Steve’s Bio

Home / Steve’s Bio

Steve’s Bio

Steven Miller
c/o A.C.E. Unlimited, Inc
3377 Bethel Road, PMB 151
Port Orchard, WA 98366
360-865-7225

EXPERIENCE:

9/98 to present: President of A.C.E. Unlimited, Inc.

● Participated in electrical and instrumentation designs for 28 fishery facilities, the largest of which was a $16 million fish hatchery.

● Coordinated design efforts with engineers, biologists, architects, regulatory agencies, customers, suppliers and utilities. Prepared construction drawings, specifications, schematics, schedules, and installation plans. Prepared preliminary cost estimates.

● Prepared power distribution one-line diagrams, equipment layout, control schematics, and P&IDs. Design elements typically include MCCs, control panels, PLCs, HMI, motor control circuits, and standby generators. Prepared conduit schedules, panel schedules, grounding details, lighting layouts and fixture schedules. Reviewed contractor submittals for conformity to project intent. Provided client support during project start-up and training. Developed operating manuals and training materials.

● Specified alarm and monitoring systems. Specified process control elements. Specified components to monitor pumps, flow rates, dissolved oxygen, levels, temperatures, pressures, and equipment status.

● Typical projects include: Fish hatcheries, irrigation diversion structures, water pump stations in rivers, and VFD pump controls (up to 150 HP). Aquatic life support, controls to divert water upon failure of disinfection equipment; automated systems to clean river intake fish screens (18 projects, including one portable unit); automatic control and remote alarm system for water pump stations; automated flow controls to irrigation canals; hydraulic controls for in-river fish traps, remote control by SCADA data radio; various level, flow and temperature loop analog controls of modulating valves, VFD speed control of pumps or fans, heat exchanger flows and warm water bypass during freezing conditions.

● Provided design and specifications for a wetland restoration project. Design elements included automated flows, redundant valve controls, water disinfection, datalogging of temperatures and dissolved oxygen at various depths, automated response to emergency conditions, automated fish screen cleaning, and upgrades to existing SCADA equipment.

● Provided instrumentation design for two endangered fish refugia to allow biologists to replicate natural events. Design elements include water disinfection, filters, dissolved gas monitors, variable speed pumps to control flows and pressures. Remote monitoring and alarms.

3/97 to 9/98: Engineer under contract to Jacobs-Sirrine Engineers: Everett, WA

Temporary position as a Controls Engineer at a paper mill: Conferred with customers’ Process Engineers, operators and technicians to determine control schemes for flow, level, speed, pressure and temperature of their processes. Specified equipment and prepared requisitions. Prepared project scope, cost estimates, and bid packages. Prepared P&IDs, control loop drawings, installation diagrams and start-up procedures. Conducted project commissioning and start-up.

Projects included:
● Overflow and level control of a pressurized boiler feedwater tank along with remote monitoring of level, temperature, and pressure.
● Chemical feed for a disinfectant dosing system.
● Nitrogen pressurization of chemical tanks.
● Fuel oil tank upgrade to EPA compliance.
● Solely responsible for a $355,000 project to upgrade steam header pressure controls for a paper mill. This enabled DCS monitoring and control of steam pressures and flows.

5/94 to 3/97 Electrical Engineer, CryoGas USA, Tacoma, WA

Design Engineer: Designed controls for Natural Gas fueling equipment, prepared component specifications, cost estimates, purchase orders, installation plans, electrical schematics, control loop diagrams, and training materials. Fabricated control panels. Programmed PLCs. Proposed plans for integrating equipment and instrumentation into customer’s processes.

Field Engineer: Conducted installation and startup of systems at customer sites. Validated system conformance to specifications and regulations. Resolved problems during startup. Wrote equipment manuals, determined parts supply, maintenance tasks, safety procedures, and service schedule. Provided formal training to customers.

Projects included:
● CNG Bus fueling station
● LNG and CNG Vehicle fuel stations for the Louisiana Department of Transportation.
●Natural gas pipeline supply for a remote Montana town from an unmanned facility.
●Fuel supply to industrial furnaces of an aluminum dross recycler in Utah.
●LNG storage and LNG tanker loading from Methane extraction equipment at a Texas landfill. Also at this site: LNG to CNG pipeline supply.
●LNG tanker truck loading facility at a Kansas gas plant

 

Earlier experience includes 18 years with General Electric Aerospace as a Field Engineer.

