Online Any System eLearning

Responible Serving Responsible Serving Certification provides state approved training that ensures both sellers and servers of alcohol will understand state liquor laws and serve responsibly. Many states require alcohol seller/server certification for any employee that handles alcohol. PSCCa s on-line Responsible Serving Course can be taken in one or more sessions and satisfies the requirements in most states.  more...

Food Safety Certification for Managers Food Manager Certification is quickly becoming the preferred way for the person in charge to demonstrate knowledge of the food code, and most importantly, foodborne illness. This comprehensive course covers all aspects of the FDA Food Code and prepares food mangers for any of the ANSI/CFP approved exams. We perform this training via interactive computer courses, using our proprietary training  more...

Land Surveyor PDH The State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors requires each person licensed as a professional Engineer or Land Surveyor to complete not more than 24 credits of continuing professional competency relating to the practice fo professional engineering or land surveying. These courses are approved by the board to complete that requirement. Look through the catalog for the course you  more...

Learn how to attract your ideal clients Our strategy can have an immediate positive impact on your revenue, profits and time. When most business owners set out to generate more leads and attract more clients, the biggest mistake they make is thinking that everyone is their prospective client and that everyone needs their product or service. In order to attract all of them, they attempt to cast the widest possible net using a generic  more...

Wavelength's eLearning for non-eLearning Professionals Certificate Online [ENPC Online] Course Wavelength's eLearning for Non-eLearning Professionals Certificate Online (ENPC Online) Course ================================================================================================= (Course Website: http://www. vibrantwavelength. com/ elearning_for_non_elearning_professionals_certificate_online_course. asp? rf=tc) Who Should Join this Course? ============================ *  more...

Windows 7 Config and Troubleshooting About this Course and Exam Candidates for this course and exam operate in computing environments that use Microsoft Windows 7 as a desktop operating system in an enterprise environment. Candidates should have at least one year of experience in the IT field, as well as experience implementing and administering any Windows client operating system in a networked environment. Audience Profile  more...

E-Learning with an Learning Management System LMS We would like to introduce ourselves by giving you over $3, 400 worth of training, for only $299 (for more details go to: http://www. globalitu. com/ promos. html). This comes with a money back guarantee, which is a great way for us to introduce what we offer with no risk to your organization. This also comes with over 166 online training courses, and a cost benefit savings of up to $2,  more...

Continuous Commissioning - Maximizing Building Energy Efficiency and Comfort Overview Building commissioning has emerged as the preferred method of ensuring that building systems are installed and operated to provide the performance envisioned by the designer. While most commissioning processes focus on bringing building operation to the original design intent, Continuous Commissioning is different. Continuous Commissioning focuses on optimizing HVAC system operation  more...

Design and Construction Guidance for Breakaway Walls This (one-hour) course is based on the FEMA construction guidelines for ? breakaway? walls used below Elevated Coastal Buildings. In Coastal High Hazard Areas (Zones V, VE, and V1-30), the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations require that communities participating in the program adopt floodplain management ordinances or laws requiring that all new and substantially improved  more...

Heating and Cooling System Upgrades - Energy Star Overview Heating and cooling systems are the largest single consumers of energy in buildings. These systems condition the air within a building so that occupants are comfortable. Heating and cooling systems consist mainly of chillers, boilers, cooling towers, and pumps. There are central heating and cooling systems, and unitary systems that combine heating and cooling. Opportunities exist for  more...

Commercial Heat Pump Water Heaters Overview The commercial HPWH is one of many energy-efficient technologies which have been carried through the R&D stage and brought to market. A heat pump water heater is an effective and efficient way to provide hot water for commercial buildings. The system uses a water heating heat pump to move heat from a cool reservoir such as air and transfer this heat into water. The system employs  more...

Modulating Condensing Fuel-Fired Water Heaters and Hydronic Boilers A modulating/condensing fuel-fired water heater or hydronic boiler can avoid losses associated, in conventional units, with cycling at less than full load and with unrecovered latent heat of water produced in the combustion process. A system which incorporates features that minimize cycling by modulating fuel and air flow to the combustor and that recover additional heat from condensing moisture  more...

Designing Radon-Resistant Homes Overview Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, which is found in all homes in varying amounts depending on the locality. Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) where a picocurie is a measure of radioactivity. The national average level within homes is about 1.3 (pCi/L). Not everyone who is exposed to elevated levels of radon gas will develop lung cancer, but  more...

