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Programme

The 2024 High Voltage Engineering Course has now ended.

Please register your interest for our 2025 course, dates and programme schedule to be announced.

Register your interest

In the meantime, our 2024 programme can still be viewed below. 
Day one - Tuesday 24 September

08:30 Registration and refreshments
08:40 Chair's Welcome
Carl Johnstone, Director, i4 Asset Management, UK
08:45 Session 1: Electricity Networks – What does the future hold?
  • An overview of our latest Future Energy Scenarios and strategic network plans and the implications for future networks.
Paul Obanor, System Capability Manager, National Grid ESO, UK
09:30 Session 2: Renewables Integration
  • An understanding of the primary systems and equipment in place to transfer energy created via renewable systems into the grid
Chidinma Agwu, Senior HV/MV Components Engineer, Orsted, UK
10:15 Refreshment break
10:30 Session 3: High voltage switchgear
  • Understand the design and testing of HVAC circuit-breakers and the relationship with power system stresses and performance
Mark Waldron, Switchgear Technical Leader, National Grid, UK
11:30 Session 4: Design of high-voltage power transformers
  • A brief insight into Design, Manufacture & Testing of Transformers
  • Understanding of main specified parameters
  • Knowledge of what's inside the transformer tank
  • Appreciation of various tests carried out to verify main specified parameters
Raj Pal, Senior Transformer Design Engineer, GE Grid Solutions Ltd, UK
12:30 Lunch
13:00 Session 5: High voltage system stresses and insulation coordination
  • Understand the ways in which high voltage can cause insulation systems to fail
  • Understand the role of insulation coordination on the power system
  • Understand the importance of high voltage testing in delivering reliable products"
Ian Cotton, Head of Research, School of Engineering, University of Manchester, UK
14:00 Refreshment break
Group A walks to labs (20-minute walk)
14:30 Group A Lab session 1: Practical demonstrations of testing in the HV laboratories 
15:40 Group B walks to labs (20-minute walk)
16:00 Group B Lab session 1: Practical demonstrations of testing in the HV laboratories
Group A end of day
17:30 Group B end of day
Day two - Wednesday 25 September

09:00 Group A Lab session 2: Practical demonstrations of testing in the HV laboratories 
09:20 Group B Session 6: High Voltages - Partial discharge and Failure rates
  • Short introduction in High Voltage testing
  • Practical information on partial discharge measurements
  • Background information on failure rates
HansErik Keizer, Senior Consultant, Asset Management, Energy systems DNV Netherlands B.V., The Netherlands
10:20 Group B refreshment break
10:40 Group A walks to course venue
Group B walks to labs
11:00 Group B Lab session 2: Practical demonstrations of testing in the HV laboratories 
11:00 Group A refreshment break
11:30 Group A Session 6: High Voltages - Partial discharge and Failure rates
  • Short introduction in High Voltage testing
  • Practical information on partial discharge measurements
  • Background information on failure rates
HansErik Keizer, Senior Consultant, Asset Management, Energy systems DNV Netherlands B.V., The Netherlands
12:30 Group B walks back to venue
Lunch
13:40 Session 7: High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) power transmission
  • Understand the situations in which HVDC is used in preference to AC transmission, the types of conversion equipment and the major high-voltage engineering challenges posed by the technology
Colin Davidson, GE Vernova
14:40 Session 8: High-voltage cable systems
Andrew Barclay, Principal Engineer, Kinectrics International Europe, UK
15:40 Refreshment break
16:00 Session 9: Testing for endurance and reliability: high voltage renewable power systems
  • Improved understanding of testing of cable, GIS and transformer
Michael Hensel, Highvolt Prüftechnik Dresden GmbH
17:00 End of day two
18:30 Course dinner sponsored by Megger
Places are limited and attendees will be contacted two weeks in advance of the course with details on how to register.
Day three - Thursday 26 September

08:30 Refreshments available
08:40 Session 10: Power electronics – technologies and applications
  • Awareness of the key power electronic components and applications in modern power systems 2
  • Awareness of the key challenges for test and measurement as applied to power electronic systems
Professor Mike Barnes, University of Manchester, UK
09:40 Session 11: What is Asset Management?
Carl Johnstone, Director, i4 Asset Management, UK
10:40 Refreshments
10:50 Session 12: Offshore maintenance
Benjamin Smith, HV Manager, HV & Transmission Operations at Ørsted.
11:50 Session 13: Novel high-voltage materials
  • Understand the landscape of novel insulating materials in the market, particularly liquids
  • Gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the different options
  • Gain an understanding of the design changes necessary to incorporate novel materials into equipment, with a focus on transformers and dielectric liquids
Mark Lashbrook, Technical Director, MIDEL & MIVOLT Fluids Ltd
12:50 Lunch
13:20 Group A walk to labs
13:40 Group A Lab session 3: Practical demonstrations of testing in the HV laboratories
13:50 Group B Session 14: Asset Management – interactive session
Carl Johnstone, Director, i4 Asset Management, UK
14:50 Group B Break
15:10 Group B Walk to labs
15:20 Group A walk to course venue
15:30 Group B Lab session 3: Practical demonstrations of testing in the HV laboratories
15:40 Group A refreshment break
16:00 Group A Session 14: Asset Management – interactive session
Carl Johnstone, Director, i4 Asset Management, UK
17:00 End of course (Group A and B)