Source:  NC Pork Council, 7/14/10

Ammonia Refrigeration
Sampson Community College is home to North Carolina's only ammonia refrigeration program, one of only six schools 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.

Hands-on training
The result: a $2 million, 5,000-square-foot training facility located on the Sampson Community College 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.

Sampson Community 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.

SCC offers a certified RETA instructor on-hand to assist with the delivery of a curriculum that will integrate all safety and training standards.

SCC has enlisted the services of John Sherrill, founder and CEO of Sherrill and Associates, to assist with instruction and training as the program gets underway. Sherrill, one of the first to achieve the RETA Authorized Instructor certification, will provide high-quality training that will focus on safety and the improvement of operational and maintenance competency and enhance the program. Sherrill also serves as a director of the Education Committee for RETA, the Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association. This is an international group of individuals and companies involved in the design, operation and service of industrial refrigeration systems.

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