Academic study leave

I'm one week out from my ASL to Connectics. I'm off there to learn how to cable joint and do line mechanic work for 26(?) weeks.. VERY exciting!

The reason? CPIT here at Sullivan Ave (the Tradefit site) have a 33,000 Volt overhead network, but have nobody onsite to teach it with. The network was kindly installed and donated by Orion, Connectics, Electricity Ashburton, Mainpower, and Independent Line Services (I may have missed some, apologies!). So I'm off to 'learn the trade' and then come back here and teach it!

Today Stephen Price and myself are going to Connectics for a meeting with their representative to iron out any issues.

I've got 2x sets of 'electrically safe' overalls, a hard hat, boots, safety goggles (tinted!) and my first aid certificate (last week!), so hopefully i'm reasonable well prepared. I'll be getting a notebook and using my phone with its 5Mp camera to take pics.

I'll re-post back here after my meeting. Wish me luck!

Comments

Briggs said…
Looking forward to reading about your experiences Andrew!
January 27, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Briggs said…
How was your first day Andrew?
January 31, 2011 at 9:24 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts

Week 8 - Cable Jointing - North Parade lateral spread, QE2 Drive consolidation, Philpotts Rd consolidation, Pages Rd.

Image
Work log: Monday 21st March: Worked at North Parade, Shirley to repair a low voltage XLPE attached to a bridge for a private right-of-way that had been severely bent (but still operating ok, amazingly!) by the riverbanks 'slumping' in the earthquake 22nd Feburary. Slumping bending the low voltage XLPE Steve showing off the bent section Tuesday 22nd: QEII Drive near Marshlands Rd roundabout, XLPE-XLPE 11kV joint, network consolidation. Wednesday 23rd: Philpotts Rd near QEII Drive, XLPE 11kV termination into kiosk for network consolidation. Tightening 11kV terminations in kiosk Thursday 24th: Philpotts Rd again, more kiosk terminations and XLPE-PILCA joint. Finished kiosk terminations Friday 25th: Pages Road near bridge, PILCA-XLPE-PILCA faulty 11kV cable replacement. These rings are the modern alternative to lead wiping. Liquefaction causes the building to sink, pulling overhead connections off. Riverbank 'slumping', causing th
Read more

Analysis; Damage to a power network from multiple major earthquakes.

Image
Christchurch has had 3 major, 10 moderate, and around 7000 minor earthquakes and aftershocks at this point in  time. The following is a personal account of the damage based on my  personal experiences and the different side-effects of earthquakes.  I need to stress at this point in time, I am NO geologist, seismologist, or network analyst. So some of this information may not be accurate, it's simply based on my logic as an Electrical Tutor! I apologize in advance if I say anything incorrect, and feel free to post anonymous comments (this has been done, already, thank you!) and correct me. In my opinion there have been four major side-effects of a quake (in Christchurch's  case):  Ground shaking  Liquefaction Lateral spread L andslides/building collapse/rockfalls.  Christchurch did not  experience tsunami related to our own quakes at any stage.  I will cover each category for some systems in the Christchurch distribution network that  were affected, namely: Substations 
Read more

Weeks 14 & 15 - Subs department - Brookside, Hororata, Greendale Substations, Test Room

Image
Well, I've finished with lines in the interim until later this month. In the meantime I'm going to be spending some time in 'Subs' and the 'Test room' Departments. Work log: Monday 2 May: SUBS; Brookside and Hororata Substations; repair design fault with approved manufacturer's rewire. Brookside substation Switchgear at Brookside substation Hororata Substation. The windows broken in the 4 September 2010 quake have been covered with wood. Tuesday 3 May: Wire control unit in workshop. Wednesday 4 May: Greendale Substation; Move and permanently wire communications unit. Greendale substation.. yes, it's practically on the fault line. Control units inside the substation Evidence of the explosion that occurred at the back of a circuit breaker during the M7.1 earthquake. Substation yard gates... do they line up?!! Thursday 5 May: TEST ROOM; Isolate and earth faulty 11kV cables, Opawa Rd bridge and near AMI stadium. Also rec
Read more