Portfolio
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Condensate Pumps
A client asked us to develop a mechanical (non-electric) condensate
pump for use in steam systems. We developed an innovative pumping mechanism that
resulted in a patent for our client.
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Pressure Regulators
Our experience in the steam industry was put to good use when a
client asked us to extend their pressure regulator product line. We developed a cast
steel pilot operated regulator that major utilities and refineries are now using.
This project involved casting design for both sand and investment castings, as well
as development of corrugated diaphragms, and many turned and milled parts.
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Mass Flow Controller Response Test System
A client needed a small flow response
system to use in their calibration lab. This system needed to measure the instantaneous
flow response of a mass flow controller (typically used in the fabrication of semiconductors).
The information would be used to tune the mechanical characteristics of the valve as well as
the PID tuning constants of the control loop. We designed a system utilizing the pressure
drop across a variable restriction to determine flow rate. Measurements were performed with
off-the-shelf data acquisition hardware and a custom software program was developed to
process the data, perform the required calculation to determine the response characteristics,
and display the results. This system has been in use for more than 7 years.
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Fluid Property Server, Flow Meter Sizing Server
A manufacturer of flow meters contracted
Spring Mountain Technologies to develop a software system they could use to automate and
standardize the process of flow meter selection. This project required the development of
two distinct software applications. The first was a system to determine fluid properties
based on the customer's conditions of pressure and temperature. A commercially available
fluid property database was used and Web Services software was developed to expose the
functionality of this database to various users. Next, a flow meter sizing software
'engine' was developed that applied the clients various sizing algorithms, which varied
with each type of flow meter technology. A SQL database was used to manage the various
sizing parameters and product related configurations. All of this functionality was
exposed via Web Services. This client now has a company-wide system that allows the
sales, engineering, manufacturing, and engineering departments to work from the same set
of standard rules. Updates to system are implemented at the server and are immediately
available to all the users.
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Moisture Analyzer
This was an embedded software development project. First, a
boot-loader application was developed that allowed the instrument's software to
be updated in the field. Second, the moisture analyzer software was developed.
This project was a good example of multidisciplinary software development. Success
required a detailed knowledge of microcontroller software development as well as
the engineering aspects of electrical instrumentation and mechanical psychometrics.
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Oil Additive Blending System
A large oil refiner required a system to inject a motor
oil additive at the truck loading terminal. A small system was designed consisting of
an additive container, gear pump, flow meter, control valve, and level transmitter, as
well as a PLC for control. All of this equipment was mounted on a small skid package.
The system worked by reading the main oil flow rate and pacing the additive injection
flow according to predetermined ratio.
