Mechanical Engineer
Resume:
CHIRAG C PATEL, P.E.
***, ***** ******* ****, ************, SC 29681
************@*****.***
Qualifications: Licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer with
masters' degree, along with 11 years of professional engineering
systems design, analysis, product safety/regulations/compliance, &
trouble shooting experience. Result-Oriented Program manager with
excellent leadership qualities, & people skills. Proficient/Familiar
with analysis tools like Auto PIPE, ANSYS, Flow master, STAAD, HTRI,
AspenTech. Familiarity with API/ASME codes, ATEX, IECEx
classification, ASCE 7.05, CSA, IEC, NFPA, Australian, & OSHA
standards.
Experience:
GE Power & Water Greenville, SC
Lead Engineer Feb, 2011 - Present
> Responsibilities include: System owner for Gas
Turbine Fuel Gas, Liquid Fuel, Ventilation, &
Mechanical (Stationary & Rotating) Systems. To
design systems improving Gas Turbine/Power Plant
reliability, availability, & maintainability;
meeting customers' needs & complying with
local/international Safety regulations/standards.
Act as program manager for a global team as
required.
New Product Development:
> Winner of Growth award during Engineers' week from
Senior Business Leadership. Program Manager/Gas
Fuel System owner for Gas Turbine Market
differentiator product - Flex Combustor program.
Market space worth ~ $5B; Designed to reduce NOx,
with wide range of hot/cold Fuel Gas.
> Responsible for reporting project status to
Business leadership along with developing
schedule, & budget estimates. Single point contact
for sourcing, manufacturing, services, EPC, &
other interfacing engineering teams. Led various
reviews including Safety, Human Factors' for
maintainability, Risk assessment, & stress
analysis for various piping systems like Atomizing
Air, Cooling, & Sealing Air, Steam Injection,
Liquid Fuel/Purge, etc. for the multi-faceted
global Engineering team of ~10 engineers & ~10
drafters.
> Project Leader for Gas Turbine Exhaust Waste Heat
Recovery Fuel Gas Heat Exchanger design to heat
Fuel Gas (Natural Gas) using heat from Gas Turbine
Exhaust Gases.
> Designed scavenging system for heavier & volatile
fuels to detect leaks near Gas turbine, including
control strategy.
> Designed positive pressure ventilation system
complying with IEC standards for plant with the
biggest inlet filer house eliminating the risk of
FOD (Foreign Object Damage) to compressor.
Blower/motor selection meeting IEC standards,
Ventilation Duct design using CFD analysis to
balance airflows to various compartments, & Duct
support design using STAAD for ASCE 7.05.
> Designed Gas Turbine Exhaust Frame Cooling Air
System including piping, valve selection &
fan/blower selection.
> Product cost out: Structural Analysis (STAAD) for
permanent walkways, which saved $924K.
Field Issue resolution:
> Root cause analysis of the imbalance in the
cooling flows produced by Gas turbine bearing
tunnel/exhaust frame blowers by performing CFD
analysis. Resolved by modifying the guide vanes.
Regulations:
> Designed Gas Turbine support systems complying
with South Korean Explosive Atmospheric
requirements/IECEx by meeting with IEC 60079, &
Canadian Standards Association (CSA).
GSI Group
Assumption, IL
Senior Product Engineer
Feb, 2009 - Feb, 2011
> Responsibilities include: serve as a Grain Dryer
product line leader for designing new products,
improving current products, & leading product
certification projects to meet international
regulations by engaging subject matter experts.
> Customers include ADM, Cargill.
Regulations/Compliance/Safety:
> Project Leader for certification projects for
Grain Tower Dryer Product line for Canada, CE
(IEC), & Australia. Responsible for engaging team
of subject matter experts including testing by
Intertek (ETL).
> Designed Fuel systems complying with NFPA, CSA,
CE, & Australian standards.
> Designed Catwalk/Platforms by using common parts
to reduce variations meeting with OSHA
requirements (Patent Pending#61/550,676).
New Product Development projects:
> Project Leader for developing world's biggest
Grain Tower Dryer (~160' high, 30' dia) with
drying capacity 12000 BU/HR. Engineering Leader
for designing Burner (118MMBTU), Blower (4 ea. 150
HP), metering/sweeping system with VFD, & Dual
fuel (Natural Gas & Liquid Propane) system. Led
multi-faceted team of engineers.
