Course description

Electricity Distribution

In this class, learners will learn all about electricity infrastructure, including electricity generation, transmission, use and safety. The focus is on actual installations, so students can learn about electrical substations, 3-phase power distribution, typical power plant voltages, large transformers, as well as single-phase, split-phase, and 3-phase circuit breaker boxes and wiring setups found around the world. Learners will understand the importance of AC in an electricity grid, as well as grounding/earthing, pole transformer setups, as well as residual current/ground fault interrupt and safety setups and lightning protection.

Upcoming start dates

1 start date available

Start anytime

Self-Paced Online
Online
English

Suitability - Who should attend?

Prerequisites:

The student should be familiar with the basics of electricity. For instance, the student should understand Ohm’s Law and the use of phasors in AC. Our previous courses Circuits for Beginners and AC & Switching Circuits may be helpful for learners who aren’t familiar with these concepts.

Outcome / Qualification etc.

What you'll learn

At the end of this MOOC, the learner will be able to discuss:

Wire gauge
Why AC is generally used for transmission instead of DC
Why three phase is used and how to calculate line and phase voltages
Circuit breakers, metering, fuses, lightning rods, residual current/GFCI devices, and grounding rods
Star and delta transformers and electrical substation layout
The electricity grid, and how it is generally designed
Split phase, single phase, 2-phase, and 3-phase consumer units/breaker boxes
How power is injected into the grid
Typical grid voltages and power plant capacities
Grid challenges with renewables, power output from solar farms