Reduction of Radon Levels in Schools and Other Large Buildings Overview Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas in ambient air. It can also accumulate in varying amounts in enclosed buildings. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of lung cancer deaths each year. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today. Our increased understanding of the risks posed by indoor radon has  more...

Laboratory Building Energy Analysis Overview Because laboratories use a high amount of energy, often more than five times as much per square foot as an office building, it is important to find cost-effective ways to reduce their energy use and costs. In this course the student will learn about energy efficiency strategies including reducing the air flow during unoccupied periods, variable-air-volume systems, lower static  more...

Ozone for Improving Indoor Air Quality - Myths Realityies Overview With public concern about indoor air quality rising, many people are unknowingly making it worse by using air purifiers or other devices that intentionally inject ozone into the indoor spaces. Manufacturers and vendors of ozone generators often claim that these devices eliminate bacteria, mold, and chemical contaminants from the air, and that they help persons with asthma and allergies.  more...

Developing a High Performance Project Team The Project Management Institute labels the four stages of a project as, ? forming, storming, norming, and performing? . The inclusion of a stage called ? storming? is an admission that we could do a better job with the human side of projects: especially on large projects involving hundreds of people and hundreds of millions of dollars. This course is designed for any project manager or  more...

PC Fundamentals for Design Professionals Overview The goal of this 1-hour online course is to provide a basic understanding of what's inside the Personal Computer that you use every day. Much of this knowledge will even apply to much larger computers. The content is geared for design professionals, but is understandable and usable by anyone. After completing this course, you should have a better understanding of your Personal  more...

Measuring Performance and Productivity This course will help you apply the foundation taught in Understanding Performance and Productivity (Course #BS-2005) to real work settings. Students can use these practical tools to construct performance measurements processes that include graduated performance levels, feedback loops, and defensible documentation of results for ? hard? and ? soft? skills as well as any activity requiring a  more...

Creating an Effective Project Team Performance Assessment Process This online course will teach you how to develop an easy-to-manage performance assessment system for project team members that provides fair and objective assessment within a typical project matrix organization. It will help you develop objective and measurable performance expectations for the ? hard? and ? soft? skills that are essential to a project? s success. It gives the employee a way to  more...

Small Water Systems - Water Sources Overview When selecting the source for a small water system, the design engineer must consider many factors including the quantity and quality of water from the source, as well as development, operation, maintenance and monitoring costs. Connection to an existing water system is usually the best option when it is economically feasible. However, development of groundwater or surface water  more...

Maintenance of Concrete Overview Concrete can deteriorate over time due to a number of factors including moisture penetration, chemical attack and physical damage. Selection of a suitable coating system, combined with proper surface preparation, application and curing of the coating, can significantly increase the service life of concrete subjected to harsh operating environments. Aesthetics are also an important  more...

The Last Straw Water Use by Power Plants in the Arid West Overview Power plants consume a large chunk of the available water supply in the arid Western United States. While the consumption is small relative to agricultural users, power plants can have a significant impact on available source water in localized areas where drought conditions exist. This course examines the uses of water in power plants and the water use conflicts that can arise when  more...

Earthquake Design of Equipment and Supports Response Spectrum Method This course presents the response spectrum method of earthquake response analysis/design of mechanical and electrical equipment and supports. Equipment and supports are modeled as a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system. No prior knowledge of structural vibration analysis or earthquake analysis is required to understand this course. The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of ten  more...

Design of Small Water Systems - Pumping Storage and Distribution Small water systems have unique design considerations relative to larger municipal water systems. The small number of users makes the system more sensitive to peak rates demanded by one or several users. Given this fact, it is particularly important that the system designer consider all components of the system simultaneously. In this course the student will review Chapter 7, "Pumping,  more...

Design of Small Water Systems - Water Quality Requirements The National Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) specifies maximum permissible levels of contamination and minimum monitoring frequencies for public water systems. Mandatory adherence to the specified maximum contaminant level (MCL) is dependent on whether the water system serves a community (year-round residents) or a transient population (such as parks, campgrounds and restaurants). The MCLs are  more...

Design of Small Water Systems - Water Quantity Requirements Local water shortages are a recurring problem in many parts of the U.S. and throughout the world. As the population continues to grow, the problems will only increase. Thus, it is important to properly plan water use projects to ensure that the system is capable of meeting the users' demands for many years to come. In this course the student will review Chapter 4, "Water Quantity  more...

