ELEC3213/ELEC6222
Dr Abhinav K Singh
aks@ecs.soton.ac.uk
Module Description
• 7.5 ECTS credit points (15 CATS)
– Equivalent to 150hrs student effort
• Background reading recommended for each
section (and is essential in preparing you for
the assignment!)
Wider Reading, Scheduled Scheduled Sessions
27% Sessions, 24%
Preparation for Sessions
Coursework
Preparation for
Revision, 11% Sessions, 12% Revision
Wider Reading
Coursework,
26%
Scheduling
• Up to 3 lectures per week (check schedule!)
– Any changes will be posted online
• Scheduled Q&A sessions, plus some tutorials (prep required!)
Knowledge vs Application
• This module is not just about gaining knowledge, it is
about applying it
• Some new theory will be introduced and you will be
assessed partly on knowledge
– But a significant proportion of the assessment is about
application of this knowledge and showing good
engineering decision making
• You will also need to do some independent reading and
think about how knowledge from other courses can be
applied
“No one right answer”
• There is no single right answer to most
engineering problems, including power system
problems
– Many T&D problems have a large number of
variables
– Not always possible to identify a single best way
to proceed
– You will need to do some thinking!
– It will not be possible to simply rote‐learn the
answers
Assessment
• 1 assessed coursework (50% of module)
– Deadline 20 May
• 1 exam (50% of module), during summer
exam period
• Unassessed textbook problems will be
recommended/discussed at intervals through
the course
Topics
• Overview of T&D Networks (1 lecture)
• Loadflow Calculations (2 lectures)
• Overhead Lines & Underground Cables (4
lectures)
• Network & Substation Design (3 lectures)
• Protection Schemes (6 lectures)
• Earthing Systems (2 lectures)
• FACTS & HVDC (3 lectures)
• Future trends (1 lecture)
Resources
• No core textbook, but the following may be
useful and are available in the library and as
ebooks
• Slides and recordings will be published on
blackboard at the end of each week
Other Textbooks
• B.M. Weedy, B.J. Cory, Electric Power Systems, John Wiley & Sons, 1998
• S.A. Nasar, Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Electric Power Systems,
McGraw‐Hill, New York, 1990
• J.J. Grainger, W.D. Stevenson, Jr., Power System Analysis, McGraw‐Hill, New York,
1994
• Y.H. Song, A.T. Johns, Flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS), IEE Power and
Energy Series 1999
• Pieter Schavemaker, Lou van der Sluis, Electrical Power System Essentials, John
Wiley & Sons, 2008
• Paul Breeze, Power Generation Technologies, Elsevier 2005
• N. Jenkins, J.B.Ekanayake, G. Strbac, Distributed Generation, IET 2010
Other Resources
• I will occasionally post other resources (these
form part of the recommended reading)
– Technical Standards
– Best Practice Guides
– Journal or Conference Papers
• Some will be discussed in class
• Some are intended for you to read at your
leisure
Asking Questions
• If you have a (quick) question, raise your hand at
any point
– If it is a long answer, I may defer to until after the
lecture
– For longer questions, it is best to ask after the lecture
or make an appointment (by email) to meet me
• I will also have questions for you!
– So don’t fall asleep!
– Interactive sessions are more fun for all of us; modern
engineering is not about working in isolation
Plagiarism Reminder
• Feel free to discuss textbook problems or general
methods with others to further your
understanding
• All coursework for this module is individual and
should be your own work
• Any plagiarised work (from another student, from
the web, from a book) will be awarded zero
marks
• Any such instance will be reported and actions
taken – please refer to the student handbook
Challenges in T&D
Transmission vs Distribution
UK Transmission Grid
• English & Welsh Network owned
by National Grid
– 7200km OHL, 1560km cable, 346
substations
• NG also operates Scottish grid,
hence, NG is the main
transmission system operator
(TSO) in GB
• NG now divided into Electricity
Transmission (assets owner) and
Electricity System Operator
• Operation requires real time
matching of generation to demand
UK Distribution Networks
• Receive power from NG at
400/132kV Grid Supply
Points (approx 500 in UK)
• DNOs and TSO don’t sell
power directly to
consumers
• Distribution Use of System
(DUoS) Charges and
Transmission Network Use
of System (TNUoS) charges
http://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/Our-
company/electricity/Distribution-Network-Operator-Companies/
Challenges in Transmission
• Significant increase in renewable capacity
– NG predicted 36GW by 2020, 64GW in 2030!
– Have the 2011 predictions come true?
• You can’t “dispatch” renewables – how do you
balance supply & demand?
From “Gone Green2011 – Key Facts and Figures”, National Grid
Have the 2011 Predictions Come True?
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy‐trends‐december‐2021
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy‐trends‐december‐2021
Challenges in Transmission – contd.
Increasing renewables are creating a serious challenge
for system operators ‐
Traditional control and protection of transmission
network (based on fixed model and operating points)
less effective
Reduced system inertia – a big problem for smaller
grids, like UK or Ireland
System model and operating status change
dynamically and unpredictably
One possible solution
• Creation of European
SuperGrid via
interconnection
– Why? Better utilisation
of renewables, system
balancing effects,
market benefits
• Can need significant http://www.friendsofthesupergrid.eu/
network reinforcement
Challenges in Distribution (1)
• Significant rise in distributed generation
(domestic CHP, rooftop PV, wind, wave, etc.)
• Distribution networks traditionally top‐down
• How to accommodate DG with minimal
investment?
Adapted from
http://research.uow.edu.au/energyfutures/researchtopics/inde
x.html
Challenges in Distribution (2)
• What could be the impact of electric vehicles?
• Big increase in demand – how predictable; how
to manage the spatio‐temporal distribution of
this demand?
• Large investment needed for widescale network
reinforcement
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/15/electric-cars- http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/electric-vehicle-charging-
battery-renewable-energy equipment
Opportunities
• Better use of condition monitoring and real‐time
state estimation
• Advances in communications technology and
access to data
• Understanding of ageing mechanisms
• Better performing assets and energy efficiency
technologies
• BUT – still need to understand how the networks
function before you can use any of the above!
Requirements of T&D Engineer
• Understand High Voltage Systems!
• But this goes hand in hand with…
– Communications
– Data processing
– Economics and business
– Social policy
– Many other skills…
• Modern power engineers need many skills, but
the fundamentals are still critical
Aims of this course
• Gain new knowledge about high voltage
equipment and how we represent it in system
models
• Application of this knowledge:
– Thinking about practical network solutions
– Considering technical and non‐technical issues
– How would you solve network design problems
– How would you justify your ideas to a potential
customer?
