Marnie Surfaceblow: Marnie Finds a Pest

Lengthy-time POWER readers could bear in mind Marmaduke Surfaceblow, a fictional character whose engineering escapades had been brilliantly portrayed in tons of of tales printed inside POWER journal’s pages over greater than 30 years starting in 1948. At the moment, the fictional sequence continues by Marmy’s granddaughter, Marnie, who’s an engineering wiz in her personal proper.

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Small clues can typically assist reveal bigger issues. Don’t ignore uncommon occasions and bear in mind to not let historical past repeat.

“One unit’s offline, and it’s about to turn out to be two, proper as energy costs and our clients’ wants hit their peak. You’re going to bloody effectively make this proper, see? I received’t be made redundant over your dodgy gear!” Plant Supervisor Terrence “Terry” Stephenson slammed his ham-fist on the convention desk, rattling the tea and low cups, and startling most gathered within the room.

A peaceful however iron-hard voice carrying a Maharashtrian accent broke the embarrassed silence. “Sir, I’ve warned you. Chorus from such outbursts or I’ll adjourn and finish this mediation. That is your closing warning. Thanks,” Maya Sharma, lead discipline engineer of Surfaceblow & Associates Worldwide, mentioned.

Stephenson’s livid gaze met that of Maya’s, as she returned his ire along with her preternaturally calm stare, darkish eyes flashing briefly and giving Stephenson a sudden feeling of being a mouse that had simply seen the shadow of an owl go overhead.

“Sir, our project was mediating this disagreement between your energy station and Tengu Company relating to the failure of two of your steady emissions monitoring methods [CEMS]. In case you are unwilling or unable to mediate in good religion and with decorum, Surfaceblow & Associates Worldwide will exit the engagement,” continued Maya.

“Oh, actually now!” the incredulous plant supervisor responded. “And what does your boss take into consideration that, younger woman?”

With good timing Marnie Surfaceblow, vp of Surfaceblow & Associates Worldwide, strode into the room in her personalized, trendy but useful, plant coveralls outfitted with arrays of diagnostic and testing gear in pockets, on her belt, and hanging from lanyards. “Ms. Sharma’s boss is de facto liking the thought of heading again to London and procuring on Sloane Avenue for a brand new purse, as a result of I feel it’s time to lastly change ol’ brownie right here,” Marnie emphasised by patting her tan leather-based Prada. “However, severely, Terry, we’re outdated associates. Let Maya do her job whereas I do mine.”

“We’d like these CEMS working, Marnie. We’re relying on you!” Stephenson emphasised.

“Actually now? Oh, and right here I believed you loved being off the grid,” Marnie poked. “By no means concern! Come what may I’ll determine it out. Maya, the place do the negotiations at the moment stand?”

Maya pinched the bridge of her nostril and closed her eyes. “Mr. Stephenson, plant supervisor, needs a brand new CEMS, liquidated damages, a five-year guarantee extension, and a number of other different objects I shan’t listing. Mr. Kenji Tanaka, former chief engineer and present head of European gross sales for Tengu Company, is providing to repair something not performing on the CEMS, save for negligent or deliberate harm, or be chargeable for post-installation modifications.”

Placing a hand on Maya’s shoulder and giving her a comforting squeeze, Marnie whispered, “I do know that is your first time, however I additionally know you are able to do this. Simply attempt to keep away from working towards your Krav Maga on anybody, OK?”

“Sure ma’am. Is jujitsu acceptable?” Maya whispered again with a smile.

CEMS Failures Handcuff Operations

A extra composed Terrence Stephenson gave his opinion relating to the CEMS failure. “This waste-to-energy plant is important for our environmental technique right here in Devon. Landfill area is sort of unimaginable to search out within the UK. We recycle the whole lot doable, and nonetheless fill our suggestions. The floods of grockles—vacationers—visiting the English Riviera every year deliver with them much more waste to get rid of. And being simply over 5 kilometers from the Moors, our plant has stringent limits on stack, effluent, mud, mildew, and noise emissions. Oh, you will have seen the Moors, proper? They’re so pretty within the chilly and rain, simply good when you’ve got additional time in your go to,” he added.

Dodging the query, having already skilled the darkly miserable dreariness of Dartmoor, Maya guided the discourse, “Please describe the occasions resulting in your CEMS failures.”

