PROJECTS

Here are a couple of my major projects.

The latest episode was a reversal of instrumentation and controls jobs. It involved creating programs and the math to make a simulation look like an operating factory.

Longest project started as a short term contract that continued to be extended for six plus years. The copany nickname was "The Lazy B" but that moniker does not apply to contract employs. In fact, I put in enough overtime to buy an airplane.

Latest Project

Simulation Engineer

Employed by GP Strategies, (Pueblo, Colorado location) April 2014 to November 2015

GP Strategies provides training for all the personal at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-destruction Pilot Plant, aka PCAPP. This is a multi-year, multi-billion dollar facility that has been designed to destroy WWII chemical weapons. Over ¾ million munitions that are at the Army Depot are scheduled for destruction. The Facilities Control System operators are being trained on a system that uses the same Honeywell and Rockwell control programs that are being used at the plant. The real world process equipment is being simulated with custom software. The simulation software animates the operator graphics and provides for normal operations and upset conditions.

Most of the processes at PCAPP are standard for most processing plants. There are a substantial number of systems of varying complexity. About 30 systems are being taught on the simulators. Each has a complement of motors, pumps, blowers, valves, heaters, coolers, and other standard and some uncommon components. The instrumentation for the systems is quite extensive. Each device usually has multiple inputs into the control system with both analog and discrete signals. Each system averages several hundred real world Input / Output (I/O) points and usually additional signals going between the Operator Station Terminals and the control system programs.

The overall Facility Control System is referred to as a Distributed Control System (DCS). Multiple communications paths and technologies are in use. Some communications are standard in the industry while others are proprietary. Several standard and proprietary programming languages are in use. Three out of four of the IEC 61131-3 defined languages are in common use at the plant.

This is a large project. Most of the control system engineers are tasked with a couple systems. The simulation engineers get to delve into dozens of systems. The simulation programming is usually created in the language that was used to create the control system. Even then, substantial differences exist between the Honeywell Function Block programs and the Rockwell Automation L5000 Function Block programs. Both Ladder Logic and Structured Text programs for repetitive operations can be produced in quantity with an Excel spreadsheet. Most Automation engineers are tasked with a few systems. I had to learn 30 systems operation, programming code, and the simulation code.

Longest Project

Process Controls Engineer

Under contract to Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Fabrication Division Facilities 1988 to 1994 and direct contracts afterwards.

This job started as a 6 month contract job. The engineer who hired me got pulled off on a high profile project. He left me with a simple instruction, "If there is a problem out there [in the composites fabrication building], you own it". This temporary job extended past 6 years.

Provided Process Controls and related support for major upgrades of the aircraft composite structures manufacturing facility in Auburn, Washington and a new composite facility in Frederickson, Washington. Provided programming of PLCs and Honeywell TDC 3000 distributed control system.

Rebuilt control systems on three existing autoclaves and made new controls for a fourth. The first two were 8 feet in diameter and one had 27 PID control loops. The larger autoclave was 23 feet in diameter. Hundreds of thermocouples were configured. The vacuum lines used motor operated valves required guaranteed full travel and duty cycle limitations. Distributed Controls based on TDC-3000 and Honeywell PLCs..Provided programming for a new 15 foot diameter autoclave that was dedicated to 737 cowls and thrust reversers.

Team member on major new facility that is used to build the horizontal and vertical stabilizers on the Boeing 777 and now the 787. The original schedule for the new facility called for a 3 year project, however the team had to have it done in two years and we succeeded. The batching & recipe program that I designed has been used as a prototype by another autoclave controls vendor.