INTRODUCTION FAQS CERTIFICATE OF … FAQS... · Power Transformers and Tapchangers ... Earth Fault (REF) - Sensitive Earth Fault (SEF) - Standby Earth Fault (SBEF) - Buchholz Transformer

INTRODUCTION

Aston University, Birmingham, UK through its Continuing Professional Development (CPD)Centre offers tailored courses as Distance Learning Modules in Electricity DistributionEngineering to meet the requirements of busy professional engineers. Opportunities providedby the latest communication technology and teaching aids enable us to offer comprehensivecourses by distance learning that mirror in scope and quality the courses held at theUniversity, in subject areas where they are an effective alternative to attended courses. Allcourses lead to a POST EXPERIENCE CERTIFICATES.

All of our Distance Learning courses are flexible. You may start when you like and work atyour own pace. We provide the latest professionally developed learning materials and youwill be supported at all times by expert practicing professional tutors. All course materials aredeveloped specifically to suit the needs of professional engineers.

Distance Learning Courses are a new and creative way to reach the workforce in theElectricity Supply Industry in particular and the Electrical Engineering profession ingeneral. They provide an opportunity for those that are unable to attend on-campusclasses for self-paced learning anywhere, anytime (with access to a computer with internetconnection as the only pre-requisite). The benefits of studying while at work accrue to boththe employer as well as the employee (no loss of productivity for the company as well as noloss of earning for the employee). Courses are designed for students/professionals who haveprior theoretical knowledge/ practical experience of electrical engineering and wish to expandtheir understanding of the practicalities of power distribution and the factors underpinningthem.

COURSES ON OFFER

Our main offer is the six module, 36 weekcourse specified below, designed to providea comprehensive understanding of modernelectricity distribution practice. All modulesare extensively illustrated with bothphotographs and diagrams. PowerPointpresentations accompany modules 1, 2,3, 4 and 6. Each module contains anassignment, many in the form of designprojects, on which the student will receivea marked assessment and constructivefeedback.

In addition we also offer twosupplementary courses, developed at therequest of former students of the sixmodule course. These are:

1. Substation Design, Earthing and Bonding2. Power Transformers and Tapchangers

For the six module course, students may choose to undertake one or more modules and willreceive a Completion Certificate for each one however the Certificate of Competence inElectricity Distribution will be awarded only to those completing all six. Optionally, at thestudent’s choice, one or two modules of the six module course may be substituted by theSubstation Design, Earthing and Bonding course or by the Power Transformers andTapchangers course.

TUTOR SUPPORT

Tutor support by telephone and e-mail is provided by an experienced engineer whoenjoyed a long career in a large UK electricity utility, where he worked at all levels fromjunior operational engineer through to senior manager. Over the last ten years he hasworked as a consultant overseas and in the process industries.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

The three courses that we offer are:

OFFER 1 – A SIX MODULE COURSE LEADING TO THE CERTIFICATE OFCOMPETENCE IN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION

Module 1 Network Design

A Historic Perspective – Single and Three Phase Systems -The Effect of Voltage on EnergyLoss and Voltage Regulation -Transmission and Distribution Voltages - Energy Loss andSystem Development - Separation of Energy Supply and Network Ownership - HV NetworkDesign, Secondary Transmission - New Loads supplied from Secondary Transmission orPrimary Distribution - Primary Distribution in Urban Areas - Urban Centres with High LoadDensity - Primary Distribution in Rural Areas - Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) Networks –Industrial Networks - LV Network Design, Overhead - LV Network Design, Underground - LVNetworks – Service Networks - Load Diversity – Substation Support During Outage -Earthing Systems. Complete with two supporting PowerPoints.

Module 2 Power Cables

Early Cables - Cable Basics - Early Twentieth Century Low Voltage Cables - Early TwentiethCentury High Voltage Cables - Electric Insulation versus Thermal Insulation, Oil FilledDesigns - Polymeric and Elastomeric Insulated and Jacketed Low Voltage Cables, - ServiceCables - Polymeric and Elastomeric Insulated and Jacketed High Voltage Cables - CableCurrent Rating - Single Versus Three Core Cable – Bonding - Selection of Cable Route –Location of Cable Faults. Complete with supporting PowerPoint.

Module 3 Overhead Lines

Advantages and Disadvantages of Overhead Line Versus Cable - Types of Support -Earthed and Unearthed Construction - Mechanical Design of Overhead Lines - ConductorSpacing – Wind Induced Oscillation - Conductor Characteristics - Conductor Current Rating -Conductor Sag and Tension - Route Selection - Profiling - Insulators - Lightning andOverhead Lines - Use of Arc (Horn) Gaps - Use of Non-Linear Resistors (Surge Arresters orSurge Diverters) - Effects of Lightning on Pole Transformers. Complete with supportingPowerPoint.

