MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Industrial Experience

1. Introduction to protection systems: The importance of protection to the reliability of industrial and commercial power networks, protection relay types, current / voltage transformers.

2. Conventional protection systems: Fuses, overcurrent protection, high / low impedance differential protection, busbar protection, transformer protection, distance protection schemes, protection of rotating machines, including motor and generator protection.

3. Advanced protection systems:  The advantages and disadvantages of multi-functional numerical protection and control devices. Principles of protection of networks with distributed generators. Wide area monitoring, protection and control systems, aimed for the protection and control of integrated power systems. Communication technology used in protection of power systems and in substations.

Prereq for EEEN44422 - students must have taken EEEN30131 in year 3.

This unit aims to introduce the classical and advanced operating principles and main features of various types of relays and protection schemes. It provides the knowledge necessary to understand how these relays and schemes are applied to the protection of plant and systems including transmission, distribution and industrial networks and rotating machines.

It describes the methods and instrumentation used for testing of protective devices and complex protective solutions involving a larger number of protective devices.

Finally, the unit introduces the principles of wide area monitoring, protection and control, which are underpinned by the availability of high speed information and communication technology in protection schemes.

On successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

ILO 1: Summarise the requirement for fast and reliable power system protection and the main components that are part of a modern protection system.

ILO 2: Evaluate the design of protection systems for use on a transmission, distribution or industrial network through the use of hand calculations, using standard software packages such as Excel or through specialist software including PSCAD.

ILO 3: Describe how modern information and communication systems are transforming the way protection is applied to the power system and responding to the challenges of increased levels of embedded generation / HVDC.

ILO 4: Describe the operating principles of a range of protection schemes including overcurrent, distance, busbar, transformer and motor protection.

Employing blended learning delivery and features both synchronously-delivered and asynchronously-consumed learning materials.

In addition to the planned activities, there is also private study consisting of:

• Revision
• Further practice
• Independent/further study

Written Examination

Four questions, answer all questions

Duration: 3 hours

Calculators are permitted

This examination forms 80% of the unit assessment

Coursework

10 pages

The coursework forms 20% of the overall unit mark

.