> Designed Grain dryer enclosures (shroud) to
eliminate risk of fire.
Continuous Product Improvement projects:
> Improved dryer efficiency/burner performance by
developing Fuel System Calculation program in
Microsoft excel to simulate pressure drop thru'
fuel system to optimize regulator setting for all
dryers.
> Redesigned existing jack pole assembly, using
improved/cheaper gearbox, pulleys, etc. to reduce
lead time, & cost significantly ($400 per jack;
~200 jacks = ~75K).
> Designed dual-fuel system, diesel fuel systems, &
grain flow control system.
Caterpillar
Decatur, IL
Design Engineer
Nov, '05 - Jan, '09
Quarry & Construction Trucks/Medium Wheel Loaders:
> Responsibilities include: serve as a design
engineer for designing various systems/components
including but not limited to hydraulic systems,
light fabrication components as per CAT standards;
& auditor for the CAT products (Quarry &
Construction Trucks) before it ships to the
customer.
Field Issue resolution:
> Project Leader on field issue to resolve
truck spindle failures. Led cross functional
team consisting of manufacturing, logistics,
quality, & engineering to ensure truck
spindles gets replaced in the field.
> Resolved field issues like lift line tube
failures, & radiator cap rusting for medium
wheel loaders.
Continuous Product Improvement projects:
> Project Leader for developing change
management handling process/tool to manage
the changes for trucks manufactured in
Caterpillar-India. Led team of 10-12
engineers (both in India & US) to ensure
effective implementation of design changes to
match emerging markets.
> Project Leader for six sigma project to
effectively implement Engineering Changes in
batches.
Assurance Packaging & Manufacturing, LLC
Lawrenceburg, TN
Project Manager
March, '04 - Aug, '05
Project Accomplishments:
> Project Manager to manufacture packaging
containers for various automotive companies
like GM, Honda, Ford, etc.
> Saved $20K by developing new Vendor &
reducing tooling cost, and lead-time
involved.
> Saved $50K by make changes in design for GM
packaging containers.
Mechanical Engineering Department, Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN
Graduate Research Assistant
Aug 2001 - Feb 2004
Project Accomplishments:
> THESIS: "Vision based cooperation among group of
mobile robots using Fuzzy Logic, and Image Processing
Techniques."
> Designed hardware & control software for the semi-
autonomous ground vehicle, TSU Tiger using fuzzy
logic, & image processing.
> Developed Camera calibration algorithm to calculate
object location with respect to robot based on image
processing techniques.
Ingersoll Rand Ltd
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, INDIA
Project Engineer/Facilities Engineer
June, '00 - June, '01
Project Accomplishments:
> Project Leader for installations of Oil
Cleaning System, Paint-Booth, Small
Compressor test bed, & pneumatic/hydraulic
equipments at assembly line.
> Engineering Leader to design Jigs/Fixtures
for compressor parts.
Education: Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN
Masters of Engineering-Mechanical Engineering
2005
L. D. College of Engineering/Gujarat University
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, INDIA
Bachelors of Engineering-Mechanical Engineering
1999
Accomplishments:
> Patent Pending: "Catwalk for a grain bin or the
like and a plank used in the construction
thereof." Application # 61/550,676)
> Received Research Scholarships during Masters from
research projects funded by NASA, ARL Pennsylvania
State University; Participated in the 10th
Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC),
Orlando as a Team member in TSU Tiger team.
Training/Skills:
Global Mindset, Power Plant Fundamentals, CFX, ICEM, Flow
master, STAAD, Auto pipe, HTRI, HYSYS, MathCAD, OSHA, Six Sigma
Greenbelt, Pro-E (Wildfire), Pro/sheet metal, Windchill,
Pro/Intralink, GD&T, C, C++, Matlab.
Additional Information:
> Volunteered as a Subject Matter Expert thru' GE
corporate program (SEED) for Resolution project.
> Launched Peer-Assisted Leadership & Mentoring
(PALM) program for GE APAF (Asia Pacific American
Forum).
> Led organization committee to organize cricket
match for GE APAF/Health Ahead within GE among
various chapters. Led Greenville cricket team (12-
15 players) for the past three years.
> Volunteered to assist GE Technology Day
participant companies for review with senior
leadership (VP).
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