Power Distribution Engineer (PDE)

Power Distribution Engineer (PDE)

Certificate Program

The PDE is designed to significantly enhance the skills and abilities of engineers working in a distribution utility. The program is intended to provide participants with formal power engineering courses they may  not have had in their undergraduate studies and will also serve as a refresher for their day-to-day engineering skills.

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About this Certificate:

Things You Will Learn

- Analysis of distribution circuits
- AC power concepts
- Analysis and modeling 
- Power flow and short circuits 
- Distribution over current protection

Curriculum:

- Fundamentals of Distribution Circuit Analysis 
- Distribution System Components
- Modeling & Analysis of Distribution Systems 
- Relay Protection & Coordination

Additional Information:

Format: In Person
Duration: 18 days
Certificate Awarded: Attendees at the Engineering Operations & Technology (EO&T) conference who have recently completed the Power Distribution Engineer certificate program will be recognized at the EO&T conference and will receive their certificate at the conference. 
Due to the unique nature of this program, participants and their utilities are required to commit to a significant level of commitment.

Individual Coursework

The DSO Certificate program contains four modules.

Fundamentals of Distribution Circuit Analysis
5 Days: This class addresses the principles and methods for analyzing distribution circuits operating under sinusoidal steady state conditions. Complex numbers and their use as phasers representing sinusoidal time signals is thoroughly explained. Basic principles of circuit analysis including mesh current and node voltage methods is included. Additional topics include Thevenin and Norton’s theorems for circuit simplification, power factor correction and short circuit calculations under balanced conditions. Two-thirds of the course time is spent on theoretical concepts and one-third on solving illustrative problems.
Distribution System Components
5 Days: This course develops the equivalent circuit models of the various components of the electric system including synchronous generators, power delivery equipment such as transformers and lines and motor type loads. Distribution System Components provides familiarity with these models as well as in-depth understanding of the physical significance of each element in the equivalent circuit. This understanding is provided through consideration of the basic laws governing component behavior, including the laws of Gauss, Ampere and Faraday. Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Distribution Circuit Analysis.
Modeling & Analysis of Distribution Systems
5 Days: Combining the topics from the first two courses of the program, this class addresses system level studies. The main distribution system analysis problems of power flow and short circuits will be specifically addressed. The theoretical basis for power flow and short circuit calculations will be combined and applied to small problems suitable for hand calculations and numerical solutions of large systems using a popular commercial grade distribution analysis software package. Prerequisite: Distribution System Components.
Relay Protection & Coordination
3 Days: This course teaches the fundamentals of distribution over current protection and coordination. The course is suitable for beginning technicians and engineers. Fundamentals are stressed and students will do many hands-on examples. Prerequisite: Modeling & Analysis of Distribution Systems.

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The Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, Inc. is the nonprofit, regional service organization that represents the interests of consumer-owned electric utilities operating within the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) service area. TVPPA members include both municipal and electric cooperatives, and they serve more than 10 million people in 7 states.

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