Pausing to gulp his tea, Stephenson continued, “Now we have three bubbling-bed boilers, burning the whole lot from plastics and meals scraps to hospital waste. Boiler 21 was commissioned in 2014, Boiler 22 in 2018, and Boiler 23 in 2019. The items are equivalent, as a lot as doable, a part of our plan to each save on operator coaching and enhance security. They’ve equivalent distributed management methods, plant historians, and CEMS. The CEMS had been provided by Tengu Company, they usually labored—till they didn’t.” Stephenson pointed an accusing finger down the desk towards Mr. Tanaka, who sat poised, however clearly involved. “Will is our senior plant engineer, I’ll let him present extra element.”

Will Eyre shortly straightened his relaxed posture and started offering his perception. “The CEMS behaved simply tremendous, with no distinction between the three items. The plant usually operates at low era capability elements, so preventive upkeep is simple to schedule. However the bone-chilling climate this yr—usually it by no means freezes within the southwest—has saved the county effectively under freezing nearly each day. We even set a document low of –20C final month. Most UK properties use fuel warmth, and demand has been so excessive that regional combustion generators can’t begin or danger low pipeline stress. This waste-to-energy plant is essential for grid help, so we’ve been working flat-out practically all season,” he defined.

“4 weeks in the past, Boiler 21’s CEMS failed with no warning. Now we have one transportable testing and monitoring rig for a short-term substitute. Then, a fortnight in the past, Boiler 23’s CEMS failed, and we are able to’t deliver it again on-line. Our testing allow expires in three days, so by weeks’ finish Boiler 22 would be the final man standing,” Will mentioned.

“Have you learnt the basis reason behind the CEMS failures?” Maya requested.

“It’s remoted to the principle CEMS cupboard. We changed stack sensors, ran new momentary strains from the cupboard to the sensors, new strains again to the DCS, and it’s positively a flaw within the CEMS. I let you know, Miss Sharma,” Will mentioned. Trying on the flooring and shaking his head, he added, “We will’t let this plant go darkish or we may deliver the entire grid down.”

An Fascinating CEMS Structure

A considerably outsized drab gray CEMS cupboard sat on a concrete pad between two of the plant’s moist scrubbers (Determine 1). As Dan Gibbs, the plant electrical and controls lead, and Victoria “Vi” Lark, the plant upkeep superintendent, cross-checked that the CEMS was powered down, Marnie commented, “It’s like one thing the aliens from the movie 2001 would have made, if they’d no style in any way.”

Marnie unlocked the inspection door and stoically suppressed shivering, grabbing successive instruments to look at the gear inside. Infrared by ultraviolet lights, magnetic and electromagnetic sensors, and plain-old cautious poking and prodding revealed no clues. Dan helped Marnie hint by the P&IDs, whereas Vi eliminated a grounded radio frequency defend to permit higher entry to the CEMS controller internals. Taking a big swig from her two-liter thermos to cease her enamel from chattering, Marnie probed, “This type of damp chilly can actually sneak ice into the oddest locations. Is there any likelihood ice growth allowed water ingress?”

“Not that we’ve discovered, mum,” replied Dan. “By the way in which, that espresso smells fairly … sturdy. Did you deliver that from the States?”

“No, I simply requested the resort employees to fill my thermos with two liters of espresso,” Marnie replied nonchalantly.

“Beggin’ your pardon for asking, mum, however how are you continue to alive?” requested an amazed Dan.

“Ardour for my work, particularly mysteries comparable to this,” Marnie responded with no hitch. “Say, the wiring from the emissions sensors drops down conduit from two of the three stacks, runs underground to this cupboard, then sends the processed indicators on to the management room, sure?” Vi and Dan affirmed Marnie’s supposition. Then, Marnie requested, “Why was the principle CEMS {hardware} moved down right here?”

Vi laughed dryly. “As a result of some brilliant spark put in the CEMS cupboards excessive up between the interior and outer stack liners. It’s a mite toasty up there, see, and being so excessive up, any CEMS controller upkeep required rigging up the crew in a scorching, uncomfortable, tight area for hours. And so they weren’t joyful bunnies about it both,” she mentioned.

Inserting a finger on her chin with an exaggerated movement, Marnie frowned. “Why had been the CEMS for simply Boiler 21 and Boiler 23 moved to this cupboard?” she requested.

“We’d like at the very least a month outage to maneuver and take a look at the whole lot, so we wait till our annual boiler outages,” replied Vi. “Boiler 22 is because of transfer this spring.”

“Curiouser and curiouser!” mused Marnie, persevering with her investigation.

Seemingly Minor Tools Points

“All the pieces died directly on the Boiler 21 CEMS,” Will replied to Maya’s query. “Boiler 23 was extra gradual. We misplaced NO _x, then mercury a number of days later, after which the whole lot else the next week.”

Maya turned to Mr. Tanaka from Tengu Company. “Sir, your opinion on the state of affairs?”

