[StBernard] Chemical Engineering Students from Tulane University Put Theory into Practice at Nunez Community College

[Westley Annis]

Chemical Engineering Students from Tulane University Put Theory into
Practice at Nunez Community College 

 

Chemical Engineering students from Tulane University recently received
hands-on experience at running a chemical plant at Nunez Community College.

Retired Chalmette Refinery operators and Nunez instructors, Javier Guerrero
and Raymond Frey, and Program Manager of Industrial Technology at Nunez,
Keith Tolleson, led the students through the exercise on the Nunez
Distillation Tower. A smaller version of typical, corporate, chemical
plants, the Tower allows students working toward degrees in process
technology to put theory into performance, practice operations, and develop
troubleshooting skills in a controlled environment.

The plant uses a distillation process to separate methanol from water and
was funded through a grant between Nunez, Tulane, and Xavier University by
the Louisiana Board of Regents' Research Competitiveness and Education
Enhancement Program. 

According to Don Hoffman, director of Technology Programs at Nunez, these
visits continue to satisfy "one of the premises of the grant, which is to
enhance communications between operators and engineers in petrochemical
plants."

Dr. Vijay John, Tulane instructor of chemical and biomolecular engineering,
and principal investigator of the grant, accompanied the students on their
visit.