2018 RETA Breeze Jul-Aug

RETA BREEZE

REFRIGERATING ENGINEERS & TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION

jULy/AUgUST 2018

comIng Soon: nATIonAL conFEREncE In DALLAS

Safety Information Education Programs Industry Updates

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BREEZE

e RETA Breeze is the o cial publication of the Refrigerating

Engineers & Technicians Association (RETA). RETA is an international not- for-pro t association whose mission is to enhance the professional development of industrial refrigeration operating and technical engineers. Don Chason Executive Editor 704-455-3551 Jim Barron Executive Director

Tips for creating an eyewash/safety shower station page 6

jim@reta.com Sara Louber Senior Director, O ce Operations

sara@reta.com Dan Reisinger Certi cation Manager dan@reta.com

InSIDE ThIS ISSUE Message from the President .............4 RAGAGEP: But It’s Not Possible .....6 Eyewash/safety shower stations Call for Annual Awards Nominations.......................................9 Send your nominations today PSM/RMP Compliance Audits......10 Who should perform them? Part 2 Conference Corner..........................12 See you November 6-9 in Dallas, TX Remembering Herb Rosen.............15 Dissecting Industrial Refrigeration ....................................16 Rates and pressures

Peggy Wiederkehr Conference Manager peggy@reta.com Dan Denton Chapter Relations Manager ddenton@reta.com Jim Price Education Manager jprice@reta.com

Get to Know SocialLink .................18 Management of Change..................20 Have we captured all of the impacts of change? What is Maintenance Procedure?........................................22 Why should you care? Form a RETA Chapter ....................25 RETA’s Testing & ANSI Guru ........26 Take advantage of RETA resources Certi cation Honor Roll.................28 Epic Fail ............................................29 Float Switch Fuse e Shade Tree Mechanic...............30 I ain’t sexist

e information in this publication is based on the collective experience of industry engineers and technicians. Although the information is intended to be comprehensive and thorough, it is subject to change. e Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association expressly disclaims any warranty of tness for a particular application, as well as all claims for compensatory, consequential or other damages arising out of or related to the uses of this publication. Publication of advertisements in Breeze , or any other RETA publication, does not constitute endorsement of any products, services or advertisers by RETA and shall not be considered or represented by advertiser as such. Copyright © 2018 Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association.

REFRIGERATING ENGINEERS & TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION 1725 Ferry St. SW, Albany, oR 97322 Telephone: 541.497.2955 | Fax: 541.497.2966 RETA.com

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2017-18 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN Todd Metsker Parker Hanni n Corp. R/S Division PRESIDENT Eric Girven, CARO, CIRO, RAI Devault Refrigeration EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Arlie Farley, CARO, CIRO Farley’s S.R.P., Inc. TREASURER Vern Sanderson, CIRO, RAI Wagner-Meinert, LLC SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Eric Teale, CARO Cargill DIRECTORS Troy Baker Independent Contractor Bengie Branham Perdue Farms David Gulcynski, CIRO Dot Foods Inc. Keith Harper, CARO Tyson Foods Michael Hawkins Midatlantic Refrigeration, LLC Matt Hayes, CARO Wagner-Meinert, LLC Jacqueline Kirkman, CIRO Cargill Meat Solutions Frank Kologinczak III Kolo Compression Bill Lape, CARO, CIRO SCS Engineers Pete Lepschat, CIRO, CRES Henningsen Cold Storage, Co. Pete Roggow, CIRO, CRES Trident Seafoods Richard Veloz, Jr., CARO, CIRO C&L Refrigeration COMMITTEE CHAIRS Gene Dumas, CARO, CIRO, RAI Nominations

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDEnT

Summer is in full swing and so is RETA. e Sta has moved into the new building and are getting settled into their surroundings. While the move did take some time to complete, a lot of work continued to go on despite the disruption. If your travels take you to the Albany, Oregon area, please plan a stop in to see the NEW Headquarters. No doubt that Jim and the Sta would be excited to see you. Your Board of Directors have been busy this summer. Several meetings have taken place with many topics being discussed. One topic is the upcoming budget meeting held at HQ.

RETA President Eric Girven

e Executive Committee reviews the budget and provides edits, if needed, in preparation for full Board review and approval at the annual Conference each fall. Many Board Members also travel to the budget meeting as there are other topics discussed and it is good team building as well. e Annual Conference is right around the corner. If you have not done so already I encourage you to register and reserve your room. As with every one of our past Conferences, this year’s event is shaping up to be a great one. Many great topics are currently being reviewed and approved to provide an excellent Education forum for you to attend. It is also a great way to gain required PDH credits to maintain Certi cation status. I look forward to seeing ya’ll there.

Best regards, ~ Eric Girven, CARO/CIRO/RAI President, National Board of Directors

SCS Tracer Environmental Kent Harmon, Education Industrial Consultants Jodie Rukamp, Marketing SCS Tracer Environmental Bret Swanson, Membership Cool Air Mechanical, Inc. Jacqueline Kirkman, CARO National Conference Cargill Meat Solutions Matt Hayes, CARO, Publications Wagner-Meinert, LLC Jim Barron, Executive Director

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POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Rich Products Corporation Refrigeration Technician

Rich’s has been able to pull o something rare in the business world: a culture that successfully blends the latest business practices with family values. at means our associates are able to work for a great company while also bene ting from a work environment that fosters world class professionalism combined with family intimacy. Rich’s currently seeks a self-motivated individual as a Refrigeration Tech to maintain our ammonia refrigeration and nitrogen systems. Ideal candidate must have experience performing daily mechanical and electrical repairs and performing preventative maintenance in a plant setting. Experience with spiral/ ash freezers, air conditioning and chilled water systems preferred. Please apply at https://careers.rich.com

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SAFETy

RAGAGEP: But it’s not possible!

by Lee Pyle, SCS Engineers We are all trying to wrap our heads around how to implement and document R ecognized A nd G enerally A ccepted G ood E ngineering P ractices (RAGAGEP). ere are so many elements to review when codes and standards are released it is di cult to know where to start. One place to start is with the industry improvements associated with life safety. International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) ANSI Standard 2, Safe Design of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems , includes speci cations for new construction and can be a tool to ensure your engine room is keeping up with industry standards especially when it concerns life safety. One change from previous versions of the IIAR Standard 2 is the number and location of eyewash/safety showers. IIAR 2 (2014) is now more in line with OSHA expectations. Section 6.7.1 of IIAR Standard 2 (2014) states “ Each machinery room shall have access to a minimum of two eyewash / safety shower units, one located inside the machinery room and one located outside of the machinery room, each meeting the requirements in Section 6.7.3. Additional eyewash / safety shower units shall be

installed such that the path of travel in the machinery room is no more than 55 to an eyewash / safety shower unit.” In addition, Section 6.7.2 states “ e path of travel within the machinery room to at least one eyewash / safety shower unit shall be unobstructed and shall not include intervening doors.” Excuses: • But my plant is in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, etc. where it snows and freezes in the winter. It is impossible to put an eyewash/safety shower outside the engine room in these locations. • But my plant is in an area prone to vandalism. It is impossible to keep an eyewash/safety shower operational outside the engine room. Well, where there is a will (or the threat of a RAGAGEP citation), there is a way. ere are many other industries outside of the ammonia refrigeration world that require eyewash/safety shower stations be located outside where there is the potential to freeze/snow. Manufacturers are familiar with the requirements and the needs of these other industries in these situations. Freeze-resistant eyewash/safety showers are available for purchase. ese units include

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thermostatically controlled electric heat traced cable/tape as well as an insulation jacket to protect the cable/tape. Some models are rating to prevent freezing down to an ambient temperature of -30°F. ese units are also equipped with automatic thermal actuator bleed valve that opens when internal water temperature drops below 35°F and will not close until the temperature reaches 45°F so the unit is protected against freezing. But OSHA requires that the eyewash/ safety shower provide tepid water (60- 100°F). Temperature control for some of these outdoor units is regulated by 120 volt thermostatically controlled heat traced cable that provides the energy needed to keep the unit at optimal temperature. In addition to purchasing a unit that is designed to handle the low winter temperatures experienced at many locations, the unit needs to be protected.

One facility has installed a secured fencing/gate system to protect the unit. e bonus to this design is that there is another secured barrier to the engine room. is also protects the emergency stop and ventilation switches from vandalism. Still accessible as one is exiting the room (through a door equipped with a push-bar) but not prone to vandalism. e facility pictured used to keep the emergency stop and ventilation switches in a locked box. Now the box can be le unlocked. Also note that the gate exiting the secured-eyewash area swings outward

and is equipped with panic hardware for compliance with IIAR-2 (2014). ere are many resources when researching a low-temperature eyewash/ safety shower station. See diagram on page 9. Guardian: www.eyewash.com/?_ kk=haws%20safety&_kt=e939c1eb- 2733-4792-bc78-6416a6ef0212&gclid= CjwKCAiAksvTBRBFEiwADSBZfHW a8jo0FdrRAOo96ecp1K_5seadiogatsR PqMsDMVxbQNpLUNa8JhoC52YQA vD_BwE Global Industrial: www. globalindusrial.com

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call for Annual Award nominations e following awards will be given out at the Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas this November. ey are named in honor of past RETA members who exempli ed

Felix Anderson Award Recognizes two individuals who have worked behind the scenes at the Chapter level and who are not on the national Board. Here’s what we’d like you to do …

As an Association run by volunteers at both the local and national level, it gives us a lot of pleasure to honor those who choose to serve RETA in a variety of ways. Being a volunteer comes with its own personal rewards but paying homage to those who serve allows us to publicly thank these individuals for their valuable contributions to the Association. is is the time of year when we ask you to think about who, in your RETA world, merits consideration for one of our annual awards. It could be someone who always raises their hand at the Chapter meetings when a call for help goes out; or that person who approaches every situation as a teaching opportunity, furthering the understanding for those in our industry through training; or someone you just can’t imagine not having around at every RETA function, event or activity.

a speci c strength that bene ted the RETA membership and our industry either through teaching, leadership, or service. Guy R. King Memorial Award Recognizes outstanding job performances in education and training of members nationally and locally. Elliott R. Hallowell Award Honors the member whose record of service to RETA for the current year merits special recognition and reward. Venneman Award Recognizes an outstanding RETA member for a career marked by leadership and service to the profession and the organization.

identify who that special RETA person is in your area and jot down some reasons you think they should be honored. Send this nomination and the supporting documentation to the Executive Director Jim Barron either by email to jim@reta.com or online at www.reta.com/nominations. Nominations must be received by September 21st, 2018 in order to give the awards committee adequate time to consider the nominations.

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SAFETy

PSM/RMP Compliance Audits: Who Should Perform Them? Part 2

by William Lape

PROCESS HAZARD ANALYSIS

In the last issue of the Breeze, we discussed the pros and cons of using internal versus external resources to conduct PSM/ RMP compliance audits. In this edition, we will delve further into what an end user should look for in a consultant should they choose to hire one to perform such audits. e rst thing that one should look for when choosing a consultant is the amount of experience that the rm has in evaluating programs against the PSM/RMP regulations. If the company is relatively new to the world of auditing PSM/ RMP programs, you may want to dig a little deeper into the experience of their sta . It never hurts to request to see the resumes of their sta , particularly those who will be conducting the audit. While it should not be a deal breaker if a young, relatively inexperienced person will be conducting the audit, you need to determine what sort of support structure they have. Are there experienced auditors at the company that will be able to assist the newer person? If so, will they be supporting remotely, or assisting on site? In lieu of years of experience, what sort of training has the auditor had related to the PSM/RMP regulations and how to audit them? While we are talking about training, is the auditor familiar with your covered process, or just PSM/RMP in general? One of the great downfalls in our industry is when an end user hires a consultant who gives the best price but has little or no experience with ammonia refrigeration. While the regulations require that only one person on the audit team is knowledgeable on the covered process, it helps if all members of the team are also knowledgeable. Speaking of the team members, how many members is the consultant supplying? How many does the consultant expect the customer to supply? While most end users would prefer that their employees not be bothered, the reality is that at least a few of them will need to be involved throughout the entire audit.

PROCESS SAFETY INFORMATION

OPERATING PROCEDURE

EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION

TRAINING

CONTRACTORS

MECHANICAL INTERGRITY

PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES

PSSR

INCIDENT INVESTIGATION

HOT WORK

EMERGENCY PLANNING RESPONSE

MOC

COMPLIANCE AUDIT

TRADE SECRETS

DOCUMENTATION CONTROL ACCESS

MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT

Now on to the audit questions. How does the consultant propose to examine the program paperwork and documentation? Do they have a checklist, or a set of questions to ask? Are they asking for documentation to be supplied ahead of time? If the end user uses a cloud based document management system, it may be possible to grant the consultant access to the system ahead of time, so that the paperwork may be reviewed remotely, thus cutting down on the required time on site. On to auditing the implementation side of the program. Has the auditor requested that employees be made available for interviews? Have they requested a walk around of the system?

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All of these questions weigh into the nal decision of who to hire. Now that the consultant has been picked and hired, it is time to evaluate their performance. is will help determine the quality of the audit and whether or not you will wish to hire them again. is evaluation o en starts prior to the audit. Has the auditor coordinated with you and your sta to make scheduling arrangements? Have they been clear on their needs, both from a team member, as well as an interviewee standpoint? How about other items like power for computers, network connectivity, a space to work? Have they coordinated a closeout meeting with your sta , and particularly the person with overall responsibility for the PSM/RMP programs? When they are on site do they conduct themselves in a professional manner, including dress and mannerisms? During the walkaround, do they exhibit evidence that they know what they are looking at? How detailed are they in their system examination? I myself make a habit of examining every vessel nameplate that is reasonably accessible without drastically extending the time required for the audit and cross check

them against their U sheets in the program documentation. You do have those, right? A er the audit, take a look at the report. Do the consultant’s recommendations seem reasonable or appear to be overly detailed? Did they discuss the reason for them during the closeout meeting? Now for an update about third party audits. In the part 1, I mentioned that the recent EPA amendments to the RMP rule call for audits to be conducted by third parties under certain circumstances, such as a er an RMP reportable accident. Since the last issue went to press, the EPA has issued a request for comment in the federal register regarding amendments to the nal RMP rule amendments that was published in January 2017. is proposal, if adopted, would rescind all provisions related to third party audit requirements, as well as safer technology and alternatives analyses and incident investigation root cause analysis. is is to allow the EPA to better coordinate revisions to the RMP rule with OSHA and its PSM standard. e proposal also rescinds most of the public information availability provisions of the amendments, but

retains the provision requiring a public meeting a er an accident, but with minor modi cations. Finally, the proposal modi es the emergency response coordination and exercise provisions of the amendments to provide more exibility in complying with these provisions. It also addresses security concerns raised by industry. Details of the proposed change can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/rmp/ proposed-risk-management-program- rmp-reconsideration-rule. e long and the short of it is that our industry is in regulatory ux. While this o en gives corporate compliance people headaches, it doesn’t have to keep them up at night with a massive workload. Consultants are an option if you lack manpower or expertise. Bill Lape is a Project Director for SCS Engineers: Tracer Environmental Services. e opinions expressed within are solely his and do not necessarily re ect the opinions, policy or position of SCS Engineers or its a liates. Bill is a Certi ed Industrial Refrigeration Operator and a member of the National Board of Directors of the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association

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conFEREncE coRnER

The 2018 RETA National Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency Dallas in Dallas, Texas from November 6-9, 2018 See you at the National Conference in Dallas this November

e 2018 RETA Conference Committee has been working tirelessly to provide a varied and interesting program. We o ered experts within the industry the opportunity to submit an abstract in the elds of manufacturing, engineering, compliance, and operations. e white paper abstracts were double-blind reviewed to determine inclusion in the Conference and the response was better than expected! Now, with the review process behind us, the Technical Committee is pleased to announce the sessions o ered in Dallas. e Conference Committee listened closely to your feedback and the request for more Hands-On Sessions was heard! ey will be o ered on November 5th and 6th as well as November 9th. All Technical Sessions will take place on two occasions during the program. Titles include, but are not limited to: • e Inspection of ermal Insulation • PSM / RMP Management: Contractors • Refrigerant Conversion from R22 to R717: Experiences from a Practical Perspective • Optimizing Your Remote PHA Experience • Fight or Flight: A Comparison of Emergency Action and Response Plans

• E cient Compliance Audits: Balancing Time and Resources • Pressure Relief Valves: Compliance = Correct Installation, Correct Calculations • Machinery Room Construction/ Detection/Ventilation Code Requirements • ermal Energy Storage Paired with Intelligent Controls and Remote Monitoring So ware: e Key to Energy E ciency in the Low-Temperature Cold Chain • Contractor Performance and Veri cation of Training • Evaporator Leaks and Suction Control Valve Selection

• Performance Monitoring Analytics • Expert System Based Refrigeration System Control • Repetition Breeds Compliancy • IIAR Suite of Standards Update • Why Do We Invest in an Operator? • Ammonia (NH3) vs Carbon Dioxide (CO2) as Refrigerants for Industrial Refrigeration, Which One is Better? Of course, it doesn’t end with these exclusive Educational Sessions! Attendees will be able to attend interactive workshops, panels and walk an Exhibition Hall with more than 130 Exhibitors eager to speak about how they may partner with attendees Continued on page 14

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ANNOUNCING! The RETA 2018 Keynote Speaker!

Decorated US Army Black Hawk Pilot ELIZABETH MCCORMICK !

REGISTER NOW! for RETA 2018

EARN PDH CREDITS!

ELIZABETH MCCORMICK WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 RETA 2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE 8:30AM ( Immediately Following Breakfast) Stay Alert- Stay Alive The precision, attention and quick-thinking in the Pilot’s Seat With her military career as a decorated US Army Black Hawk Pilot who flew air assault, top-secret intelligence missions, and transported high-level government VIP’s, Elizabeth knows all too well the importance of knowledge and confidence to operate equipment safely. With a plethora of many military awards including the Meritorious Service Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal and the US Congressional Veteran Commendation for her service to her country and community as a disabled veteran, Elizabeth will inspire RETA attendees by sharing her pioneering and insightful aviation lessons learned in a dramatically memorable and action-oriented keynote presentation . A PRESENTATION NOT TO BE MISSED!

REGISTER TODAY ! WWW.RETA-EVENTS.COM

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Continued from page 12

and o er solutions to support their organization’s role in Refrigerants. Is an operator in your facility looking for a great Review Course or Train the Trainer Course? Look no further! RETA National Conference o ers 4 distinct courses to choose from. • e CARO Review Course is a two- day educational program and includes Industrial Refrigeration I (shipped to you prior to the class), handout/ speaker materials, 16 PDH credits, and lunch each day. • e CIRO Review Course is a three- day educational program and includes Industrial Refrigeration I & II and Basic Electricity II (shipped to you prior to the class), handout/ speaker materials, 24 PDH credits, and lunch each day. • e CRES Review Course is a two- day educational program and includes handout/speaker materials, 16 PDH credits, and lunch each day. • e Train the Trainer Course is a three-day program and includes handout/speaker materials, 24 PDH credits, and lunch each day. Registrants may schedule to take the CIRO, CARO, and CRES certi cation exams during the Conference. Please visit the Certi cation tabs on the RETA website for the applicable handbook for the application. We are sure that everyone who views the o erings will nd topics of interest that will make you a better trained, safer operator and/or maintainer of a refrigeration facility. No other Conference or program o ers the variety of opportunities available at the RETA National Conference. Once you’ve reviewed all the bene ts of

1999, Elizabeth supported Kosovo UN peacekeeping operations as C Company Rear Detachment Commander. She was retired from the military in 2001 a er a career ending injury. For her excellent service, Elizabeth was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Army Aviator Badge. Elizabeth McCormick is a rare breed. Yes, there are many speakers out there, but very few can do what Elizabeth does. Because of her training as a Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot — her need to be precise and level-headed serves her tremendously well. ese are the same attributes needed in today’s Refrigeration Industry. Elizabeth is a relatable and an engaging speaker who will inspire and entertain 2018 RETA attendees! Elizabeth will be kicking o the 2018 Conference at 8:30 a.m. on November 7th following a continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m. is is one presentation you don’t want to miss! We look forward to seeing you in November!

attending a RETA National Conference, talk to your Supervisor or Manager and explain the bene ts of the training you’ll receive at the Conference. Now it can’t be all work, right? RETA is pleased to bring back the Pitmaster Challenge, RETA Rumble, RETA Jeopardy, Golf Outing and, of course, the one of a kind Guest Program! For more information on these programs and more visit reta-events.com. But that’s not all! We are thrilled to announce our 2018 Keynote Speaker, Elizabeth McCormick! Stay Alert - Stay Alive: e Precision, Attention and Quick- inking in the Pilot’s Seat Elizabeth is 2011 Congressional Veteran Commendation recipient and Black Hawk Helicopter pilot and Chief Warrant O cer for the United States Army. She knows all too well the importance of safety and like you, must know how to operate her equipment with expertise and con dence. Elizabeth ew air assault, rappelling operations, command & control missions, military intelligence, and gathering ight plans. Elizabeth also ew VIPs such as governors, congressmen and even the Secretary of Defense. In

REGISTER TODAY! www.reta-events.com

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THANK YOU SPONSORS RETA national conference 2018

remembering reta past president, herb rosen

Double Diamond

Diamond

Herb Rosen passed away April 20, 2018. Herb Rosen, 94, husband of Shirley nee Fishman; father of Gail Rosen, Diane (Larry) Edwards and the late Barry Rosen; grandfather of Spencer, Caitlyn and Keenan Edwards; uncle of Art Fein. Herb was a WWII Marine Air Corps Veteran who took part in the 1944 invasion of Guam. He also served in the Jewish War Veterans of Illinois as Commander of Posts 700 and 800. In 2013, Herb was able to participate in the Veterans Honor Flight from Chicago. A er the war, Mr. Rosen graduated from I.I.T in 1950 and worked for H.A. Phillips & Co., an industrial ammonia refrigeration equipment manufacturer for 54 years before retiring in 2004 as Chief Engineer. He was active in RETA (Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association) and even served as National President in 1977 and National Treasurer for 20 years.

Double Platinum

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EDUcATIon

Dissecting Industrial Refrigeration: Book 1 Round 2 Rat e s and P r e s s ur e s

by Sarah Selzer, Safety Services Jr. Safety Engineer, Wagner-Meinert LLC

2 hours. When calculating rates both elements are equally important. 2.1 Bob is driving from Notre-Dame- du-Laus, Quebec, Canada to New eld, Maine. He plans to average 50 miles per hour due to the tra c congestion in Montreal. e trip is 415 miles. How long will it take? 2.2 A er an argument with his wife, Jim gets in his truck and drives 60 MPH for 4.5 hours from his wife before stopping for ice cream. How far is he from home? 2.3 Jerry traveled 283 miles in 4 hours. e speed limit was 70 MPH. Did Jerry break the speed limit? Another popular rate calculation each July 4th, is hot dogs per minute. is is a rate of hot dog consumption at the annual hot dog eating competition. 2.4 If Bob eats 14 hotdogs in 17 minutes what is this consumption in hot dogs per minute? In refrigeration we utilize several rate calculations. e quantity of vapor being

is article contains excerpts from RETA’s Industrial Refrigeration Book 1. e reader should take care when applying the knowledge gained from reading this material in their speci c plant. It is important to consider cause and e ect when making any adjustments to facility operating conditions. Rates are very interesting. Rates are not only a measure of what is being done, but also of how fast it is being done. Industrial Refrigeration Book 1 begins to discuss rates on page 1-10. Rates are fundamental measurements of what we do as refrigeration operators. A rate is de ned as a quantity of something changing per unit of time. e classic rate we are all exposed to is “miles per hour”. e number of miles driven, walked, ran, or bobsledded per hour.

can be compressed per minute in the compressor. e quantity of water owing into an evaporative condenser sump could be expressed in gallons owing per minute.

e most widely used rate in refrigeration is tons of refrigeration TR. is is used in conjunction with the BTU. e BTU (British thermal unit) is the amount of work needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one-degree Fahrenheit. e quantity of BTUs of heat energy transferred from one object to another over a period of time is expressed as a rate. e terminology is “tons” of refrigeration. For example, one ton of

drawn into a compressor would be expressed as cubic feet per minute.

We all calculate based on miles per hour, even if we don’t realize it. When you are taking a trip and you read it is 50 miles away, you convert it to time in your head. We all do, it is almost automatic. Fi y miles at 50 miles per hour will take an hour. 50 miles at 25 MPH will take

is is a compressor volume calculation describing how many cu. . of vapor

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refrigeration is the rate of transfer of 288,000 BTUs over a 24-hour period.

can chill 1 case per hour. How many hours ahead of the party must be put the beer in the cooler? 2.6 Bob’s refrigeration system is rated for 17 tons/day. Unfortunately, all of his cooling must be done in an 8-hour window. How many tons of practical refrigeration does Bob have? 2.7 Jimmy’s refrigeration system can chill 75 carcasses in a day. How many can he chill in 14 days? 2.8 Chris’s refrigeration system is rated for 3 tons/day. How many tons is it capable of in 8 hours? 2.9 Jackie’s refrigeration system is rated for .017 tons of refrigeration per minute.

