Profession steam plant operator

Steam plant operators operate and maintain mechanical equipment such as stationary engines and boilers to provide utilities for domestic or industrial use. They monitor proceedings to ensure compliance with safety regulations, and perform tests to ensure quality.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Mechanics

  Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.

• Hydraulics

  The power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power.

• Thermodynamics

  The branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy..

• Types of steam engines

  The different types of heat engines which use steam as working fluid and are used to produce motion, such as steam turbines and stationary steam engines, and their various components.

Skills

• Monitor utility equipment

  Monitor equipment which provides utility services such as power, heat, refrigeration, and steam, in order to ensure they are functional, operate according to regulations, and to check for faults.

• Monitor automated machines

  Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

• Use testing equipment

  Use equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.

• Conduct routine machinery checks

  Check machinery and equipment to ensure reliable performance during use and operations in worksites.

• Monitor valves

  Monitor and accordingly adjust the valves in order to allow a specific amount of liquids (such as ammonia sulfuric acid or viscous soap) or steam into the mixer or machine.

• Perform maintenance on installed equipment

  Perform the maintenance on installed equipment on-site. Follow procedures to avoid uninstalling equipment from machinery or vehicles.

• Resolve equipment malfunctions

  Identify, report and repair equipment damage and malfunctions; communicate with field representatives and manufacturers to obtain repair and replacement components.

• Adjust cylinder valves

  Adjust the tension on the cylinder valves or change the valves with torque wrench.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB