University of Sunderland

School of Engineering, Faculty of Technology

ELX303

Electrical Power

EXAMINATION

Date: 19 January 2023 Time: 7 – 10pm

Instructions to Candidates:

1. Time allowed - 3 hours

2. This is a closed book Examination.

3. The use of programmable calculators and dictionaries is forbidden.

4. Candidates are advised to keep the smart watch in the bag.

5. There are SIX questions set. You must attempt FOUR questions. All
questions carry equal marks.

6. Candidates are required to answer the required number of questions only. Any
additional questions answered will not be marked.

7. Students should put a cross through any work that they do not wish to be marked.
 Question 1

a) Explain how an arc is generated in a switchgear when it is interrupting a fault current and how
this may cause damage. State two methods of arc extinction in circuit breakers. Then explain
the objectives of achieving arc interruption for each method.

(10 Marks)

b) Describe one technique of achieving arc interruption in medium voltage A.C. switchgear.
Sketch a typical waveform found in high voltage switchgear. Describe why it is important to
ensure that the medium between the moving and fixed contacts of the switchgear has
sufficient dielectric strength at the point of arc extinction. Explain how ‘sufficient dielectric
strength’ is ensured at this point.

(7 Marks)

c) List the six operational requirements of switchgear.

(6 Marks)

d) What is the symmetrical breaking current and asymmetrical making current of a circuit
breaker with a 200MVA symmetrical breaking capacity and rated voltage of 6.6KV? Given that
the maximum offset for the transient is 1.8.

(2 Marks)
 Question 2

a) Figure 2 below shows the schematic diagram of a 3-phase fully controlled converter.
Describe the volt drops within the system and how they affect the output voltage for a given
firing angle.

Figure 2. Converter
Schematic (6 Marks)

b) A 5.2 MVA supply transformer to a fully-controlled, three-phase rectifier has a per-unit

resistance of 0.025Ω and a per-unit reactance of 0.05Ω. The step down transformer has a
primary voltage of 11 kV and a secondary voltage of 415 V, with a short circuit level of 150
MVA at the 11 kV supply terminals. The converter supplies a 2 MW load at 330 V D.C. and
the forward voltage across each thyristor is 1.5 V in the on state.

Calculate:

(i) What is the firing angle which is required to produce an output voltage of
330V without regulation effects each of the regulation effects in the system.

(2 Marks)

(ii) The firing angle to maintain 330 V to the load at 2 MW, assuming a nominal
transformer secondary voltage of 415 V.
(17 Marks)
 Question 3

a) The speed control of an AC motor can be achieved by using 2 common types of drive circuit,
namely the six step and the PWM types. Describe with the aim of diagrams, the difference
between the two types of controller. You should list and explain the power electronic devices
used, as well as the details of the DC link for each device.
(8 Marks)

b) A 20kW, 4-pole induction motor is designed to operate from a 440V, 50Hz, three-phase
supply, and when operating at full power on this supply it runs at 1480rpm. The motor
efficiency is 90% under both conditions.

(i) What supply frequency will be needed to make this motor run at 1280rpm while
delivering a shaft power of 12.5kW?
(7 Marks)

(ii) If the motor were supplied from a sinusoidal variable frequency source, what
voltage and current will need to be supplied to it when running at 1375rpm at
12.5kW if the power factor of the motor is 0.85?
(10 Marks)
 Question 4

a) It is important to manage heat dissipation for power control components such as Thyristor.
Draw the following and label your drawings:

(i) A top view of a Thyristor mounted to a heatsink

(5 Marks)
(ii) The equivalent heat schematic
(5 Marks)

b) A thyristor in a fully-controlled converter that supplies 630A to a D.C. load is mounted on a

0.5 kg aluminium heat sink. If the forward voltage across the device is 1.5 V, and aluminium
has a specific heat capacity of 895 J(kg °C)–1. The ambient temperature is 40 °C maximum
and the thyristor is mounted directly on the heat sink.

(i) Calculate the steady state temperature of the thyristor junction, given that the
thermal resistance of the heat sink is 0.15 °C W–1 and that of the device is 0.12°CW– 1.
(3 Marks)
(ii) How long does the heat sink take to reach a steady-state temperature?
(2 Marks)
c) The thyristor/heat sink arrangement of the previous question is subject to a non-repetitive
overload of 1260A (twice full-load).

(i) How long may this overload be sustained without danger of overheating the junction
of the device, with TJ = 125oC max?
(5 Marks)
d) The 11kV/415V, three-phase, 50 Hz, 3 MVA transformer feeding a converter has a reactance
of 0.05 p.u. If the snubber resistance and capacitor in parallel with each power device in the
converter are 100Ω and 0.1F respectively.
dV
(i) Calculate the maximum across each device.
dt
(5 Marks)
 Question 5

a) Determine the firing angle α of a delayed full-wave rectified sinewave which has an average
value of half the maximum value Ym, as shown in Figure 5a:

Figure 5a – Delayed Full-Wave Rectified Sinewave

(8 Marks)

b) A single-phase input voltage Eo is feeding a thyristor that has a complex load in series, as
shown in Figure 5b. Derive the mathematical expression for the voltage across the load based
on the graph also shown in Figure 5b.

Figure 5b – Complex Load

(5 Marks)

c) Determine the power factor that the generator must operate at in Figure 5c to deliver power
at the power factors stated. All p.u. values are referred to the voltage bases shown and 100
MVA. You may ignore the reactive loss in the generator-transformer.
Load A = 52MW, p.f. = 1
Load B = 202MW, p.f. = 0.8 Lagging

Figure 5c – Network
(12 Marks)
Question 6

a) Describe the parallel and series forms of Flexible A.C. Transmission Systems (FACTS) that
exist to improve the transmission of electricity.
(10 Marks)

b) Identical shunt reactors are connected from each phase conductor to neutral at both
ends of a 300 km line during light load conditions, providing 50% compensation. The
reactors are removed during heavy load conditions. Full load is 1 kA at unity power factor
and at 400 kV. The A and B parameters for the line are A = 0.932 0.21 and B = 97 87.3
Y
 and the admittance of the equivalent  circuit is = 3.7  10 −7 + j 7.095  10 − 4 S
2

Assuming that the sending-end voltage is constant, determine the following:

(i) Percentage voltage regulation of the uncompensated line.

(4 Marks)

(ii) The equivalent shunt admittance and series impedance of the compensated
line.
(6 Marks)
(iii) Percentage voltage regulation of the compensated line.
(5 Marks)

END OF PAPER