Pretreatment of Industrial Wastewater for VOC Hydrocarbon Removal Overview This course is intended for a wide range audience of engineers and in particular engineers dealing with plant water effluent streams directed to sanitary sewer facilities. Pretreatment of industrial wastewater to remove hydrocarbons is often required so that the hydrocarbons will not cause VOC emissions from sanitary sewer plants which exceed regulatory limits. In this course you will  more...

Potable Water - Disinfection Overview Disinfection is used to kill or inactivate disease-causing organisms in a potable water supply. The EPA Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) requires systems using public water supplies from either surface water or groundwater under the direct influence of surface water to disinfect the water. There are a number of different disinfection options available to the design engineer. The  more...

Disinfection Methods for CSO Treatment Overview Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) occur when flows exceed the hydraulic capacity of either the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) or the collection system that transports the combined flow of storm water and sanitary sewage to the WWTP. When an overflow occurs, the excess flows tend to be discharged into a receiving body of water. CSOs typically discharge a variable mixture of raw sewage,  more...

Design of Monorail Systems Overview This course provides guidance for the design of a monorail beam system. The design concept presented is for a manually-driven trolley hoist on a single beam or girder based primarily on the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA) Specification No. 74. Deflection limitations, fatigue, and operational safety will also be discussed. Two case studies are presented to show the  more...

State-of-the-Art Water Use Efficiency Overview It's no secret that the Southwestern part of the U.S. is one of the driest regions in the country. Given that water is so precious and scarce in the Southwestern U.S., it is particularly important for municipalities in the Southwest to encourage water use efficiency - both on the supply-side and the demand-side. This course covers water use efficiency measures in the Southwestern  more...

Reducing Lead Hazards During Construction Overview Employers must be aware of workplace hazards facing their workers and must take appropriate action to minimize or eliminate exposure to these hazards. The interim OSHA standard aims to reduce the exposure to lead for construction workers. The most significant way to achieve this was by lowering the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of lead from 200 micrograms per cubic meter of air as  more...

Structural Design Criteria for Permanent Wood Foundations Overview A Permanent Wood Foundation (PWF) is an innovative building system that saves on home construction costs, provides for warm living areas, and adds to the home's marketability. A PWF is an engineered foundation construction system that is a load-bearing, lumber-framed foundation wall sheathed with plywood that can resist and distribute earth, wind, and seismic loads and stresses  more...

Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings Overview Concerns about indoor exposure to mold has been increasing as the public becomes aware that exposure to mold can cause a variety of health effects and symptoms, including allergic reactions. This course presents guidelines for the remediation/cleanup of mold and moisture problems in schools and commercial buildings. Additionally, using this knowledge of remediation methods can assist  more...

Structural Design Criteria for Raised Floor Systems Overview A Permanent Wood Foundation (PWF) is an innovative building system that saves on home construction costs, provides for warm living areas, and adds to the home's marketability. A PWF is an engineered foundation construction system that is a load-bearing, lumber-framed foundation wall sheathed with plywood that can resist and distribute earth, wind, and seismic loads and stresses  more...

Sanitary and Industrial Wastewater Collection - Gravity Systems Overview Wastewater is a part of everyday life. Every living creature and every industry on earth creates waste in some form or another. Wastewater acts as a medium to direct waste to various treatment plants by means of sanitary sewer lines. Some sewer lines use a combination of gravity flow and flow induced by pumping systems. This 4 PDH course is Part I of a two-part series. This course will  more...

Sanitary and Industrial Wastewater Collection - Pumping Systems Overview Wastewater is a part of everyday life. Every living creature and every industry on earth creates waste in some form or another. Wastewater acts as a medium to direct waste to various treatment plants by means of sanitary sewer lines. Oftentimes topography and economics does not allow sewer lines to flow by gravity. In those cases a pumping system will be required. This 4 hour course is  more...

Air Pollution Control Ventilation Equipment The type of equipment needed to convey waste gas are the same for most kinds of control devices. These are: (1) hoods, (2) ductwork, (3) stacks, and (4) fans. Together, these items comprise a ventilation system. A hood is used to capture the emissions at the source; ductwork, to convey them to the control device; a stack, to disperse them after they leave the device; and a fan, to provide the  more...

