Page 1 of 6 Title Operate hydro-electric generating plant from enterprise control room Level 6 Credits 16 Purpose People credited with this unit standard are able to: demonstrate knowledge of the principles and technologies of hydro-electric plant and electricity generation; identify and communicate hydro-generation plant status and parameters; operate and control hydro-generation plant from a control terminal; respond to events that impact on the operation of hydro-generation; and report on the operation of hydro-electric generating plant. Classification Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply - Power System Management Available grade Achieved Entry information Recommended skills and knowledge Unit 12385, Operate hydro-electric generating plant on site; and Unit 12392, Demonstrate knowledge of principles of electricity generation prime movers; or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills. Explanatory notes 1 This unit standard is intended for, but not restricted to, workplace assessment. The range statements across the unit standard can be applied according to enterprise specific equipment, procedures and processes. 2 Safety of personnel and plant must be a priority throughout the assessment. If the safety requirements are not met the assessment must stop. 3 Performance and work practices in relation to the outcomes and evidence requirements must comply with all current legislation, especially the Electricity Act 1992, and any regulations and codes of practice recognised under that statute; the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; and the Resource Management Act 1991. Electricity supply industry codes of practice and documented industry procedures include the current version of the Safety Manual Electricity Industry (SM-EI) Wellington: Electricity Engineers Association. A full list of current legislation and industry codes is available from the Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation, PO Box 1245, Hamilton 3240.
Page 2 of 6 4 Industry requirements include all asset owner requirements; manufacturers specifications; and enterprise requirements which cover the documented workplace policies, procedures, specifications, business, and quality management requirements relevant to the workplace in which assessment is carried out. 5 Practical exercises should be used for training and assessment where possible. Outcomes and evidence requirements Outcome 1 Demonstrate knowledge of the principles and technologies of hydro-electric plant and electricity generation. civil and hydraulic structures, turbines, valves and gates, governors, bypass and relief valves, generators, exciters, transformers, control and protection, batteries, communications, auxiliary plant. 1.1 Theory of mechanical and electrical power and energy is described. includes but is not limited to potential and kinetic power and energy, moment of inertia, rotational energy, electrical active power and energy. 1.2 The principles of electrical power systems and hydro-generating plant are described. includes but is not limited to ac systems, dc systems, voltage, frequency, power balances, dc and ac generators, excitation systems, reaction and impulse hydro-turbines. 1.3 Principles of efficient resource use are defined and explained. includes but is not limited to turbine efficiency curves, available static and operating heads, generator capability diagrams, resource consent obligations and limitations, minimisation of spilling, storage, storage inflows, generation and spillway flows, use of auxiliary generators.
Page 3 of 6 Outcome 2 Identify and communicate hydro-generation plant status and parameters in accordance with industry requirements. may include but is not limited to log contents, permits and work authorities in force, voltage, active power (MW), reactive power (MVAr), generating and spillway flows, headwater levels, tailwater levels, canal flows. 2.1 Plant and equipment status is identified. may include but is not limited to indications, alarms, protective relay flaggings, reported information, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), operating restrictions, plant availability. 2.2 Planned events that impact on plant and equipment status are identified, and their impact is determined and recorded. may include but is not limited to maintenance, outages, recreational user constraints, transmission constraints, weather predictions. 2.3 Relevant information is communicated to the new shift controller at shift change. Outcome 3 Operate and control hydro-generation plant from a control terminal in accordance with industry requirements. a minimum of six of headgate, bypass valve, butterfly inlet valve, jacking, start, stop, braking, wicket and spear operation, governing, frequency, excitation, voltage, phase and speed matching, synchronising, active power setting, reactive power setting, tailwater depression, spillway operations, SCADA operation, local operation, emergency operation. 3.1 The plant and equipment to be operated is identified and the procedures for the operation of such equipment are complied with. may include but is not limited to single line diagrams, dispatch instruction, dispatch implementation plan, operating strategy. 3.2 Operating decisions are determined. may include but is not limited to plant availability and service condition, resource consent and loading limits, other operational limitations.
Page 4 of 6 3.3 Responsibilities of hydro-generating plant operator are defined. includes but is not limited to controlling output power to dispatch, efficient optimisation of resource, observing resource consent limits, issuing and cancellation of permits, entry approvals and work authorities. 3.4 The plant and equipment is operated. may include but is not limited to running up, speed governing, excitation and matching voltage, matching speed and phase voltage, synchronising, behaviour of speed and voltage control before and after synchronising. 3.5 The plant and equipment is operated to gain maximum efficiency of energy conversion and meet active and reactive dispatch power outputs. may include but is not limited to resource consents, flow ramping rates, measured turbine flow, turbine efficiency curves, generator capability diagrams, hydrology charts, local standing instructions. 3.6 Plant and equipment is monitored. may include but is not limited to indications, alarms, power status, defects, action confirmation. Outcome 4 Respond to events that impact on the operation of hydro-generation in accordance with industry requirements. emergency, unscheduled event, abnormal condition, alarms, protective relay operation, power system faults, forced outage. 4.1 System is stabilised. 4.2 The event and cause of event is identified using all available resources. may include but is not limited to events lists, event recording charts, SCADA. 4.3 The event is acknowledged. 4.4 Impact of event on generation is determined and responded to. may include but is not limited to local control, contingency plans, emergency operating procedures.
Page 5 of 6 4.5 The event reporting is conducted. may include but is not limited to local instructions, event reporting standards. 4.6 The event is analysed to identify options to remedy or mitigate undesired conditions and identify future actions. may include but is not limited to event reporting procedures, maintenance management systems, logbook, event lists, relay flag sheets, plant history records, analytical tools. Outcome 5 Report on the operation of hydro-electric generating plant in accordance with industry requirements. may include but is not limited to service report, log book, test reports and results, plant history, permits, entry approval, work authority, event lists, generator availability data system, generation management system, maintenance management system, electronic log, operating orders/switching sheets, plant outage requests, data, check sheets, statistical log sheets. 5.1 Reported information is completed and actioned. 5.2 Dispatch instruction information is recorded in the required format and filed within the scheduled time-frame. Planned review date 31 December 2015 Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions Process Version Date Last Date for Assessment Registration 1 20 December 1998 N/A Review 2 20 September 2002 N/A Revision 3 11 February 2004 N/A Rollover and Revision 4 21 November 2008 N/A Review 5 19 November 2010 N/A Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference 0120 This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Page 6 of 6 Please note Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment. Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards. Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards. Consent requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements. Comments on this unit standard Please contact the info@esito.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.