Hello! I recently got my B.S in Chemical Engineering. Regarding higher study whether I can opt for CFD specilization. Whats the scope of CFD in chemical Engineering?

Dear Shiyak,

Though I am not from a Chemical Engg. background, I understand that FLuid Dynamics plays a major role in Chemical Engg. and that these days even for Chemical Engg. problems CFD based predictions are on. Problems like Fluidised beds, multi-phase flow etc... pertaining to your field are being tackled with CFD. Therefore there is a good scope for specialization in CFD in Chemical Engg. background. Once into CFD, you can get into any fluid flow problem you like, pertaining to your interests.

Regards,

Ganesh

Combustion is a major player in pollution control - which generally requires prediction. Autotive engines, power plants, etc. One practitioner told me a few years ago that, to simulate the chemistry in an automobile engine cylinder, the CFD would need to help account for over a hundred chemical reactions. All of the various combinations of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, plus ... . When you understand that chemistry, you have a chance of predicting how it will change when the engine design is changed.

Sounds like chemical engineering to me.

CFD coupled with chemical Reaction Kinetics - rather a challenge at 100+ reactions...

Perhaps a Stochastic Simulator for the kinetics portion coupled to the CFD solution in a time-stepped solution.. alter parameters at select stages.

Nice & complex, to be sure... but very doable.

diaw...

I am chemical engineer and I am working in field of the CFD. However, I lost any contact to my former faculty. The education for chemical engineers focuses on chemistry, thermodynamics and phyiscs not on numerics, programming and maths. Consequently you will be in a disadvantageous position compared to aircraft engineers and mechanical engineers with additional theorectical education, even compared to some mathematians with a little technical education. Well, after some very hard time which you may not survive you will have the experience to compete.

What are the reasons for this situation? CFD is reliable for 'pure' flow may be with turbulence. Often the things get very difficult if only one additional physical model is required. This additional model may be reaction, multiphase, combustion, heat transfer or radition. In chemical engineering applications you have often more than three of these effects together! You do not believe what I say. Have look at the feature matrices of some commercial codes. Sometimes they are very sparse.

Okay, if you like the field: I survived the hard time and you may also.

Thank you ganesh! I will try to do it