My point is that there are safety issues to be addressed, and that safety costs money. While safety also comes up in proof of concept work, that safety is generally underwritten as a cost of the research. And the visionaries who come up with these ideas often overlook costs that aren’t a direct part of their innovation.
This whole idea is quite interesting, but I started my participation in the thread by wondering how well this will scale up, and if the design will be cost effective at the necessary scale. Somehow that thought got completely side tracked.
I think you missed the fact the Energy Dome is building a demonstration facility which will flush out design, safety, cost sand schedule issues. That is normal practice for most honest engineering and construction projects.
The visionaries of Energy Dome are the ones involved with the design and construction of the demonstration facility. Engineers do know how to estimate the design, safety, cost and schedule of the Energy Dome at larger scales.
Codes and standards have been verified by testing and safety margins are added to the design. If something goes wrong, then it is due to poor operations, maintenance and inspection.
Once again, that’s pretty much what I said. Why do you keep at this?
My point is, and remains, we need to know the costs of this project before I can get too excited. And before that, we need to know if it’s actually feasible - that it actually works - at utility scale rather than a desktop model. Until we know the costs, we don’t know that it’s cheap, as claimed in the thread title.
My point is, and remains, we need to know the costs of this project before I can get too excited. And before that, we need to know if it’s actually feasible - that it actually works - at utility scale rather than a desktop model. Until we know the costs, we don’t know that it’s cheap, as claimed in the thread title.
–Peter
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I already responded to the costs of the project and why I think it will be cheap? Why do you keep asking the same questions?
My engineering based estimate is 100 times more accurate than your accountant based estimate.
I really do not understand why an accountant would argue about mechanical engineering projects with a mechanical engineering manager who has over 30 years of experience in the design, licensing, safety analysis, cost estimates, procurement, construction and operation of many projects at Bechtel.
I do know that accounts deal with costs. But very few accounts are involved with preparing detailed engineering and construction cost estimates for power generation projects like the Energy Dome.
Do you have years of experience with preparing detailed engineering and construction cost estimates for power generation projects like the Energy Dome?
I do have many years of experience in developing detailed cost estimates for a variety of engineering and construction projects. Bechtel does not use accounts for developing cost estimates - they use engineers who are directly involved with developing detailed engineering costs, construction material/equipment costs, and construction labor costs.
Do you have years of experience with preparing detailed engineering and construction cost estimates for power generation projects like the Energy Dome?
I do have many years of experience in developing detailed cost estimates for a variety of engineering and construction projects. Bechtel does not use accounts for developing cost estimates - they use engineers who are directly involved with developing detailed engineering costs, construction material/equipment costs, and construction labor costs.
I know the accountants don’t prepare the cost estimates. We get called in after the fact to explain to management where the engineers overran their cost estimates.
I don’t do engineering. Why do engineers do accounting?
I know the accountants don’t prepare the cost estimates. We get called in after the fact to explain to management where the engineers overran their cost estimates.
I don’t do engineering. Why do engineers do accounting?
Bechtel does not use accountants to prepare cost estimates for engineering and construction projects, and Bechtel does not use accountants to explain to management where engineering, procurement and construction overran their cost and schedule estimates. Accountants would be laughed out of the room by Bechtel management.
Accountants can not do prepare cost estimates for engineering and construction projects because accountants do not know how to estimate the following:
Engineering hours required and schedule
Bulk material types and quantities required and delivery schedule
Equipment types and quantities required and delivery schedule
Construction hours required and schedule
Therefore, accountants can not explain anything to management about why engineering, procurement and construction overran their cost and schedule estimates.
Bechtel is known for superior cost estimating for all types of projects such as refineries, pipelines, LNG facilities, chemical facilities, power plants, hydro/wind/solar facilities, nuclear facilities, civil/structural projects, transportation projects, government/military facilities, mining projects and many more exotic projects.