Virtual reality training for refrigeration engineers
For some time now, certain sectors have included virtual reality training to their in-house training packages in order to help trainees understand the workplace dynamics of their chosen profession. Already widely used in aviation for pilot training, it is steadily gaining ground in many fields, including the refrigeration industry.
Recently, a programme specifically aimed at HVAC engineers was launched, with the aim of allowing them to carry out simulated interventions on industrial refrigeration plants, risk free. This is a very significant project which could lead to radical changes in the way people learn complex and varied skills like those required in HVAC.
Current limitations of the education system
It is not easy for a refrigeration engineer to obtain the many complex skills their job requires through studying, not only because some concepts are not easy to grasp, but also due to the fact that the individual must be able to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
No high school or university is able to provide its students with sufficient tools to practise with. Largescale refrigeration systems can be found in large factories and while they can be viewed during visits by students, they were certainly not designed for educational purposes.
At present, newly qualified engineers leave the academic world never having touched a real refrigeration or air conditioning system. Although some of them take part in internships at established firms, which help to fill any gaps in their knowledge, graduates’ practical experience is still meagre.
The proposed training using virtual reality therefore represents a real step forward in the way workers of the future are shaped. With the right instruments it will therefore be possible to learn a large part of the knowledge previously only available in the field, without risking expensive industrial equipment or the health and wellbeing of the students concerned.
Spain is a pioneer in virtual reality training
If we consider the HVAC sector specifically, it is interesting to discover how Spain was the first nation to decide to include virtual reality training in its engineering schools. This is the result of a cutting edge project, involving a partnership between the AEFYT (the Spanish refrigeration and air conditioning association), some companies operating in that sector and the Spanish Ministry for Education and Training.
The project was launched in 2019 with the aim of building the first virtual reality system (VR) focusing on the training of students and professionals in the refrigeration sector. It will have the key function of providing basic knowledge to enable them to carry out technical procedures of various types on different kinds of ammonia based plants (with the option to add other types in the near future).
One advantage is that this project has the potential to be used not just for initial training but also to be expanded to support companies during their staff training. As a result, it will be possible, for example, to help professionals familiarise themselves with the latest generation systems or to give them the chance to explore and create customised solutions for specific clients.
The fact that the instrument in question has numerous possible applications makes it something destined to play a central role throughout the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. Furthermore, as confirmed by the organisation responsible for developing the software, anyone will be able to use it as the only costs will be for the purchase of the necessary hardware components (computers and VR headsets).
