Program for Training a Measurement Technician Class 8140
Allen N. Chandler Training Coordinator
ATMOS Energy 15032 Distribution Way Farmers Branch, Texas 75234
Introduction
The need for quality measurement has increased dramatically in the past several years. Deregulation of market pricing structures, open access markets, increased exploration and drilling costs, fierce competition, and new regulatory requirements have all influenced today’s approach to quality measurement methodologies. In fact, the terminology has evolved from “gas volume measurement” to “total energy measurement.” Today not only is the volume of gas a consideration, but also the quantity of energy the gas produces. Our industry has transitioned from the MMCF to the MMBTU for gas measurement.
As technology has advanced, there has been a greater sense of urgency for employee training. The open-access market, which moves greater quantities of natural gas volumes with considerably lower profit margins, became a reality in the mid- to late-eighties. Measuring stations at transportation connects required a degree of accuracy that necessitated measurement personnel skilled in new technology.
Such equipment as chromatograph analyzers, automatic samplers, flow computers, pressure and temperature transducers, and remote terminal units has come to the forefront of technology. New communication structures such as satellite systems, radio frequency data transfer, high-speed telephone modems, and cellular communications offer challenges to the field technician.
Current reorganization trends that flatten company structures translate into a leaner workforce. Utilizing fewer employees to accomplish a higher degree of productivity with emphasis on becoming more customer-focused requires a greater training effort.
The obvious question to many companies is “How do we effectively meet this challenge?”
An adequate training program is essential to meet the demands of increasing technological advances in the gas industry. Knowledgeable, skilled personnel are a key factor for a company to remain successful and competitive through the transformation process and into the future.
Training Options
While some companies traditionally offer training to satisfy legal requirements, training can have a tremendous impact on productivity, economics, and safety in the work place. Effective training of technicians and other key personnel may make the difference between profit and loss to a company.
Traditional “off-the-shelf” training videos or external training sources are not always adequate to meet the specific needs of the measurement technician. Successful training must be targeted to the actual job-related conditions.
How does the technician ensure that the gas sample is representative and delivery to the lab is complete? How are chromatographic problems resolved? Do flow computers reflect an overall picture of the gas volume? Does the RTU communicate effectively to the SCADA System for real-time operational scenarios?
While there are many options available for training an employee, a number of companies choose to operate their own training facilities. There are many benefits to offering in-house training, some of which follow:
1. In-house training affords an excellent medium for extending practices and/or procedures into daily operational practices. Updates and/or changes are readily disseminated to the employee on a company-wide basis.
2. As employees from various locations attend the training, consistency in operational practices reaches all areas of the system.
3. Students train on specific types of equipment that is operated in the field. Emphasis is placed on hands-on training at the training center.
4. A training facility equipped with a flow lab provides an excellent “real world” environment to train employees in specific operational problems encountered in their jobs.
5. A central training facility can also serve as a help or testing resource when employees require technical assistance.
6. Safety, being an integral part of each course, includes training to perform each task safely, as well as technically correct.
Analysis
Before a training facility is established, there are other training considerations to be studied. Who will require training and how extensive must the training be? Needs analysis is very important to identify and target the specific requirements of the employee and the company. This process involves a study of corporate goals and job task analyses that support the long-term goals. The training must enhance the employee skills associated with the specific tasks required to comply with their job descriptions.
The Training Center
The logistics of a training facility are a very important consideration.
In the classroom, each student should be furnished with their own work area, complete with pencils, highlighters, and a calculator. The classroom should be equipped with various training aids such as a slide projector, a video tape deck, an overhead projector, and a personal computer projector. Cutaway display models of various equipment aids the instructor during lectures to demonstrate the equipment. Another effective teaching aid is the use of a desktop personal computer connected to a PC projector. This technology allows the use of software driven slide shows to accompany the instructor’s lecture. The slide show capability virtually replaces the need for an overhead projector and also supports animation.