Module 4 HV Switchgear

Overview - The Role of HV Switchgear in Networks - The Role of HV Switch Fuses - CurrentInterruption in Circuit Breakers - Current Interruption by Mineral Oil - Current Interruption inVacuum - Current Interruption in SF6 - Puffer Type SF6 Circuit Breakers - Vacuum in SF6

Circuit Breakers - Types of Network Fault - Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Conditions -Switchgear Ratings - Service Conditions - Withdrawable and Fixed Pattern Switchgear –Circuit Test Access - Switchgear Ancillaries - Measurement CTs & VTs - Cable Terminations- Bay Controllers Monitoring gas pressure (SF6 switchgear) - Switchgear Testing -Switchgear Procurement. Complete with supporting PowerPoint.

Module 5 System Protection

Overview - Short Circuit Calculations - System Earthing, Networks Above 600V -SystemEarthing, Networks Below 600V - Fuse Protection AC Trip Coils/Time Limit FusesElectromechanical Induction Relay - Solid State (Static) Relay - Advantages of the Solid StateRelay - Bay Controllers- Protection Co-ordination (Grading) - Discrimination between LV fusesand LV Circuit Breakers - Protection Relay Co-ordination - High Set Overcurrent Operation -Protection Co-ordination across Distribution Transformers - Earth Fault Protection - RestrictedEarth Fault (REF) - Sensitive Earth Fault (SEF) - Standby Earth Fault (SBEF) - BuchholzTransformer Protection Relay - Transformer Temperature Alarms - Neutral VoltageDisplacement - Balanced Protection Systems - Translay – Solkor - Directional Protection -Switchgear Protection - Frame Leakage Protection - Intertripping - Substation Batteries -BatteryEarth Fault Alarms. Complete with supporting PowerPoint.

Module 6 System Operation

Overview - Safety Rules - Network Operator Training and Competence - SafetyDocumentation - Points of Isolation and Circuit Earthing - Policies for Safety Locking andSafety Notices - Switching Schedules - Identification of Power cables - Reliability of Supply -System Load Factor -Duplication of Circuits - Interconnection of Circuits – UndergroundCables Supply Reliability – Primary Distribution Overhead Lines - Interconnection of PrimaryDistribution Overhead Lines - Embedded Generation in Distribution Networks - SecurityStandards in the UK - Repair Times for Plant and Circuits - The Cost of Supply Reliability -Voltage Regulation on Primary Distribution Circuits – Quality of Supply – Management ofSupply Quality. Complete with supporting PowerPoint.

This module is supplemented by an Appendix containing the illustrated operating instructionsfor a commonly used, proprietary type of Ring Main Unit complete with safety notices andsafety locks.

OFFER 2 – A SINGLE MODULECOURSE ON SUBSTATIONDESIGN, EARTHING ANDBONDING (this course may bestudied in isolation orsubstituted for one of themodules of the six modulecourse)

This course covers distributionand primary substations up to36kV and was developed inresponse to students requests. Intotal there are 85 pages, 24,000words and 70 illustrations anddiagrams. The assignment focuses on the design of a twin transformer primary substationlocated within an urban site of specified dimensions. Students considering this course shouldpossess a basic ability in engineering draughting, allowing them to submit drawings whichare an integral part of the assignment – preferably these should be in AutoCad .dwg or .dxfformat although drawings on paper will be accepted.

Historic Designs of Distribution Substation - Modern Designs of Distribution Substation -Padmount Distribution Substations - Customer Owned Distribution Substations - Lighting inIndoor Substations and Control Rooms - Distribution Transformer Earthing - Combined

Earths at a Distribution Substation - Separated Earths at a Distribution Substation -Measurement of Earth Resistivity - Separation Distance of HV & LV Earths in ‘Hot’Substations - Examples of HV and LV Earths in ‘Hot’ and ‘Cold’ Substations - Checking theEarth Resistance - Sizing the Earth Grid - Primary Substations - Open Terminal - CableConnected - Transformer Noise - Outdoor Lighting - Gas Insulated Switchgear - Earthing inLarge Substations - Step, Touch, Mesh and Transfer Potentials - The Effect of Current on theBody - Hot and Cold Larger Substations - Designing an Earth System for a Larger Substation- Developing the Design and Bonding the Equipment - Line Terminations Adjacent to thePerimeter - Earth Connections inside the Switch Room – Multicore cabling - Substation ACAuxiliary Supplies -. DC Supply System - The Charger and DC Distribution – Batteries -Battery Rooms - Environmental Aspects of Substations - Visual Impact - Rainwater Runoff -Oil Leakage - Substation Fires

OFFER 3 – A SINGLE MODULE COURSE ON POWER TRANSFORMERS ANDTAPCHANGERS (this course may be studied in isolation or substituted for one of themodules of the six module course)

This course covers power transformers both primary and distribution together with theassociated off circuit and on line tapchangers. In common with the substation design course,it was developed at the request of former students. The main focus is on transformers in thevoltage range up to 33kV hence this course will be of most interest to students working in thedistribution sector of the power industry. In total there are 76 pages, 29,000 words and 68illustrations and diagrams. A comprehensive eight question assignment completes thecourse.

