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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 Technical College System of Georgia.
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 over 600 attending
classes in 2008.
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, Kroger, Nestle, Versa-Cold/Atlas, Perdue Farms,
Schreiber Foods and ConAgra Foods. In fact, over 60 percent
of Ammonia Refrigeration students come from 48 other states
as well as Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico.
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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