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Power System Protection & Control SGST 9230

Smart Grid Systems & Tech Course

International Fees

International fees are typically 3.12 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.

Course details

​The course builds on the fundamentals of three-phase power system (learned from the prerequisite courses) and teaches a practical approach to power system protection. It begins by introducing how the modern power grid is shifting from centralized to distributed generation architecture, key elements of a protection system, construction of a modern microprocessor-based relay and attributes of a reliable protection system. It then gives a brief overview of short circuit analysis, which is being covered in detail in a concurrent course. The course discusses characteristics of the modern inverter-based generators (wind, solar and battery resources) and how they differ from conventional synchronous generators (thermal and hydro electric generators). The distribution system grounding, which significantly influences protection requirements, is discussed in detail. It covers in-depth protection practices used in the traditional distribution system. New protection practices are discussed to accommodate distributed generation and its operation with the consumers as a microgrid. The course uses operational experiences from installed distributed generator resources and microgrids and relates them to the protection practices introduced in the course. ​The course laboratory exercises involves hands-on experience with a CT (current transformer) saturation simulator and industry standard short circuit simulation programs.

Prerequisite(s)

Credits

3.0

Not offered this term
This course is not offered this term. Please check back next term or subscribe to receive notifications of future course offerings and other opportunities to learn more about this course and related programs.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • Explain the architecture of a centralized versus decentralized power system (benefits, protection challenges).
  • Analyze short circuit conditions.
  • Understand protection system elements (signal sources (CTs and PTs), protective elements (current, voltage, frequency), circuit breakers.
  • Describe protection system schemes (zones, overcurrent, voltage, frequency).
  • Compare the characteristics of protection systems (speed, selectivity and dependability vs. reliability).
  • Discuss microgrid protection challenges.
  • Recognize how non-conventional sources and their characteristics (inverter-based resources such as solar, wind-farm, batteries) are different from conventional.
  • Explain different operation strategies for microgrids (grid-following, grid-forming, etc.).
  • Describe how to interconnect DERs to the distribution system, associated protection challenges and how to overcome the challenges (anti-islanding, power quality, reconnection, etc.).
  • Analyze real examples of microgrids with conventional sources and non-conventional sources (project).

Effective as of Fall 2022

Related Programs

Power System Protection & Control (SGST 9230) is offered as a part of the following programs:

  • Indicates programs accepting international students.
  • Indicates programs with a co-op option.

School of Energy

  1. Smart Grid Systems and Technologies
    Master of Engineering Full-time/Part-time

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