“It’s as real world as you can get.”
That’s how Brett Cogburn describes the new three-phase troubleshooter created for Liberty’s lineworkers to train and enhance their skills when needed out in the field.
Mounted on a mobile platform in Liberty’s Kodiak operations and training center in Joplin, the troubleshooter is exactly what one would find atop an electric utility pole. Along with the wooden pole and crossarm, there are transformers, distribution lines, fused switches – a training device that, when plugged in, runs on a safety-minded 24 volts.
On the back is a panel of switches that will simulate more than 30 types of trouble calls a line crew member might be called to investigate, diagnose, and resolve, says Cogburn, Senior Manager, Operation Effectiveness for Liberty’s Technical Services team.
Maybe it’s an issue with a transformer. Or maybe it’s a primary issue on the high-voltage side of the system, or with the neutral conductor that provides a return path for the electrical current. It could even be a problem on the customer side of the electrical system.
When a technical trainer flips a switch or series of switches to simulate issues, it’s then on the lineworkers to run the proper series of checks to correctly identify and resolve the problem.
“We wanted to build something that our guys could come in and train on in a safe environment,” says Cogburn. “They can get their hands on it and go through the process to really learn what they’re doing out there in the field.”
Staying current
The “three phase” in context of the new training simulator refers to the three alternating currents that provide efficient energy transfer and balanced load. But it could just as well refer to the collaboration, innovation, and old-fashioned ingenuity that led to its creation.
It marks the latest collaboration between Liberty’s training and engineering teams, following the recent creation of a mock substation used to teach electrical theory and switching.
“We helped a bit with drafting (for the mock substation), and the Technical Training department reached out for help in creating something similar for our linemen,” says Grant Hutson, Engineer II at Kodiak.
It gave the engineering team an opportunity to explore the abilities of AutoCAD Electrical – a design software package for electrical control systems – and its spatial design suite.
Using the software to produce a schematic for the project made the work much more efficient, he says. Making changes to one section of the design, such as moving a circuit, will make the necessary wiring changes “downstream,” Hutson says.
“We’re really pushing the software setup and trying to innovate on our side as well,” he says. “Our group was able to do all the wiring just from the AutoCAD Electrical schematic. It helps remove human error and guesswork out of it.”
Teamwork paying dividends
The three-phase troubleshooter was built primarily with available parts and equipment, creating a hands-on simulator that’s not only cost effective but one that’s easily repeatable for Liberty’s teams in other areas of the country.
Building the troubleshooter atop a mobile platform means it can be easily loaded onto a trailer to train Liberty lineworkers in other areas of the region.
“We could take it to Hollister, Ozark, or Aurora and just plug it in,” Cogburn says. “We could plug it in for a demonstration at a safety meeting or use it for continued education.”
It’s also further proof that the continued collaboration between Liberty’s Technical Training and Engineering teams is paying dividends.
“The two groups work really well together and it’s paying off,” Cogburn says. “We can design and build these simulators in-house for pennies on the dollar. We’re able to come together as a team and create resources that other places don’t have.”
Hutson echoes that sentiment when talking about the recent projects.
“They’re helping us, and we’re helping them,” he says. “There are all kinds of benefits to having a good relationship between Technical Training and Engineering.”