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Lanier
Technical College is home to Georgia's only ammonia refrigeration
program, one of only a few in the country.
So
what is ammonia refrigeration? Basically, the act of
refrigeration changes a liquid into a gas, causing it
to absorb heat in the process. Then, the heat is transferred
away from the storage facility. Ammonia is a popular
liquid used in this process. Industries use it to chill
everything from produce, seafood and poultry to petrochemicals,
and pharmaceuticals.
The
program started in 1999 as a collaborative effort with
Lanier Technical College, the Georgia Institute of Technology,
and two trade organizations - the Refrigerating Engineers
& Technicians Association (RETA) and the International
Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) - joining
forces to launch this innovative training program. The
Georgia Traditional Industries Program's Food Processing
Advisory Council (better known as FoodPAC) provided
$350,000 in seed money for Georgia Tech to develop a
refrigeration training program. Additional funding was
provided by industry sponsors and the state's Department
of Technical and Adult Education.
Hands-on
training
The result: a $2 million, 5,000-square-foot training facility
located on Lanier Technical College Oakwood campus that
includes a state-of-the-art laboratory. The lab, which
features three different refrigeration systems comparable
to those found in industry, is critical to reinforce classroom
lessons and teach troubleshooting skills. Courses focus
on safety, operation, and maintenance as well as technical
and economic issues. In the lab, a system can be purposely
misadjusted so students see the repercussions.
Since
its formal debut in 2001, the Ammonia Program has been
exceeding goals. The program started with 250 students
the first year. Annual enrollment has grown steadily
with about 400 attending classes in 2005.
What's
more, the program draws students from beyond Georgia's
borders. A number of large companies with plants across
the country have corporate contracts with Lanier Technical
College, such as Wal-Mart, Perdue Farms, Schreiber Foods
and ConAgra Foods. In fact, about 60 percent of Ammonia
Refrigeration students come from other states as well
as Puerto Rico and Canada.
In
June 2006, Lanier Technical College co-hosted an "Ammonia
Safety Day" with local RETA chapters and Hall County's
fire and emergency services. Among educational events,
hazmat responders conducted a live-release drill and
demonstrated proper emergency procedures.
Indeed,
industry support toward the construction of the program's
$2 million facility underscores the need for ammonia
refrigeration training. For every $1 coming from government
coffers, industry sponsors contributed $3.
Lanier
Technical College offers several courses related to
Ammonia Refrigeration, which train workers to operate
and maintain an ammonia refrigeration system and how
to respond if the system malfunctions.
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