“All CEMS onsite are equivalent. For Boiler 22 and 23, we supplied our latest CEMS at no additional price, however Mr. Stephenson needed uniformity for the explanations he gave earlier. Since we had a number of of the older CEMS in storage, we provided these at his request,” Tanaka defined.

“Did the newer CEMS provide essential reliability upgrades in comparison with those put in?” Maya requested whereas taking notes.

Tanaka shrugged. “Largely evolutionary know-how modifications,” he mentioned. “We’d already eradicated mercury throughout our product line years prior. Primarily we began utilizing solid-state reminiscence as an alternative of laborious drives and added a wi-fi communications bundle. Simply pure progress, like shopping for a brand new cellphone each few years.”

Maya nodded. “Had been there any identified defects with the unique methods?” she requested.

Tanaka shifted in his seat just a little, seemingly uneasy. “Our authentic cabinetry wasn’t as weatherproof as we needed—one cause we beneficial putting in them out of the weather, comparable to within the plant or the stack in a shielded space,” famous Tanaka. “A few installations failed elsewhere as a consequence of rain ingress, however that was from leaking wiring harness grommets. We despatched free upgrades to each website—together with this one, which was signed for on July fifth, 2023.”

“Aye, we acquired them, and put in them to specification,” Stephenson shortly responded. “However we nonetheless typically discovered ash within the cupboard, so one thing was getting in.”

Ash Supplies the Reply

Marnie rubbed a glittery, grey-white ash between her fingers and frowned. She confirmed Dan and Vi what she discovered, then requested, “I do know plant well being and security guidelines are completely different within the UK, however I presume smoking on the job is forbidden, right?”

“Completely,” Dan replied. “Barely a soul working right here even smokes off the job.”

2. Marnie inspected the CEMS analyzers, and all connections resulting in and from the stack and gear. Supply: POWER

“True,” Marnie famous, “this place is so uncovered, nobody would come out right here to smoke.” Poking round additional within the cupboard, Marnie muttered her inner problem-solving monologue. “There’s rather more ash underneath Boiler 21’s circuits. It’s all over the place. And this appears to be like type of like corrosion. Was one thing leaking into the cupboard?” Marnie peered on the prime of the cupboard (Determine 2). “No … and it’s nearly like hen lime with the whitish gray, however no signal of any animals getting in right here. Not even mud to talk of, apart from this ash. So, why is it simply ash and never mud too?”

She thought laborious, with a half-remembered occasion teasing her. The wind picked up, and in the midst of buttoning her windbreaker over her coveralls, she stopped, holding a button that got here unfastened in her hand. Understanding dawned on her face, and she or he laughed and bounced with glee.

“A countryman of yours, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, studied greater than 100 several types of ash to assist him remedy mysteries. Nicely, relating to plant engineering, I’m higher than Holmes, Dr. Who, and Diana Rigg mixed!” Marnie exclaimed. Nonetheless beaming with satisfaction, she retrieved a small glass pattern vial from one among her many pockets, pinched up a number of grams of ash from numerous areas, and secured the lid. “Proper! Let’s return and see how Maya is faring. Realizing her, she cracked this case contemporaneously! Dan, Vi, can I bother you for a crucible and propane torch?”

Tin Pest?

“Mr. Stephenson, I’ve learn the set up manuals, warranties, and contracts, they usually clearly state that if the CEMS cupboard or its gear is moved outdoors of its authentic location and uncovered to the weather, your guarantee is void,” Maya pronounced, dreading the outburst sure to return.

She was flawed, nonetheless, as Stephenson produced a printed doc. “This got here with these new grommets. It says putting in them correctly not solely extends the guarantee however voids the prior one. Observe this new guarantee is quite sparse, saying nothing concerning the cupboard location,” he countered.

Maya learn the brand new proof, then turned to Mr. Tanaka. “You’re conscious of the phrases of this new guarantee?” she queried.

“Sure, however all warranties we give say the unique treatments are changing faulty components, not damages for misplaced era,” replied Tanaka. “We already agreed to interchange some failed circuit boards. I may have my crew out right here by tomorrow, if we are able to discover frequent floor.”

Maya frowned and responded, “I concern, gents, this has turn out to be a query of legalities quite than engineering and science. Thus, I need to …”

“Not so quick, my pricey Watson!” cried Marnie as she breezed into the room, with Dan and Vi in tow. “It’s completely a query of engineering and science, in addition to historical past! Vi, may you kindly arrange the burner and crucible?”

Vi assembled a burner stand with heat-proof wire mesh, putting a ceramic crucible atop the mesh. A conveyable propane torch was fastened beneath it, and with the flip of a knob and a strike of the torch flint, in lower than a minute flames on low warmth had been lapping the underside of the crucible.

