Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Engineering

Site office

Please leave hard hats, boots and tools outside

Make yourself comfortable, we have work to discuss

Welcome to the Engineers Site Office. This is where engineers gather and check in when they have project tasks to organise and carry out.

This page is to discuss anything related to WikiProject Engineering

and Issues of going concern

More articles or pages in need of attention could be found here at Category:Unreferenced Engineering articles and Category:Engineering articles needing attention.

Articles on nuclear reactors

Draft:ThorCon_nuclear_reactor_-_draft
Talk:ThorCon_nuclear_reactor#Major_revision

Hello fellow engineers, I would like to see a series of articles on the new reactor designs, focused on the key issues of safety, waste management, weapons proliferation, and cost. The problem is - if we want details on these designs, we have to go to company websites and videos of talks by the engineers who designed these reactors, which by the rules are not reliable sources. I tried using documents filed with the IAEA regulatory agency, and got a second rejection - the data is still from the company. I suggested we put a statement in the lead paragraph: "This article is a brief summary of information from <company>. For more details see the <company> documents[1] and <company> Status Report to the IAEA.[2]" One editor thought that was OK, but I'm not getting a clear consensus on how to proceed. Another editor suggested that I take an old article on the TMSR-500, rename it, and morph it step-by-step into the article I submitted as a draft.

My time is valuable. I'm doing this as a public service. I have no connection with any of the companies or any interest in the nuclear industry or any advocacy group. I don't want to continue "flying under the radar" only to find my efforts wasted. Are there any participants in this group who have enough interest in this topic to work with me, if not writing, at least helping me navigate the rules? I have read the rules on reliable sources, and I agree with them. I just want to avoid the nitpicking rigid enforcement, for example, when there is no good reason to reject a source that is actually more reliable than a peer-reviewed journal.
David MacQuigg 18:11, 6 April 2022 (UTC)

I am an experienced WP:AFC reviewer and can help you navigate acceptance criteria and evaluate sources. We would really like to see some WP:SECONDARY sources covering the subject - magazine or news articles, WP:INDEPENDENT scientific papers. ~Kvng (talk) 18:22, 12 April 2022 (UTC)

@Kvng Thank you for your interest in this project. I have added some secondary and independent sources to the first article ThorCon_nuclear_reactor#Further_reading. Let's continue the discussion already started on the talk page of that article. I will hold off on the second Draft:FC-MSR_nuclear_reactor and further articles until I am confident the first article is acceptable. David MacQuigg 11:31, 13 April 2022 (UTC)

I have watchlisted ThorCon nuclear reactor but that doesn't seem to need the kind of help I can offer. We generally prefer to improve existing articles over replacing them with a new draft so it doesn't look like Draft:ThorCon nuclear reactor - draft is needed. ~Kvng (talk) 16:35, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

Help. We need a nuclear engineer to resolve a question on gaseous fission products. See the discusssion at Talk:Molten_salt_reactor#Gaseous_fission_products — Preceding unsigned comment added by Macquigg (talk • contribs) 11:23, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

Help Needed
ThorCon nuclear reactor
Molten salt reactor
I have started making improvements on these existing articles, but the effort dealing with conflicting edits is getting more than I can tolerate.
Is this workgroup still alive? Is there anyone here with an interest in the new reactor designs, or even just a general interest in stopping global warming?
If I don't see any further interest, I will have to abandon the effort.
David MacQuigg 00:26, 20 April 2022 (UTC)

Request for Comment

I would like to see some articles on the design of new reactors that focus on the issues of safety, waste management, weapons proliferation, and cost. I tried submitting one, but was asked to improve an existing article instead. I started making bold changes to an old article on the ThorCon reactor, replacing the lead paragraphs and re-focusing the article on the four issues above. Nobody has touched this article for five years, but my new edits have attracted relentless opposition from one person who doesn't like the changes, but won't contribute anything himself. I have read the WP:Dispute Resolution page, and it suggests I start with this request to the relevant group, which I think is clearly engineering. If you would like to comment, please read the last three sections of the talk page, starting with [[1]]. Thank you for your help. David MacQuigg 00:12, 28 April 2022 (UTC)

User script to detect unreliable sources

Main page: User:Headbomb/unreliable

I have (with the help of others) made a small user script to detect and highlight various links to unreliable sources and predatory journals. Some of you may already be familiar with it, given it is currently the 39th most imported script on Wikipedia. The idea is that it takes something like

• John Smith "Article of things" Deprecated.com. Accessed 2020-02-14. (John Smith "[https://www.deprecated.com/article Article of things]" ''Deprecated.com''. Accessed 2020-02-14.)

and turns it into something like

• John Smith "Article of things" Deprecated.com. Accessed 2020-02-14.

It will work on a variety of links, including those from {{cite web}}, {{cite journal}} and {{doi}}.

The script is mostly based on WP:RSPSOURCES, WP:NPPSG and WP:CITEWATCH and a good dose of common sense. I'm always expanding coverage and tweaking the script's logic, so general feedback and suggestions to expand coverage to other unreliable sources are always welcomed.

Do note that this is not a script to be mindlessly used, and several caveats apply. Details and instructions are available at User:Headbomb/unreliable. Questions, comments and requests can be made at User talk:Headbomb/unreliable.

- Headbomb {t · c · p · b}

This is a one time notice and can't be unsubscribed from. Delivered by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 16:01, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Wikicommons for Engineering Pictures

I think the category for people to request images related to engineering is a good idea. I am going to give creating that category page Creating Category:Wikipedia requested photographs of engineering subjects a shot, but if I did not do it correctly, please let me know! Ivangiesen (talk) 02:02, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

Replying to myself here. Turns out the category page had already been created, but the link on the main wikiproject page was incorrect. I corrected that so now it directs to the right category page. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ivangiesen (talk • contribs) 02:08, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

Interest in Contributing to HVAC and Building Engineering

Hello! I am posting this here to see if there are other users interested in also contributing to anything HVAC related within the scope of building engineering. I am a mechanical engineer at a University, so I have access to lots of mechanical rooms and equipment. Cheers! Ivangiesen (talk) 02:29, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

Steam Systems Article Needed

Hello, all. I've been investigating the articles on HVAC and hydronics on wikipedia, and it seems to me that there is huge opportunity to discuss steam in its applications for utilities, district energy, industrial applications, hydronic heating, food/beverage industries and laboratories. It's referenced as a kind of system in multiple articles (see: Energy_storage, Hydronics) and likely others I haven't found yet. Is this something that other people would be interested in helping out with/see the need for? Even if you can't help, voicing your comments and questions is very helpful! Thank you. Ivangiesen (talk) 02:10, 22 July 2022 (UTC)

I think it would be good to have an article on Steam heating. This currently redirects to Central heating § Steam heating. All the other systems in Central heating § Types of central heating have their own {{Main}} article except for Steam heating. ~Kvng (talk) 14:56, 24 July 2022 (UTC)

@kvingAh, thank you for that link, that was very helpful. It's interesting that process steam is mentioned (currently red-linked) so someone thought that was an article worth creating as well. I wonder what the significant difference would be for a Steam heating system versus a Process steam system. I kind of think that they would better served in one article. I'm not sure and I think I'll come to a better conclusion after doing more research. I've got a draft in the works at User:Ivangiesen/sandbox/Steam distribution system that you are welcome to add or make edits to. No references yet, but I'll start to add them in. Ivangiesen (talk) 02:18, 26 July 2022 (UTC)