Course Information: 3 credits. Students will learn the basics of substation design. Topics: Intro to Substation Design, Design Principles, Major Equipment, Transmission/Generation Substations, Distribution Substations, Control Houses, Physical Design, Specialty Topics.
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Course Description/Objectives: In Week One, students will learn an overview of the distribution system and how substations fit into the overall grid. They will learn the information they need to begin designing a project. Students will learn where to obtain information regarding what type of substation is needed, what it will be used for and what components it will need. They will finish with a presentation providing a glossary for terms they will need to know.
In Week Two, students will learn the basic design principles of a substation design plan. They will learn to define a project and what information an engineer needs to create a project plan. They will study examples of real world substation design plans and learn how site, time and equipment issues can impact a design project.
Week Three covers major equipment of substation design. Students will begin to study more in depth issues in substation design, including voltage involved in a design and transformer specifics. They will be given a brief overview of safety enclosures, metering, and protection. Students will learn the distinctions between transmission and generation substations in Week Four. Students will learn the design aspects of each substation, how its purpose differs, and how that purpose impacts design. Students will also study the issues of reliability and security for these substations and view drawings of each type of substation.
In Week Five, Students will gain an introduction to Distribution Substations, their equipment, layout, bus layout and fencing. They will also learn about reliability issues related to distribution substations. They will be introduced to drawings for distribution substations. In Week Six, Students will learn about the function of control houses and their different building designs. They will also learn about permitting needed for control house design and what they will need to provide for the permitting process. Students will learn how to choose the control house equipment and the elements of AC & DC power systems. They will learn how the different systems impact substation design. Students will also learn about SCADA and safety and communication issues for control house design.
During Week Seven, students will study the civil engineering aspects of substation design. They will learn the tools and information needed regarding the site and foundation as well as basic structural design elements. Students will also cover grounding issues in the design plan. Week Eight will be dedicated to the final project and special topics of substation design.