Hidden from view in a typical coal-fired power plant is a battle that never ends. Coal attacks steel and alloy components when the fuel is transported about the plant. Predictably, over time, the abrasive nature of coal will prevail against any metal surface because metal will eventually erode. The only opportunity for metal surfaces to have a fighting chance is to advance the secret weapon: ceramics.

In this paper we are concerned with design and innovation in the context of long-term service driven engineering projects. The cases reveal a number of ways in which new organisational arrangements have emerged from attempts to deal with these difficulties and also some of the mechanisms that have helped companies to identify the design implications of future maintenance requirements.

The moral: Even when you think you have found the best solution, put the problem aside and then ponder it again. A fresh look may lead to an even better solution. As for the integral desuperheater, it is too elegant a solution to go to waste. Perhaps you may have a use for it.

For the foreseeable future, the “job of the future” will exist in a world that wrestles with issues of outsourcing, offshore design and manufacturing, and generally uncertain employment prospects. Among the job seekers, aspiring engineers need to develop effective ways of finding and keeping employment in this murky environment.

This article has several related themes. The main purpose is to give an overview of the engineering education process, relating theory to practical application. As part of this overview, I express gratitude to the scientists, mathematicians, and engineers who have guided my own education. This education is the foundation of my engineering career, as my experiences demonstrate.

It’s hard to imagine belt conveyors anywhere playing a more important role than at South Africa’s Kendal Power Station. Here, the world’s largest black-coal-fired electrical generating complex converts up to 1.4 million tons a month into more than 4100 megawatts, enough to supply three cities the size of nearby greater Johannesburg.

Whether it’s turning off lights, idling back process equipment and fixing compressed air leaks to energy audits and installing compressed-air management systems-reducing utility costs can take several forms. As with any project, the return on investment should guide you on the projects that you select.