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In April 2005, ZE Power Engineering (ZE) joined with Allteck on a turnkey
design/build project for British Columbia Transmission Corporation.
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Training Courses



With today’s demographic trends accelerating the rate of retirement of experienced senior personnel, one of the challenges facing utilities is facilitating the transfer of knowledge and expertise from veteran industry professionals to new generations. Advances in technology, standards and practice are just a few things that professionals at every level need to keep up to date with.

Offered courses consist of a combination of seminar style presentation and interactive workshop component. Taught by long standing industry experts, many courses have EIC certification. ZE Power Engineering can either design a course for a specific utility department or provide the following pre-structured courses:

Application and Specification of High Voltage Circuit Breaker (top)

Circuit breakers installed in AC power systems are required to perform a wide range of duties. The duties range from interrupting the high fault currents down to the relatively low currents associated with switching loads, transmission lines and cables and shunt capacitor and reactor banks. Each duty is unique in terms of degree of complexity and severity and the circuit breaker must have the multiple capabilities for each particular application. A variety of circuit breaker types are in use on power systems each with their own characteristics. Applying, specifying and selecting new circuit breakers and dealing with existing circuit breakers is a technically challenging task.

This seminar provides an in-depth understanding of the electrical aspects of circuit breaker application, specification and selection. Starting from a review of the history of circuit breakers, the course covers current interruption theory and the complete range of switching duties.

Making and Breaking Capacitive and Inductive Load Currents (top)

Each application of circuit breakers to switch capacitive and inductive loads tends to be unique and needs to be related to the requirements of the IEEE and IEC standards. This seminar provides an in-depth review of applying circuit breakers to switch capacitive loads such as shunt capacitor banks, cables and transmission lines; and HV and MV shunts reactors, transformers and HV motors. Controlled switching to mitigate switching overvoltages will also be addressed.

Shunt Reactor Switching (top)

Shunt reactor switching imposes a severe and unique duty on circuit breakers. This seminar explains the duty and the application of circuit breakers for both MV and MV shunt reactor switching with reference to IEEE C37.015 and the recently issued IEC 62271-110. The workshop, in addition to the above seminar, will include interactive classwork dealing with actual applications provided by attendees.

Metal Oxide Surge Arrester Application (top)

Metal oxide surge arresters have been used on power systems since the late 1970s. Since then the technology and understanding of the arresters has evolved and a number of national and international standards have been developed. This seminar and workshop explains the characteristics of the arresters, how they differ from the previously applied silicon carbide gapped arresters and the different rating approaches taken by the CSA, IEC and IEEE standards. The correct approach will be discussed and demonstrated using practical examples provided by attendees.

High Voltage Circuits Breakers (top)

Many different types of circuit breakers are in operation on power systems today each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Following a brief history of circuit breakers and a review of the theory of current interruption, the various switching duties terminal faults, short-line faults, out-of-phase switching, capacitive current switching and inductive load switching will be discussed in detail. Parallel switching - when two circuit breakers are tripped in parallel as in breaker-and-a-half schemes - will be explained. Circuit breaker failures based on international surveys will then be discussed and, in conclusion, the specification of circuit breakers will be addressed.

Type Testing of High Voltage Circuit Breakers (top)

The type testing of high voltage circuit breakers is an increasingly complex subject involving thermal, dielectric, current making and breaking and environmental testing. In addition, the testing requirements in the major standards continue to evolve to address better defined user needs and the characteristics of new circuit breaker technologies. This seminar explains the type testing requirements associated with IEC and IEEE standards, how the tests are performed and criteria for successful testing. Lastly, what constitutes an acceptable type test report will be discussed.

AC to DC Conversion (top)

This course is intended for persons interested in the design, purchase or maintenance of AC-DC power conversion equipment such as DC power supplies and battery chargers. The course introduces the participants to the design and operation of various typical types of AC-DC conversion equipment available. The course covers impedance matching circuits, magnetic circuits, rectifier circuits, filtering circuits, voltage and current regulating circuits, protection and alarming circuits and voltage transient suppressing circuits.

DC Power Supplies and Battery Chargers (top)

This course introduces the participants to details of the various types of AC-DC power supplies and battery chargers currently available. The course covers the operation of saturable reactor, ferro-resonant, phase controlled (SCR) and switched transistor designs and their maintenance.


Battery Basics, Maintenance and Troubleshooting (top)

This course is intended for persons interested in the purchase, operation or maintenance of stationary batteries. The course introduces the participants to the types of stationary storage batteries available today. It covers the design, troubleshooting and maintenance of flooded-vented lead-acid, valve-regulated lead-acid and flooded-vented nickel cadmium batteries.

DC Station Service (top)

This course is intended for persons involved in the operation and maintenance of DC station service systems. The course covers typical DC station service designs, associated components, typical station service alarm and protection circuits, methods which can be utilized to locate ground faults and the coordination of circuit breakers and fuses.

DC to AC Conversion and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) (top)

This course is intended for persons interested in the design, purchase or maintenance of inverters and uninterruptible power supplies.  The course covers typical inverter and UPS designs, associated monitoring, filtering, protection and alarm circuits and UPS troubleshooting and maintenance.

Air Gap Analysis (top)

This course is intended for persons involved with the operation and maintenance of large diameter generators. The course introduces the participants to the concept of air gap monitoring, the types of air gap monitors available, typical static and dynamic air gap variations and their effects on stator and rotor windings, laminations and supports.

Partial Discharge (PD) Analysis (top)

This course is intended for persons involved with the operation and maintenance of high voltage generators, transformers and converters. The course introduces the participants to the concept of partial discharge, the types of PD monitors available and the types of PD and how each affects insulating and supporting components.