The Power System Fundamentals course includes the following learning activities. CEH awarded are 34 Operating Topics.
ILA #1
Describe & demonstrate the application of mathematical concepts used in the study & operation of power systems.
1. Demonstrate the ability to manipulate & interpret fractional & decimal data.
- Concept of a numerator & of a denominator
- Add, subtract, multiply & divide fractions
- Concept of the lowest common denominator
- Concept & usage of ratios & percentages
- Concept & usage of the base 10 system
- Add subtract, multiply & divide decimal numbers
2. Explain & demonstrate the usage of roots & exponents in mathematical expressions.
- Concept of an exponent
- Concept of a root
- Usage of the square root in electrical theory
- Solve complex exponent & root expressions
- Usage of the k, M & G symbols
3. Explain & demonstrate the usage of the metric & British measurement systems & illustrate the usage of the per-unit system.
- Convert power system quantities between measurement systems
- Concept of per-unit system
- Usage of per-unit system
- Per-unit transformer impedance example
4. Explain & demonstrate the usage of the right triangle & use basic trigonometry to solve right triangles.
- Concept of a right triangle
- Usage of the sine, cosine, & tangent functions
- Usage of the Pythagorean theorem
- Solving right triangles for angles & magnitudes
5. Explain the concept & demonstrate the usage of vectors & phasors.
- Concept of a vector
- Concept of a phasor
- Usage of vectors & phasors
ILA #2
Describe & illustrate the fundamental theory of direct current (DC) electricity.
1. Describe & illustrate the structure of an atom & explain the atomic level difference between a conductor & an insulator. Introduce the concept of a voltage source.
- Describe the structure of an atom including the proton, neutron, & electron
- Identify the electrical charges of atomic particles
- Explain the difference between a conductor & an insulator using the valence shell concept
- Define a voltage source
- Describe how equipment can be used as a voltage source
- Explain & illustrate the operation of a battery
- Introduce the concept of electro-magnetic induction
2. Explain & illustrate the concept of DC current flow.
- Define current as charge flow
- Illustrate current flow in a DC circuit using the 3-P's (potential, path, purpose)
- Describe & illustrate the difference between conventional versus electron models for current flow
3. Explain & describe the concept of magnetism.
- Describe the law of magnetic pole
- Explain magnetism on an atomic basis
- Illustrate the fields of force surrounding a magnet
- Describe the principle of an electromagnet
- Illustrate the concept of electro-magnetic induction
4. Describe the concept of resistance. Utilize Ohm's & Kirchhoff’s laws to solve DC electrical circuits. Calculate power & energy usage in DC circuits.
- Explain & illustrate resistivity & resistance
- Illustrate & explain Ohm’s law
- Illustrate & explain power & energy formulas
- Describe difference between power & energy
- Apply Ohm’s law in DC circuits
- Describe & illustrate series circuits
- Describe & illustrate parallel circuits
- Apply Kirchhoff's Current law in DC circuits
- Apply Kirchhoff’s Voltage law in DC circuits
- Calculate power & energy usage in DC circuits
ILA #3
Describe & illustrate the fundamental theory of alternating current (AC) electricity.
1. Explain & illustrate the characteristics of an AC circuit.
- Describe & illustrate difference between AC & DC current
- Describe & illustrate operation of simple AC generator
- Define & illustrate an AC circuit's frequency, period, & wavelength
- Describe & illustrate an AC circuits peak, average, & RMS values
- Illustrate using sine waves the concepts of phase angle & lead / lag
- List & explain advantages & disadvantages of AC & DC power
- Calculate voltage, current & power in a resistive AC circuit
2. Explain & illustrate the impact of an AC circuit’s inductance & capacitance.
- Describe & illustrate the concept of capacitance
- State & describe the factors that impact a circuit’s capacitance
- Illustrate & describe the behavior of voltage & current in DC & AC capacitive circuits
- Describe & illustrate the concept of inductance
- State & describe the factors that impact a circuit’s inductance
- Illustrate & describe the behavior of voltage & current in DC & AC inductive circuits
- Calculate inductive & capacitive reactance
- Describe how phase angles change with varying amounts of capacitance, inductance & resistance
- Use the mutual inductance concept to introduce transformers
- Explain transformer turns, voltage, & current ratios
3. Calculate an AC circuit's impedance given data on resistance, inductance, & capacitance.
- Use the impedance triangle to calculate an AC circuit's total impedance
- Illustrate the relationship between voltage & current in parallel & series AC circuits
- Describe & illustrate resonance
- Explain & illustrate the application of a filter
4. Explain & illustrate power & energy calculations in AC circuits. Explain & illustrate the advantages of 3-phase power over single-phase power.
- Use the power triangle to describe the relationship between MW, Mvar & MVA
- Use phasor diagrams & sine wave drawings to compare 3-phase power to single phase power
- Explain & illustrate the difference between line-to-line voltage & line-to-ground voltage
- Introduce the concepts of wye & delta three-phase connections
ILA #4
Explain the purpose & illustrate the usage of the equipment used in electrical power systems.
1. Describe the theory & operation of generators and motors.
- Generator usage as voltage & frequency source
- Battery usage in power systems
- Describe role of generator prime mover
- Explain how number of rotor poles impacts rotor speed
- Describe & illustrate types of generator rotors (round & salient)
- Describe & illustrate generator stator
- State purpose of governor system
- State purpose of excitation system
- Illustrate & describe operation of 3-phase generator
- Describe difference between induction & synchronous machine
- Describe & present photographs of types of generators including steam turbines, wind turbines, hydro turbines, combustions turbines, & solar plants
2. Describe the theory & operation of transformers.
- Explain & illustrate the theory of operation of a transformer
- Explain & illustrate mutual & self inductance
- Present & explain the operation of a transformer using a circuit model
- Demonstrate the calculation of a transformer’s impedance
- Describe the theory & usage of wye, delta, & zig-zag 3-phase transformer connections
- Explain how transformers are assigned an MVA rating based on their cooling mediums
- Describe the usage of instrument CT & PT) transformers
- Describe the concept of harmonics as it relates to transformers
- Describe the concept of transformer grounding
- Explain the information on a transformer nameplate
3. Explain the purpose & illustrate the usage of the equipment used in the power transmission system including the equipment contained within substations.
- Explain & illustrate the purpose and usage of the substation buss
- Explain & illustrate how transformers are connected in the power system
- Explain & illustrate the purpose & application of circuit breakers
- Explain & illustrate the purpose & application of disconnect switches
- Describe the types of substation bus arrangements commonly used
- Explain & illustrate the purpose & application of capacitors
- Explain & illustrate the purpose & application of reactors
- Explain & illustrate the purpose of a substation ground mat
- Explain & illustrate the components of a transmission line including the structures, conductors, & insulators
- Explain the purpose & application of protective relays
- Describe how 1-line diagrams are used to illustrate the components of a power system
