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Canada-Japan Co-op Program
Experiential Report Internship Period: June 2011 - August
2011
Sumitomo Chemical Corporation
5-1 Sobiraki-cho
Niihama, Ehime, Japan 792-8521
http://www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/
Cherie Tan
University of British Columbia
Chemical and Biological Engineering
August 31, 2011
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Table of Contents
1. Company History and Overview1
2. Department/Organization 2.1 Roles and Responsibilities..2 2.2
Work Environment3
3. Living Arrangements5
4. Cultural Experiences
4.1 Daily Life.6 4.2 Summer Activities.7
5. Recommendations for students...9
6. Conclusion..10
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1. Company History and Overview
The origin of Sumitomo Chemical dates back to 1913 when the
House of Sumitomo
aimed to solve the problem of sulphur dioxide emissions from the
Besshi Copper Mines
in Ehime, Japan. A plant was initially constructed to produce
fertilizers from sulphur
dioxide but over the years, the company has expanded its
business, products and
services not only within Japan but also worldwide. The Sumitomo
Group currently has
19 major independent companies and Sumitomo Chemical is one of
them.
Sumitomo Chemical has five sectors, Basic Chemicals,
Petrochemicals and Plastics,
IT-related Chemicals, Health and Crop Sciences and
Pharmaceuticals. There are
various plants located throughout Japan with the oldest based in
Niihama, Ehime where
Sumitomo Chemical was founded. Three industrial districts
currently exist in Niihama,
and they are: Ehime Works (Niihama District), Ohe Works and
Ehime Works (Kikumoto
District). Ehime Works is the domestic base for the Basic
Chemicals sector and some of
its major products include Caprolactum, Methionine,
Acrylonitrile, Polymethyl
Methacrylate resin and many more.
Figure 1. One of the old entrances to the
Besshi Copper Mines on Besshiyama
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2. Department and Work Environment
2.1 Role and Responsibilities
As a Co-op student at Sumitomo Chemical, I was part of the
Process Systems
Engineering (PSE) Group which is within the Process and
Production Technology
Center at Ehime Works. The Process and Production Technology
Center focuses on
chemical research to study new processes for the plants and
improve existing ones.
There are three Centers in Japan based in Osaka, Chiba and
Ehime.
The PSE Group at Ehime Works consists of two teams. One team
focuses on
process control while our team focuses on the use of
Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) in the design of new plant processes or improvement of an
existing one.
I learnt about the basics of CFD and its applications to
industrial problems, focusing
particularly on multiphase flow. I began learning about the
applications of CFD by
performing basic simulations such as heat flow and CSTR
exercises. This also helped
me to understand the basics of programming. From there, I
developed codes using the
Fortran programming language to carry out various simulations of
fluid flow before
moving on to multiphase flow. Following that, I was able to test
various numerical
schemes and compared them to assess their effectiveness for the
individual simulations
performed. Thus, I was able to select the best scheme for
carrying out the simulations
for cases in which the sharpness of the interface along with
mass conservation were
very important. I also had the opportunity to conduct
visualization experiments for
comparison with the earlier simulations performed. The
experiments provided an
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excellent means of confirming our simulation results and a
better understanding of the
phenomenon occurring.
The role as an intern in the team really expanded my knowledge
of basic
programming and the applications of fluid dynamics in a chemical
plant. Prior to this
work term, I only had a basic understanding of computer
programming and also a
limited understanding of how fluid dynamics was applied beyond a
theoretical viewpoint.
With this work experience, I am able to better understand fluid
dynamics, its
applications and also the usage of Fortran and simulation
softwares such as Fluent. All
these I can apply to my final year of undergraduate study.
Furthermore, the experience
working in a large scale chemical plant has definitely been a
rewarding one. As part of
the work introduction, we were taken on a site visit of one of
the plants at Ehime Works
and we were briefed on the production process of Methionine.
2.2 Work Environment
Our group consists of 13 members lead by our Group Manager and
our 2 team
leaders. All the members of our group are extremely caring,
humble and approachable
people. They are patient with our learning and enthusiastic
about sharing the Japanese
culture with us. Having this opportunity to work with them has
been an enriching and
unforgettable experience. One major aspect of the Japanese
culture is the politeness of
the people whether at work or in the community. No matter where
we are, a friendly
greeting can be heard or even a tiny bow is given to strangers.
These are the small
actions that help to start conversations and practice our
Japanese language skills!
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Furthermore, the group/teams threw various welcome parties for
the interns which
helped to bond the co-workers together. The company really
emphasizes on building
good relationships between co-workers by organizing events to
allow us to get to know
one another better. A lot of effort is placed to help newcomers
feel comfortable with the
work environment.