Overview of UV Disinfection for the Drinking Water Industry In this course, the student will be given an overview and background of technical information on the application of ultraviolet light for the disinfection of drinking water by public water systems. This overview includes a description of basic chemical and physical principles, the components of UV equipment, and performance monitoring for UV facilities. The overview material is intended to present  more...

Introduction to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPDES Construction Site General Permit This four hour online course introduces the reader to the NPDES construction general permit (CGP). This course is intended for practicing engineers, contractors, developers, regulators, and all other personnel involved with construction sites. Environmental Effects of Construction Construction inevitably causes some degree of disturbance and compaction of the soil, the loss of vegetation  more...

Vacuum Sewers 101 From the time the very first public sewer system was constructed until the 1960? s, a conventional gravity system was the only choice US engineers had when considering a public sewer collection system. This changed about 40 years ago when the USEPA challenged the industry to developed alternative collection by providing special funding for such endeavors. One of the alternative collection systems  more...

Vacuum Sewers - Operation and Maintenance and System Management Guidelines From the time the very first public sewer system was constructed until the 1960? s, a conventional gravity system was the only choice US engineers had when considering a public sewer collection system. This changed about 40 years ago when the USEPA challenged the industry to developed alternative collection by providing special funding for such endeavors. One of the alternative collection systems  more...

Sewer Sediment Sources Impacts and Control Methods Overview This course provides an integrated approach to manage the solids generated in urban wet weather flows, both on the land surface and in drainage sewer systems. Threats to the quality of receiving waters by discharges from urban-storm-generated WWF, including combined sewer overflow and polluted runoff from urban streets, are well known. During many storm events, large volumes of  more...

Radionuclides in Drinking Water - Regulations Treatment and Residual Disposal Overview The revised Radionuclides Rule came into effect on December 8, 2003. U.S. EPA's revisions to the Rule provide standards that, if met, ensure that all customers served by community water systems (CWSs) receive water that meets the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for radionuclides in drinking water. In accordance with the Rule, all CWSs must complete initial compliance monitoring  more...

Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans SWPPP for NPDES Construction Sites This five hour online course introduces the reader to the development of construction site Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP). A SWPPP is required for coverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction Site General Permit. This course is intended for practicing engineers, contractors, developers, regulators, and all other personnel involved with  more...

Signal Cables Conduits and Junction Boxes This five hour course will discuss the requirements for the installation of different types of traffic cables, conduits, and junction boxes used in the installation of a traffic signal. State and local governmental jurisdictions have their own requirements for the type, placement, and size of traffic signal cables, conduits, and junctions boxes, as set forth in the various standards promulgated by  more...

Wastewater Characteristics Flow and Transport and Fate of Pollutants in the Receiving Environment Overview Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are used to treat wastewater in applications ranging from rural single-family dwellings to industrial plants located in densely populated areas. Unlike sophisticated community wastewater treatment facilities, performance monitoring of onsite treatment systems has not typically been required by regulations. Thus, the importance of properly  more...

Design of Small Water Systems Overview In this course the student will review EM 1110-2-503, "Design of Small Water Systems" published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This course is particularly relevant to engineers involved in designing both public and private water systems. Although the publication's title suggests coverage of only small water systems, much of the discussion applies to large systems as  more...

Countermeasures to Reduce Red-Light Running Overview Red-light running is one of the primary causes of crashes in intersections. The crashes that result from red-light violations are generally more severe than crashes from other causes. Most crashes that are caused by red-light violations are generally side impact crashes, which are more severe than rear collisions. There are three main countermeasures that can be taken to reduce  more...

Wastewater Subsurface Drip Distribution - Design Installation and O M Guidelines Overview Subsurface drip distribution is the most efficient method currently available for application and subsurface dispersal of wastewater to soil. Because it is so effective, drip distribution represents a viable option for wastewater disposal and reuse for all soil types. The technology is gaining popularity and is commonly used at sites where point source discharges and National Pollutant  more...

Vacuum Sewers - Design and Installation Guidelines From the time the very first public sewer system was constructed until the 1960? s, a conventional gravity system was the only choice US engineers had when considering a public sewer collection system. This changed about 40 years ago when the USEPA challenged the industry to develop alternative collection by providing special funding for such endeavors. One of the alternative collection systems is  more...

