Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
At Generac, I manage the microgrid control system projects engineering team. With extensive experience in power generation controls and automation, I lead our team to provide the best possible microgrid controls solutions. As part of this, I also focus on continuous improvement of our project process. As the business grows, it is critical that our processes scale and are well documented and communicated to team members. I listen to our customers and constantly evaluate how generac’s products and processes can evolve to better meet customer needs. Microgrid power systems have a critical role in the evolution of electrical infrastructure. Microgrids increase power system resiliency, reduce long-term energy costs, and enable the integration of renewable energy resources. Every project presents unique challenges. I am passionate about ensuring our customers' microgrids are optimized to their specific application needs.
At Woodward, I managed critical customer accounts, supporting customer sales staff, technical proposals, and end-user support in Gas Turbine Control System applications. In my role, I facilitated customer requests for quotation, evaluated new business opportunities, presented on Woodward product offerings. I also reported on account sales forecast vs actual performance data.
As a Project Engineer, I planned and carried out engineering efforts in gas turbine and balance of plant control system retrofits. In this role, I gained experienced in the following specific areas: Controls and Instrumentation: -Rockwell/Allen-Bradley Control Hardware -Woodward valves, drivers, and actuators -Rosemont Transmitters -RSLogix Software -PLC5, SLC500, controllogix, compactlogix -GE MarkIV Software -Woodward GAP Software Networking: -Device Level Ring (DLR) IO network -Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP) Loop -Prosoft Communications Gateways -ModBus -DNP3 -EtherNet IP Visualization: -FactoryTalk View SE HMI Deployment -PlantPAx Distributed System Deployment -Thinclient / Virtualized server Deployment System Knowledge: -GE LM6000, aero-derivative gas turbines -GE Industrial Frame gas turbines -Pratt and Whitney FT4 aero-derivative gas turbines -Solar Light Industrial gas turbines -Mechanical System Commissioning -RO water treatment -SCR with ammonia injection -Plant cooling water systems -Boiler Systems
I began my first full-time job after graduating as a mechanical engineer in the EthosEnergy International Rotation Program. The program offered a wide range of engineering as well as international exposure in power plant and rotating equipment services. I completed four six-month rotations scattered in the US as well as internationally. The locations and work descriptions were as follows: 1. East Windsor, CT, USA: Tooling and fixture development for gas turbine fuel injector repairs 2. Houston, TX, USA: Production support, process improvement, and cost-benefit analysis for full-engine overhaul for light industrial gas turbines 3. Yanbu, Saudi Arabia: Field team project management and mechanical commissioning of balance of plant and boiler systems 4. Loveland, CO, USA: Gas turbine and balance of plant control system development Besides gaining vast experience in engineering work across the business, I also strengthened my public speaking ability by presenting my work to the senior executive team at the EthosEnergy HQ after completing each rotation. I also gained awareness in the ‘big picture’ for the types of services EthosEnergy provides. This is one of the invaluable aspects of the rotation program; most new-hire engineers would never get to view a large company with many divisions from this perspective. Additionally, I experienced vastly different work cultures in my rotations. I responded well by learning and adapting to the culture. This helped me contribute quickly and communicate well with others, despite cultural and language obstacles.
As a summer intern, I gained experience in problem solving and Arc GIS software development, using C++ and Arc Objects. I was responsible for taking aerial pictures of the company's completed civil engineering projects using an r/c quad-copter. I had to find a way to make a point-and-shoot digital camera take pictures remotely. I found some open-source code to update my point-and-shoot camera's firmware. This added a time-lapse feature which allowed for on-board photo taking by the drone. The pictures were used for engineering proposals and marketing. In another project, I used C++ and Arc Objects to simulate flows and line capacities in a waste water system mapped by Arc GIS. The goal of the simulation was to allow someone to quickly check if adding a user to a specific point on a waste water line would push the system above its capacity limit. This project yielded good experience in Arc GIS, C++ code development, and understanding design criteria for waste water systems.