ASPA employees undergo overhead distribution line design training
Fifteen employees of the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) have completed an overhead distribution line design training conducted by veteran engineer Richard “Dick” Billings of Washington-based D. Hittle & Associates, Inc.
The employees who underwent the two-week training are mostly from the Engineering Services (ESD) and Transmission and Distribution (T&D) divisions. The training covered various aspects of a distribution system which is comprised of the wires, poles, transformers, substations and other equipment used to deliver electricity to consumers.
The training was aimed at enhancing the in-house design expertise, which is critical in making significant improvements in the operation and reliability of the territory’s power distribution system.
Topics covered during the training include types of connectors, switches, cross arms, insulators and poles used on overhead distribution systems; formulas for calculating the strength of guys and anchors; size of conductors used on overhead systems; classes of poles, pole locations and pole top assemblies; clearance required for poles and conductors; and how often poles should be inspected and treated.
The class also spent a great deal on the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), which covers areas like wind effect on poles, wires and clearances of wires above ground. The NESC tells the utility engineers how much of a safety factor they must use when stringing in new overhead conductors.
Billings, who put together the manual for the training, said the goal of the training is to refresh the memories of majority of the employees while few members of the class – those who plan to help ESD or T&D when the need arises – are learning a great deal.
“Most of the people in the class already have a lot of this training knowledge; they just need to refine their skills,” said Billings, who has conducted over 15 similar training across the western United States since the 1980s.
One aspect of the training required the students to go into the field and design a hypothetical three-phase line utilizing what they’ve learned in the class. The students were also tested after each major topic.
T&D Manager Sofeni Lualemaga said one of the issues he especially enjoyed about the training is the course about designing of an overhead system compatible for hurricane season.
(During a hurricane in American Samoa, you must design for 125 MPH winds (set by the NESC) and at this wind speed there is great amount of pressure exerted on the poles and wires. In the rest of the U.S., you would design for 60 MPH, not the 125MPH.)
“ASPA has brought me here maybe not to train but reinforce what they already know and to train the employees on the newest updated manuals,” Billings emphasized. “They already know quite a bit so my greatest function here is to hone their present skills so that they can provide a better product to the customers of ASPA.”
The veteran engineer added that training like this one should be an ongoing project at all utilities not just in American Samoa.
Billings, 65, has been working with public utilities since he was 18. He presently works as a consultant/contractor/rent a engineer for several utilities in the U.S.
The training was made possible by a grant from the Operations and Maintenance Improvement Program, under the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs.
The ASPA employees who completed the training are: Andrew Ena, Anthony Shimasaki, Atlas Ah-Mai, Dave Pu’a, Eti Setu, Ryan Peau, Fleance Fernando, Karen Kitiona, Kristian Aiavao, Siva Kumar, Sofeni Lualemaga, Steve Semeatu, Ta’utino Asifoa, Tony Atilua, and Tuni Tauiliili.
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