Sample interview questions: How do you approach conducting process optimization studies to reduce water consumption and improve water management in chemical engineering processes?
Sample answer:
- Establish a comprehensive water audit: Quantify water usage throughout the process, identifying areas of high consumption and potential for reduction.
- Analyze water quality requirements: Determine the necessary water quality for each process step, enabling optimization of water treatment and reuse strategies.
- Evaluate water-intensive unit operations: Identify unit operations that consume significant water, such as cooling, distillation, and washing, and explore alternative technologies or operating conditions to reduce water usage.
- Consider process integration: Explore opportunities to integrate water streams from different process areas to minimize overall water consumption.
- Investigate water recovery and reuse systems: Implement technologies for water recycling, regeneration, and reuse to reduce the need for fresh water intake.
- Opti… Read full answer