MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

P.O. Box 972-60200 – Meru-Kenya.

Tel: +254 (0)799529958, +254 (0)799529959, +254 (0)712524293
Website: www.must.ac.ke Email: info@must.ac.ke

University Examinations 2023/2024

FOURTH YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY IN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

EET 3415: POWER SYSTEMS II

DATE: DECEMBER 2023 TIME:2 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS: answer question one and any other two questions

QUESTION ONE (30 MARKS)

a. Illustrate the core components of a high voltage transmission system (4 Marks)
b. State two methods that can be used to improve low power factor (2 Marks)
c. Explain the concept of energy conservation and its significance in the context of sustainable energy
management. (4 Marks)
d. Describe three common energy-related incidents (e.g., oil spills, nuclear accidents, etc.) and
discuss their environmental and social impacts. (6 Marks)
e. State the primary purpose of line insulators in a power transmission line? (1 Mark)
f. Using power triangle, illustrate the meaning of power factor (2 Marks)
g. Briefly discuss the importance of support structures in a power transmission line. (3 Marks)
h. A three phase balanced load takes a line current of 25A at 4000V operating at 0.85 p.f. calculate
the energy consumed over a 6-hour period (2 Marks)
i. Explain the following:
i) Advantages of high load factor
ii) Sinking fund method of depreciation (4 Marks)
j. Express annual cost of electrical energy in the three-part form (2 Marks)
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QUESTION TWO (15 MARKS)
a. Describe the desirable characteristics of a tariff (3 marks)
b. From a load duration curve, the following data are obtained: Maximum demand on the system is
20 MW. The load supplied by the two units is 14 MW and 10 MW. Unit No. 1 (base unit) works
for 100% of the time, and Unit No. 2 (peak load unit) only for 45% of the time. The energy
generated by Unit 1 is 1 × 108 units, and that by Unit 2 is 7.5 × 106 units. Determine the load factor,
plant capacity factor and plant use factor of each unit, and the load factor of the total plant.
(6 Marks)
c. A 3-phase 37.3 kW, 440-V, 50-Hz induction motor operates on full load with an efficiency of 89%
and at a power factor of 0.85 lagging. Calculate the total kVA rating of capacitors required to raise
the full-load power factor at 0.95 lagging. Determine the capacitance per phase if the capacitors
are:
a. delta-connected and (3 marks)
b. star-connected? (3 marks)

QUESTION THREE (15 MARKS)

a. Explain TWO advantages of a three-phase system over a single-phase system. (4 Marks)
b. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of overhead power transmission systems compared to
underground transmission systems. Provide real-world examples to support your analysis.
(6 Marks)
c. You are an electrical engineer working for a utility company in a rapidly growing urban area. The
demand for electricity is increasing, and you need to design an efficient power transmission system
to meet the growing demand. The options include a 3-phase 3-wire system and a 3-phase 4-wire
system. Propose a suitable power transmission system for the region. Justify your choice with
technical and economic considerations. (5 Marks)

QUESTION FOUR (15 MARKS)

a. Describe utilization factor of power generating plant (1 mark)
b. A hydro-electric plant costs Rs 3000 per kW of installed capacity. The total annual charges consist
of 5% as interest; depreciation at 2%, operation and maintenance at 2% and insurance, rent etc.
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 1·5%. Determine a suitable two-part tariff if the losses in transmission and distribution are 12·5%
and diversity of load is 1·25. Assume that maximum demand on the station is 80% of the capacity
and annual load factor is 40%. Determine the overall cost of generation per kWh (6 marks)
c. A generation station has a maximum demand of 20 MW, a load factor of 60%, plant capacity factor
of 48% and plant use factor of 80%. Find:
i. The daily energy produced
ii. The reserve capacity
iii. The number of operating hours per daily
iv. The maximum energy that could be produced daily if the generation station was
running all the time. (8 Marks)

QUESTION FIVE (15 MARKS)

a) A generation station of 1MW supplied a region which has the following demands:

Ignoring transmission line losses

i. Plot the daily load curve and the load duration curve.
ii. Find the load factor, the reserve capacity, plant capacity factor, plant use factor, the hours that
the plant has been off and utilization factor.
(9 Marks)
b) Explain the economic and social impacts of energy development on local communities. (6 Marks)

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