Electrical Power Substation: Maintenance, Design, Testing, Grounding and Safety

Introduction

This highly-interactive training course will introduce you to the equipment that makes up an electric substation. It will explain how each type of equipment operates and guide you through the control and wiring diagrams that control equipment operation. Recent technological developments have had a tremendous impact on all aspects of substation design, operation, maintenance, safety, and grounding, testing, and troubleshooting. A substation is a high – voltage electric system facility. It is used to switch generators, equipment, and circuits or lines in and out of a system. It is also used to change AC voltages from one level to another, and/or change alternating current to direct current or direct current to alternating current.

Knowledge of equipment condition allows you to target your maintenance efforts to reduce equipment failures and improve substation reliability. Applying predictive maintenance methods can reduce your costs and improve the performance of your maintenance program. This training course will show you methods and case studies that illustrate how to incorporate these new methods and testing techniques to improve reliability and optimize your existing maintenance program. You will study the latest testing technologies and how to apply them to determine the condition of the oil and gas-insulated transformers, circuit breakers, and other electrical equipment. Electrical substation safety is an important issue in utility networks as well as large industrial installations and requires adequate attention in the stages of system planning, design, installation, operation, and maintenance. In this training course, we will take a look at the theoretical aspects of safety as well as the practical and statutory issues.

This training course will feature:

• Latest diagnostic testing techniques for assessing the condition of substation equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, load tap changers, switches, and associated equipment
• Application of predictive diagnostic testing to reduce equipment failures and extend equipment life
• Aspects of safety as well as the practical and statutory issues
• Maintaining, testing, and inspection a proper grounding system for the electrical power substation

Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

• Design, install, commission, test, operate, control, and maintain HV/MV substations in a professional manner
• Identify the various types of substations covering its parts, equipment, and major components
• Recognize over current protection for phase and earth faults as well as the recommended grading intervals
• Employ proper commissioning covering pre and cold commissioning, start-up, hot commissioning, the start of production, performance test, and acceptance of plant
• Perform testing procedures and basic calculations
• Illustrate medium voltage switchgear and oil circuit breakers

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

This training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Those who are involved in the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, testing, control, and operation of electrical substation equipment
• Industrial, utility, or plant engineers
• Maintenance supervisors
• Consulting engineers
• Electric utility engineers

Course Outline

Day 1: Types of Substations and Test Requirements

• Substations Parts & Equipment - Major Components

• Relay Connections

• Earth Fault Protection and Overcurrent Protection

• Transformers Function

• Test Instrument Calibration

• Test Equipment Used (Instrumentation & Control Systems in the Process) 

Day 2: Substation Commissioning

• Pre-commissioning and Cold Commissioning

• Start-up and Hot Commissioning

• General Preparations before Acceptance of Plant

• Completion of Erection

• Mechanical Checks & Tests

• High Potential Testing Procedure 

Day 3: Substation Grounding Systems

• Reasons for Substation Grounding System

• Substation Earthing Calculation

• Components of a Substation

• Racking & Routing Installation Detail

• Panel Layout

• Megger Test 

Day 4: Qualifications of Testing Organizational & Personnel

• Division of Responsibility

• Power System Studies

• Substation Control & Automation

• System Elements and Requirements

• HMI-Based and RTU-Based Topologies

• Substation Automation Functionality 

Day 5: Basic Fault Calculations

• Need for Protection

• Faults, Types & Effects

• Simple Calculations of Short Circuits

• Medium Voltage Switchgear Circuit Breakers

• Air Blast, SF6, and Vacuum Circuit Breakers Operating Mechanisms

• Insulation Testing & Maintenance