Una Nowling, PE
Articles By Una
-
PowerMarnie Surfaceblow: Don’t Pick Up Bad Vibrations
Cutting maintenance costs can make you penny-wise and pound-foolish, unless you evolve your maintenance practices with the times. A lone car traveled an empty road through a bleak snow-scattered field. The
-
FictionMarnie Surfaceblow: Methane-Making Microbe Madness
Regardless of what you think you know, when outside of your field of expertise, call for the experts. Marnie Surfaceblow, vice president of Surfaceblow & Associates International, carefully wrapped the
-
PowerMarnie Surfaceblow (Fiction): Marnie and Maya and the Case of the Strangled Boiler
Don’t fall prey to preconceived notions—investigate all possibilities when searching for an answer to your operations and maintenance problems. “It’s sodium,” pronounced Marnie Surfaceblow, vice
-
EngineeringMarnie Surfaceblow: Haunted Hydroelectric Horrors (Fiction)
Providing employees with a safe and healthy workplace is paramount. Never dismiss persistent workplace environmental complaints, no matter how “crazy” they may seem. A lone SUV motored through wooded hills
-
FictionMarnie Surfaceblow: Bowing Under Pressure
Just because something hasn’t failed doesn’t mean it won’t—especially when an “old dog” of a plant is taught new tricks. Two women wearing personal protective equipment waited impatiently in the
-
PowerMarnie Surfaceblow: A Desert Solar Farm’s Muddy Problem
Sometimes fixing one problem causes another or leads to a chain of failures that can be difficult to diagnose. Consider all of the upstream and downstream impacts when changing equipment and/or operations
-
PowerMarnie Surfaceblow: High Anxiety at Low Loads
Ultra-low loads may be necessary for large coal plant survival, but they represent uncharted territory for operations and maintenance staff. Stay informed on the latest trends for success and expect the
-
FictionMarnie Surfaceblow: An Engineer Never Sleeps, She Waits (for the Next Problem)
Every power plant requires diligence for safe, efficient, reliable, and economic operation—especially when you mix old and new technologies. Never neglect showing care and respect toward even your “old
-
FictionMarnie Surfaceblow: Even Minor Alarms Can Lead to Major Safety Improvements
When investigating any potential problem, keep your eyes and your mind open to other possible dangers. “I am starting to wonder if you accepted this assignment because of … that,” stated Maya Sharma
-
PowerMarnie Surfaceblow: When Theory Becomes Practice, Rely on Practical Experience as a Foundation
As new energy technologies are employed to solve today’s renewable energy challenges, think flexibly while relying upon established safety measures. “Is this your first time in the Philippines, ma’am?”
Tagged in: