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Attendees will acquire valuable industry insights to take back to their organizations, and add to their professional network with the sharing of ideas, questions and experiences. | Image: Texas A&M Engineering

The Turbomachinery Laboratory (Turbo Lab) is offering entry-level and experienced engineers a chance to break from the office, network with colleagues and learn from the brightest minds in the industry.

The Turbo Lab will host three continuing education short courses in Houston in late March. Courses run concurrently and are held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Intercontinental Airport hotel. Attendees will receive a 10 percent discount when they register by Feb. 21.

Each short course offers continuing education unit (CEU) credits and is taught by one or more field experts with broad industrial knowledge. Attendees will glean valuable industry insights to take back to their organizations, and add to their professional network with the sharing of ideas, questions and experiences.

The Turbo Lab, a center of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), has offered short courses since 1995, building upon Texas A&M University’s tradition of continuing education and professional development. 

“Stand-alone short courses offer attendees the opportunity to delve deep into specific subject matter,” said Dr. Dara W. Childs, director of the Turbo Lab. “The courses are presented by instructors with extensive relevant backgrounds to the course materials including troubleshooting, diagnosis and testing.”

Courses Offered

  • Centrifugal Compressor Operations for 21st Century Users
  • Date: March 21-24, 2017
  • CEU Credits: 2.8

Centered on centrifugal gas compression, the Centrifugal Compressor Operations course begins with an introduction of basic centrifugal compressor technology, including an overview of the components and nomenclature. It progresses through the design and selection processes with an overview of the various analytical tools employed. It concludes with project installation, commissioning and maintenance.

Who should attend?

This course is intended for novice and experienced oil and gas professionals with basic knowledge of centrifugal gas compressors.

Instructors:

  • Jigger Jumonville – Owner of Jumonville Engineering
  • J. Jeffery Moore – Principal Engineer, Southwest Research Institute
  • Peter C. Rasmussen – Owner of Rasmussen Machinery Cons. LLC
  • James M. Sorokes – Principal Development Engineer, Dresser-Rand, A Siemens Business
Rotordynamics
Date: March 21-24, 2017
CEU Credits: 2.8

The Rotordynamics short course focuses on turbomachines, including turbines, compressors, expanders, motors, pumps and generators. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the rotordynamics of these machines and their subcomponents to help select, analyze, troubleshoot and repair them for maximum reliability and minimum vibration problems. The course is not math-intensive and includes histories and workshops for hands-on evaluation of actual machines. 

Who should attend?

The course is intended for beginning and intermediate engineers in the petroleum, chemical, power and gas industries, as well as individuals interested in the dynamics of rotating machinery.

Instructor:

  • Malcom Leader – Turbomachinery consultant, owner of Applied Machinery Dynamics
  • Dry Gas Sealing Systems
  • Date: March 21-23, 2017
  • CEU Credits: 1.9

This two and a half day short course considers major aspects of dry gas seal systems applications and operation and provides a review of dry gas seal theory, an in-depth analysis of system application and design, and a guide to seal and system component selection. Attendees will also get an overview of system reliability, safety and troubleshooting.

Who should attend?

The course is intended for entry-level to intermediate engineers.

Instructors:

  • Vladimir Bakalchuk – Global Technology Transfer Lead at Flowserve Corporation
  • Jim McCraw – Senior Rotating Equipment Engineer at BP America, Inc.
  • Rich Hosanna – Manager of T28 Applications Engineering at John Crane

To register or to learn more about the courses and instructors, visit turbolab.tamu.edu or contact Debbie Maggs at debbie@turbo-lab.tamu.edu or 979-845-7114.

In addition to stand-alone short courses, the Turbo Lab offers one-day short courses in conjunction with the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS), held each September in Houston. TPS, presented entirely by the Turbo Lab, hosts the premier professional continuing education program relied upon by rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide, spanning oil and gas, petrochemical, power, aerospace, chemical and water industries.