Unlocking the World of LNG: An Intermediate Course for Industry Professionals
LNG An Intermediate Level Course is intended for persons with a fundamental knowledge of Liquefied Natural Gas, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and petrochemical processes. This will be a 10-part course that will cover most of the technical and safety facts needed for an LNG plant operator or engineer to understand the processes they control. The learner is challenged to think about abnormal operations and to troubleshoot unusual events through exercises and scenarios. The earlier parts of this course contain beginner concepts built upon as the course continues toward section 10. The course covers LNG characteristics, liquefaction pretreatment, liquefaction systems, LNG tanks, valves, pumps, vaporizers, other equipment, boiloff gas (BOG) management, and the transportation of LNG. A heavy emphasis is placed on LNG plant safety and reliability.
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** Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering ** Dr. Vitale is a graduate of NYU Tandon School of Engineering (formerly NY Polytechnic University) with a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Civil Engineering. He has been licensed as a P.E. in 6 states and keeps his P.E. licenses active in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico. Dr. Vitale has worked in the natural gas and LNG industry for over 50 years. In 2004 he retired as Vice President and Chief Engineer over Gas Engineering and 28 Production facilities for KeySpan Energy across New York City, Long Island, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. During his employment with KeySpan, he often taught Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Fluid Dynamics, and other energy courses at NY Polytechnic University. From 2004 to the present, Dr. Vitale has focused on consulting for the Gas Industry with a specialty in training the industry’s human resources on how to make safety and reliability their major focus through understanding the technologies. More than half of Dr. Vitale’s consulting has been focused on training Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Operating personnel on generic and site-specific operations of their plants. Dr. Vitale has generated and delivered training materials for import terminals, export terminals, peak shavers, and portable LNG facilities. His courses have been both open-enrollment and plant-specific. He has trained clients in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Mid-East, and China. Dr. Vitale has also provided expert testimony for justifying asset (pipeline and service) replacement programs and new facilities (LNG or pipeline or compressors) for system reinforcements to meet the peak-day demands of the industry’s customers. Dr. Vitale’s passion is to train Gas Operators on their gas systems' safe, reliable, and efficient operation and develop a continuous learning culture.
