Introduction

In the critical field of electrical power transmission and distribution, substation design is a highly specialized discipline that demands precision, efficiency, and adherence to stringent industry standards. Substations, acting as the vital links in the power grid, involve complex arrangements of high-voltage equipment, control systems, and intricate wiring. Traditionally, designing these intricate electrical schematics and layouts can be time-consuming and prone to errors when using generic CAD tools. AutoCAD Electrical stands out as a purpose-built software specifically tailored for electrical design, offering specialized features, libraries, and automation tools that significantly streamline the process of creating, documenting, and managing electrical control designs for substations. Its capabilities extend beyond basic drafting, providing intelligent tools for symbol libraries, automatic wire numbering, component tagging, and report generation, dramatically enhancing productivity and accuracy. Without proficiency in AutoCAD Electrical for Substation Design, engineers and designers face considerable challenges in handling the complexity and ensuring the consistency of their electrical drawings, underscoring the vital need for specialized training in this powerful software. This comprehensive training course focuses on equipping professionals with the expertise to master AutoCAD Electrical for Substation Design.

This training course is meticulously designed to empower electrical engineers, substation designers, CAD technicians, project engineers, and drafters with the theoretical understanding and practical skills necessary to effectively utilize AutoCAD Electrical for Substation Design. Participants will gain hands-on experience in creating intelligent electrical schematics, generating accurate panel layouts, managing component data, and automating various design tasks specific to substation environments. The course will delve into topics such as customizing symbol libraries for substation equipment, intelligent wire numbering and tagging, creating comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOMs), integrating PLC I/O drawings, generating terminal block layouts, and managing projects for large-scale substation designs. By mastering the principles and practical application of AutoCAD Electrical for Substation Design, participants will be prepared to accelerate their design workflows, reduce design errors, ensure data consistency across projects, and contribute significantly to the efficient and reliable development of critical electrical infrastructure.

Duration: 10 Days

Target Audience

• Electrical Engineers (Substation Focus)
• Substation Designers and Drafters
• CAD Technicians in Power Sector
• Project Engineers (Electrical)
• Control System Designers (Substation)
• Automation Engineers
• Consulting Engineers (Power & Utilities)
• Field Engineers (for drawing interpretation)
• Engineering Students specializing in Power Systems
• Anyone involved in the design and documentation of electrical substations.

Objectives

• Understand the fundamental concepts of substation electrical design and their representation in AutoCAD Electrical.
• Learn to navigate the AutoCAD Electrical interface and customize it for substation projects.
• Acquire skills in creating intelligent electrical schematics using specialized tools and libraries.
• Comprehend techniques for automating wire numbering, component tagging, and cross-referencing.
• Explore strategies for generating accurate panel layouts for control and protection panels.
• Understand the process of managing components and terminal blocks effectively.
• Gain insights into creating and customizing symbol libraries for substation equipment.
• Develop a practical understanding of generating comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOMs) and other reports.
• Learn to integrate PLC I/O drawings into substation control schemes.
• Master project management features for large substation designs.
• Acquire skills in using circuit builder and re-using designs for efficiency.
• Understand the application of design rule checking for error prevention.
• Explore collaboration tools for multi-user projects.
• Develop proficiency in documenting and auditing substation electrical drawings.
• Prepare to streamline and enhance the accuracy of substation electrical designs using AutoCAD Electrical.

Course Content

Module 1: Introduction to AutoCAD Electrical for Substation Design

• Overview of AutoCAD Electrical capabilities and its benefits for substation projects.
• Comparison with generic AutoCAD and its specialized features.
• Understanding the typical workflow for substation electrical design.
• Navigating the AutoCAD Electrical interface: ribbon, project manager, drawing properties.
• Setting up new projects and drawing templates for substation applications.

Module 2: Project Management and Drawing Organization

• Creating and managing AutoCAD Electrical projects for substations.
• Adding, reordering, and removing drawings within a project.
• Understanding project properties and drawing properties.
• Organizing drawings for different substation areas (e.g., control house, switchyard).
• Batch plotting and publishing project drawings.

