The Heating, Air Conditioning, & Refrigeration Department is pleased to introduce a new course this summer: HVA-260 Geothermal Energy. Geothermal Heat Pumps are considered the most sustainable source of alternative energy and are used extensively for heating and cooling in both residential and commercial applications.
Students enrolled in HVA-260 will not only learn how to install, service, and maintain Geothermal Heat Pumps; upon completion they will also be issued accreditation as an installer of ground source heat pump systems through the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. In addition, students will receive an installer’s card, certificate, and also a 3-year membership with IGSHPA.
Category Archives: HVAC
HVAC/R Department rolls out new Internship Program
One of the key elements involved in gaining successful employment is work experience.
GRCC students enrolled in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (HVAC/R) Program can now receive this opportunity. Starting this summer, HVAC/R students can enroll in a new Internship Course which will allow them to gaining valuable experience working for area companies while receiving college credit.
This is a project several years in the making which has finally come to fruition. Many area businesses in the HVAC/R field are looking for entry level technicians and have already expressed an interest in this new endeavor. Even members of the HVAC/R Advisory Committee who are involved in the heating & air conditioning Industry are very excited about this new program.
HVAC Students take the Big Chill Challenge
Students who are enrolled in Don Steeby’s Refrigeration Applications Class (ER-111) are required to construct a refrigeration unit. This project has driven some students to work in teams to find out how cold they can actually get their refrigeration unit. From there it has become a competition to see who can get their project to be the coldest. This competition has developed into what students refer to as “The Big Chill Challenge”.
Using conventional freezer and refrigerator cabinets, students apply the knowledge they’ve learned about refrigeration components to “build-up” these units using state-of-the-art technology. This year, Eric DeWinter and John Wood set a new record driving their system down to 54 below zero! Congratulations Eric and John!
HVAC students get delicious lesson in pasteurization
Don Steeby’s Refrigeration class and Ron Stevenson’s Controls class had the opportunity to tour Aseltines Cider Mill in Comstock Park last Tuesday. The two classes are part of GRCC’s HVAC curriculum (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning).
The tour allowed Don and Ron’s students to see how cider is processed from apple to bottle. Students also observed the ammonia refrigeration system at work as well as the cold storage facility. They also learned how the refrigeration system is used through the custom-made pasteurizer.
Kudos to Don Steeby on Publication of Book on Alternative Energy
Don Steeby, Associate Professor of Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration has authored a new book on Alternative Energy.
Alternative Energy: Sources & Systems is a comprehensive guide to alternative energy that can be used by homeowners, builders, and anyone wanting to learn more about alternatives to conventional energy forms. The book bridges the gap between simplistic information and high level material that is more suited toward engineering. It is clear and easy-to read, yet detailed enough to effectively prepare readers for properly applying, installing, and maintaining alternative energy systems.
Alternative Energy: Sources & Systems is now available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Cengage.com.
HVAC Students tour GRCC Boiler Plant
Have you ever wondered where the heat comes from that warms your classroom? Don Steeby’s HVAC students got the chance to find out when they toured the GRCC Central Boiler Plant last Tuesday. Steve Schueller with Facilities Maintenance hosted the tour and explained how three jumbo boilers generate enough steam to heat the entire main campus.
These boilers can produce a total of over 51 million BTU’s of steam that travels through over six miles of underground piping to reach every building. Students in ER-135 (Heating Theory) apply the practices they learn in class to repair and maintain heating equipment such as residential and commercial furnaces and boilers.
GRCC HVAC Students compete in the “Big Chill” Challenge
One of the required projects for students enrolled in Don Steeby’s Commercial Refrigeration Class (ER-275) is to construct a refrigeration unit. This project has driven some students to work in teams to find out how cold they can actually get their refrigeration unit. From there it has become a competition to see who can get their project to be the coldest. This competition has developed into what students refer to as “The Big Chill Challenge”.
Using conventional freezer and refrigerator cabinets, students apply the knowledge they’ve learned about refrigeration components to “build-up” these units using state-of-the-art technology. This year, Chris Jones and Mike Woudwyk came out on top with their custom build freezer bottoming out at 33.5 degrees below zero! Congratulations to Chris and Mike!
GRCC HVAC Students Tour Meijer
Don Steeby’s Commercial Refrigeration Class (ER-275) had the opportunity last week to tour the Refrigeration Facilities at the Knapp’s Corner Meijer store. The tour was hosted by Chuck Schoenborn who is in charge of the refrigeration equipment for 25 Meijer stores and is also a former GRCC student.
The complex refrigeration system that Meijer uses has to have the capability to be able to cool fresh produce to 45 deg. F and the capacity to keep ice cream frozen at -15 deg. F. The ER-275 class studies operating systems and components used in commercial refrigeration systems with an emphasis on supermarket applications.
Photos: HVAC Students Tour Aseltines Cider Mill
Don Steeby’s Commercial Refrigeration class had the opportunity to tour Aseltines Cider Mill in Comstock Park last Tuesday. The refrigeration class is part of GRCC’s HVAC curriculum (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) where students specialize in studying commercial refrigeration such as supermarket applications.
Aseltines is one of the very few cider mills in the Midwest that has the capability of pasteurizing their cider and caters to such customers as Meijer, Sam’s Club and Spartan Food Stores.
The tour allowed Don’s students to see how cider is processed from apple to bottle. Students also observed the ammonia refrigeration system at work as well as the cold storage facility. They also learned how the refrigeration system is used through the custom made pasteurizer.
HVAC Students Tour Meijer
GRCC HVAC faculty Don Steeby’s Commercial Refrigeration Class (ER-275) had the opportunity last week to tour the Refrigeration Facilities at the Knapp’s Corner Meijer store. The tour was hosted by Chuck Schoenborn who is in charge of the refrigeration equipment for 23 Meijer stores and is also a former GRCC student.
The complex refrigeration system that Meijer uses has to have the capability to be able to cool fresh produce to 45 deg. F and the capacity to keep ice cream frozen at -15 deg. F. The ER-275 class studies operating systems and components used in commercial refrigeration systems with an emphasis on supermarket applications.
Refrigeration Students Accept the “Deep Freeze” Challenge
As part of their curriculum, students in GRCC professor Don Steeby’s ER-111 class are required to fabricate a complete refrigeration system. One of the annual events that several groups take part in is to see who can build a freezer unit that will deliver the lowest temperature.
The following students pictured below worked with any and every piece of equipment that was available to them to complete this task. Although all of their freezer units reached well below zero degrees F, they didn’t quite beat the record of -51degrees F that was set two years ago. Refrigeration Applications (ER-111) is part of the Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heating Technology program taught at the Applied Technology Center.
GRCC HVAC Students Tour Cider Mill
GRCC faculty member Don Steeby’s Commercial Refrigeration class had the opportunity to tour Aseltines Cider Mill in Comstock Park last week as part of the curriculum in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) Program where students specialize in studying commercial refrigeration such as in supermarket applications. Aseltines is one of the very few cider mills in the Midwest that has the capability of pasteurizing their cider and caters to such customers as Meijer, Sam’s Club and Spartan Food Stores.
The tour allowed the students to see how cider is processed from the apples to the bottles and included observing the ammonia refrigeration system at work as well as the cold storage facility and how the refrigeration system is used through the custom made pasteurizer.
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