EE1040: Electrical Fundamentals

Lecture 1 - Overview

W. D. Prasad

Department of Electrical Engineering

Introduction
• Energy is the basic necessity for the economic development of a country.
• Energy exists in different forms in nature, but energy in the form of electrical
energy is of immense importance.
• Electrical energy;
• A very convenient form of energy which can be easily converted into other
forms of energy.
• Electrically operated machines have simple and convenient starting, control
and operation.
• Can be easily transported from one place to another with the help of
conductors.
• Economical to use this form of energy for domestic, commercial and
industrial purposes.

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Generation of Electrical Energy
• Conversion of energy available in different forms in nature into electrical energy is
known as generation of electrical energy.
• Energy is available in various forms from different natural sources such as pressure
head of water, chemical energy of fuels, nuclear energy of radioactive substances,
wind energy, etc.
• The primary energy can be converted into electrical energy by the use of suitable
arrangements.

a b c
Energy from
some source

Prime Mover Alternator

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Sources of Energy
• Water
• Stored water at a suitable place possesses potential energy because of the
head created.
• This water energy can be converted into mechanical energy with the help of
water turbines.
• Water turbine drives the alternator which converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy.

Let’s see the operation of a hydro power plant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC8Lbyeyh-E

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Schematic Arrangement of a Hydro Power Plant

Source: V. Mehta, R. Mehta; “Principles of Power Systems”

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Sources of Energy
• Fuels
• Main sources of energy are fuels; solid fuel as coal, liquid fuel as oil and gas fuel
as natural gas.
• The heat energy of these fuels is converted into mechanical energy by suitable
prime movers such as steam turbines, internal combustion engines, etc.
• The prime mover drives the alternator which converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy.

Let’s see the operation of a coal power plant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxHQHcpCWa8

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Sources of Energy
• Nuclear Energy
• The heat produced due to nuclear fission can be utilized to raise steam with
suitable arrangements.
• The steam can run the steam turbine which in turn can drive the alternator to
produce electrical energy.

• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Geothermal Energy
• Wave Energy

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Energy Mix

Source: https://ceb.lk/
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Structure of Electric Power Systems
• Function of an electric power system is to connect the power station to the
consumer’s loads by means of an interconnected system of transmission and
distribution networks.
• An electric power system consists of three principle sections: power stations
(generation), transmission and distribution.
• Transmission lines are the connecting link between the power stations and the
distribution systems.
• A distribution system connects all the individual loads in a given locality to the
transmission lines.
• Single-line diagram:
• Three-phase alternators at the power stations are designed to produce
balanced voltages.
• A balanced 3-phase circuit can be represented by a single-phase equivalent
circuit.
• The diagram showing the single-phase equivalent of the power system using
standard symbols is called single-line diagram.

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What is a Balanced Three-Phase System?

a phase b phase c phase

100

50
Voltage

angle (rad)
0
0.000 1.571 3.142 4.712 6.283
-50

-100

𝑣𝑎 𝑡 = 𝑉𝑚 sin 𝜔𝑡 ,𝜔 = 2𝜋𝑓
230 V
2𝜋 400 V
𝑣𝑏 𝑡 = 𝑉𝑚 sin 𝜔𝑡 − 1200
3
300
2𝜋
𝑣𝑐 𝑡 = 𝑉𝑚 sin 𝜔𝑡 +
3
𝑉𝑚 0 𝑉𝑚 0
𝑉𝑚
𝑉𝑎 = ∠0 , 𝑉𝑏 = ∠ −120 , 𝑉𝑐 = ∠ 1200
2 2 2
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Single-Line Diagram of an Electric Power System

Transmission Line
Generating Station 220 kV
13.8 kV

Transmission Line Distribution Lines

132 kV 33 kV

Load
33 kV, 3 

Distribution Lines
Loads 11 kV Distribution Line, 400 V
230 V,1 

Distribution Line, 400 V Loads Loads

400 V, 3 230V, 1 
Loads
400 V,3 

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Demand of an Electric Power System
• The load on a power station varies from time to time due to uncertain demands
of the consumers and is known as variable load on the station.
• The curve showing the variation of load with respect to time is known as a load
curve.
• The daily load curve of Sri Lanka;

Recorded Maximum
System Peak
2017 2523 MW
2018 2616 MW

Source: Long Term Generation Expansion Plan 2020 – 2036, CEB 12

Example
• A factory has the daily load cycle given below:

Time 0-6 6 - 10 10 - 12 12 - 16 16 - 20 20 - 24
(Hours)
Load 40 50 60 50 70 40
(kW)

Draw the load curve and find the maximum demand, total energy required per day
and average demand .

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Example
Load (kW)

100
Maximum demand = 70 kW
80

60

40

20

2 4 6 8 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 Time (hrs)
0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4
Daily energy requirement = 40 × 6 + 50 × 4 + 60 × 2 + 50 × 4 +
70 × 4 + 40 × 4 = 1200 𝑘𝑊ℎ

1200
Average demand = = 50 𝑘𝑊 14
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Conditions to be Met
• A power system must maintain the balance between the total generation and
total demand at every instant of time.

σ 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 = σ 𝑳𝒐𝒂𝒅 + σ 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔

• System frequency must lie within the limits 50𝐻𝑧 ± 1%

• System voltage must lie within the limits 230 𝑉 ± 6%
• Power system elements must not overload

• Providing a reliable electricity supply to consumers is a challenging task.

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