Oil and Gas

Technical Training

On-Site Training

Imperia is a nationally recognized engineering firm of highly skilled professionals and has been providing services to the utility and commercial industries since the mid-eighties.

Due to our vast experience in a variety of areas, we are able to bring the knowledge and skills to you. As your success depends on your ability to address day to day problems and issues, Imperia offers a number of in plant courses in our core areas that were developed for the plant engineer, technician, operations, or maintenance individual. These courses are designed to provide you the skills and knowledge needed to become more effective in your job. Some of the classes being offered are described below.

Protective Coatings Training

Imperia offers a three-day comprehensive protective coatings training course intended for personnel assigned technical responsibility for the plant’s protective coatings and linings program. It is equally useful to personnel with job responsibilities associated with specification, application, and inspection of protective coatings in the plant. This course also can be used to support certification as a Protective Coating Inspector to the requirements of ASTM D 4537. In addition to addressing protective coating basics, the training is customized to address the requirements of the respective power plant by integrating an applicable plant-specific safety- related coating specification and safety-related coating application procedure into the training.

Digital Engineering Fundamentals

These courses provide students with an overview of digital engineering fundamental knowledge:

• Life Cycle Process Overview (4 hrs)
• Platform Technology (4 hrs)
• Human Factors Engineering Fundamentals (4 hrs)
• Application Support Concepts (4 hrs)
• V&V / Testing Concepts (4 hrs)
• Network Technologies (10 hrs)

Digital Instrumentation Fundamentals

This one-day course, designed for engineers with an understanding of analog control systems provides students with an overview of the knowledge necessary to upgrade analog control systems to digital control systems. This course reviews the difference between analog and digital systems, as well as outlining the benefits and concerned associated with changing from an analog control system to a digital control system.

Flow Accelerated Corrosion

Imperia offers a range of training options from single day introductory/overview courses to five day in-depth workshops. Imperia also offers programs customized to meet a client’s specific needs. Our instructors are recognized as industry experts and have provided FAC training for multiple domestic and international utilities.

Our FAC training offerings include:

• Introduction to Flow Accelerated Corrosion (Non-Program Owner) – 1 Day
• Introduction to FAC and CHECWORKS™ SFA – 3 Days
• Advanced CHECWORKS™ SFA and Program Implementation – 3 Day
• Advanced FAC Program Owner Training – 5 Day
• Introduction to FAC Manager

Erosion Program Training

Imperia offers training programs for personnel involved in Erosion/Mechanical Degradation programs. Our offerings range from single day introductory/overview courses to five day in-depth workshops In-depth programs utilize EPRI’s CHECWORKS™ SFA erosion functionality and introduce the FAC Manager Erosion Bundle. Imperia also offers training programs customized to meet a client’s specific needs.

Our Erosion/Mechanical Degradation training offerings include:

• Introduction to Erosion/Mechanical Degradation (Non-Program Owner) – 1 Day
• Introduction to Erosion and CHECWORKS™ SFA – 3 Days
• Advanced CHECWORKS™ SFA and Erosion Program Implementation – 3 Day
• Advanced Erosion and FAC Program Integration Training – 5 Day

Failure Analysis

This course, geared toward System, Component, and Design Engineers, provides the basic concepts of component failure analysis, supplemented with case studies and samples of actual failures. Included is a description of how to recognize degradation mechanisms, indicators, and stressors as well as fundamentals of analytical techniques. These failure analysis concepts provide a foundation for failure prevention strategies.

DC Systems

DC power is essential to the operation of utility substations and generating plants. DC power is supplied to microprocessor based relays, SCADA RTUs, indicating lights, auxiliary relays, interposing relays, circuit breaker trip coils, circuit breaker closing coils, and circuit breaker charging motors, motor operated valves, emergency pumps, annunciators, and other components. This course is designed to demonstrate the process used to size lead acid batteries and battery chargers. This course includes evaluating DC load profiles and DC system performance during normal system operation, during loss of AC conditions, and during design base conditions with and without concurrent AC system events.

