Course overview
The course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and principles of AC circuits and power transformers. The course addresses topics on symmetrical components, per-unit systems, and transmission lines, including parameters and steady-state operation. The course also provides symmetrical faults and unsymmetrical faults analysis and the application of power system protection. Upon completion of the course, students are able to understand the basic concepts in electric power generation, transmission and distribution, and can apply the fundamentals of power system analysis, such as per-unit systems, 3-phase circuits, symmetrical or sequence components, and power systems protection.
Participants in piloting
This course compulsory for students enrolled in the Diploma in Electrical Engineering Program at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. The course is part of the 3rd year curriculum. On average, a total of 20 to 30 students take this course each semester. It bears 3 credit points, which correspond to a 3 hour lecture each week.
Use of ALIEN services and tools
Active learning methods are deployed in the course. An example is building per-unit diagrams. For this activity, students are given a problem to be solved in groups. Each group is comprised by 5 – 6 students. The problem is also uploaded onto the ALIEN digital platform so that the students can easily access it. The platform further allows the problem to be shared among instructors.
The learning objective for this activity is for the students to build knowledge on building a per-unit diagram for a given circuit network given. Students are assigned into groups of 4 – 5 individuals for this activity. At the beginning of the session in each group students assign amongst themselves the roles of moderator, author, reviewer, and scriber to inculcate teamwork and collaborative learning.
Based on the circuit network that they have chosen students are required to build a per-unit diagram with the specifications given. At the end of the activity, they are required to submit the per-unit diagram, the meeting minutes, and the full description of each role assumed by team members during the activity. In their submission, students are also asked to provide complete descriptions of the tasks that they have performed according to the roles assigned. The descriptions of the roles are used by the instructors to assess students’ understanding of the topic and to facilitate discussion during the wrap-up session.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the activity is slightly modified. Students are asked to submit a recording of their discussion session instead. This approach allows the instructor to assess their understanding of the topic.
