Corporate Training By Zack Academy - Distribution Systems Webinar

Why Should You Take This Distribution Systems webinar?

Power quality problems are becoming more critical to virtually every class of electric service customer. With the increased use of electronic equipment at home, even residential customers are prone to experience some type of power quality problem. This Distribution Systems webinar is intended to provide the student with a basic understanding of effects of power quality on customer equipment and methods to mitigate power disturbances. 

The course starts out with an overview of the electric power system, overhead and underground distribution facilities, protection concepts, consumption considerations, safety, and briefly discusses distribution planning, reliability and power quality. Then the student learns about substation equipment that pertains to distribution such as regulators, reclosers, lightning arresters, and capacitor banks. Distribution overhead and underground facilities are covered with attention to common equipment found within the power delivery system.

System protection concepts surrounding distribution feeder coordination with breakers, reclosers, fuses, and sectionalizers are discussed including coordination principles. First and foremost, working on and around substation equipment and power lines can be dangerous and care must be taken to follow all safety procedures properly. Students learn about the safety practices surrounding distribution facilities such as equipotential grounding, personal protection equipment, touch and step potentials.

Target Audience:  For students who want a working knowledge of the power distribution systems.  Technical personnel working with distribution systems that want an opportunity to better understand the key factors leading to reliable distribution networks and those who are interested in pursuing job positions in this industry should attend this course.

Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the measures that can be taken to insure distribution system reliability
• Explain the fundamental technical operational aspects of power system equipment used in distribution systems
• Discuss basic protection principles used in distribution facilities
• Identify and discuss the procedures used to maximize electric service reliability and minimize system equipment downtime
• Identify and discuss the methods used to ensure power quality to customer service through the use of power quality assessment tools and utility standard procedures

Benefits From Completing Training:

• Students learn valuable knowledge and skills needed to expand and diversify their career opportunities in the power industry.
• Students obtain a working understanding the power distribution infrastructure.
• Students benefit from gaining insight into distribution systems from several years of engineering and operation experience used to compile this course.

Prerequisites:  There are no prerequisites for taking this course

Syllabus

Part A - Distribution Fundamentals:

Distribution systems consist of installations containing special electrical equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, regulators, protective relays that help transport, distribute and protect electrical power equipment. Additionally, distribution substations are used to increase or decrease voltage as needed to deliver reliable power to the consumer. This section will describe the basic concept of how each of the major equipment performs these functions in distribution facilities.

Part A Objectives:

Upon completion of Part A of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the purpose and function of each major equipment type in a Distribution System
• List and describe the types of overhead distribution systems and their design considerations
• List and describe the types of underground distribution systems and their design considerations
• Identify and explain the different types of meters and wiring techniques used to measure the consumer energy use

Part B - Distribution Equipment Protection and System Design:

This section presents a more detailed explanation of how distribution systems are designed beginning from the planning stages, through construction and energization to the final delivery to the consumer. As a part of this process, new operating procedures, developed to maximize system efficiency and reliability, are discussed in detail. Further, protection schemes used for distribution feeders are discussed. 

Part B Objectives:

Upon completion of Part B of this course, students will be able to:

• Discuss the different methods of connecting three phase Delta and Wye transformer systems
• Compare and contrast where the NEC, NESC and OSHA apply in consumer service design
• Describe the methods for using protection to maximize service reliability and minimize equipment damage
• Identify the protective equipment and describe its operation in reducing or eliminating overvoltage conditions
• Describe how load forecasting, system capabilities analysis, long and short range planning are used to anticipate future energy demands 

Part C - Operations, Reliability and Safety for Distribution Systems:

This section is intended to give the student an overview of the importance of power quality in maintaining system reliability. Corrective and planned maintenance activities used to ensure safety of personnel, facilities and equipment used to distribute power to the consumer are also discussed. The importance of safety is emphasized by studying the design of distribution systems and substations construction as a major method in ensuring the reliability of power delivery.

Part C Objectives:

Upon completion of Part C of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the differences between customer based and load based indices in determining distribution system reliability
• Discuss load vulnerability to power quality and methods to reduce their effect on various loads
• Identify and describe the various types of preventive maintenance used to improve distribution power system performance
• Explain the concept of Safety of Personnel, Damage to Property and Damage to Equipment and their relative priority to each other in maintaining system reliability