Course Details

This course is appropriate for a wide range of professionals but not limited to:

• Power System Protection Engineers
• Transmission and Distribution Engineers
• Substation Design Engineers
• Electrical Consultants and Planners
• Asset and Reliability Engineers

• Expert-led sessions with dynamic visual aids
• Comprehensive course manual to support practical application and reinforcement
• Interactive discussions addressing participants’ real-world projects and challenges
• Insightful case studies and proven best practices to enhance learning

By the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the physics and characteristics of lightning and switching surges.
• Calculate expected overvoltages in transmission and substation environments.
• Determine the required insulation levels for power system apparatus.
• Select, locate, and apply surge arresters for effective protection.
• Design robust and compliant grounding systems for substations.
• Coordinate insulation strength with protective device characteristics.

DAY 1

Lightning and Switching Overvoltages

• Welcome and Introduction
• Pre-test
• Physics and Characteristics of Direct and Indirect Lightning Strikes
• Parameters defining lightning surges and waveform analysis
• Causes and characteristics of switching overvoltages
• Principles of travelling waves on transmission lines
• Use of insulation statistics and probability in design

DAY 2

Insulation Coordination Fundamentals

• Defining the Basic Impulse Insulation Level (BIL)
• Understanding external and internal insulation characteristics
• Determination of required withstand voltages (UW, SW, LW)
• Statistical approach to insulation coordination and risk assessment
• The protective ratio concept and its application
• Impact of altitude and contamination on insulation strength

DAY 3

Surge Arrester Theory and Application

• Theory and operation of Metal Oxide Surge Arresters (MOA)
• Selection and specification of surge arrester characteristics
• Proper placement and connection of arresters in substations
• Application of arresters for transformer and reactor protection
• Arrester duties under temporary overvoltage (TOV) conditions
• Failure modes and diagnostic testing of surge arresters

DAY 4

Grounding System Design and Protection

• Fundamentals of Earthing and Grounding for Safety
• Principles of Substation Ground Grid Design and Analysis
• Controlling Ground Potential Rise (GPR) and Step/Touch Voltages
• Selection of conductors and materials for grounding systems
• Grounding for lightning protection and system fault currents
• Measurement and testing of grounding system performance

DAY 5

System Studies and Final Review

• Application of EMTP/ATP software for transient analysis
• Case studies on successful insulation coordination practices
• Review of relevant IEEE and IEC standards for protection
• Advanced topics in overhead line lightning performance
• Final review of key concepts and Q&A session
• Post-test
• Certificate ceremony