Inspection of Highway and Rail Transit Tunnels This (9-hour) course provides specific information and procedures for the inspection of both highway and rail transit tunnels. Although several components are similar in both types of tunnels, a few elements are specific to either highway or rail transit tunnels and are therefore defined accordingly. It is commonly understood that numerous tunnels in the United States are more than 50 years old  more...

Overcurrent Protection Overview An overcurrent is a current that exceeds the amperage rating of the conductors (cable), equipment (motors, instruments) or other devices in a circuit. Without adequate protection, an overcurrent can damage conductors and equipment and potentially harm people. Protection devices, such as fuses and circuit breakers, are installed in a circuit to detect an overcurrent condition and  more...

Induction and Synchronous Motor Fundamentals Overview The two most common motor classes are synchronous and induction motors. Synchronous motors are more efficient than induction motors, but are more expensive and complicated and typically have a shorter life span. This course covers fundamentals of these motor classes and is geared towards engineers of all disciplines who are responsible for sizing, specifying, selecting, or purchasing  more...

Uninterruptible Power Supplies - Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Configurations Overview Various factors should be considered when making a decision as to whether or not a UPS system must be installed. The types of electrical loads must be considered, as well as the appropriate amount of back-up time that is required for a safe and effective operational shutdown. This course will examine the types of loads that should be placed on a UPS systems, as well as the types of  more...

RF Systems Fundamental Concepts Overview This course describes the primary components used in typical RF (radio frequency) systems and describes their functions and characteristics as they relate to system performance. Terminology is explained where necessary for the benefit of the non-RF student. The level of discussion is aimed at students who have some familiarity with the concept of RF devices. While this course does not  more...

AC Single Phase Energy Overview This course introduces single phase, electrical power definitions and calculations. Energy and power considerations are at the heart of determining electrical operating costs. A basic knowledge of the relationships between the power source and typical electrical loads enables the engineer to determine the energy required by a load and the rate (power) at which it is delivered. An  more...

The Electric Transmission Grid Overview This 3-hour course is an overview of the electric transmission grid in the United States. In this course we will review the basic structure of the industry, look at the historical events that have helped shape the industry, including significant legislation affecting the industry and discuss a couple of key components that will likely make up the future electric transmission system.  more...

Circuit Protection Devices Too much current flowing through an electric circuit can damage the circuit and create a safety hazard. How much current is "too much current"? That depends on the circuit and its components. For some circuits, 1 ampere would be too much current, while for other circuits 1 ampere would be perfectly acceptable. Circuit protection devices protect electrical equipment by rapidly  more...

Variable Frequency Drives I wrote this courses with the intention of showing how the various parts of a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) work and how they are integrated to make an operating system. It starts with a review of AC and DC theory that is applicable to the way that an Inverter (another name given to VFD? s) works. An explanation is given of how the various solid state electronic components work. This course then  more...

Power System Neutral Grounding Fundamentals Overview One of the most critical decisions faced by the designer of a power system is how the neutral of the system should be grounded. This course presents the subject of neutral grounding in a very structured fashion. First, a simple equivalent circuit is developed for a generic power system, and then each of the options for neutral grounding is ?tested? in that equivalent circuit to  more...

Reliability Fundamentals for Electric Power Engineers Overview In general terms, reliability is a property of a system that describes the likelihood that the system will successfully perform as intended. In the most exact terms, reliability is the statistical probability that the system will be able to perform its intended mission. In this course, you will learn how to assess power system reliability quantitatively, and how to interpret the  more...

Symmetrical Components Overview This 4-hour course covers the application of symmetrical components to unbalanced conditions on electric power systems. Unbalanced conditions occur during faulted conditions and can be very difficult to analyze using basic circuit analysis. Applying the concepts of symmetrical components to three-phase electric power networks makes the analysis of unbalanced conditions manageable. The  more...

Electric Distribution Overvoltage Protection This 5-hour course reviews overvoltage situations on electric utility distribution systems and the primary methods to protect the utility system from overvoltages. The principle cause of overvoltages on an electric distribution system is lightning surges. Lightning surges are covered in detail as well as the design and operation of surge arresters. Protection methods including shielding, surge  more...

Electrical Power System Design for Industrial Facilities There is no formula for designing the electric power system for an industrial system that absolutely guarantees that the result will be successful. This course presents the approach that the ideal way to design an industrial power system is to first define a set of quantifiable parameters that can be either calculated during the design process, or measured on the physical system after it has  more...

