Quote:
Originally Posted by Varley
(My first drawing approvals, which included the above grounding, I was more interested in being able to follow the interesting showings-off of the yard's designers. The standby start circuitry had a vast number of relay controlled logic. Very little of it necessary. The emergency switchboard similar. The warm glow of being able to follow and know like the back of one's hand is useful when showing off but evaporates over time being replaced with the realisation that one is stupid and so simplicity is better. Those unnecessary features of starters are now standard. They are tolerable - perhaps? - as they are executed on a PCB or computer. That doesn't make them any more necessary only impossible to repair onboard).
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Varley,
I agree - When cad drawings came into general use, the baby got thrown out with the bath water!
Skilled, experienced, real engineers were replaced by "technicians", proficient in the programmes, but lacking in "nouse"! Another massive fault, in my mind and experience, was the implementation of touch screens.
I once investigated the complete meltdown of a 340MW steam generator flue gas recirculation system. The initiator was a stuck/broken diverter flap. Following much reluctance on the part of plant personnel, I got a copy of the logs. The high temp was not alarmed, only monitored by operators in the "star trek" bridge style control room. Review of the logs revealed that the problem had occurred eight hours previous to "discovery". The duct, white hot in places and completely melted in others was discovered by a cleaner! My only comments were that they should change the seats to more uncomfortable ones and remove all "gentlemen's reading material"! Another was on a project that I was lead engineer (field) on. The whizz-bang computer controlled coal unloader arrived to site. QC gave me a call, and I went over to the Cayacal Island. When we got to the dock, Bionda pointed and asked me,"how do we put that together?!". The support structure had been sliced in four, like an orange, in order to make it "fit" the freighter's hold! The only solution was a lot of load bearing scaffolding, a 1200T crane on hire for three months and a pair of 120T mobile cranes for slewing/positioning. A bloody nightmare, thanks to some CAD expert!
Rgds.
Dave