Chemical Engineer Consultant: Polymerization Reactor Design and Control Systems
Technical Consultant #1437
Expertise
- Control systems, control loops and PLC for chemical plants.
- Polymer processing, reactor design, polymerization and reaction modeling.
- Mathematical and computer methods to quantify a problem.
- Chemical process sensors and integration into process control system.
- Statistical process control for chemical plant operations.
- Production and chemical engineering of acetal copolymer resins and micro porous polyolofin membranes.
Experience
Independent Consultant, 2003 - Present
- Created a conceptual design of a resin production plant to support an investment proposal.
Hoechst Celanese - "Celgard" Division, Staff Engineer 1990 - 2001
- Improved "Celgard" microporous polyolefin membrane production on blown film extrusion lines and hot stretching ovens through process control which resulted in improved product yields and profitable operation.
- Lead the installation and programming of a network of Honeywell and Rockwell controllers and supervisory hosts.
- Programmed Visual C , Visual Basic, function charts, and ladder logic so controllers and computers operated correctly in the control system.
- Improved the process through statistical process control.
Hercules Science and Technology, Senior Research Engineer, 1986 - 1990
- Supplied control systems for the pilot plants within the Research Center for reliable and safe operation.
- Demonstrated benefit of advanced control at a plant making biaxially oriented polypropylene packaging blown film which resulted in the plant investing in a major control system upgrade.
- These projects involved identifying sensors, writing specification, computer programming and control system configuration.
Celanese Engineering Resins, Bishop TX, Senior Process Development Engineer 1979 - 1986
- Lead engineer for a major computer control project that installed a Honeywell DCS system with supervisory host that resulted in higher production capacity and energy cost savings.
- Consulted within the plant on process enhancements which removed production bottlenecks and improved reactor performance.
- Invented a method of introducing diluted polymerization initiator to improve product quality and increase the production by about 1,000,000 pounds per year.
Celanese Research Company, Summit NJ, Research Engineer, 1975 - 1979
- Acetal resin, polymer processing, reactor design and polymerization reaction modeling.
Education
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
Ph.D. and M.S., Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA