Systems and Network Engineer
Quest Global
Total years of experience :10 years, 5 Months
Working within scrum/agile teams to build requirements, specifications and designs for power plant control networks
•Building Bill of Materials based off design
•Setting up servers, thin clients, firewalls, routers, switches and industrial grade towers.
Person in charge for the control panels and computer systems for three gas turbine power plant projects. Some of my key accomplishments were:
•Negotiated and adapted a new virtualized computer system to customer specific requirements and specifications on one of my projects.
•In charge of a major technical scope shift from our headquarters and main design group in Japan. Managed the scope shift, personally performed in house engineering and mentored one of my peers on this scope. Compiled and created standards, guides, how to’s and troubleshooting guides for future projects and prepared estimates on engineering hours.
•Integrated our control system with a third-party system. I was tasked with studying the CAN Bus and CAN Open communication protocol, and how both systems implemented the protocols. I also procured and set up all the necessary hardware and software, and successfully performed integration and testing of the two systems. This was later adopted on subsequent projects and encouraged further development efforts
My overall day to day responsibilities included:
•Interpreting and analyzing contracts, bids and proposals to extract relevant information, specifications and requirements, then conducting technical discussions as necessary with the customer, project team and application engineers to confirm requirements and resolve conflicts.
•Using customer requirements as well as industry and company standards and practices to develop design specifications and concepts
•Cost and engineering hour estimation
•Project engineering for the scope of work by managing deliverables to and from suppliers and vendors, coordinating design inputs to and from other disciplines, reviewing technical specifications and design drawings, initiating requests for quotations, and managing vendor manufacturing and procurement.
•Creating technical specifications for computers, servers, network switches, routers, network cables and other computer systems and networking equipment
•Creating technical specifications for the manufacture and assembly of control systems panels.
•Preparing system architectures, system configuration and settings documents, electrical schematics, functional description documents and specification documents
•Setting up and upgrading Windows computers and servers, installing and setting up standard and proprietary software according to manuals and guides, and using PowerShell and Windows command line to perform computer administrative, security and management tasks
•Setting up Linux CentOS machines from backup images, then modifying the machine environments, installing and setting up proprietary software according to manuals and guides, using the terminal to perform computer administrative, security and management tasks and modifying program files using VI editor
•Setting up and configuring LAN/WAN networks between computer systems and electronic control systems using switches, routers, hubs, straight and crossover communication cables
•Configuring Cisco routers and Netgear managed switches.
•Setting up and wiring electronic control hardware, then using software to modify and download firmware, configure the hardware, and perform functional checks.
•Programing and troubleshooting hardware control logic based on structured text language, scripts, function block diagram languages, logic diagrams and by using terminal emulators
•Troubleshooting computer programs based on structured text language and scripts, and by using software configuration text files
•Using VMware workstation and Windows Hypervisor to create virtual machines of both Windows and Linux Centos machines, convert between different virtual machine formats, manage and modify virtual machines, create and manage virtual networks between virtual machines and between virtual and physical machines.
•Modifying graphic screens for users and operators to monitor, operate and control equipment
•Performing integrated software and hardware system testing
•Leading and supervising technicians and engineers during the Factory Acceptance test of the control system panels integrated with the computer and network systems, which included visual checks against electrical schematics and architectures, power and signal wiring checks, communication checks and full system testing.
•Leading customer witness tests
•Mentoring peers and delegates on the above activities.
•Providing site support to field technicians, service personnel and customers
•Conducting customer training on the use and operation of our systems
•Participating in research and development activities
Providing solutions and services for industrial controls of steam turbines, gas turbines, centrifugal compressors, generators and automatic voltage regulators. Some of my key accomplishments were:
•Participated in the research and development for Schneider's control algorithm for three valve control on steam turbines
•Developed a GUI to simulate and show the operation of steam turbine three-valve control with complete with operating points and an operating map
•Participated in the research and development for Schneider's control algorithm for compressor anti-surge control.
My overall day to day responsibilities included:
•Project planning to include engineering for the control systems (Control scheme development, PLC programming, HMI development, hardware design, interpreting/preparing documentation)
•Interpreting and analyzing control narratives, logic diagrams, cause and effect charts, P&IDs, machine and instrument datasheets, proposals and contracts to extract relevant information, specifications and requirements.
•Using requirements, company standards and practices to develop design specifications and concepts
•Using design specifications, concepts, design documents or existing logic diagrams and cause and effect charts to design and code Schneider’s Triconex PLC programs using functional block diagram an structured text languages.
•Using P&IDs, operational knowledge, customer input and company standards to design the HMI graphic screens and configure the HMI functions for operators on Wonderware Intouch and Archestra platforms
•Preparing control narratives and design documents,
•Travelling extensively throughout Europe, Middle East and Asia to meet with clients and provide on-site field services
•Supporting R&D Department in Houston, Texas in the development, testing and validation of new algorithms, control schemes and systems.
•Sales and proposals support
•Conducting site and commissioning activities such a cabinet power up, loop checks, communication tests, function tests, instrumentation checks, startup and controller tuning
ABET-Accredited and WES Evaluated •Inter-disciplinary program combining courses from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering •Was an active member of the Student Union for Specialized Scientific Programs •Was an active member of the Space Technology Research Program at Bibliotheca Alexandrina •Was an active Member of the local IEEE Electrical and Electronics Chapter and the IEEE Robotics Chapter
• ABET-Accredited and WES Evaluated • Inter-disciplinary program combining courses from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering • Was an active member of the Student Union for Specialized Scientific Programs • Was an active member of the Space Technology Research Program at Bibliotheca Alexandrina • Was an active Member of the local IEEE Electrical and Electronics Chapter and the IEEE Robotics Chapter