Use of computers in chemical engineering

[nabeel89]

I have a passion for computers/ electronics, but i am going for either chemical or petroleum engineering. I want to ask how much do chemical and petroleum engineers use computers and other electronic devices for their work ?

I don't want to do something which involves most of mechanical work. Is my knowledge limited??

thanx...

 

[CaptainPanic]

I'm a chemical process engineer, and I use the computer every day. I make computer models of big chemical factories, I sometimes run detailed simulations of parts of the factory (reactors, separation columns, other pieces of equipment).

My work does not include control systems, but that's even harder to simulate... and always it is simulated before it is built in real.

And then when it is built in real, the control systems are again hooked up to computers. Somebody must write the software, somebody must attach wiring to all the sensors (thermometers, flow meters, pressure meters, chromatographs and other composition-analysis tools).

Of course there are jobs in chemical engineering and petroleum engineering that are totally without computers. But this is a career choice. Nobody is going to force you to walk around in an overall on a site fixing stuff if you rather program stuff or solder some wiring. :D

The answer is a bit late - I only recently joined this forum. Hope it helps.

 

[jsalvati]

I am a senior chemical engineering student, and I use computers for simulating, calculating, optimizing all the time (homework and internships). As a chemical engineer you do a lot of data analysis as well, which requires computers. Excel is your friend.

 

[GCT]

I have a passion for computers/ electronics, but i am going for either chemical or petroleum engineering. I want to ask how much do chemical and petroleum engineers use computers and other electronic devices for their work ?

I don't want to do something which involves most of mechanical work. Is my knowledge limited??

thanx...

Lots of simulation programmers out there however this usually a lot of math and computer programming knowledge - e.g. Physical Chemistry.