Course Outline (1-day course)

1. Introduction
2. Stationary Batteries

• Flooded Cell
• Valve Regulated

3. Battery and System Voltage

• Normal (float operation, normal battery voltage)
• Discharge (low voltage, minimum battery voltage)
• Equalize (high voltage, maximum battery voltage)
• System Voltage

4. Battery Load

• Continuous Loads
• Non-continuous Loads
• Momentary Loads
• Defined Loads
• Random Loads

5. Battery Load Profile
6. Battery Sizing Calculation
7. Battery Chargers
8. Battery Charger Sizing Calculation
9. Fuse Ratings
10. Load Characteristics

• Microprocessor Based Relays
• Lockout Relays
• Circuit Breaker Trip Coils
• Circuit Breaker Charging Motors

11. DC System Performance

• Normal Conditions, Battery in Float
• Momentary Load, Battery almost Fully Discharged (Low Voltage)
• Continuous Load, Battery Charger in Equalize Mode (High Voltage)

Protective Relaying for Power System Protection

Protective relaying is essential to the continued operation of electric transmission systems. This three day course focuses on protection of electrical transmission systems and components vital to the continued operation of the integrated power grid. The course will include perspectives gained from working with a wide variety of clients throughout the United States, including investor owned utilities, independent power providers, regional transmission operators, and equipment suppliers.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction
2. Basic Electrical Theory and Abnormal System Conditions
3. Instrument Transformers
4. Protection Fundamentals
5. Protective Relaying Applications
6. Case Studies – Discussion of Significant Events

Motor Theory and Applications

Motors are used in numerous applications in power plants and industrial facilities. This course presents material applicable to induction motors, synchronous motors, DC motors, and variable frequency drives. This includes basic electrical theory, such as equivalent circuits, and practical application data, such as breakdown torque.

Materials Consulting/Failure Analysis

Materials Science and Engineering Center (MS&EC) for Energy

Since 1986, Imperia’s materials expertise in the Energy Sector has supported customers in Industrial/Institutional, Nuclear Power, Oil & Gas, Power Generation, Power Delivery and Renewable services.

Our interdisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, and technical specialists matched with a top-notch laboratory provides us with unique capabilities that go beyond standard laboratory analyses in order to tackle challenging problems. The MS&EC team holds expertise in metallography, chemistry, polymer science, mechanical & electrical assessments and more.

The Materials Science and Engineering Center laboratory services lead failure investigations, root cause development, support process and materials changes, vendor changes, manufacturing outsourcing and product quality. Our services provide valuable advice for design, qualification, failure mitigation and prevention such as modifications, materials selection, operations, maintenance, or environment. Imperia’s technical services are compliant with 10CFR 50 Appendix B.

Our MS&EC services include:

• Failure Analysis
• Testing and Simulations
• Product Development Support
• Radioactive Materials Handling
• Materials Consulting
• Corrosion/Degradation Assessments
• Mechanical Testing

Failure Analysis

The MS&EC offers high end analysis and laboratory based testing services that focus on performing investigations and solving problems for our clients.  We emphasize a methodical approach that focuses on root cause analysis. Failure Analysis requires broad-based engineering skills, fundamental materials knowledge, forensic experience, and scientific objectivity. With our integrated engineering and laboratory capabilities, we offer a uniquely large expertise. Our team understands the necessity of a timely and responsive result to support tight deadlines and crisis management.

Where radioactive materials are utilized, the MS&EC is licensed to handle radioactively contaminated samples.

