Meet the team - Electrical Engineer

Name:  Tom Whitfield

Age: 25

Occupation on Base: Electrical Engineer

Tom joined the team as a qualified Maintenance, mechanical, electrical and refrigeration engineer.  Among a host of other achievements he has made in his industry he is a member of the ACRIB (air conditioning and refrigeration industry board) and registered with the NICEIC.

Tom spent the 5 years previous to BAS as a utilities engineer for a blue chip energy management company in the midlands area of the UK, working on steam raising plants, refrigeration plants, effluent plants, air production, water boring/treatment plants, air compressors and distribution and Energy management systems.

I asked Tom to run me through a typical day, and being an engineer – his answer was, before anything can be done, he has a coffee.  Only when fully caffeine – primed, does he carry out his varied duties.  Tom is responsible for maintenance on a wide array of systems and equipment, including servicing and maintaining of the Hydro-Plant.

The Hydro Plant is an interesting innovation introduced by BAS to increase the self sufficiency of the Base, aswell as significantly reducing our carbon footprint.  I asked Tom to tell me briefly how it works.  Tom knows his stuff, and is very enthusiastic, so here is the edited version for you techie lot....

“The Hydro-Plant was installed at KEP a couple of years ago.  It is fed via a dam at Gull Lake which is situated above Grytviken at about 85m above sea level, which gives a head of pressure into the Gilkes twin turbine of aprox 8 bar.  The turbines are a thirteen inch stainless steel turbine and valves control water flow into the turbine to maintain one thousand RPM which will keep the output frequency constant at fifty Herz.  The generator is a brushless ‘self excited’ three phase four-hundred and fifteen volt unit, capable of delivering two-hundred and eight Kilo-Watts of electricity to run the Base and the museum at Grytviken.  However, we only use an average fifty kilo-watts on base.  Since its installation it has reduced the bases use of fossil fuels dramatically, as electricity is no longer generated by diesel engine generators, although they are still in situ for emergency power generation.  Diesel is now only used in the boilers to generate hot water”

Toms other duties include assistance with boating operations, and he is currently going through his Coxswain training with the Boating Officers.  He is also one of five certified JCB operators on station.

Toms  hobbies and interests are his artwork – “I do chalk, pastel and charcoal drawings, and I have found a new outlet since arriving in South Georgia which is wood carving.  We have a well equipped wood shop on station which is fantastic for creating things in the evenings.  My biggest love is snow boarding, and truth be known, it is one of the main reasons for wanting to be in South Georgia.  It is summer here at present, but come the winter months I hope to get out on the natural slopes in the travel area for some serious boarding! I enjoy music and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet, and in South Georgia you don’t have to stray too far from base to find it.  Its an amazing place.”

Tom is currently working on an art project creating pieces for the new ‘made in South Georgia’ collection which will be raising money for the South Georgia Heritage trust.  More on this in an up and coming blog.