Standards - Transformer Basics - Ideal Transformer - Practical Transformer - PracticalTransformer under Unity PF Load - Practical Transformer under Lagging Load - PracticalTransformer under Leading Load - Equivalent Circuit - The Magnetic Circuit - Core Materials -

Core Construction - Coil Construction - Core Type and Shell Type Transformer Construction -

Core Clamping – Rating – Impedance - Resistance and Reactance - Maximum Fault Current- Regulation when Power Factor <1 - The Effect of Regulation on Transformer Ratio - InrushCurrent - Implementing Transformer Tappings - Parallel Operation - Vector Group and VectorGroup Notation - Polarity and Phase Rotation - Earthing Transformers - Basic InsulationLevel (BIL) - Cooling and Transformer Life - Cooling of Distribution Transformers - OilThermal Expansion - Cooling of Larger Power Transformers - Operation on Overload - TheEconomics of Losses – Efficiency - Economic Appraisal - Guaranteed Losses – Noise –

Ancillaries - Buchholz Protection Relay - Temperature Alarms/Indicators – Testing - OnLoad Tapchangers - Reactor and Resistor Transition - OLTC Mechanical Design -

Precautions against OLTC Failure - OLTC Testing - OLTC Voltage Regulating Relays -

Parallel Operation - Transformer and OLTC Oil

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR COURSES

Q1. How will the courses and course modules be supplied?Courses and modules are supplied over the internet as .pdf files and in addition a copy will beposted on CD ROM. On request, courses may also be supplied as colour printed material,though this will be at extra cost.

Q2. How many modules are there in total?Award of the Certificate of Competence in Electricity Distribution requires completion of thesix modules specified earlier in this brochure. The Substation Design, Earthing and Bondingcourse and the Power Transformers and Tapchangers course are single module.

Q3. What is the cost per module?

The cost of the modules comprising the Certificate of Competence course is £320.00($500.00 US) per module or a discounted price for all six modules of £1,800.00 ($2850.00US). The Substation Design, Earthing and Bonding and the Power Transformers andTapchangers single module courses cost £375.00 ($600.00 US) each.

Q4. Can I study a single module of the six module Certificate of Competence Course?Yes. Many of our students undertake module 1 as a trial and progress to further modules later.A Completion Certificate is awarded for individual modules.

Q5. Can I just study the Substation Design, Earthing and Bonding Course or the Powertransformers and Tapchangers course?Yes.

Q6. How much study time is required for each module and course?This depends upon the student’s experience. For students with a prior understanding ofelectrical engineering our estimate is 20-25 hours including completion of the assignment. Lessexperienced students will require a longer period. The two supplementary courses areapproximately 25% longer than the modules of the six module course.

Q7. What is the allowed period of study for each module or course?Students should return assignments for marking and comment within six weeks of receipt ofa module or course, after which the following module will be dispatched, if the student haselected to undertake more than one.

Q8. How long should it take me to complete the six module Certificate of Competencecourse?

At 6 weeks per module, the expected completion time is 36 weeks or 9 months for theCertificate of Competence course. However a student may apply for an extension of theirstudy duration by writing to the CPD Centre, if for work or family reasons more time isrequired.

Q9. If I want to study all the modules and courses, what is the best sequence?We recommend taking the six module course first, followed by the two specialist courses ifthe student considers them appropriate to his needs.

Q10. How do I apply to be enrolled onto a Distance Learning Course?By simply requesting and filling in our booking form indicating your required moduleor course of study. You can request a form by sending an e mail [email protected] When you have completed the form either e mail it back tous or fax it to +44 (0)121 204 5079. Payment may be made by either a purchase order onAston CPD or by cheque made out to Aston CPD. On receipt of payment your registrationwill be confirmed by e mail and your chosen module or course will be forwarded as an email attachment. A copy on CD Rom will also be posted. Our website ishttp://www.astoncpdcentre.co.uk.

Further Information

For further details on these courses please contact Dr. M. Sadeghzadeh telephone 07788947658 or Geoff Jackson on 01636 525580. Our postal address is Aston CPD Centre, AstonHouse, 6, Greville Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2UU.