Introduction to Electrical Safety for Engineers Overview Electrical safety begins at the design phase of a project and carries through to the operation of the facility. In this course the student will become familiar with the occupational safety and health considerations which should be inherent to every electrical system. In designing, operating and maintaining electrical systems, the engineer must consider the occupational and  more...

Energy Management for Motor Driven Systems Overview A common misconception within industry has been to equate an energy reduction or conservation program with the concept of turning off equipment and shutting down processes. Instead, the program of energy management challenges plant staff to produce the products or services with the absolute minimum energy consumption. The objective is to minimize energy usage through production  more...

Emerging Technologies for Conveyance Systems To meet the challenge of ongoing and even increasing needs for maintenance and repair, many public and private conveyance system owners and consultants are seeking innovative technologies to replace, renew, or extend the life of these critical systems. Sanitary and combined sewer overflows may be the result of improper installation, age and chemical deterioration, or insufficient operation and  more...

Process Safety Management Overview Unexpected releases of highly hazardous chemicals have been reported for many years. Recent major disasters include the 1984 Bhopal, India incident (3800 deaths), a 1921 German ammonium nitrate explosion (over 400 deaths, thousands injured), a 1986 Pasadena, TX incident resulting in 23 deaths, and a 2008 incident near Savannah, GA resulted in 13 deaths. OSHA?s Process Safety Management  more...

Small Business Safety and Health Management Overview Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. In this course the student will learn some  more...

HVAC Design for Hospitals Healthcare Facilities Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are complex environments that require special attention to HVAC design. Hospital air conditioning assumes a more important role than just the promotion of comfort. In many cases, proper air conditioning is a factor in patient therapy; in some instance, it is the major treatment. Studies show that patient in controlled environments generally has more rapid  more...

ISO 9000 and 10000 Quality Documents - 1994 to 2000 Development and Application Overview This course is intended to give a review of how the ISO 900N:1987 Quality Standards progressed to the ISO 900N:1994 versions and then were transformed into ISO 9001:2000. Also the course describes how the complementary (guidance) documents were developed and coalesced into more compact versions. The course goes on to discuss the development of a quality system and to summarize  more...

Finding the Root Cause Statistical Solutions for Problems in Engineering Systems Overview Whether in electrical, industrial, or mechanical systems, problems always seem to pop up at the worst time. Engineers are often seen as resorting to "shot-gun" methods to find solutions. When faced with a problem, the engineer must resist the natural tendency to reinvent the system based on speculation about the cause of the problem. When the engineer "thinks like an  more...

Introduction to Industrial Control Systems Overview This course introduces the student to the very basics of industrial control systems. "What is a batch process versus a continuous process?... What are the basic components of a process control loop?... What is an HMI and how does it interact with a PLC?" Get answers to all these questions and more. Learn what a discreet signal is and how it differs from a control loop. Find  more...

Uncertainty of Measurement This course covers the uncertainty of measurement, primarily as it relates to systems and instrumentation. The student will learn how to evaluate and combine uncertainty components to arrive at a value of total uncertainty and how to derive the expanded uncertainty for a system or instrument. The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of ten (10) questions at the end of this course  more...

Wireless Sensor Network Implementation in the Industrial Plant Setting Overview Talk of wireless instrumentation and wireless applications is all around us. But, practically speaking, how do we, as engineering professionals, "break the ice" with our operating units on installing wireless devices in the plant? Once we have determined that wireless is a viable option for an application, how can we help our organizations take the first step into the "world of wireless"  more...

Programmable Logic Controllers I wrote this course with the intention of showing how Programmable Logic Controller systems are constructed, and how to get started on programming these systems. After taking this class, an engineer should be able to design and build a simple PLC controller. This course was designed for electrical engineers with limited experience with PLC? s as well as engineers of other disciplines. Most  more...

Introduction to the U S Patent System Overview This course will provide the student with a general introduction to the various types of U.S. patents that are available. The student will also learn the parts of a patent application, what can get an inventor in trouble, patent professionals that can help with drafting, filing and prosecuting a patent application, how to find out how much getting a patent will cost, and what kind of  more...

Introduction to CHP Technologies With the advent of electric industry deregulation, environmental concerns, unease over energy security and other industry related issues, interest in combined heat and power (CHP) technologies has been growing among energy customers, regulators, legislators, and developers. CHP is a specific form of distributed generation (DG), which refers to the strategic placement of electric power generating  more...

