Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

As a power systems engineer, you will be required to integrate engineering analysis with operational decision making in the areas of operational and systems management. Operational management ensures quality of supply and equipment utilisation. System management deals with reliability and asset management. This unit requires the topics covered in the eralier units and done in the fourth year.

Aims

The aim of the unit is to develop skills in the operational management and the overall system management of Power systems. There are many decisions to be made in the context of imperfect information. This unit provides tools and structures to the decision making process, whether at planning or in daily operation. Tools to balance between maintenance and capital purchases and between investment and reliability will be provided.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. assess outage, risk and financial aspects for simple cases of power systems.
2. perform probabilistic and cost benefit analysis of power systems.
3. describe and evaluate the main condition assessment tools for transformers, insulators and distribution poles.
4. quantify the quality of supply impacts from faults, motor starts and harmonic loads.

Content

Operational management
Condition Monitoring:

• Monitoring for transformers


• Insulators


• Distribution Poles

Utilization of equipment:

• Demand supply Balance


• Role of demand Management


• Role of Distributed generation

Quality of supply:

• Voltage Dips


• Waveform Distortion

System Management
Risk Analysis:

• Overview of risk


• Probabilistic analysis of risk


• Failure Modes and Effects analysis

Reliability:

• Generation, Transmission and Distribution


• Outages: SAIDI, SAIFI

Asset Management:

• Principles of asset owner, asset manager division


• Whole of life costing


• Justification for Condition Based Assessment

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Teaching mode: Hours per week
Lecture: 2
Tutorials: 1
Laboratory: ½ hour (Two, 3 hour laboratory sessions)

Learning Approaches:
Lectures will provide the knowledge base required for this unit and will be supported by tutorials, enabling you to apply the theory described in lectures. Tutorial sessions will involve problem solving to assist you to understand, the systematic design issues and methods of applying the principles to power systems. Computer aided power system analysis and graphical presentation of results is introduced using an appropriate software package such as Digsilent and SINCAL.

Assessment

Assessment will be based on three items as indicated below:

Assessment tasks requiring you to solve problems both analytically and with software will enhance your technical and computer skills. This will be assessed through 2 assessment tasks distributed throughout the semester.
The final exam of two hours in length will be aimed at evaluating problem formulation, general knowledge and the relationships of fundamental knowledge to the systems studied.

Assessment name: Final Examination
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Examination period

Assessment name: Problem Solving Task
Description: In this task you will be required to design harmonic filters to remove harmonics generated by a large rectifier.
Relates to objectives: 3 and 4.
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Week 13

Assessment name: Project (applied)
Description: You will be required in a group to perform a risk and cost benefit analysis for the replacement of aging power system equipment such as transformers.
Relates to objectives: 1 and 2.
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Week 13

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Type: Reference Book
Author: H. Raiffa
Title: Decision Analysis
Year: Publisher: McGraw Hill

Type: Reference Book
Author: C Sappideen R Stillman
Title: Liability for Electrical Accidents
Year: Publisher: Engineers Australia

Type: Reference Book
Author: J Moubray.
Title: Reliability centred maintenance
Year: Publisher: Industrial press Inc

Type: Reference Book
Author: R Billinton R Allan
Title: Reliability Evaluation of Engineering Systems
Year: Publisher: Plenum

Type: Reference Book
Author: R Billinton R Allan
Title: Reliability Evaluation of Power Systems
Year: Publisher: Plenum

Type: Text Book/Software Package
Title: Matlab Student Edition (any version)
Year: Publisher: Mathworks Inc.

Risk assessment statement

You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

You will be required to undertake practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of the lecturer and technical staff of the School. In any laboratory practicals you will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes or steel capped shoes).

You will undergo a health and safety induction before the commencement of the practical sessions and will be issued with a safety induction card. If you do not have a safety induction card you will be denied access to laboratories.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 22-Oct-2012