Another advantage of the system is that operational software used in the field may be displayed and operated in the classroom setting. Such software includes electronic flow computer, chromatograph, gas sampler, odorizer, cathodic protection, and remote terminal unit programs. The PC can be linked to Gas Measurement Services for on-line volume calculation in the mainframe system, and a link can be made for on-line monitoring of the SCADA System in Gas Control. Using a web browser, the system can be linked up to outside resources when required.
An area should be provided for hands-on training. It would consist of workbenches for equipment disassembly/re- assembly with natural gas and compressed air available, as well as a ventilation system. Adjacent to that area, a tool room with multiple sets of tools for the students to use during training should be available.
A flow lab can be an extremely valuable training tool for flow simulation. Our flow lab contains almost every type of meter, controller, regulator, and relief valve used in our system today. All of the meters and regulators are fitted into the same length of spools so that they may be interchanged to suit the particular course being presented. The flow lab also contains two flow computers and a remote terminal unit, which can be connected to the Gas Control Department to simulate field conditions. The flow through the lab uses air instead of natural gas for safety reasons since the laboratory is enclosed. Continuous flow rates in excess of 5,000 cubic feet per hour can be run and flow rates of more than 20,000 cubic feet per hour can be maintained for limited periods of time by the use of a volume storage tank located behind the training center. The lab area also contains all of the latest automatic gas samplers and BTU determination equipment. The flow lab is designed to allow the instructors to simulate virtually any operational problem that the employee may face in the field. In this way, the students learn how to perform repairs and handle most situations before they are subjected to actual emergency situations.
The flow lab is also used to test and evaluate new equipment before our company accepts it for purchase. It allows engineering and training personnel to work together on the equipment in a centrally located facility.
Equipment considered for purchase is subjected to rigorous testing within its limitations before a purchase decision is reached.
The remainder of the building is used for office space, restrooms, storage, break area and a copy room.
Training Approaches
Currently our training center is under the supervision of the Operations Support, under the management of Gary Thigpen who is the director of our department. Mr. Thigpen, recognizing the importance of “customer satisfaction,”
elected to survey the operating district employees to determine their specific needs. The survey provided a quantifiable database for determining a level of interest in:
1. Courses previously presented in-house, and
2. Courses that needed to be developed or acquired in the future based on identified “gaps” in training.
It also resulted in a multi-faceted approach for training to meet today’s technology. A combination of classroom instruction, self-study modules, computer-based training via CD ROMs and/or the company web intranet, and on- the-job training all became an integral part of the overall scope of the program. These options are furnished to field locations as a prerequisite to attending the Training Center or for employees requiring refresher training.
A move of our training courses into electronic formats utilizing PowerPoint slide presentations and associated formats make the courses accessible to any employee through our company intranet for preview prior to attending a course.
Selecting Instructors
There is no single item more important than the instructor’s credibility with the students. Students with field experience can determine within minutes after a class begins how knowledgeable an instructor is on a particular subject.
Our instructors have worked in the field environment prior to working at the training center and are able to relate well to the students. Years of technical work in the field lend itself to the instructor’s expertise.
Technical Training Committee
A technical training committee consisting of operations upper management and field superintendents/supervisors, as well as a cross section of field technicians, comprises a valuable team for training decisions. The committee can serve to identify organizational and corporate goals for training and to approve the self-study instructional modules, which are developed by the instructors for the courses. The modules must be technically correct, legally defensible, and fulfill regulatory compliance criteria before they are published and distributed to the employees. The content typically should support the company’s operation and procedures manual.
Training Center Curriculum
Following is a brief description of the measurement courses offered at our facility:
Fundamentals of Measurement
An entry level orientation course that includes basic mathematics, geometry, gas law equations, A.G.A. Report #3 calculations, and basic chemistry. Also contains instruction on measurement devices, flow calculation, testing standards, and gas contracts. A field trip to the Gas Measurement Department and to the Laboratory may be included.