If ran for 24 hours, how many tons of refrigeration per day would it be rated for? 2.10 If we decided to lower the temperature of 14,000 pounds of water by 15 degrees in 4 hours, how many TR would be required? If you are still having trouble with these calculations, please continue to practice. Next time, we’ll look at sensible and latent heat equations. See page 18 for answers. Should you have any corrections or additional information pertaining to this article please forward them to sara@reta.com

When calculating refrigeration not all tons are created equal, while a ton of refrigeration is 288,000 BTU/24 hours, it is also 12,000 BTU/hr. e time element is essential. If the time element is ignored the refrigeration e ciency will su er. Let’s look at some examples. 2.5 Jay is holding a super bowl party. He has decided to pick up 4 cases of beer. His calculation shows that his beer cooler

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If you have ever logged into reta.com, chances are you were redirected to our social platform: SocialLink. is platform is a fantastic resource for RETA members who want to connect with other members, network with other companies, and learn more about our organization! You can log on to meet the sta that keep things running at HQ and nd just the right contact for your questions. It’s also an amazing resource for information regarding refrigerating systems, and many veteran technicians in our membership, there will surely be someone who can help you out! If you check SocialLink regularly you might nd some opportunities to win RETA swag, like the member who told an ammonia-themed joke and won some stickers! If you love SocialLink as much as I do, you can become an ambassador. is means everyone would see your posts and you could see everyone else’s. With this privilege you would have the opportunity to welcome every new member to the platform and share your accomplishments with the entire member base. Sound amazing? I know! SocialLink is your new favorite professional social platform, and I’m sure you’ll nd having our knowledgeable members at your ngertips to be a valuable resource. Get to know SocialLink

Answers: 2.1 Bob is driving from Notre-Dame-du-Laus, Quebec, Canada to New eld, Maine. He plans to average 50 miles per hour due to the tra c congestion in Montreal. e trip is 415 miles. How long will it take? Divide miles by miles per hour to get the result in hours. 415 / 50 = 8.3 hours. 2.2 A er an argument with his wife, Jim gets in his truck and drives 60 MPH for 4.5 hours before stopping for ice cream. How far is he from home? 60 x 4.5 = 270 miles. Jim will need a lot of ice cream for his trip home. He should probably get some for his wife too. 2.3 Jerry traveled 283 miles in 4 hours. e speed limit was 70 MPH. Did Jerry break the speed limit? 283 / 4 = 70.75 MPH. Jerry de nitely broke the speed limit. 2.4 If Bob eats 14 hotdogs in 17 minutes what is this consumption in hot dogs per minute? 14 / 17 = .823 hot dogs per minute. (If you answered 1.21 you transposed the numbers and accidently calculated minutes per hot dog.) If Bob can only eat .823 hot dogs per minute he will not be winning the contest next year. 2.5 Cooling capacity = 1 case / hour. X 4 cases = 4 hours. 2.6 ere are two ways to calculate this. You can convert the refrigeration capacity to TR / HR. 17/24 = .7 tons / hour. We can then multiply this by 8 hours. .7 x 8 = 5.6 tons / 8 hours. Or you can divide the TR per day by the portion of the day you have to perform cooling. 24/8 = .33 x 17 = 5.7 2.7 75 carcasses per day x 14 days = 1,050 carcasses 2.8 3 tons per day x .33333 days (8 hours) = 1 ton per 8 hours. 2.9 .017 TR / Min. x 60 (minutes per hour) = 1.02 TR / Hour x 24 (hours per day) = 24.48 TR per day. 2.10 It takes 1 BTU / Pound / Deg. F. We can calculate this as 1 x 14,000 x 15 = 210,000 BTU But the question asked for the answer in TR. We must rst break the BTU’s down into a time element. For this example, I chose BTU/Hr. 210,000 BTUs divided by 4 (the number of hours we have to accomplish the cooling) = 52,500 BTU per hour. A ton of Refrigeration can be measured as 12,000 BTU per hour. So, if we divide our total BTUs per hour (52,500) by our rate (12,000 BTU per Hour) we get 52,500 / 12,000 = 4.375 TR.

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Management of Change: Have We Captured All of the Impacts of a Change?

by Bill Lape A few years ago, an engineer working for my “friend’s plant” chose to replace their evaporative condenser with an adiabatic condenser. On the surface, this seemed like a good idea. Adiabatic condensers o en provide higher heat rejection with lower water and electricity usage. e condenser was purchased and installed, and all seemed well. However, this plant was located just North of the 45th parallel. For those unfamiliar with this area, it tends to get cold during a good portion of the year. In fact, it tends to drop below freezing for a good portion of that time. An evaporative condenser loses about 65% of its capacity when it is run dry. In this area of the country, depending upon the particular installation, the required heat rejection drops su ciently to allow the facility to run their condenser dry

when the temperature drops below freezing. eir control system is o en set up to start up the pumps if the heat load rises to the point where the condenser cannot maintain the head pressure set point with the fans running at 100%. is usually works without problems as the heat load rarely rises to the point of needing the pumps when the temperature is below freezing. However, an adiabatic condenser usually loses about 95% of its capacity when run dry. When the condenser in question was installed, the engineer failed to account for this fact and did not make any modi cations to the condenser control program. e result is that the condenser could not adequately handle the system heat load without water. e fans would ramp to 100% and then the pumps would kick on to supplement the heat rejection. However, with the fans at 100%, the water being picked up by the

air ow of the condenser would be blown out the top of the condenser. is caused ice to build up on the condenser and precipitated the need for a maintenance mechanic to climb a ladder in sub- freezing temperatures to chip ice o the top of the unit. Needless to say, this was an unacceptable hazard. e EHS manager over this plant was adamant that the condenser be replaced with a new, standard evaporative condenser that would not have this problem. Given the fact that the existing unit had only been installed a few years prior, it was economically infeasible to replace it due to the remaining depreciation. Instead, a controls engineer sat down and took a hard look at the program for the condenser control. He was able to modify the program to call for water before the fans ramped to 100%, allowing the water to better do its job which resulted in lower