Industrial Gas Turbine Performance Engineering Today gas turbine performance is of paramount importance as it directly influences the profitability of any business that employ them. It is indeed the end product that operators purchase and manufacturers have to guarantee. Gas turbine performance is affected by various factors. These include ambient conditions, performance deterioration and control system performance. Therefore, this course on  more...

Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals Overview The use of centrifugal pumps is prevalent in many industries. Centrifugal pumps operate on a pump curve whereby the flow rate of the pump increases as the head developed by the pump decreases. Alternately, as the system imposes more back pressure on the pump, the volumetric flow rate of the pump decreases. Thanks to a set of rules called the pump affinity laws, engineers can predict  more...

Pump Suction Characteristics Overview This 1-hour online course describes the significance and importance of the net positive suction head (NPSH) in designing a pumping system, specifying a pump, and diagnosing pumping problems. It is basic mechanical engineering, but truly understanding and correctly applying knowledge such as this tends to slip away from us unless we use it frequently. The tendency for engineers who grew  more...

Improving the Efficiency of Duct Systems The duct system, used in air heating and air cooling your home, is a collection of tubes that distributes the heated or cooled air to the various rooms. This system can make a big difference in both the cost and the effectiveness of heating and cooling the home. The duct system can have an important effect on health of the occupants through the distribution of indoor air pollution. In this  more...

Hot Water Floor and Space Heating Fundamentals Overview Hot water floor and space heating systems are often more expensive to install than other types of systems for small buildings. But, hot water systems usually have lower capital costs for larger facilities with multiple heating zones. In this course the student will learn some of the basics of hot water heating systems, including boiler types, heating controls, heating terminal units,  more...

Backflow Prevention in Chemigation of Pesticides Overview Chemigation, or the addition of chemicals to irrigation water, has probably been around for as long as both irrigation and chemicals have been used in agriculture. Chemigation became more widely used in the 1970's with the adoption of center pivot irrigation systems in the Midwest. Backflow prevention is necessary to prevent pesticide contamination of surface water supplies as well  more...

Design of Microhydro Electric Systems This course will explain the basic system components and site requirements for microhydro electric systems. The vast majority of the hydropower produced in the United States comes from large-scale projects that generate more than 30 megawatts (MW)—enough electricity to power nearly 30,000 households. Small-scale hydropower systems are those that generate between 0.1 to 30 MW of  more...

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Improvements Overview An effective commercial kitchen ventilation (CKV) system requires balance - air balance that is. Fortunately, there is no "magic" to the relationship between an exhaust hood and its requirement for replacement or makeup air (MUA). The physics are simple: air that exits the building (through exhaust hoods and fans) must be replaced with outside air that enters the building  more...

Underfloor Air Distribution Recent trends in today? s office environment make it increasingly more difficult for conventional centralized HVAC systems to satisfy the environmental preferences of individual office workers using the standardized approach of providing a single uniform thermal and ventilation environment. A task/ambient conditioning system, such as an underfloor air distribution system, is defined as any space  more...

Using Simulation for Performance Validation and Energy Analysis of HVAC Systems Significant potential exists with the current technology of energy management and control systems (EMCS) for monitoring and optimizing building systems during operation. More effort is spent typically on the design of a system and its construction/installation than on its operation. Operational optimization of building systems has traditionally attracted much less attention, and investments made  more...

Steam Efficiency Improvements - Distribution End Users Overview A large amount of energy can be lost in steam piping systems that are not properly designed and maintained. There are many opportunities available to minimize the heat loss from steam distribution systems and to maximize recovery of heat from waste steam and condensate resulting in lower overall energy costs. In this course, the student will review ten (10) "Energy Tip  more...

Steam Efficiency Improvements - Generation Overview Improper design of a boiler and its associated components can result in high energy use. There are many opportunities available to optimize the design of a new boiler or to increase the efficiency of a boiler already in operation. In this course, the student will review nine (9) "Energy Tip Sheets" published by the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Office of Industrial  more...

Boiler Types and Applications Overview Boilers use the chemical energy in fuel to raise the energy content of water so that it can be used for heating or to drive turbines or other rotating equipment. There are many different types and sizes of boilers commercially available that burn a wide variety of fuels. The selection of a boiler is dependent on the characteristics of the available fuel, the specified heating output,  more...