Figure 2. Welcome party at the companys clubhouse
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3. Living Arrangements
There are various company dormitories throughout the city for
all Sumitomo
employees. The dormitory that Co-op students and interns are
assigned to is relatively
new and equipped with a cafeteria, gym and activities room. Two
meals are provided at
the cafeteria each day at a reasonable cost (250 yen for
breakfast and 450 yen for
dinner) and the dormitory personnel are extremely friendly and
approachable. A single
room is assigned to each individual and this includes a private
washroom with shower
and bath, small kitchen and bedroom. A common laundry area can
also be found on
each floor and the use of the washer, dryer and iron is free of
charge.
Figure 3. Company Dormitory Figure 4. Typical dinner at the
dormitory cafeteria
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4. Cultural Experiences
4.1 Daily Life
Throughout my stay in Japan, there were plenty of opportunities
for experiencing the
uniqueness of the Japanese culture. Beginning with the living
arrangements, our
dormitory rooms had a traditional tatami bed and futon in place
of a typical mattress.
Also, it is customary to greet others in the hallway with Ohayou
Gozaimasu, Konnichiwa
or Konbanwa depending on the time of day. Meals served in the
cafeteria almost always
had rice, miso soup and seaweed as part of the set, which are
staple foods in Japan. As
an employee at Sumitomo Chemical, we were provided bicycles for
our daily
transportation purposes. This was a challenge for me but an
absolutely rewarding
experience considering that cycling is an extremely common mode
of transportation for
the Japanese people.
Figure 5. Cycling to work during Japans monsoon season
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4.2 Summer Activities
Since my work term took place for the duration of the summer, I
had the opportunity
to participate in various summer activities. These include
summer festivals such as the
famous Gion Matsuri and Sumitomo Chemicals Natsu Matsuri. This
gave us an
opportunity to meet family members of our co-workers and enjoy
performances put up
by the various departments. The festive spirit and enthusiasm of
the Japanese people is
undeniably an amazing part of their culture. Furthermore, we had
many chances to
travel and go sightseeing on weekends to Osaka, Kyoto,
Hiroshima, etc. Each city in
Japan has its own history and unique cultures for us to
experience and enjoy. In order
to brush up on our language skills, we took Japanese classes
twice a week conducted
by a volunteer organization. This gave us the opportunity to
meet other foreigners and
learn more about the language together.
Figure 6. Matsuyama Castle in Ehime
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Figure 7. Crowds of people at the famous Gion Matsuri in
Kyoto
Figure 8. Dressed in the traditional yukata
for Sumitomos Natsu Matsuri Figure 9. Itsukushima Torii
(floating
gate) in Miyajima, Hiroshima
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5. Recommendations for students
In order to ease the transition from North America to life in
Japan, I would highly
recommend an open heart and mind to accept a culture that is
similar to ours in some
ways yet different in many others. The Japanese culture is so
richly developed from
history and generations of tradition. Once settled in, the
customs and mannerisms are
easy to get used to. On the contrary, living in a smaller city
like Niihama might actually
be an easier transition for Co-op students given that the pace
of life is a little slower
than that of bigger cities and less of a concrete jungle
environment. Furthermore, the
chances to experience a typical Japanese lifestyle are higher in
smaller cities too.
For my internship position at Sumitomo Chemical, I would
recommend that students
have a basic knowledge of computer programming and an interest
in fluid dynamics.
Although prior experience in programming is not absolutely
necessary for the position, it
would benefit the student to have a little knowledge beforehand.
Most importantly, the
student should have a passion for learning as this is one of the
main contributors
towards completing a successful and fulfilling work term. As
long as the student
possesses an enthusiastic attitude and mindset, they will easily
transition into the work
and culture here.
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6. Conclusion
Working in Japan for two and a half months has been a really
amazing experience
despite the short stay. I had plenty of opportunities to
experience the culture and
traditions of Japan in a different way than if I was a
traveller. Being able to live and work
in another country and another continent has definitely been an
eye-opener with many
unforgettable stories.
In addition, being able to work for a large chemical corporation
has definitely been
the most rewarding experience for my Co-op duration. The skills
and knowledge that I
have acquired here will no doubt be of great use towards the
rest of my academic and
career development.
I really appreciate the efforts of the Canada-Japan Co-op
Program in helping me
secure a placement here in Japan and also Sumitomo Chemical for
giving me the
opportunity to experience life here as an intern. I would highly
recommend the program
to all students looking for a chance to experience work and life
in a country so rooted in
culture and tradition and also to work for an excellent company
like Sumitomo Chemical.