Module 3: Schematic Drawing Fundamentals for Substations

• Inserting components from symbol libraries specific to substations (e.g., circuit breakers, disconnectors, CTs, VTs, relays).
• Understanding intelligent symbols and their attributes.
• Inserting wires and wire numbers automatically.
• Managing wire layers and wire types.
• Basic schematic drafting techniques for substation control circuits.

Module 4: Component Tagging, Cross-Referencing, and Descriptions

• Automatic component tagging and unique identification.
• Real-time cross-referencing for coils, contacts, and components.
• Adding detailed descriptions and catalog information to components.
• Using fan-in/out for multi-wire connections.
• Modifying and updating component properties.

Module 5: Wire Numbering and Best Practices

• Understanding different wire numbering methods (sequential, X-Y grid, ladder reference).
• Assigning automatic wire numbers.
• Fixed wire numbers and skipping wire numbers.
• Managing source/destination arrows for inter-drawing connections.
• Best practices for clear and consistent wire numbering in substations.

Module 6: Panel Layout Design for Control and Protection

• Creating intelligent panel footprints from schematic components.
• Inserting and arranging panel components (relays, terminal blocks, circuit breakers).
• Calculating panel space and clearances.
• Generating item numbers and ballooning for panel components.
• Creating panel wire lists and custom reports for manufacturing.

Module 7: Terminal Blocks and Connectors

• Inserting terminal blocks from schematic or panel layout.
• Editing and resequencing terminals.
• Generating terminal strip drawings.
• Understanding connectors and their application in substation wiring.
• Creating jumpers and accessories for terminal blocks.

Module 8: PLC I/O Drawing Integration

• Inserting PLC modules from the library.
• Generating PLC I/O addresses automatically.
• Wiring PLC inputs and outputs to substation control devices.
• Creating and managing PLC I/O drawings in the project.
• Using PLC I/O tools for efficient design.

Module 9: Customizing Symbol Libraries and Templates

• Creating custom schematic and panel symbols for unique substation equipment.
• Editing existing library symbols.
• Adding attributes and intelligent properties to custom symbols.
• Creating and managing custom templates for substation drawings.
• Best practices for maintaining a consistent symbol library.

Module 10: Circuit Builder and Re-using Designs

• Utilizing the Circuit Builder for rapid circuit generation.
• Saving and inserting frequently used circuits (W Block, external reference).
• Copying and pasting circuits between drawings and projects.
• Understanding the concept of circuit reusability in substation design.
• Modifying existing designs for new applications.

Module 11: Reports and Bill of Materials (BOM)

• Generating standard reports: Bill of Materials (BOM), Wire From/To, Component List.
• Customizing report formats and content for substation specific needs.
• Exporting reports to various formats (Excel, PDF).
• Understanding the data flow from drawing components to reports.
• Auditing and validating report data.

Module 12: Design Rule Checking and Error Prevention

• Utilizing Design Rule Check (DRC) to identify common errors.
• Detecting duplicate wire numbers, unreferenced components, and missing connections.
• Pinpointing potential design flaws early in the process.
• Correcting errors identified by the DRC.
• Importance of proactive error prevention.

Module 13: Inter-Drawing and Inter-Project Management

• Managing connections across multiple drawings within a substation project.
• Cross-referencing components and wires between different project drawings.
• Understanding project-wide updating functions.
• Collaboration features for multi-user design environments.
• External references and data linking for complex projects.

Module 14: Auditing and Troubleshooting Drawings

• Performing drawing audits to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Identifying broken links and invalid data.
• Tools for troubleshooting wire connection issues and component errors.
• Best practices for maintaining drawing integrity over time.
• Archiving and version control for substation projects.

Module 15: Advanced Customization and Automation

• Introduction to programming in AutoCAD Electrical (e.g., using LISP or VBA for automation).
• Creating custom commands and macros.
• Advanced scripting for batch processing tasks.
• Integrating AutoCAD Electrical with other software (e.g., PLM systems).
• Future trends in automated electrical design for substations.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 10 working days before commencement of the training.