Biography and Experience

Licenses and Certificates:

Registered Professional Engineer, State of Texas, No. 57112

Areas of Specialization:

• Accident Investigation
• Failure Analysis
• Risk-Based Inspection Methodologies
• Laboratory Test Programs

Ms. Fuentes is involved in the failure analysis and materials testing of a wide range of components, including pressure vessels and piping, boilers and auxiliaries, heat exchangers, and rotating equipment submitted to the Materials Science Laboratory.

Ms. Fuentes also conducts the on-site analysis of in-service failures.  Investigations include on-site examinations, development of laboratory testing programs for parts received, supervision of laboratory work, interpretation of laboratory results, and issuance of written and/or oral reports.

Ms. Fuentes has participated in the development of a risk-based inspection project for the optimization of utility steam turbine outages.  She also managed a project for the risk-based evaluation and inspection of mechanical and hydraulic presses.

Ms. Fuentes has participated as a project manager and a team member providing failure mechanism and probability information for the various components included in these assessments.

Ms. Fuentes has authored and presented several papers concerning failure analysis of steam turbine discs and evaluation of weld repair methods for the refurbishment of steam turbine discs.  She has also published and presented a paper regarding testing and rating non-coded, cast iron dryer rolls.

A list of papers written by Ms. Fuentes can be viewed by visiting Publications by Karen Fuentes, P.E.

Ms. Fuentes received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and her MBA from St. Edward’s University.