Fundamentals of Chem. Eng.
August 30th, 2023
1.
One form of technology that I hold some interest in is that which can produce electricity in
various ways. Whether it is a combustion engine turning a dynamo, or photovoltaic panels harnessing
the light from the sun, the many different ways that various substances can be transformed via
processes that release usable energy in the process, it certainly is quite the large field. It is incredibly
important that this type of technology continues to develop, as it powers the entirety of our modern day
society, and without these various technologies, we as people would be lost in the dark and stuck living
in a world with significantly lower living standards. It is also incredibly important that these technologies
become more able to be considered “green”, as the high emission of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is something which will completely change the world for the
worse if greener solutions are not worked on.
These technologies can be furthered via the processes of chemical engineering in many ways,
the most obvious of which to see being the upscaling and mass production of various products that
either perform the energy conversion processes, or are components for said processes. Small scale
reactions and energy transfers that happen in a laboratory, with fairly ideal circumstances, need to be
ramped up significantly in order to be used on an industrial level. This also includes accounting for
various external variables that one would not encounter in a lab, such as potential systems to monitor
the flows and transfers of masses and energy, or protection from adverse climate conditions affecting
how the various unit operations in a process are set up and constructed. With much to consider in terms
of how to construct the energy production systems of the future, chemical engineering will continue to
play a vital role.