This professional development course is designed for engineers and technicians who need to understand the techniques required to use and apply IEC 61850 to substation automation, hydropower plants, wind turbines, and distributed energy resources as productively and economically as possible.
Course Benefits
IEC 61850 is a part of the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 57 (TC57) architecture for electric power systems. It is an important international standard for substation automation, and it is having a significant impact on how electric power systems are designed and built for the future.
This program covers core components of IEC 61850 and will provide you with the tools and knowledge to tackle your next substation automation project with confidence. It begins with a review of the fundamentals of substation automation, IEC 61850 elements, and core substation architectures.
The communication interface hardware and standards are then reviewed, along with Ethernet and TCP/IP protocols. A detailed explanation of IEC 61850 is given, where the features, message structure, practical benefits, and applications are discussed.
Furthermore, the program will cover the configuration of IEC 61850 systems, including conformance testing, migration, implementation issues, and recent developments. The content is intended to be product independent, but examples will be taken from existing products to ensure that all aspects of the IEC 61850 protocols are covered.
The course is composed of 12 modules, covering substation automation functions and architectures, ways to identify the most appropriate networking components for substation automation, how to use the IEC 61850 model as a data integration platform, and IEC 61850 communication mapping, configuration, and testing.
To obtain a certificate of completion for EIT’s Professional Certificate of Competency, students must achieve a 65% attendance rate at the live, online fortnightly webinars. Detailed summaries/notes can be submitted in lieu of attendance. In addition, students must obtain a mark of 60% in the set assignments which could take the form of written assignments and practical assignments. Students must also obtain a mark of 100% in quizzes. If a student does not achieve the required score, they will be given an opportunity to resubmit the assignment to obtain the required score.
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Edwin Wright has over 40 years of practical experience in the planning, design, construction, and operation of telecommunications systems, data networks, SCADA, and Ethernet systems. He has also been involved as Project Manager on many projects and has a passion for technology topics.
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You are expected to spend approximately 5-8 hours per week learning the course content. This includes attending fortnightly webinars that run for about 90 minutes to facilitate class discussion and allow you to ask questions. This program has a 65% attendance requirement in the live webinars in order to graduate from the program. If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you have the option of watching the recording of completed webinars and sending a summary of what you have learnt from the webinar to the Learning Support officer. The summaries go towards your attendance requirement for the program.
This program is run online on an intensive part-time basis and has been designed to fit around full-time work. It will take three months to complete.
We understand that sometimes work commitments and personal circumstances can get in the way of your studies, so if at any point you feel that you are struggling with the pace of the course or finding a particular module challenging, you are encouraged to contact your designated Learning Support Officer for assistance.
Registrations are open for our upcoming intakes. Please ensure you book your place at least one week before the start date of the program.