Heat Exchanger Fundamentals Overview A heat exchanger transfers heat from one fluid to another. Without heat exchangers, many of the products that we use today would not be possible. Without a radiator (which is a heat exchanger), vehicles would quickly overheat. Without an evaporator (another heat exchanger), you would not have the comfort of air conditioning in your home. Because of the importance of heat exchangers in  more...

Compressed Air System Design Overview This course covers the basic components of a compressed air system and provides guidance on achieving an economical, durable, efficient, and dependable system design. The basis for the course material is Technical Manual TM 5-810-4/AFM 88-8, Chapter 3 "Compressed Air" published by the Joint Departments of the Army and Air Force. This course is relevant to engineers  more...

HVAC Electrical Considerations Overview In today's complex building structures it is imperative that the HVAC engineer have a basic knowledge of all of the other professional disciplines and construction trades involved in the building design and construction. The mechanical and electrical systems have great impact on each other from the beginning of the design all the way into the functionality of the HVAC systems and  more...

Compressed Air System Basics Overview Compressed air is used in many different industries for driving pneumatic tools, hoists, conveyors, actuators, sprayers, air brakes, vacuum filters, air eductors, snow makers and a wide variety of other applications. A compressed air system consists of a supply side, which includes compressors and air treatment, and a demand side, which includes distribution and storage systems and  more...

Basic Principles of Air Distribution Overview Basic principles of air distribution as related to air device selection is fundamental knowledge that an HVAC engineer or designer should understand before selecting air devices. ASHRAE standards and codes have adopted criterion that suggests that air devices are an integral part of good ventilation effectiveness in buildings. In this course the student will learn some of the basic  more...

Survey of Pump Energy Savings Overview This course is designed as a follow-on to Course No. M-3005, Centrifugal Pumps, also available through PDHengineer.com. However, it is also a stand-alone course for those somewhat familiar with pumps in general, and centrifugal pumps in particular. The majority of technical articles and reports today dealing with energy and resources conservation involve nuclear power, redesign of  more...

Fundamentals of Refrigeration Overview This course covers the fundamentals and the principles of the single compression refrigeration cycle. It includes the thermodynamic properties of the refrigerants and basic calculations used to determine capacities of each one of the components in the single stage refrigeration cycle. Only basic knowledge of thermodynamics is needed to understand the Pressure to Enthalpy diagrams and  more...

Advances in Solar Electric Generation Technology Overview The vast majority of the world's energy is produced from fossil fuels and other non-sustainable fuel sources. However, dwindling reservoirs and increased exploration costs for fossil fuels are helping to make renewable energy sources, such as solar power, more attractive. At the same time, advances in technology are making solar power more affordable. As a result, the worldwide  more...

Small Wind Powered Electric Generation Systems Overview This course was designed to introduce the basic design concepts for small (residential) wind powered electric generation systems. Wind energy systems are one of the most cost-effective home-based renewable energy systems. Depending on your wind resource, a small wind energy system can lower your electricity bill by 50 to 90 , help you avoid the high costs of extending utility power  more...

Sound Attenuators - Aerosonics Products and Applications Overview Sound attenuators (silencers) are used in HVAC systems to help absorb noise that is generated by fans or other air moving equipment. Attenuators can also be used to prevent cross-over noise between rooms, such as conference rooms or toilet rooms. Manufacturers of attenuators such as AeroSonics offer a variety of attenuator types and models uniquely designed for a multitude of  more...

Fabric Filter Bag Leak Detection Overview Fabric filters are used in many applications in both the commercial and industrial sectors. Efficient operation of a fabric filter system depends heavily on proper maintenance and monitoring of the fabric filters. In this course the student will learn about the use of triboelectric monitors as fabric filter bag leak detectors. This course includes fabric filter and monitoring system  more...

Desiccant Dehumidification Systems for Comfort Conditioning Overview Desiccant air-conditioning systems can be used as alternatives for conventional air-conditioning equipment in any commercial or residential building. Recent breakthroughs in desiccant materials technology and the creation of new markets by Indoor Air Quality issues make desiccant-based air-conditioning equipment practical for many space-conditioning applications. In this course the  more...

Variable Speed Pumping Overview Significant opportunities exist to reduce pumping system energy consumption through smart design, retrofitting, and operating practices. In particular, the many pumping applications with variable-duty requirements offer great potential for savings. The savings often go well beyond energy, and may include improved performance, improved reliability, and reduced life cycle costs. In this  more...