
Sergio
A.
Valdes
Reactor Coolant
System Engineer
Florida Power and
Light

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B.S. -- Physics;
Florida State University |
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Reactor Coolant
System Engineer, supervising a small group of engineers that
coordinate and review all plant changes and modifications. |
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"My physics training
helps me out every day as far as reviewing modifications. It
involves different types of subject matter: mechanics,
hydraulics, thermo-dynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer,
electrical systems, circuitry, and control systems." |
 
"What I do is I'm a supervisor for a small group of engineers that
coordinates and reviews all plant changes and modifications. We interact
with the design engineering group that prepares them and the implementing
groups, the operations department that ends up operating the plant
modified, and also training, and the engineers that modify the drawings to
reflect the modifications. So we have our hands in just about every aspect
of the modification and we see it go from womb to tomb. It's kind of
exciting. The difference with the plant engineer, assistant engineer, is
that you're more hands-on, you're actually looking at the piece of
equipment working. You do have to verify against the design, but you get
to look at nuances and things that are specific to how the thing works."

"Well, I really
didn't have any idea when I was studying physics, and even after I
graduated that I was going to end up in nuclear power. But I knew that
with a physics career I would have a good, flexible background to allow me
to go in different areas. My physics training helps me out every day as
far as reviewing modifications. It involves different types of subject
matter: mechanics, hydraulics, thermo-dynamics, fluid dynamics, heat
transfer, electrical systems, circuitry, and control systems. I mean you
name it, it's all involved in there and there's a lot that goes on -- not
to mention the nuclear physics side."
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