Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
(OP)
I have been working in fossil power plants since I graduated from college in 2006 (mechanical engineering). Most of my work has involved troubleshooting rotating equipment and managing steam turbine overhaul projects. In the future I may have the opportunity to work in some nuclear plants and I wanted to find out some pros and cons. In my company most of the people strongly prefer fossil or nuclear. I am attracted to nuclear because those plants are very detailed about records, procedures, outage scheduling, etc. The fossil plants can be somewhat lazy in these areas and as a project manager/engineer, it can be frustrating because the culture has been around so long.
I know some of the nuke engineers who loved the work and others were nervous most of the time because of the high standards and "nuclear" atmosphere.
As a young engineer who intends to stay in the power industry, should I pursue nuclear experience or stick with fossil?
I know some of the nuke engineers who loved the work and others were nervous most of the time because of the high standards and "nuclear" atmosphere.
As a young engineer who intends to stay in the power industry, should I pursue nuclear experience or stick with fossil?





RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
I have worked with fossil indirectly...designing valves and pipelines; did not like it much. I wish for fossil fuel to fade away.
My 2 cents.
Chris
SolidWorks 09, CATIA V5
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
The procedures, documentation, and re-training requirements are certainly not for everyone, but if you can tolerate them it is not a bad choice.
David
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
While a nuclear power plant has not been ordered since the accident at 3 mile island, the public perspective on nuclear power has shifted slightly. Many (not all) environmental groups that would have protested nuclear power plants 30 years ago are now supporters of nuclear power because of the lack of CO2 emissions. There is still the problem of what to do with spent fuel rods, and while many people might support nuclear power there is still a serious NIMBY (not in my back yard) problem.
I think the research on safer nuclear power plants is interesting and new plant orders may start soon. (I don't follow the industry very closely and new plants may already have been ordered.) I am a supporter of nuclear power and hope they do start building new nuclear power plants. Nuclear power is our best option to reduce carbon emissions on a large scale. The key to success is to have a single plant design and have the same design built over and over so people can be trained and be able to carry that training to any of the plants.
All this is to say I think nuclear power is a growth industry and I think it's a very good place to be. Besides once you have the hot steam the power conversion is the same, so anything you have learned about turbines and condensers and generators is going to be transferable between nuclear and traditional power stations.
-Kirby
Kirby Wilkerson
Remember, first define the problem, then solve it.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
I think nuclear will make a strong come back in the next few decades....just no other way to make good cheap power.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Maui
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Fuel selection may move away from coal. Natural gas reserves seem to be turning up quite a bit. Here's an article: http
My own sources in the industry here in the USA corroborate the article and seem to add more to the US reserves. I've heard numbers like "250 years" tossed about.
Nukes might be lining up for a move too. A large facility for the fabrication of components for nuclear plants is being built here in my local area. Somebody apparently knows something solid enough to sink a lot of money into the facility.
old field guy
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
I happen to work in the alternative energy industry so I may be biased. But, we often bid on jobs where the customer is trying to decide between fossil fuels and alternative energy, and we rarely win. That is partially b/c of a poor sales team, but I think it's largely because when it comes down to people spending their own money the value people place in "helping" the environment drops.
I don't imagine there will be an end to nuke power anytime soon, but I see fossil fuels picking up again.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
The one management job I am interested in is outage supervisor. I love working on scheduled outages when we can do major overhauls of the equipment. More enjoyable than the daily fire fighting. I have noticed, at least in my experience, that outage supervisors don't stay in the job for too long. Several of the ones that I know have been promoted to managers and directors. I guess if you do the job well you get promotion opportunities. My current outage supervisor had a few counterparts at some nuclear plants who ended up quitting because the projects were set up to fail.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
I see a clean coal technology as a fascinating business to get into with excellent prospects.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Fossil or nuclear, I think I have decent future ahead of me. I am 26 years old and in another 10 years or so I will be one of the old veterans after the current veterans are retired.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Any chance you're in Canada and have a job for me? ha
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
....and replace them with what???? Wind? Solar? Come on be realistic. The US can't even get committments for new nuclear sites.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
And don't forget that flue gas scrubbers also create plenty of solid waste. The waste can be converted into useful products but the market is not large enough to consume all of the waste, so it has to be stored somewhere, such as in large man-made storage ponds.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Supercritical plants with carbon capture look much more likely to be a solution in the medium term. There's an irony that the massive gain in efficiency by going supercritical is swallowed up by the carbon capture equipment to render the overall efficiency of such a plant back where it would be with 1960's technology.
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
Work would be equivalent hours to full time (or more), and has different jobs cross the board: Gas Turbine, welding, piping, machining and mechanical, steam turbines and equipment in both fossil and nuclear.
Note: You're rotating between jobs (US and overseas) and (by definition) are on the road. On-site, you're likely to be on 7x12 shifts, sometimes 6x10.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant
I see a lot of field service jobs online but all wanted field experience. Although I have outage experience as an engineer working for a utility, I would need additional training before taking on a job in the field.
RE: Work in Fossil Plant or Nuclear Plant