This professional development course is designed for engineers and technicians who need to gain a practical understanding of power distribution, switchgear, power cables, transformers, power factor correction, earthing, lightning protection, and network studies.
Course Benefits
This is a practical course in power distribution, focusing on medium voltage (1kV- 36kV) power considerations, switchgear, power cables, transformers, power factor correction, earthing, lightning protection, and network studies.
This course will help you understand practical power distribution fundamentals, determine short-circuit ratings quickly and effectively, and assess the influence of fault levers on switchgear ratings.
We will cover how to select the correct type of switchgear for the right application, and evaluate the advantages of modern state-of-the-art switchgear protection for your applications, including preventative maintenance information. You will also learn how to identify the different applications for various cable insulation types and how to specify correct power cable installation methods.
This course will also help you understand when and how to use single core cables versus three-core cables, as well as how to use and protect power transformers correctly. We will cover the ways of assessing and specifying correct grounding/earthing throughout your electrical network, and how to determine the need for Power Factor Correction (PFC) for your environment.
On top of this, you will learn how to assess the economic justification for installing PFC equipment, correctly specify PFC equipment and be aware of practical consequences, and confidently use computer simulation software to solve and predict power network problems.
The course is composed of 12 modules, covering topics such as correctly implementing the right type of switchgear for the appropriate application, economically selecting and installing the best-suited power cable for a specific use, implementing successful maintenance strategies and procedures, and effectively using software techniques to solve problem areas in your power network.
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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Braam Burchardt is the Principal Member of the consulting firm, Burchardt Technical Services cc, which he established in 1998. He is also the owner of an electrical construction company, RB Electrical. In the past two decades Braam has worked on major mining projects for Rio Tinto, both in South Africa and abroad.
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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.