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fan speeds overall and prevented the water from being blown out the top of the condenser. is served to eliminate ice buildup on the condenser and eliminated the safety hazard. e point to all of this is that we o en fail to realize the impact that a change may have on the safety of the covered process through unforeseen avenues. e engineer in this instance failed to realize that the existing condenser control program would have a negative impact on the operational safety of the condenser. It is for this reason that it is vital that we ask as many questions as possible regarding the change being considered. A logical question in this case would be: Is the capacity di erence during dry operation su cient to handle predicted loads? If it is not, as it was in this case, then how does our condenser control program handle dry/ wet transitions? If a Management of Change is started when the equipment shows up on a truck, it is unlikely that all of the potential impacts will be captured properly. Do yourselves a favor and start the MOC when you rst start planning the project. Ask the What-If questions early in the process. Consult experts We often fail to realize the impact that a change may have on the safety of the covered process through unforeseen avenues. It is vital that we ask as many questions as possible regarding the change being considered.

Bill Lape is a Project Director for SCS Engineers: Tracer Environmental Services. e opinions expressed within are solely his and do not necessarily re ect the opinions, policy or position of SCS Engineers or its a liates. Bill is a Certi ed Industrial Refrigeration Operator and a member of the National Board of Directors of the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association.

in the process in question. Question, question, and question again. e more thorough your questioning is during the early stages and the more people involved in the questioning, the more likely it will be that you will have a su cient budget for the change, and, more importantly, you will be less likely to overlook a potentially hazardous impact of the change.

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SAFETy What is a Maintenance Procedure? Why do I care?

Normal operations; Temporary operations;

Safety systems and their functions. Operating procedures shall be readily accessible to employees who work in or maintain a process. e operating procedures shall be reviewed as o en as necessary to assure that they re ect current operating practice, including changes that result from changes in process chemicals, technology, and equipment, and changes to facilities. e employer shall certify annually that these operating procedures are current and accurate. e employer shall develop and implement safe work practices to provide for the control of hazards during operations such as lockout/tagout; con ned space entry; opening process equipment or piping; and control over entrance into a facility by maintenance, contractor, laboratory, or other support personnel. ese safe work practices shall apply to employees and contractor employees. In the preamble: “OSHA believes that it is important for employees to use consistent work practices for jobs posing equivalent hazards. It may, indeed, introduce dangers if an employee has to vary the work practices used for a job depending on slightly di erent circumstances unrelated to safety. e Agency attempts to make its standards consistent across industries for similar situations, but it is not always possible

We are constantly ooded with good practices, suggestions, recommendations, and requirements. Whenever I see a new one, the rst thought is “Do I care?” Well this is one of those times when the answer is a resounding YES! First let’s look at what a maintenance procedure is not. A Maintenance Procedure is not a Standard Operating Procedure. Per Wikipedia, “An SOP is a written document or instruction detailing all steps and activities of a process or procedure. ISO 9001 essentially requires the documentation of all procedures used in any manufacturing process that could a ect the quality of the product. [1]”. is is taken from the Guidance on the Documentation Requirements of ISO 9001:2008 OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has de ned the scope of Standard Operating Procedures. e employer shall develop and implement written operating procedures that provide clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in each covered process consistent with the process safety information and shall address at least the following elements. Steps for each operating phase: Initial startup;

Emergency shutdown including the conditions under which emergency shutdown is required, and the assignment of shutdown responsibility to quali ed operators to ensure that emergency shutdown is executed in a safe and timely manner. Emergency Operations; Normal shutdown; and, Startup following a turnaround, or a er an emergency shutdown. Operating limits: Consequences of deviation; and Steps required to correct or avoid deviation. Safety and health considerations: Properties of, and hazards presented by, exposure, including engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment; Control measures to be taken if physical contact or airborne exposure occurs; Quality control for raw materials and control of hazardous chemical inventory levels; and, Any special or unique hazards. the chemicals used in the process; Precautions necessary to prevent

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to make them identical. e employer should ensure that the work rules are the same for similar jobs even though di erent regulations may apply.” So, an argument has been put forth that any procedure written for use in conjunction with the operation of an ammonia refrigeration system is by de nition a Standard Operating Procedure and must be certi ed annually. Let’s explore this. Let’s take the example of a sha seal replacement on compressor HS-1. e Standard Operating Procedure should be used to “shut down the compressor HS-1 for maintenance” (SOP HS-1 Task #4b). is should be followed by a pump out procedure (SOP HS-1 Task #6). Now the compressor is shutdown, locked out and pumped out. So how do we change the sha seal? is is where the maintenance procedure comes into play. e Standard Operating Procedure provides the instruction to get the compressor to a safe state, the manufacturer’s Operation and Maintenance Manuals provide the

must be certifying your Manufacturer’s Operation and Maintenance Manuals annually. Right? I would be willing to make a small wager that no one reading this has ever certi ed the manufacturer’s operation and maintenance manuals at their facility. So, we’ve established that the manufacturer’s Operation and Maintenance Manual while providing instruction, is not a Standard Operating Procedure. So, the next question is “Are Standard Operating Procedures and Maintenance and Operation Manuals all that are needed to operate and service our Refrigeration System?” Let’s take the case of a repair to a liquid solenoid valve at an evaporator. e operator can certainly use the Standard Operating Procedure to shut down and pump out the entire evaporator, but this may take an entire shi , isolating and pumping out 20 or 30 cu. Ft. of ammonia. Most Service Technicians will isolate the solenoid instead of the entire evaporator. So where do we nd the instructions for doing this? Normally, this is all found within the Technician’s head. is is not the safest place to store this information.

