Plant Equipment Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

19/12/2022 A squash and a squeeze

The HSE’s Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 defines them as “any place including any chamber, tank, vat, silo, pit, trench, pipe, sewer, flue, well or other similar space in which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably ... » Read More

19/04/2022 Risk FACtor

Flow-accelerated corrosion is an important effect that can result in catastrophic failures in high-pressure and high-temperature pipe systems. It is therefore critical that it is properly managed. This involves feedwater chemistry control, ... » Read More

05/02/2020 Ship shape

From the advanced polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough to the new £6.2 billion Queen Elizabeth Class carriers, on-board water systems are playing a vital role at sea » Read More

05/02/2020 Comment: Floating cities

The November 2019 issue of Operations Engineer featured an interview with new SOE patron Sir John Parker, a near 60-year veteran of industry who started his career in shipbuilding. Among other comments, he said: “Ships have every ... » Read More

05/02/2020 Joining plastic pipe

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is the polymer used for water and wastewater pipes. In thicker formulations, the same material is also used for buried gas lines. Sections can be joined together under heat and pressure, and there are ... » Read More

03/06/2019 Inside job

Manually-operated inspection vehicles are used to inspect pipelines and pipework. But the days of these vehicles may be numbered, as researchers look at truly autonomous inspection and repairs » Read More

04/04/2019 Hydrophonical

Water supply utility Anglian Water has begun installing thousands of leak sensors across its network, as well as trialling a new kind of pressure sensor to stop a big cause of leaks; transient surges » Read More

01/12/2009 Naval sultans

The Royal Navy turns out some of the smartest, most able plant engineers on the planet. Brian Tinham takes a look at HMS Sultan and finds out the secrets of success » Read More

01/08/2008 Sellafield special seal

Novel wet pipeline sealing and deployment techniques, successfully trialled for the now redundant first-generation nuclear waste treatment and storage plant at Sellafield, will not only prevent hazardous conditions arising on plant, but ... » Read More

06/06/2005 Lifting & handling - No pipe dream

Oil and gas pipelines could be built at up to five times the rate they are at present. This could be achieved with trains of tracked vehicles up to half a kilometre long, supported in remote and inaccessible areas by airships with lifting ... » Read More