elec power plant component mfr's are going kaput- lost expertise + knowledge 11

[davefitz]

I've been following the precipitous decline of the US and EU mfr's of electric power plant components, such as GE/Alstom/CE, BW, FW, Siemens. The loss of expertise and knowledge is astounding, and I assume that any future large central station power plants will have their components designed and fabricated in India and China. This observation is for both nuclear and fossil plants.

The trend implies a default committment has been made toward renewable technologies, and funding for research into these older technologies will also devolve in US and the EU, involving a change in university curriculum ( adios thermodynamics) . It implies that the remaining US and EU central stations will eventually rely on overseas technical support for repairing equipment and aftermarket demands,and those plants will learn to play the role that the steam locomotive played after the diesel-electric locomotive was introduced.

The funding for the technical support systems ( ASME) will also dry up, and the related industry conferences have already seen a gradual shrinking toward irrelevance.

One way to prevent complete loss of technical knowledge may be to have google archive the technical standards, research reports, and failure analyses of these mfrs and store them in some sort of library that is only searchable in some qualified manner ( TBD).

I have also noticed a growing form of "cultural amnesia" regarding the traumatic events of the 1940s-1964, where the newer generation of people are unfamiliar with , and actually deny the existence of, nuclear warheads, fallout, and related radiactive issues. Considering that it will take at least another 120 yrs to decommission the waste stockpiles and used fuel, this amnesia does not bode well.

"...when logic, and proportion, have fallen, sloppy dead..." Grace Slick

 

[SnTMan]

Change a tire? There's an AAAp for that

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[waross]

Many years ago industrial plants were wired in schedule 40 steel or aluminum conduit.
That has all been replaced by TECK cable and Tray cable.
A few years ago I saw a couple of young electricians looking at this strange machine trying to figure out what it was and what it did.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[davefitz]

Well, at one time there was concern that technical progress will overwhelm humanity. Judging from the dumbing down of succeeding generations, it appears that such an event will not happen, as our culture seems to automatically limit the progress by the simple method of losing knowledgable persons to the grim reaper plus reducing the educational standards imposed on the next gen.

"...when logic, and proportion, have fallen, sloppy dead..." Grace Slick

 

[EdStainless]

One place that I worked had all new hire engineers work on the floor for a spell. A EE would actually build a motor (stack lams and wind) and an ME would assist at a machine station and then assemble a pump. Not only did this overcome the 'what is that' questions but it helped build a common vocabulary so that when we were talking about a part we all knew what it was.
And that was years ago .....

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[TBP]

A few years ago, Home Depot did a study that revealed that almost nobody in the generation of young adults coming along, knew how to use ANYTHING that they sell in their stores. This would have been a pretty dire revelation. They couldn't even buy anything like curtain rods, because they had no idea how to measure their windows.

And that is why Home Depot had to produce short videos like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M73r32vK7C4

To me - the fact that that video had to be made, means that as a society, we are pretty much doomed.

 

[Compositepro]

Not a very useful video. More like a music video. It shows placing the red 16" mark at the center of a stud. Who does that? It may be called a center-to-center distance but the actual measurement is done edge-to-edge. But what should be expected when millenials are producing the videos?

 

[MJCronin]

Anybody need "Green New Deal" Posters for our new world ?..... I have several hanging up in my office ....

https://creativeaction.network/prod...7Jrwp8XBHSDusvVPl2IzInZcuLJ5DQJXWFrR_0j2ALQRo

_______________________________________

___________________________________________

I hope that, since the people in this poster are going to rebuild our electrical infrastructure, that they can handle a curtain rod .......

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer

 

[racookpe1978]

Bookmarked.

 

[racookpe1978]

Yeah, And in that poster for the Green New Deal, do you see any qualified, experienced, employed males?

 

[1503-44]

Do they exist in the future?

 

[MJCronin]

Bah !!!!

Nobody agrees with me so .... TO HELL WITH IT ALL !!!!

I modestly propose that any team working on the GREEN NEW DEAL plans or replacement of the electrical infrastructure must

1) Must not be over 25 years old and be a graduate of a two year community college... Graduates with CAD backgrounds not permitted !!

2) No graduates with BS/MS degrees in Mathematics, Physics, any kind of engineering permitted

3) All teams working on these projects must reflect the make-up of the local population, be composed of at least 50% female and at least 25% minority. Hiring will be done based on Community Action group recommendations from the most nearby inner city

4) Each project team must have as a MINIMUM - Manager of Projects, two project Managers, Three Project schedulers, Manager of Engineering, Four Project document Controllers, One Diversity Manager, One Spiritual Leader and two or three people from Category 1) above.

5) There will be a two hour daily progress meeting with mandatory attendance for all

6) There will be a daily "PEP/RALLY- Spiritual Communion" meeting every day at 7:00 am

.... and on.... and on ...

Anyone ?

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer

 

[cranky108]

Sounds like the blind leading the blind. Oh, and you forgot about including blind people at the cash register of the lunch room.

 

[Sparweb]

MJCronin,
Your plan is impractical: The pep meeting must be between 8:30 to 4:00 (with coffee breaks at 9:30, 11:00, and 2:30, and don't forget lunch from 12 to 1. None of them will have even had coffee before 7:00 AM. Also, many will not pay attention during the progress meetings since they have to check on their cat video monitor on their phones.

http://www.sparweb.ca

 

[1503-44]

You also forgot prayer time breaks at 12 and 3. 1 to 2:30 is new lunch time, 4 is reserved tea and crumpets time. And remember that Mondays and Fridays are travel days, so double up on those safety and progress meetings on Tues and Thursdays.

 

[1503-44]

OMG. I forgot to mention gym time!

 

[SnTMan]

Can I bring my pet to work?

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[xnuke]

No, but your pet can bring you to work.

xnuke
"Live and act within the limit of your knowledge and keep expanding it to the limit of your life." Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[SnTMan]

That's great. I have a dog now, but I'm thinking of getting something less, you know, ordinary. Maybe an iguana or a maybe a boa, but not a parrot or a ferret....

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[IRstuff]

Bearded dragons are pretty cool, or maybe a boa constrictor

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[crshears]

Bearded dragon as an emotional support animal; yeah, right.

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]