So do we need a Standard Operating Procedure for this? Let’s look at this. Given a four pipe evaporator with hot gas defrost to the pan, there can be up to 5 scenarios requiring a procedure. ese being: liquid valve train, suction valve train, defrost relief valve train, hot gas valve train, and the check valve between the pan and the coil. So if we have 40 evaporators, we’ve just added 200 Standard Operating Procedures. Now let’s look at all of the other valve trains in your system; Liquid make-up to vessels, liquid injection valve trains, purge valve trains at condensers, etc. So, if we resolve to de ne these procedures as Standard Operating Procedures, we’ve added hundreds if not thousands of Standard Operating Procedures. If we eliminate the need to make the procedure speci c to each valve group, then we lessen the impact upon the facility. But how can we lessen the speci c nature of the procedure, while maintaining the required level of safety? Simple, increase the minimum skill level of the person performing the procedure. Keep in mind these procedures are not “Standard Operating Procedures” but procedures used for maintenance.

instructions to make the repair. So, if you follow the logic that any

procedure involved in the operation of the Ammonia Refrigeration System is a Standard Operating Procedure, then you

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Simple design, More compression, Simple design, Simple design, less energy

less energy l s energy less energy

Continued from page 23 The Original Fuller ® Low Stage Ammonia Boosters... designed and built by FLSmidth A Ful-Vane compressor boosting to a reciprocating compressor is one of the most efficient designs for low-temperature systems. • New and replacement boosters • Factory authorized service and rebuilds • OEM parts, including B3000 ™ blades, bearings and seals • Designed for long service life Contact Robert Youells: Ph: (610) 264-6515 • Fax: (610) 264-6307 www.conveyorspneumatic.com/gas-compressors The Original Fuller ® Low Stage Ammonia Boosters... designed and built by FLSmidth • New and repl cement boosters • Factory authorized service and rebuilds • OEM parts, including B3000 ™ blades, bearings and seals Contact Robert Youells: Ph: (610) 264-6515 • Fax: (610) 264-6307 www.conveyorspneumatic.com/gas-compressors The Origi al F ller ® Low Stage Ammonia Boosters... designed and built by FLSmidth A Ful-Van compressor boosting to a reciprocating compressor is one of the most efficient designs for low temperature systems. • New and replacement boosters • Factory authorized service and rebuilds • OEM parts, including B3000 ™ blades, bearings and seals • Designed for long service life Contact Robert Youells: Ph: (610) 264-6515 • Fax: (610) 264-6307 www.conveyorspneumatic.com/gas-compressors The Origin l Fuller ® Low Stage Ammonia Boosters... designed and built by FLSmidth A Ful-Vane compressor boosting to a reciprocating compressor is one of the most fficient designs for low-temperature systems. • New and replacement boosters • Factory authorized service and rebuilds • OEM parts, including B3000 ™ blades, bearings and seals • Designed for long service life Contact Robert Youells: Ph: (610) 264-6515 • Fax: (610) 264-6307 ww.convey neumatic.com/gas-compressors

Maintenance Procedures are normally written at the Technician level. e skill levels may be very di erent. e Technician should be capable of more independent thought and analyzation. is means the Technician can interpret situations that an Operator may not. is is the secret of writing usable Maintenance Procedures. e Technician can be relied upon to understand terms like “inlet valve”, where an operator may need more information “High Pressure Liquid (HPL) inlet shut- o valve V1474”. So, does this mean that Maintenance Procedures are less useful because they are less descriptive? Certainly not! But we need both. Standard Operating Procedures to start, stop, monitor, and pump out components. Maintenance Procedures to repair or service the pieces

and parts which make up components. So where are my Maintenance Procedures? Many Maintenance Procedures are in the manufacturer’s Operation and Maintenance Manuals. What do we do if the manufacturer’s manual doesn’t contain the procedure we need? You dra it. Many times, Maintenance Procedures are developed for repetitive maintenance tasks that are not covered by the manufacturer. ese include valve cycling procedures, daily rounds procedures, relief valve replacement procedures, even control valve isolation procedures. Maintenance Procedures are used almost daily in our industry, it’s time they were given the attention they deserve. Consult with your Technicians, let’s continue to make ammonia the best managed hazardous chemical in the world.

Essentially what is suggested are Standard Operating Procedures written to the Operator level and Maintenance Procedures written to the Technician level. If you use this philosophy, a single maintenance procedure can provide instruction for isolating almost any control valve. So, a Maintenance Procedure is not a Standard Operating Procedure and since it is not a Standard Operating Procedure, the same rules do not apply. A Maintenance Procedure is a work instruction, normally a work instruction that does not give as detailed information as a Standard Operating Procedure. But that’s ok, the purpose of the instructions are di erent. Operating Procedures are written to apply to Operators/rounds people.

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