Module: Fundamentals of Natural Gas 10% hands-on training 90% lecture
Regulators and Relief Valves
Instruction in the operation and maintenance of spring-loaded and pilot-loaded regulators. Includes pneumatic controllers. Students disassemble equipment that has failed in the field and analyze the problem. Relief valve testing and set-point is demonstrated in the flow lab under actual flowing conditions.
60% hands-on training 40% lecture Basic Electronics
Course offers basic electrical concepts, electronic components, integrated circuits, electronic data transmission, and an in-depth study of remote terminal units and electronic transducers. Specific instruction on RTU's, including installation, operation, and maintenance of the unit. Includes instruction on National Electrical Code compliance in coordination with company policy. In the flow lab, students operate/download to an RTU from a laptop computer, calibrate transducers, and observe calculated gas flow, pressure, and temperature on display in actual flow conditions.
Module: Basic Electronics 28 hours 50% hands-on training 50% lecture Flow Computers
Instruction on how to install, calibrate, operate, and maintain electronic flow computers. Includes discussion of basic flow measurement techniques. Flow computers are observed on-line in the flow lab when interfaced with a laptop computer. Collections and calibrations are performed.
Module: Introduction to Flow Computers 70% hands-on training 30% lecture Gas Sampling – Quality Assurance
Instruction in correct spot sampling procedures. Includes operation and maintenance of various types of automatic samplers, operation of various instruments for BTU determination, and moisture analyzers.
Module: Gas Sampling 60% hands-on training 40% lecture Pneumatic/Electronic Controllers
Instruction includes operation, calibration, and maintenance of pneumatic/electronic controllers. Discuss types of control loops and hands-on demonstration on tuning a loop in the flow lab under flowing conditions.
80% hands-on training 20% lecture SCADA – RTU Operations
Instruction includes discussion of the functions of the SCADA System and how field operations interfaces with the system. Includes transducer verification/calibration and remote terminal unit operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
100% hands-on training Class Structure
Each class is limited to a maximum of eight-to-twelve students, depending on the particular course. This size group provides for better class participation and allows all students to operate the hands-on equipment being
demonstrated. Classes are informal and students are encouraged to participate in class discussions, ask questions, and share helpful information dealing with problems they may have encountered on the job. This sharing of experience is a valuable training tool and an added benefit of bringing employees together from different locations.
Occasionally, we invite personnel from Engineering as guest instructors particularly when design is a consideration (such as measurement stations, which are governed by company standard drawings). Additionally, vendors are invited to participate in specific blocks of instruction when applicable.
In many of the classes, students repair equipment that has failed in the field and analyze failure points. Field trips are included to allow the students to observe the operations of other functions within our company such as Gas Control, Gas Measurement, and Laboratory Services.
At the end of each course, the students take final exams to determine what they have learned. The final course grade is based on an average of the final exam, class participation, and hands-on participation (if applicable). A passing score is 80% or better. If a student does not successfully demonstrate proficiency in the course, the student’s supervisor is notified and the employee may be scheduled to retake the course at a later date. The scores are recorded as a Pass/Fail and are entered into the company’s database. Each student’s records are maintained in the system for future reference.
Response to Training
Feedback is very important to assess the direction of training and to make necessary changes. At the conclusion of each day’s instruction, the students evaluate the instructor(s) on such items as communication ability, qualifications, course content and materials. They are encouraged to discuss the training with their supervisor once they return to their field location. The supervisor notifies the training committee if a change is requested.
The committee takes all requests under advisement at their next scheduled meeting.
We always welcome suggestions and strive for excellence in our overall instructional skill and methodologies.
Conclusion
As a result of a quality training program the level of technical expertise of employees can greatly improve while increasing consistency company-wide to standardize work practices.
With the ever-changing technological environment in which we operate today, an efficient training program is essential to improve the employee’s job performance. Knowledgeable, skilled employees can ensure the overall success of a company to remain competitive and profitable.