Mr. Noel Romey (B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas, 2004), is currently interning in PROCESS’ Oak Ridge, Tennessee office.  Noel is unique in that he is, as far as anyone knows, the first blind since birth chemical engineer in history!  His internship is part of his graduate school work and is meant to demonstrate his ability to do commercial sector chemical engineering as well as to discover the technological obstacles that need to be overcome in the future such that he can become a fully-independent worker in a competitive free market environment.

Using specialized equipment, Noel can perform computer process simulations using PROCESS’ licensed commercial process simulation software, Chemstations’ CHEMCAD.  Thus far, Noel has produced several comprehensive petroleum refinery simulations:

  • Diesel hydrotreater
  • Amine treater
  • Scot tail gas unit
  • Fuel gas treater
  • Sour water stripper

In addition, Noel has generated simulations for client-specific projects in the Oak Ridge office:

  • Methanol and glycerine fractionation systems for a biodiesel production facility
  • High-purity propylene fractionation system for a hydrocarbon light ends production company

Noel has also performed a boiling point curve analysis of a hydrocarbon feed stream and characterized the stream in terms of paraffinic hydrocarbon compounds in support of a process evaluation project.  Finally, he completed the simulation that appears in PROCESS’ Excel Interface demonstration video and wrote the original text for the demonstration verbal presentation.

It has been a great learning experience, for both Noel and PROCESS.  We are very glad to have him here.