Hey guys,

Just to add to my last update, I have officially only one more year to go until I hit the workforce as a fully fledged electrical engineer! I know, scary right? No, I've been pretty excited about this for the past 3 years.

I am currently in the third week of my second vacation, it is with Origin Energy in the Power Generation Department.

Origin Energy is Australiasia's leading integrated energy company. Integrated meaning that Origin is not just invested in one avenue of energy. It extends from the exploration of oil and gas in all parts of the world, to generation of electricity from coal seam gas (CSG) to gas and energy retail as well, it is a fully diversified energy company.

As I said before, I'm am currently a part of Origin's Power Generation team. Working mainly from their Brisbane office I largely focus on the support of the many power station sites. I'm working with Wayne Renwick, Origin's Production Capability Manager and am working with him to develope Origin's first training procedure to authorise non-electrical workers to perform isolations and switching on low volatage, and to an extent, high voltage equipment.

Besides this task, I'm am working quite closely with some of the electrical graduates and helping out with their tasks and learning a ridiculous amount from them. In these 3 weeks (2 if you discount the induction training week) I have learnt so much about how the power stations operate and the massive amount of work, from a lot of different people, that goes into producing electricity for Queensland and the rest of Australia. One project I am quite keen on at the moment is one of the sites in Origin's arsenal has had a massive electrical asset failure, I am working with the electrical reliability engineers and the graduates to develope a root cause analysis (which assets, why and what can be done to prevent it again) for the problem. It applies the knowledge that I have learnt from all my power courses at UQ, so it's extremely interesting and rewarding to be a part of this.

I am actually going out to Darling Downs Power Station, one of Origin's Power Stations, next week, so I will be sure to take a lot of pictures and tell you guys all about it.

Until then, signing off.

Adam

So here I am, half way through my third year which means I'm now a year and a half away from completing my degree and I can see the 'light at the end of the tunnel'. I'm now applying for my second round of vacation employment. My previous vacation employment with BMA at Goonyella-Riverside Mine in Moranbah was excellent and extremely rewarding as I've learnt so much about professional engineering and an have picked up invaluable practical knowledge to take away.

I hope to now expand my experience in Electrical Engineering, I've decided to apply for the power industry in Queensland this time, either in Generation, Transmission or Sub-Transmission. The reason I'm apply for the power sector is that over my second and third year I've developed a strong interest in Power Systems and have been doing advanced courses in this area, I have just completed ELEC4300 - Power System Analysis. During the Semester Professor Tapan Saha organised the ELEC 4300 class to do I site visit of Energex, South East Queensland's Sub-Transmission and Distribution providers. During this time we had a walk through tour of Newstead Farm Substation. Observing the gear that these guys deal with and what their engineers do every day really amazed me and an opportunity to work with them would be amazing. I will be applying for vacation work all this month.

As I have said in a previous post, I am for the second time a wing community leader at Emmanuel College and loving it. Before the start of the university semester I went through orientation week with this year's first years helping them with various things with uni, such as course sign on, where to buy textbooks etc. I had an absolute ball and have formed many new friendships.

Until I start it all again in roughly 3 weeks time, that's all from me!

Halfway through and a vacation employment opportunity of a lifetime!

Hey everyone,

A while since my last post, but here I am to give you the run down of the (sometimes crazy) events that have occured since I last wrote.

Well, I'm halfway through my degree! From the start of year I've always pictured breaking through the half way barrier and it feels awesome. Although saying goodbye to the guys I've spent this rollercoaster of a year living with in college, forming bonds that will last a life time, was one of the sadder moments of 2010. However, three months break from the hectic schedule of college and uni won't go too underappreciated!

Speaking of the holidays, I managed to get Vacation Employment with coal mining giants BMA (BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance) and am currently working in the Goonyella-Riverside mine near Moranbah in Central Queensland. The experience has been amazing, it's been impossible NOT to learn, and getting this hands on practical view of my degree has been invaluable.

The first couple of weeks were full with... less than stimulating inductions and fimiliarisations but since then I've got up close and personal with everything electrical in the minesite. It's great because a mine has everything that's relevant to electrical engineering - from 11 kV distance transmission to the smallest 4-20mA loop powered circuits as well as the programming that is involved with the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) that keeps the mine running electromechanically.

I've had quite a few projects while out here, however my main one would be the restoration/replacement project of all the UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supplies, basically backup generators) that have been malfunctioning for quite a while and working on a new maintainence plan for them. I've had to talk to, and work things out with consultancy engineering companies, the senior electrical engineer at the Goonyella site and the Electricians that will be installing the backup power supplies to my designs that I have given them. It's been crazy fun and the knowledge that I have done something really useful for this huge company and that the standards that I employ will last long after I leave, is priceless.

Only another 4 weeks here before my work with BMA ends and I go back to being a normal teenager enjoying some (much desevered :P) holidays before starting my third year back at uni. It's also my third year back at Emmanuel College in which I am, for the second time, going to be a student leader. That all starts on the 14th of February, I will be sure to keep you posted.

Well, I best be getting back to my projects, I'll be sure to write again soon, until then this is goodbye from me, wishing you a happy new year.

Cheers!

Adam.