Power Generation Training Courses > Introduction to Power Systems - Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT)

About this Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT)

This course will provide a comprehensive, foundational content for a wide range of topics in power system operation and control. With the growing importance of grid integration of renewables and the interest in smart grid technologies, it is more important than ever to understand the fundamentals that underpin electrical power systems.

This course provides a thorough understanding of all basic terminology and concepts of electrical systems, structure of a power system, transmission line parameters, insulators, high-voltage direct current transmission, substation and neutral grounding, distribution system, circuit breakers, relaying and protection, power system stability, economic operation of power systems, load frequency control, voltage and reactive power control, renewable energy sources, restructuring of electrical power systems, and smart grids.

This course is a MUST for practitioners, consultants, engineers of all disciplines, managers, technicians and all technical personnel who need to learn about electrical power systems.

  • Basic Terminology and Concepts of Electrical Systems: Gain an understanding of the basic terminology and concepts of electrical systems and the structure of a power system
  • Transmission Line Parameters: Learn in detail all the transmission line parameters including line resistance, line inductance, transposition of transmission lines, and capacitance of transmission lines
  • Insulators: Understand thoroughly all the various types of insulators, pin type insulators, suspension type or disc insulators, strain insulators, and testing of insulators
  • High-Voltage Direct Current Transmission: Determine the advantages and disadvantages of high voltage direct current transmission, and gain an understanding of all the features of high-voltage direct current transmission
  • Substations and Neutral Grounding: Gain a detailed understanding of all substation equipment, factors governing the layout of substations, station transformers, elements to be earthed in a substation, power system earthing, earthing transformers, bus bar arrangements and gas-insulated substations
  • Distribution System: Learn about the effects of voltage on the conductor volume, distributor fed from one end, distributors fed from both ends at the same voltage, distributors fed from both ends at different voltages, and alternating current distribution
  • Circuit Breakers: Learn about the classification of circuit breakers, plain-break oil circuit breakers, air break circuit breaker, air blast circuit breakers, vacuum circuit breakers, SF6 circuit breakers, rating and testing of circuit breakers
  • Relaying and Protection: Learn all the requirements of relaying, zones of protection, primary and backup protection, classification of relays, electromagnetic relays, induction relays, feeder protection, phase fault protection, reactance relay, static overcurrent relay, differential protection, transformer protection, Buchholz relays, alternator protection restricted earth fault protection, rotor earth fault protection, and negative-sequence protection
  • Economic Operation of Power Systems: Gain an understanding of steam power plants, heat rate characteristics and characteristics of hydro plants
  • Load Frequency Control: Learn about speed governing mechanism, speed governor, steady state speed regulations and adjustment of governor characteristics
  • Voltage and Reactive Power Control: Gain an understanding of impedance and reactive power, system voltage and reactive power, voltage regulation and power transfer
  • Renewable Energy Sources: Learn about solar power, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass and tidal power
  • Restructuring of Electrical Power Systems: Gain an understanding of smart grids, smart grid components, smart grid benefits, and open smart grid protocol
  • Engineers of all disciplines
  • Managers
  • Technicians
  • Maintenance personnel
  • Other technical individuals
  • Basic or Foundation

The VILT will be delivered online in 5 half-day sessions comprising 4 hours per day, with 2 x 10 minutes break per day, including time for lectures, discussion, quizzes and short classroom exercises.

Additionally, some self-study will be requested. Participants are invited but not obliged to bring a short presentation (10 mins max) on a practical problem they encountered in their work. This will then be explained and discussed during the VILT. A short test or quiz will be held at the end the course.

The instructor relies on a highly interactive training method to enhance the learning process. This method ensures that all the delegates gain a complete understanding of all the topics covered. The training environment is highly stimulating, challenging, and effective because the participants will learn by case studies which will allow them to apply the material taught to their own organization.

Each delegate will receive a copy of the following materials written by the instructor:

  • “ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT HANDBOOK” published by McGraw-Hill in 2003 (600 pages) – supplementary (read only)
  • Introduction to Power Systems Manual (500 pages)

Your specialist course leader has more than 32 years of practical engineering experience with Ontario Power Generation (OPG), one of the largest electric utility in North America. He was previously involved in research on power generation equipment with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited at their Chalk River and Whiteshell Nuclear Research Laboratories.

While working at OPG, he acted as a Training Manager, Engineering Supervisor, System Responsible Engineer and Design Engineer. During the period of time, he worked as a Field Engineer and Design Engineer, he was responsible for the operation, maintenance, diagnostics, and testing of gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, motors, transformers, inverters, valves, pumps, compressors, instrumentation and control systems. Further, his responsibilities included designing, engineering, diagnosing equipment problems and recommending solutions to repair deficiencies and improve system performance, supervising engineers, setting up preventive maintenance programs, writing Operating and Design Manuals, and commissioning new equipment.

Later, he worked as the manager of a section dedicated to providing training for the staff at the power stations. The training provided by him covered in detail the various equipment and systems used in power stations.

In addition, he has taught courses and seminars to more than four thousand working engineers and professionals around the world, specifically Europe and North America. He has been consistently ranked as “Excellent” or “Very Good” by the delegates who attended his seminars and lectures.

He written 5 books for working engineers from which 3 have been published by McGraw-Hill, New York. Below is a list of the books authored by him;

  • Power Generation Handbook: Gas Turbines, Steam Power Plants, Co-generation, and Combined Cycles, second edition, (800 pages), McGraw-Hill, New York, October 2011.
  • Electrical Equipment Handbook (600 pages), McGraw-Hill, New York, March 2003.
  • Power Plant Equipment Operation and Maintenance Guide (800 pages), McGraw-Hill, New York, January 2012.
  • Industrial Instrumentation and Modern Control Systems (400 pages), Custom Publishing, University of Toronto, University of Toronto Custom Publishing (1999).
  • Industrial Equipment (600 pages), Custom Publishing, University of Toronto, University of Toronto, University of Toronto Custom Publishing (1999).

Furthermore, he has received the following awards:

  • The first “Excellence in Teaching” award offered by PowerEdge, Singapore, in December 2016
  • The first “Excellence in Teaching” award offered by the Professional Development Center at University of Toronto (May, 1996).
  • The “Excellence in Teaching Award” in April 2007 offered by TUV Akademie (TUV Akademie is one of the largest Professional Development centre in world, it is based in Germany and the United Arab Emirates, and provides engineering training to engineers and managers across Europe and the Middle East).
  • Awarded graduation “With Distinction” from Dalhousie University when completed Bachelor of Engineering degree (1983).

Lastly, he was awarded his Bachelor of Engineering Degree “with distinction” from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He also received a Master of Applied Science in Engineering (M.A.Sc.) from the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers in the province of Ontario, Canada.

Unlock the potential of your workforce with customized in-house training programs designed specifically for the energy sector. Our tailored, in-house courses not only enhance employee skills and engagement but also offer significant cost savings by eliminating travel expenses. Invest in your team's success and achieve specific outcomes aligned with your organization's goals through our expert training solutions. Request for further information regarding our on-site or in-house training opportunities.

In our ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, we will no longer providing hard copy training materials. Instead, all training content and resources will be delivered in digital format. Inspired by the oil and energy industry’s best practices, we are leveraging on digital technologies to reduce waste, lower our carbon emissions, ensuring our training content is always up-to-date and accessible. Click here to learn more.

To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized “One to One” coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster.
Request for further information about post training coaching support and fees applicable for this.