ENEL480-26S1 (C) Semester One 2026

Electrical Power Systems

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 16 February 2026
End Date: Sunday, 21 June 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 1 March 2026
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 10 May 2026

Description

This course is designed to build on Electric Power and Machines (ENEL382) by giving a more in-depth treatment of some areas (power-flow, fault analysis and protection) while covering in detail new areas such as reliability assessment, power quality, electromagnetic transients, harmonic analysis and substation earthing. New developments in electrical power systems are covered. In the process of teaching this course and by using a design assignment as a problem-based learning tool, students will learn how a large real power system will perform and how to engineer solutions to identified problems.

This course aims to equip you with an understanding of electrical power systems and how they operate, as well as the ability to analyse their behaviour. It also develops key skills essential for professional engineering practice, including notetaking, time management, and critical thinking.

• Power-flow analysis: AC/DC power-flow, Motor starting studies and DC power-flow.

• Fault Analysis: Balanced and unsymmetric faults. Sequence/symmetrical components, sparsity techniques.

• Reliability analysis: Transmission and distribution systems.

• Electromagnetic Transient analysis: Component models, numerical integrator substitution method (Dommel’s method)

• Power Quality: Concepts of Electromagnetic Compatibility. The various types of PQ phenomena and their classification. Standards and regulations regarding PQ.

• Power Electronics in Power Systems: SVC, STATCOM, cycloconverters.

• Substation Earthing design: Safe step and touch and voltage. Calculation of earth grid.

Learning Outcomes

  • At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:

  • LO1: Demonstrate an advanced application-focused understanding of power system behaviour, accounting for power quality, reliability (WA1)

  • LO2: Perform calculations and modelling for the design of power systems, including for protection systems and substation earth grids (WA1, WA3, WA5)

  • LO2: Apply analysis techniques for steady-state and transient power systems, power system fault analysis, and power system protection (WA2, WA4)

  • LO4: Identify and critically evaluate the latest technical advancements for electrical power systems, accounting for technical, social, fiscal, and environmental factors (WA2, WA3, WA4 WA5, WA6, WA10, WA11)

  • LO5: Communicate the design of electrical power systems in written and schematic form (WA10)
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Timetable 2026

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 09:00 - 10:00 E6 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00 A5 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
Lecture C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 12:00 - 13:00 F3 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 12:00 - 15:00 Elec 209 CAE Lab
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May

Examinations, Quizzes and Formal Tests

Test A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 19:00 - 20:30 A1 Lecture Theatre
27 Apr - 3 May

Course Coordinator

Neville Watson

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Assignment 35%
Test 25%
Exam 40%

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Arrillaga, J; Computer modelling of electrical power systems ; Wiley, 1983.

Arrillaga, J. , Arnold, C. P; Computer analysis of power systems ; Wiley, 1990.

Arrillaga, J. , Watson, N. R; Computer modelling of electrical power systems ; 2nd ed; Wiley, 2001.

Arrillaga, J. , Watson, N. R., Chen, Shiun; Power system quality assessment ; John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

Billinton, Roy. , Allan, Ronald N; Reliability assessment of large electric power systems ; Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1988.

Billinton, Roy. , Allan, Ronald N; Reliability evaluation of power systems ; 2nd ed; Plenum Press, 1996.

Billinton, Roy. , Li, Wenyuan., SpringerLink (Online service); Reliability Assessment of Electric Power Systems Using Monte Carlo Methods ; Springer US : Imprint : Springer, 1994.

Elgerd, Olle Ingemar; Electric energy systems theory : an introduction ; 2nd ed; McGraw-Hill, 1982.

Glover J.D., Overbye T.J., Sarma M.S; Power System Analysis & Design ; 6th; Cengage Learning Inc, 2016.

Gross, C.A; Power System Analysis ; 2nd; John Wiley, 2015.

Kothari, D.P. and Nagrath, I.J; Modern Power System Analysis ; 4th; Tata McGraw-Hill, 2011.

Nasar, S. A; Electric energy systems ; Prentice Hall, 1996.

Saadat H; Power System Analysis ; 3rd; PSA Publishing, 2011.

Weedy, B. M; Electric power systems ; 5th ed; Wiley, 2012.

Wood A.J., Wollenberg, B.F. & Sheble G.B; Power Generation, Operation and Control ; 3rd; John Wiley, 2013.

Additional Course Outline Information

Academic integrity

Scaling of marks:

In order to maintain consistency across courses and fairness for students, scaling of raw marks occurs. In the Faculty of Engineering, target course GPAs are calculated based on the performance of the cohort of students in their courses in the previous year. Scaling of the raw total course marks is normally performed so that when converted to grades (using UC Grade Scale) the outgoing GPA is in line with the target GPA for a course. Scaling up or down can occur.
The Grading Scale for the University: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/study/study-support-info/study-related-topics/grading-scale

Artificial Intelligence Tools:

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for each of the assessments in ENEL480 is summarised below. No AI use is allowed in the tests and exam because these are closed-book invigilated assessments. Students are always responsible for the accuracy of the submitted works, regardless of which tools are used.

Assessment Item and Permitted use of AI
Assignment: Generative AI Tools Are Permitted for Certain Parts of This Assessment
Test: Generative AI tools cannot be used for this assessment.
Exam: Generative AI tools cannot be used for this assessment.

Generative AI Tools Are Permitted for Certain Parts of This Assessment:
In the assessment, you are permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) for the purpose of proof reading and editing the document, and for gathering and summarising knowledge. No other use of generative AI is permitted. To assist with maintaining academic integrity, you must appropriately acknowledge any use of generative AI in your work. Please include a Statement of AI use (if no AI tool has been used, then this must also be stated) and a listing of all prompts provided to the AI tool, clearly indicating which AI tools were used and how they contributed to your assessment.

Late submission of work

Lateness Penalties
For the Assignment items, a lateness penalty of 10% (in absolute terms) per day or part day late will be deducted from the original mark. For example, an assignment with a nominal mark of 83% submitted 0-24 hours late will receive a mark of 73%, and submitted 24-48 hours late will receive 63%.

Mahi ā-Ākonga | Workload (expected distribution of student hours, note 15 points = 150 hours):

Contact Hours

Lectures: 36 hours
Tutorials: 18 hours
Workshops: 0 hours
Laboratories: 0 hours

Independent study

Review of lectures: 36 hours
Test and exam preparation: 30 hours
Assignments: 30 hours
Tutorial preparation: 0 hours
Laboratory calculations: 0 hours 0

Total 150

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,344.00

International fee $6,488.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Electrical and Computer Engineering .

All ENEL480 Occurrences

  • ENEL480-26S1 (C) Semester One 2026