I’m responsible for…
Supporting my department in selecting machinery for clients and solving issues at vendors and at site, particularly in terms of machinery dynamics. I am a certified CAT-IV vibration analyst and work across a number of different projects, whenever specialised intervention and support is needed by Project Leads. 

I got the job at Petrofac…
In 2007 – my background is in mechanical engineering. I’d previously worked at an Ore beneficiation plant in India, before becoming a Manager at Hindalco Industries, a non-ferrous cum fertiliser company. I was then Lead Rotating Equipment Engineer for Kentz International, with a focus on petrochemical complex detail engineering. I have worked on machineries with different genres, such as high-speed turbomachinery, reciprocating machinery, machines used in the fertiliser industry and ore beneficiation plants such as Ball Mill, vacuum filters and ultra-capacity axial flow pumps, and many more.

Rotating machinery is universal…
It has a vast domain, from domestic usage to industrial usage. It can be found in all aspects of our lives – be it a normal ceiling fan, hair dryer or jet engine; you couldn’t imagine a world without rotating machinery. A rotating machine essentially converts electrical, wind or thermal energy to kinetic energy (a form of energy that an object or a particle has by reason of its motion), and vice versa.

It's critical for our operations…
In the oil and gas industry, rotating machinery includes pumps, compressors, gas turbines and for power generation too. To illustrate the speed involved, a typical ceiling fan rotates at 200 rpm; our machines rotate at 12,000 rpm – 60 times faster. So, you can imagine how fast that is. As we move into renewable energy, the types of machines we will be working with will expand; this could be, for instance, massive wind turbine fan blades larger than the wingspan of an A380!

I start work at 8am…
I consult on projects and liaise with vendors. Each day brings a new challenge; issues with machinery are reported to me and sometimes they are very complex, sometimes they are extremely time sensitive. As a Subject Matter Expert, I also review a lot of critical documents for projects.

My most memorable moment…
Was when I organised and led around 20 online sessions on Vibration Analysis and Rotor Dynamics while working from home during the pandemic. If a machine is vibrating because of a design or installation issue, it can cause vibration induced fatigue, which can lead to damage and the eventual failure of the equipment. When the machines fail, they tend to be beyond repair and need to be replaced, which is costly. I wanted to share my knowledge with my colleagues, so they could understand the critical nature of vibration fatigue and how important it is to monitor equipment and take preventative action. As a token of appreciation, my department felicitated me with a framed sketch of myself drawn by a colleague, along with a Mont Blanc pen. I will cherish these gifts dearly.

A fascinating backstory, told in an intriguing way

Born in Beirut, she was the youngest of four children in a happy, well-to-do family. Then, at the age of nine, everything changed. Out-of-the-blue, her father, who managed a large chain of fine-dining restaurants, was kidnapped, tortured and held to ransom.

On his eventual release, the family fled to Canada, leaving everything behind, and ending up destitute in a small French-speaking city that was unaccustomed to immigrants. Unable to speak the language, her parents came across as unsophisticated people, with her father getting work washing dishes and her mother cleaning hotel rooms. Financially and emotionally, it was a real struggle.

Patty learned English by watching cartoons and studying children’s books. And, as she grew, she became more determined. With a focus on her studies, she earned scholarships to the University of Ottawa, and worked four part-time jobs to see her through her undergraduate studies in biochemistry before moving onto law school. She then joined the Canadian civil service, where she spent the first ten years of her career.

What is as interesting as the story itself, is the unguarded, matter-of-fact way that Patty tells it, and how she draws such obvious strength from it.

Another proud moment…
Was when I won an EVE award in 2013. A vendor wasn’t able to solve a perennial issue with a centrifugal compressor impeller rubs for an OEM test bed; my idea was tested and implemented successfully. I was also a runner-up in 2016 for helping with another machinery vibration issue. In this case, my idea was to conduct an operational deflection shape analysis with bare minimum instruments, replicate the FE model and take the corrective action at site.

I also speak at external events…
I have presented my technical papers at the MFPT conferences in the USA, the Vibration Institute annual conferences also in the USA, the Vibration Institute Middle East conferences, Biennial Asia Turbomachinery Symposium conducted by TEXAS A&M USA, and MERotic. I’m proud that I was awarded the Henry and Sallie Pusey Best Paper Award at the MFPT annual conference in 2017. I’m also a Chartered Engineer: CEng MImechE (UK) and Intl.PE (UK).

The best part about my job is…
People count on me and they have a tremendous amount of faith in my capabilities. It’s also rewarding to solve complex challenges. I feel like I’m making a difference and I’m able to think outside the box. My mother used to say, ‘For every lock there is a key, it may be hidden in a haystack’ and my father used to say ‘Be where the action is’.

The worst part of my job is…
Filling in Excel sheets!

After work…
I spend time with my family and then start my work as a member of various committees – the HI standard committee, the Advisory Committee of Asia Turbomachinery Symposium, API SOME, and MFPT (Vibration Institute) as a member of the board of directors and chair of the failure prevention group – to name a few. I also like to paint, watch movies, particularly those with Clint Eastwood, and listen to music (some of my favourite bands and singers are U2, Dire Straits, Bruce Springsteen and Kishore Kumar). I generally let my thoughts wander on canvas or while in ‘recharging’ mode. I don’t tend to read newspapers or watch the news, as I don’t find it very relaxing.

What was your Plan B?
I would have joined the Indian Army following in my father’s footsteps or become a teacher – children have such great imaginations. It was my father who encouraged me to go into mechanical engineering.

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