Recognition boosts Adrianne Andal's confidence about future in Canada
Adrianne Andal’s co-op placement was, at its most basic, about preventing explosions.
The Instrumentation Engineering Technology grad (class of ’23) was working at CB Process Instrumentation and Controls, guarding against methane accumulation in parkades in Calgary. The colourless, odourless gas is flammable, dangerous at concentrations of just 5%.
Electronic detectors are the best defense – when they work. Andal’s job was to calibrate them. It was simple but time-consuming work. The process involved several steps, performed ad nauseam given the number of devices needing routine maintenance – a situation not uncommon in industry.
One day, after installing a number of detectors and starting calibrations, Andal paused.
“Maybe on my seventh calibration, I had the idea: ‘There should be a better way of doing this,’” he says.
He wasn’t bored. Andal was considering risk, whether that meant mistakes brought on by repetition or the hazard of exposure on cold days spent outdoors.
“Shorter calibration time translates also to safety,” he says.
Inspired by his co-op placement, Andal focused his final-term capstone project on determining that better way. But “better” would prove to be an understatement. This fall, his solution for streamlining calibrations garnered top prizes for student innovation in Canada, including capstone project of the year from ASET, the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta.
It also helped validate his decision to leave behind a life half a world away.
“I wasn't really aiming for anything,” says Andal, modestly. “I’m really glad it worked out.”
Learn more about work placements in Instrumentation Engineering Technology
Above and beyond
Dr. Ana Stefanova, Instrumentation Engineering Technology associate chair, isn’t surprised it did, earning Andal the regional award in early November, then second place in the National Capstone Project Competition soon after.
At NAIT, Andal was dedicated, and not just to his coursework.
“There was always a group of students surrounding him,” Stefanova recalls. “He wasn't afraid to share his knowledge. And he would always find time to do that.”
He also grasped concepts quickly, she adds, which was crucial to his project. Andal sought a simplicity that wouldn’t be simple to achieve.
Step one in his calibrations was to connect a tube to show the detector a safe, methane-free sample. After that, he’d swap the connection for one showing it an unsafe concentration. That done, he’d detach the tube and purge the system. Then, off to the next one.
Andal wanted to reduce the procedure to a single connection. The result was a prototype that captures the essence of his program, which relies on measurement to guide industrial process controls and automation.
It also emphasized the multidisciplinary nature of Instrumentation Engineering Technology, with Andal constructing his device from scratch.
“There were times that I was like, ‘Why am I doing this? I could have chosen an easier project.’”
This involved assembling components such as valves to switch from one gas sample to another but also building a smartphone app to easily manage the process – programming that Andal learned specifically for the project. (CB, he notes, provided supplies and access to their labs.)
“He approached this systematically,” says Stefanova. “He went through that process of collecting data, designing [and] experimenting.” Andal also proved his prototype works, and quantified the hours it could save in the field.
Overall, he went above and beyond requirements. Andal started work on his project even before his capstone began, putting in extra hours to complete it alongside other coursework. On top of that, he and his wife have two young children.
“There were times that I was like, ‘Why am I doing this? I could have chosen an easier project,’” says Andal. “But then when I got the award[s], it was … a validation of the work.
“It's the answer to all my whys.”
A chance for a better life
One “why” Andal didn’t ask was about his reasons for having enrolled in the program. He saw Instrumentation Engineering Technology as a way into Alberta’s oil and gas industry, where he’d wanted to help with process automation.
Stefanova is certain he’ll make an impact, and can see him reapplying the approach he took to his capstone project.
“He'll just recognize an opportunity for improvement, try to troubleshoot and provide solutions on how to do things better,” she says. “I expect to hear more about Adrianne and what he’s invented next.”
Andal hopes that happens in Canada. He’s already working with an Edmonton-based firm specializing in industrial automation and control systems engineering. But two years ago, he and his family were just arriving from the Philippines, unsure of what lay ahead.
He credits his wife, now a nurse, for supporting him throughout his education. The effort wasn’t just about building a career. The Andals are now applying for permanent residency.
“It's a chance for a better life,” he says.
Andal isn’t focused on calibrating detectors now but he hasn’t abandoned his safety-oriented prototype. With the help of an investor, he’d consider commercialization. But for now, he’s content to enjoy a sense of security of his own.
“Our future is a lot clearer for us,” Andal says. “We're doing good.”