Lecturer: Mario Montagna  

Course name: Automation of Electrical Power Systems and Complements of Electrical Plants
Course code: 502994
Degree course: Ingegneria Elettrica
Disciplinary field of science: ING-IND/33
University credits: CFU 9
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

Completion of the concepts learned in First Level courses, with reference to the control systems for the management of production, transmission and distribution of electricity, the supervised control of production plants, the regulation of frequency and voltage in power grids. Completion of the concepts learned in First Level courses, with reference to the transmission of energy by high voltage overhead lines and cables, direct current transmission, the protection system of electrical plants.

Course programme

SCADA systems
Supervisory control and data acquisition systems for electrical plants. General considerations on the control center, configuration of computers, the need for redundancy. The supervision system and data acquisition (SCADA) system for a generation and transmission of electricity.

Frequency and voltage regulation
Regulation of the frequency and of generated power; error exchange between interconnected systems; criterion of non-interacting secondary regulation and its implementation in the control center. Voltage and reactive power regulation. Model of the excitation system of a brushless synchronous generator.

Electrical system stability
Behavior of the power system following a disturbance. Stability of the system to small and large changes. Study of stability following a disturbance by using the method of areas. Limits of applicability of the method of areas. Stability studies by computer programs for simulation of electromechanical transients.

Industrial automation
Programmable Logic Control Systems (PLC); programming languages for PLC's with programming examples. Outline of informatic networks for industrial automation applications.

Propagation phenomena of voltage and current in power lines
The propagation equation in the general case, the propagation equation for lossless lines. Laws of propagation in the case of sinusoidal permanent regime. Line of infinite length, finite-length line, open line and short-circuited line, 1/4 wavelength line.

Extra-high voltage transmission
Calculation of electric lines in sinusoidal steady-state. Fundamental constants of overhead lines. Fundamental constants of cables. Operating characteristics, auxiliary constants and equivalent circuits. Principles of operation of DC transmission. Advantages and disadvantages compared to AC transmission.

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General characteristics of protection systems. Classification of the main types of relays. A brief outline of measurement transformers. Protection of generators and transformers. Network protection: high voltage line protection by distance relays; directional earth protection for distribution medium voltage systems; protection of radial distribution low voltage networks. Outline of overvoltage protection: spark gaps and surge arresters.

Course entry requirements

Notions provided in the courses of Fundamentals of Electrical Systems, Electrical Systems for the First Level Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 58
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 12
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 12

Suggested reading materials

Testing and exams

The exam consists of a written test and an oral discussion.