Interactive Control Podcast
If you work with controls as an Operator, Engineer, Maintenance Person, or Plant Manager, this podcast is for you. Our focus is on answering real questions and solving real problems with real controls experts. We will cover topics such as unit startup issues, alarm rationalization, loop tuning, instrumentation calibration, various system overviews, component breakdowns, and more.
*Voted one of theTop 20 Instrumentation Podcasts of 2021*
Podcast
Lessons Learned from Controls Project Management
Summary:In this episode I discuss controls project management and ways you can help your project run more smoothly with my guest Brett Maclaren.
Topics Covered:
- Brett’s experience as a nuclear submarine officer
- Responsibilities of a controls project manager
- Common challenges and advice for controls projects
Guest Bio:
Brett is the North American Projects Director for the Controls Business Line of GE Vernova based out of Longmont, CO. In his current role, Brett is responsible for the team of project managers executing controls upgrades in North America, as well as regional P&L accountability and forecasting. Past roles include Commercial Manager and Project Manager, as well as serving 8 years active duty as a US Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer. He has a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear & Radiological Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University. Since leaving the military, he has volunteered extensively in mentoring and supporting veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce and enjoys spending time with his wife and two young boys.
Additional Resources:
Cogeneration – Maximizing Profits While Reducing Emissions
Summary:In this episode I discuss ways to maximize profits while reducing emissions in cogeneration operations with my guests, Ben Janvier and Mike Schoof.
Topics Covered:
- What is Industrial Cogeneration?
- Areas of missed opportunities
- How Advanced Process Control can help
Guest Bio:
Ben Janvier, MSc in Chemical Engineering, is the president of Enero Solutions. Enero has offices in Montreal and Lyon and is a result-oriented company that offers engineering services, training, simulations and advanced controls solutions to assist clients in meeting their business objectives. Before starting Enero Solutions in 2004, Ben worked for EnTech Controls in Toronto as a Process Control Consultant and as a Senior Process Control Consultant for Emerson Process Management based in Austin, Texas.
Mike Schoof is currently the Global Industrial Commercial Strategy Leader for Nexus Controls. He has over 30 years of experience in various commercial roles in the industrial and energy turbine and plant control space, having worked for GE, Baker Hughes and Woodward. He has a particular passion for helping customers who generate power and steam to reach their reliability, safety, optimization, sustainability and OT cybersecurity protection goals. Mike is currently in an MIT Sloan Strategy and Innovation Executive Certificate program, has an MBA and an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree.
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Generator Control & Protection: What’s the Difference?
Topics Covered:
- Difference between Generator Control and Protection
- How a Generator works
- Different methods of protection equipment and personnel
- What operators need to be watching for and controlling toward
Guest Bio:
Chris is currently an application engineer for turbine controls and generator excitation, supporting the Nexus Controls sales managers throughout North America. He started his career in a training program of rotating assignments in several GE factory and sales office locations. Then he moved into sales, representing GE for a range of engineered equipment used by some of the largest industrial customers – primarily turbines, generators, transformers, switchgear, motor control, motors, and drives. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and is originally from the Chicago area, but currently lives in Houston, Texas.
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Some bonus info about vars and power factor:
With purely resistive loads, current and voltage waves are in phase (power factor = 1.0), and the plot of power over time (current x voltage at each instant of time) is a sine wave, always non-negative
Surge Phenomena on Centrifugal Compressors
Summary:In this episode I discuss surge phenomena on centrifugal compressors with my guest, Sangram Ghanto.
Topics Covered:
- What is surge phenomena is and its potential impacts
- How it happens and how to protect against it
- What to look for when choosing your compressor control system
Guest Bio:
Sangram is currently the Services Technical Leader for Compressor Controls & Nexus OnCore DCS at Nexus Controls. He has over 15 years of experience, with past roles including Lead Controls Engineer for Steam Turbine, Moto-compressor, Turbo Expanders and Centrifugal & Reciprocating compressors. He has a Bachelor of Engineering in electronics and instrumentation.
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Overspeed Protection – What’s the Big Deal?
Summary:In this episode I discuss overspeed protection – what it is, why you should care, and what you can do about it – with my guest, Steve Foss.
Topics Covered:
- What is Overspeed Protection?
- Example problems and their impact
- Recommendations for implementing
- Other important factors
Guest Bio:
Steve is currently a Senior Engineering Manager for Mechanical and Packaged Systems for Nexus Controls based out of Longmont, Colorado. Past roles include Quality Leader, Mechanical Systems Engineering Manager, Mechanical Systems Engineer, and Field Service Engineer. He has extensive experience with turbine controls conversions, modifications, and upgrades on most of the turbine manufacturer types still in operation, having worked for Woodward Governor Company, General Electric Company, and Baker Hughes. Steve also served a total of 23 years between active duty and reserves in the United States Air Force as an aviator. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and 26 years of experience in the turbomachinery controls industry.
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Nuclear Energy Part 4 – Fusion is Fun!
Summary:这是在ν三系列的最后一集clear energy with my guest Paul Rix. In this episode we discuss Fusion – its history, challenges, and current status. We even get to hear what it sounds like. We end with a summary of the key points from the overall series. You won’t want to miss this exciting conclusion!
Guest Bio:
Paul is a retired specialist in the field of industrial process automation. During his 30+ years in this field he has worked in international management roles for national and international companies covering all aspects of the I&C business. Most recently he specialised in Global Account & Product Management and has held a variety of senior roles involving extensive global travel and long-term postings in the Middle East and Asia.Academically he holds UK bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics and engineering respectively and is both a European Registered Professional Engineer and UK Chartered Engineer.
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Questions or Topic Ideas?
The title of this podcast isInteractive Controlfor a reason. If you have a topic you’d like us to cover that we haven’t yet, please send me a message over LinkedIn or email me atMichelle.Rosinski@BakerHughes.comand we’ll do our best to cover it in a future episode.