h e h u m a n being. T h e future of chemical en gineering lies in m a i n t a i n i n g a proper balance. W e would d o well to renew o u r emphasis on chemistry a n d to use t h e new knowledge about information processing as a bridge leading toward t h e understanding of h u m a n beings a n d thereby a more effective role for chemical engineer ing in o u r society.