Testing and Simulations

Testing with custom made mock-up simulations are often used to solve complex engineering problems or to assess a material, system, structure or component.  This can be performed on-site or executed in the MS&EC laboratory. Our testing and analysis laboratory allows us to perform a wide range of laboratory testing including:

• Customer setups
• Prototype testing
• Accelerated aging
• Laboratory Investigations on a Wide Range of Materials—metals, polymers, bio-materials, composites, glass and ceramics, coatings, lubricants

Product Development Support

Designing or redesigning a product requires a thorough understanding of materials, components, and systems. Our experience with failure mechanisms for a multitude of products and materials in various industries gives our clients the edge to successfully develop their next product.  Whether the product is a critical spacecraft component or a toaster oven, safety, reliability, function and cost containment are critical issues designers and manufacturers must face. Our engineering and laboratory-based analytical tools allow us to effectively investigate these issues, provide independent assessments, appropriately simulate the product life cycle and develop focused recommendations. We offer:

• Custom setups and prototype testing
• Analysis of product failures or degradation
• Design of experiments for robust evaluations
• Comparative product analysis and testing
• Material selection, evaluation of components and systems
• Development of quality control setups and prototype testing
• Finite element stress, functionality, and system analyses
• Material  and  product qualification
• Complete design consulting services

Radioactive Materials Handling

Imperia’s Radioactive Materials Lab allows us to offer the full services of Imperia Laboratories to projects involving radioactive material. We are able to examine, test, analyze and investigate radioactive samples without requiring prior decontamination that could alter materials or remove evidence valuable to the analysis.

Materials Consulting

Decisions in the area of materials selection, usage, and processing are impacted by design, technical, and economic factors.  In order to be genuinely effective with these materials it is necessary to consider all of the components which affect your business.  Imperia has the experience, staff, and tools needed to help you make optimal materials decisions and to put your team on the path to better decision making.

We deliver the right combination of our strong, well-rounded engineering and scientific team together in the work we provide for our clients. A critical component of our problem-solving ability is our internal laboratory that allows us to integrate the material, design, and operational aspects of a problem, as well as to conduct testing and simulations.

Imperia brings to bear:

• A diverse range of experience in corrosion engineering and materials degradation, relying upon on-site field services and laboratory investigations.
• Broad-based engineering skills, integrated with materials knowledge and forensic techniques.
• A strong foundation in materials: ferrous and nonferrous metals, concrete, ceramics, elastomers, polymers, coatings, and lubricants.
• Testing components and materials during the design phase to avoid costly and time-consuming operational or product failures.
• Training and educating our clients in materials-related subjects, including corrosion, material selection, reliability improvement, aging assessments, and failure prevention.

Corrosion/Degradation Assessments

From failure analysis to materials selection, Imperia provides a diverse range of corrosion engineering and testing services. Imperia’s electrochemical capabilities enable the performance of tests such as polarization resistance, cyclic polarization, potentio-dynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy under a wide range of environmental conditions.

Corrosion problems are a fundamental issue across all industries. Imperia’s extensive capabilities include:

• Electrochemical testing capabilities enabling the performance of tests under a wide range of environment conditions
• Customized tests to simulate process or field conditions
• Pilot scale or in-service studies for on-site evaluations.

Mechanical Testing

Imperia has the ability to develop fully customized fixtures for the evaluation of standard or non-standard samples and component testing. We have extensive experience in evaluating various sized and non-standardized prototypes, samples and components, designing unique customized tests with computer control and data acquisition, monitoring in-progress testing with details playback, and performing testing under a controlled temperature using an environmental chamber. Our mechanical testing capabilities include tensile, compression, bending, peel, burst, stress relaxation, fatigue, hardness testing and more.

Selected Analytical Tools

We have unmatched experience in condition and aging assessment, life extension, and materials testing and evaluation using tools such as:

• Metallography
• Polymer thermal and mechanical analysis
• Mechanical testing (low and high temperatures)
• Corrosion analysis and testing
• Electrical testing
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
• Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis
• Optical microscopy
• Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy
• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
• Chemical analysis
• Hardness and microhardness testing
• Polymer characterization & testing
• Product performance testing
• Specialized test fixtures
• Thermal aging

Staff Materials Expertise

• Materials selection and engineering
• Failure analysis
• Corrosion engineering
• Regulatory compliance
• Adhesives
• Formulation
• Research and Development
• Intellectual Property
• Mechanical testing
• Electrical insulation materials
• Coatings
• Stress analysis
• Fracture mechanics
• Fractography
• Material and component degradation
• Electrical components