EDUCATION:

M.S. in Systems Management, University of Southern California
B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Massachusetts

SUMMARY OF CAREER RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Uses decades of experience to assure internal and external customer satisfaction.
  • Understands the needs of other disciplines.
  • Provide enough details to assure all team members understand project goals and expectations.
  • Applies knowledge and experience to complex situations.
  • Recommends solutions to complex issues.
  • uses experience to troubleshoot customer problems.
  • Mentors less experienced colleagues.
  • Designs, develops and tests electrical control methods, equipment, processes and results.
  • Develops methods to control and monitor interconnected equipment. Typical projects will control or monitor flows, levels, temperature, and pressure of fluids.
  • As an independent contractor, designs are to be accepted or rejected by client project engineers.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SKILLS

Provide key input into the development of teams’ strategic goals during all phases of project development.

PROJECT SKILLS

  • Work with engineering teams to define their control needs. Collaborates with others in a team environment. Excellent interpersonal skills. Generate wiring schematics and control drawings.
  • Select or specify industrial control components. Provided Electrical Controls designs to CAD drafters.
  • Masters Degree in System Management
  • Excellent organizational, analytical and communication skills.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

  • Ability to train, coach and mentor engineering talent, manufacturing and skilled trades colleagues.
  • Lead projects and assist skilled trades in understanding project objectives.
  • Support trades and client personnel in electrical/controls troubleshooting.
  • Direct and/or participate in root cause analysis and team problem solving activities.
  • Maintain a positive working relationship with all levels of client and customer organizations.

CORE TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Ability to focus on priorities in a fast paced work environment.
  • Working knowledge of appropriate electrical controls and engineering standards, and industry practices.
  • Working knowledge of PLC hardware and Ladder Logic programming.
  • Excellent “hands on” electrical/mechanical aptitude.
  • Computer literacy and good knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
  • Understanding electrical/controls circuitry and schematics.
  • Knowledge of NEC and general machine safety, and electrical safety.
  • Develop one line diagrams.
  • Motors, starters, motor controls including setup of VFD drive parameters.
  • Specify and install solenoids, relays, timers, and switches (including pressure switches, flow switches, level switches, proximity switches, and limit switches).
  • Specify and install pressure transmitters, temperature (RTD or thermocouple) elements and transmitters, and flowmeters (including magnetic, turbine, ultrasonic, Coriolis, paddle wheel, thermal dispersion, vortex shedding, rotometer, flume and orifice plates).
  • Power supplies and transformers.
  • Analog PID loop controllers and loop tuning.
  • Electrical enclosures and wiring devices.
  • Develop P&ID diagrams to ISA/ANSI 5.1
  • Alarm systems per ISA/ANSI 18
  • Lighting design layout, calculations, energy code compliance.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS, WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts, vibration, voltage, heat, high pressure and hazardous materials. Occasional work outdoors in harsh conditions including mud, ice, wind, heat.

TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ability to work with clients to identify needs & propose solutions, manage project budget & scope and deliver projects.

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and direction, combined with the ability to work within a small team of 2-5 engineers.

• Ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.

• Willingness to work beyond business hours to deliver the project within expected schedule.

• Thorough knowledge of process controls including the ability to understand the process, identify the appropriate process parameters, data, hazards, outcomes and constraints.

• Implement control methodologies in PLC and HMI platforms.

• Demonstrate proficient understanding of P&IDs, Process Control Narratives (loop descriptions), Electrical Schematics, and other common control system documentation.

• Effective verbal & written communication skills.

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES

• Action Oriented – Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges, in good times and bad.

• Collaborates – works with teammates to achieve shared objectives. Gains the trust and support of others.

• Customer Focus – gains insight into client needs. Identifies opportunities that benefit the client, builds and delivers solutions that meet customer expectations. Maintains effective customer relationships.

• Drives Results – achieves results even under tough circumstances and maintains a track record of exceeding goals.

• Ensures Accountability – acts with a sense of ownership. Follows through on commitments. Takes personal responsibility for decisions, actions and failures.

• Instills Trust – gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity.

• Interpersonal discernment – relates with people across levels, functions, and culture. Acts with tact to maintain constructive relationships.

• Manages Ambiguity – often acts without the total picture. Accepts liability of dealing with the uncertainty of change, handles risk effectively, and deals constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions.

• Manages Complexity – asks the right questions to analyze situations, identifies the root cause of problems to assess pros and cons, risks and benefits, of different solution options.

• • Willingly accepts new challenges to overcome project limitations and constraints.

• Situational Adaptability – picks up on situational cues and adjusts accordingly. Applies different approaches based on experience and risk.