Electrical Faults: Causes, Analysis, Detection and Remedies Course

Course Overview:

The focus of this course is achievable mastery of the principles of fault analysis of three phase power systems. Both balanced and unbalanced conditions are covered. 

The p-value system, symmetrical components and impedance reduction methods are discussed together with other advanced engineering applications and CAD oriented packages for fault computation. 

This course also covers industrial standards and real world examples dealing with fault….and other indexes in medium and low voltage networks. 

This course is intended to engineers and technicians working in the electrical equipment or power systems industry and contain hands-on techniques and insight to increase their skills in protection system specification, commissioning, and operation of power networks.

Course Objectives:

The objectives of this seminar are to present:  

• The basic theory of three phase power system under balanced and unbalanced conditions.
• The per-unit system and analytical circuit based techniques to calculate industrial power systems for faults.
• Advanced engineering mathematical software that can be used to make difficult and complicated calculations an easy task.
• Balanced three-phase faults and unbalanced faults and their analysis using symmetrical components.
• Application of impedance reduction techniques and positive, negative and zero sequence circuits and their interconnection for faults.
• CAD driven PC based software that can be used to first confirm results of industrial power systems to be studied and analyzed during the course and its use for the analysis of more complicated systems.
• Case studies and industrial standards for medium and low voltage networks and how faults are calculated. 

Who Should Attend?

Engineers and Technicians responsible for the specification, commissioning and operation of electrical equipment in a power system, particularly those involved with specifying and commissioning protection gear. It is also suitable for those operating in power networks that require updating or refreshing their knowledge and skills.

Course Outlines:

• Introduction to fault analysis
• Introductions
• Goals - discussion
• Source of fault current
• Fault statistics
• Basic assumptions
• Short-circuit rating of the equipment
• Selecting the correct switchgear rating for fault duties
• Overview of the per-unit system
• One-line diagrams
• Sources of impedance data for all items of plant
• Tutorial to demonstrate the preparation of a system for the study
• Introduction to the engineering software used throughout the course to make complex and repetitive calculations as accurate as possible

Closing discussion

•  Three-phase short-circuit currents
• Review – summary - discussion  
• Manual calculation of three-phase short-circuit current
• Circuit reduction techniques
• Industrial systems
• Electricity supply systems
• Tutorial - based on attendees plant
• Cables subjected to short-circuit currents
• Compliance with regulations

Closing discussion

• Unsymmetrical fault conditions
• Review – summary - discussion
• Overview of symmetrical components
• Consideration of various fault types
• Sequence networks
• Consideration of phase shift in two-winding transformers
• Consideration of earth impedance
• Consideration of three-winding transformers

Closing discussion

•  Representation of unsymmetrical faults in power systems
• Review – summary - discussion  
• Fault diagrams
• Interconnected sequence networks
• Special considerations with reference to limitation of earth fault current
• Demonstration examples based on industrial power systems

Closing discussion

•  Computer-based calculation of faults
• Review – summary - discussion  
• Introduction to a scaled-down industrial program capable to model complex power systems under fault conditions
• Use of the software program in practical studies (checking manual calculations)
• Industrial standards
• Case studies of faults in a high voltage network
• Case study of faults in a low voltage network