Abstract:

In recent years, renewable energy has become the main pillar of the transition towards carbon neutral power systems. The implementation of vast amounts of new renewable energy production plants in power systems has significantly increased the demand for electrical engineers, hence, there is an urgent need of forming new and qualified engineers to address the challenge of transitioning to a clean energy production model. However, in order to effectively train future engineers, a critical aspect is to show how theoretical concepts can be applied to solve practical issues that engineers will face along their career. The use of specialised software plays a key role as well, as the ability to model and simulate problems related to electrical engineering allows engineers to solve complex problems.

Short circuit calculations are one of the main tasks that electrical engineers must deal with during their career. Short circuit currents must be calculated when integrating new generation plants into power systems, if not calculated properly safety risk will arise for both people and the power system itself. The magnitude of short circuit currents will determine the protection equipment that should be integrated in the grid, which should comply with regulations and guarantee a reliable power system.

Engineering students are usually taught how to deal with such problems by using manual methods. These methods are useful to understand how short circuit currents behave, however, as grids grow bigger, manual calculations are not a suitable tool to determine short circuit currents. In such cases, specialised simulation software such as DIgSILENT PowerFactory is used to determine short circuit currents. DIgSILENT PowerFactory is used by a wide range of companies related to electrical engineering, as it allows for solving complex problems quickly and easily. Nevertheless, the use of DIgSILENT PowerFactory in academic institutions does not have the emphasis it ideally should, as the focus is typically placed towards solving problems manually.

In this paper, it is shown how one exercise regarding short circuit current calculation can be solved both by using manual methods and by using DIgSILENT PowerFactory, hence, making students understand the theoretical concepts needed to solve the exercise and preparing them to use the software that will be used in their career to solve the same exercise. The use of DIgSILENT PowerFactory will enable students to solve complex problems faster and more efficiently, hence boosting their future productivity when integrating renewable power plants in the electrical grid.

Keywords:

DIgSILENT PowerFactory, Short Circuit Calculation, STEM Education.