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Interview
The multisectoral skills of a heat transfer engineer
Naomi Jabbari is a heat transfer engineer for S & B ENGINEERS AND
CONSTRUCTORS , based in Houston , Texas , USA . Naomi ’ s role is vast and varied , ranging from equipment selection to thermal and mechanical design , and purchase ordering . Naomi is also the Chairperson for our Heat
Exchanger World Americas Conference & Expo which will take place in Houston , Texas on 1st and 2nd December . We spoke with Naomi to discuss her work in multiple industry sectors , the challenges she faces and how she overcomes them .
By Ellie Pritchard , Heat Exchanger World
Naomi Jabbari , Professional Engineer for S & B ENGINEERS & CONSTRUCTORS
Naomi Jabbari draws from a background in mechanical engineering and a Master ’ s degree in energy studies to fulfil an extensive and varied role . “ When I was taking my Bachelor ’ s degree , I realized I had a real interest in heat transfer , thermodynamics and fluid mechanics . I finally settled on heat transfer and joined the oil and gas sector ”, Naomi says . She has been working as a heat transfer engineer for 13 years and currently works for S & B ENGINEERS AND CONSTRUCTORS as a professional engineer . The company offers in-house engineering , procurement , direct-hire construction , and fabrication services to multiple industries across the US and beyond .
A connecting link Naomi explains that there are many aspects to her role as heat transfer engineer . “ I select the appropriate type of heat exchanger required for certain applications . There are more conventional types such as shell and tube exchangers , air coolers , hairpin and electric heaters - I do both thermal design and mechanical design for those exchangers . This means also composing mechanical documents and data sheets .” As well as this , Naomi also selects technical parts directly from suppliers as a requisition engineer , meaning that she is also responsible for sourcing appropriate producers and assessing their quality .
“ I would describe my role as a connection between end users and manufacturers . I am connecting these two stages together by designing the exchangers , and then selecting specific equipment purchased from suppliers and manufacturers . I then provide the equipment to the end user , which is a refinery or petrochemical plant , for example .”
Unique design every time Much of Naomi ’ s work is conducted through oil and gas or petrochemical projects in the down- and mid-stream sectors . The company can handle responsibilities from process engineering , mechanical engineering , piping , and inspection . It is this variety of projects that Naomi enjoys most . “ Working as a heat transfer engineer means that I am not limited to just one sector ”, she explains . “ Depending on the project requirements , I can apply my design and engineering skills to oil fractionation , or natural gas facilities , or petrochemical process units and biofuels .” But this range of work is also challenging , especially when switching between projects from different industries . “ Different clients need different types of equipment for different processes , so we have to be familiar with all of these requirements and know the exact specifications ,” Naomi says . “ So it is challenging , but also it is very interesting . It is not a boring job ; every part of the process is very unique . Each time
30 Heat Exchanger World April 2023