“We will now remedy the case of the mysterious CEMS cupboard ash!” Marnie declared, dramatically producing her vial of ash, then dumping the contents into the crucible.

“Now, story time,” she mentioned. “We’re all conversant in tin. In any case, it’s been mined in Cornwall and Devon for greater than 2,000 years. It may be used for the whole lot from tremendous jewellery to mundane solder. However don’t let its flexibility idiot you; tin is temperamentally temperature transitional. At room temperature, tin is secure in what’s referred to as its ‘beta’ type. Decrease the temperature under roughly 13C, and tin’s very crystal construction can change to ‘alpha’ type. Usually, that is glacially gradual, if it occurs in any respect, however as soon as it begins, it begins to collapse with what’s referred to as ‘tin pest.’ And, wow, is it ever a pest!”

After pausing for air, Marnie continued. “Fascinating historic sidebar—there’s nonetheless debate whether or not one cause Napoleon’s military suffered defeat throughout his Russian winter marketing campaign was the crumbling of tin buttons holding the troops’ uniforms collectively. That will not be confirmed, however in different circumstances, we do have proof of tin pest inflicting havoc. Cathedral organ pipes, beer cooling pipes, Antarctic analysis gear, shoot, even the US tin stockpile began to be consumed by it only a few years again,” she mentioned.

Thrilled by Marnie’s discovery, Maya famous, “Mum, I bear in mind from college, this transformation may be very harmful. Alpha tin swells by 25% or extra, decaying into an ash-like substance, except you add lead, after all.”

Turning to Mr. Tanaka, Maya continued, “Your organization switched to lead-free solder the yr earlier than the CEMS had been put in right here. It was hailed in your gross sales literature then for its environmental profit,” she famous.

“True, however we added bismuth to assist gradual this transformation. That can’t be the issue,” objected Mr. Tanaka.

“I urge to vary, sir,” mentioned Maya. “Your materials security information sheets present no point out of bismuth. In reality, they are saying you rely solely upon ‘high-purity tin,’ which the truth is will not be a dependable deterrent to tin pest. Even utilizing bismuth, it takes care to mix it correctly as solder—particularly with smaller connections, like circuit boards. Any space not protected adequately and equally would begin the transformation.”

Mr. Tanaka was about to reply when Marnie interjected, “The essential part is temperature. Mr. Stephenson—Terry—if you moved the CEMS cupboards out into the yard, you took them from a pleasant, snuggly, heat setting and put them out within the chilly. Bear in mind, when you’re chilly, your CEMS is chilly. Because of this Boiler 22’s CEMS remains to be working easily. And are available look, everybody, right here within the crucible! The mysterious ash from the CEMS cupboard is now a wee lake of molten tin!”

Amazed dialog crammed the room, as everybody crowded across the crucible. Maya quietly sat in intense thought, flipping by her pill and making notes. Barely 5 minutes later, she referred to as for order.

Case Settled

“My judgement as arbitrator is first, the solder seems to have suffered from ‘tin pest,’ which was not often encountered on the time as most solder prior used result in some extent. Second, the tin pest was accelerated by putting the CEMS cupboard outdoor, exposing it to a a lot colder setting—once more, one thing not identified to be an issue on the time. Lastly, some quantity of pressure majeure may apply, because the months of extraordinarily low temperatures lately had been each surprising and sure performed a precipitating function,” declared Maya. “Since Tengu Company has supplied to interchange the failed CEMS components free of charge, they may achieve this and add an prolonged guarantee for 5 extra years, which is contingent upon the CEMS cupboards being moved out of the weather and provided with electrical heating, when wanted, to a temperature of 15C or larger.”

“I concur!” cried Marnie, as she turned off the propane torch to let the tin cool. Plant employees mentioned plans for shifting the CEMS cupboard to a hotter clime, and Mr. Tanaka was on his cellphone ordering alternative gear. Terry Stephenson approached Marnie and Maya, and with deep respect in his voice, mentioned, “I do know there’s a lot to do and agreements to hammer out, however I’ll say I’m impressed. Thanks, each of you, a lot. There aren’t some other hidden horrors lurking about, are there?” he requested.

“I haven’t discovered any giant canine painted with phosphorus or something like that, however I did discover a hedgehog bearing a sure depraved look,” Marnie laughed. “Anyhow, let’s speak about some scrubber tuning providers we may make it easier to out with,” she proposed, on the lookout for her subsequent alternative to problem-solve.

—Una Nowling, PE is an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering on the College of Missouri-Kansas Metropolis.