Capacitors & Reactors

Instructor’s Guide

©
Copyright MMVI

T&D PowerSkills, LLC

5501-A John Eskew Blvd
Alexandria, LA 71303
318-767-5802

All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof

must not be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of T&D PowerSkills, LLC.

Printed in the United States of America

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 Index

Page

Instructor’s Guide Overview ………………………….…………………. 3

Material Delivery …………………………………………….…………… 4

Workbook Section Quiz Answers ……………………….………………... 5

Final Test Copy ……………………………………….…………………... 8

Final Test Answers ……………………………………………………….. 12

Field Performance Requirements (FPR) Copy ………………….…………13

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 Instructor’s Guide
Overview:

This training unit is intended to be delivered by an instructor qualified in the

subject matter and capable of answering questions to the satisfaction of the
student.

A well qualified Lineman is someone with:

1. Knowledge
2. Skills
3. Experience

This training material is designed to provide the knowledge required to do

powerline construction and maintenance safely. It also provides a
framework for developing the skills necessary to do the work, through the
use of the Field Performance Requirements (FPR) checklist. The FPR is an
integral part of this training unit and copies of both the final unit test and the
completed FPR should be retained in a student training file, in hard copy
form, to illustrate knowledge and proficiency by the trainee. This material is
progressive, meaning it’s important that the student master the basic units
before attempting the advanced units.

The third key component of Lineman training, Experience, must be gained

on-the-job, under the guidance of a competent Journeyman-level Lineman
and may take several years to gain the exposure to all types of work covered
within this material.

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Material Delivery:

A. Materials Required:
• DVD Unit Disc
• Student Workbook for each Student
• DVD player, television / or projector and screen
• Final unit test for each student
• Marking board or flip-chart

B. Preparations:
• The instructor should begin his/her personal preparation by
viewing the unit DVD, reading the workbook, reviewing the
section quizzes and answers and listing what support tools and
equipment are necessary to complete the unit requirements.
• By class day, all of the materials, tools and equipment should
be in place to support the unit being taught.

C. Recommended Sequence of Instruction:

1. After the instructor’s introductory remarks, have the student read the segment
objectives found in the block at the beginning of the first segment.
2. Briefly discuss the segment objectives with the students.
3. View the first segment of the DVD.
4. Read the text segment that corresponds to the first segment of the DVD.
5. Have students answer the questions at the end of the text segment. Check their
answers with the correct answers provided in the instructor’s manual.
6. Conduct a class discussion of the material just covered. Encourage questions of the
material in the DVD and the text, and encourage note taking in the workbooks.
7. Before proceeding, be sure all understand the concepts presented in this segment.
8. Work through all segments in this manner.
9. A Unit Test covering all the material should be administered by the instructor upon
completion of the unit.

D. Practice Yard:
a. Most units include demonstration of skills associated with the
work and illustration of proper safe work practices. After the
final Unit Test, the class should reconvene in the practice yard
for this portion of the training.
b. Prior to dismissal, ensure each student has a blank FPR to take
back to the field for completion on-the-job.

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 Capacitors & Reactors
Workbook Section Quiz Answers

1-1. False

1-2. Non-working

1-3. True

1-4. a

1-5. Inductive

1.6. c

1.7. a. (2)
b. (1)

2-1. a. Electrically
b. Physically

2-2. True

2-3. c

2-4. False

2-5. c

2-6. False

3-1. Any three of the following, in any order:

a. Blown fuses
b. Loose, frayed or corroded fuse connections
c. Broken, cracked or chipped bushing and insulators
d. Leaking or bulging capacitors
e. Loose, frayed or corroded electrical connections other than fuse connections

3-2. Any three of the following, in any order:

a. Replace fuses
b. Replace capacitors
c. Tighten loose connections
d. Clean corroded connections
e. Clean insulators and bushings
f. Clean switch connecting surfaces (if switches are used)
g. Check that switch connecting surfaces make good firm contact when
closed (if switches are used)
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Capacitors & Reactors
Answers (continued)

3-3. c

3-4. e

3-5. Does

3-6. Any three of the following, in any order:

a. Wear appropriate protective equipment
b. Place the damaged capacitor in an approved container
c. Clean all equipment and structures that were contaminated with PCB fluid
d. Dig up contaminated soil and place it in an approved container
e Dispoise of all contaminated clothing and rags as required

4.1. (These answers may be in any order)

a. Internal bleed resistor
b. Capacitor insulators
c. Internal capacitive elements

4.2.. True

4-3. d

4-4. b

4-5. c

4-6. True

4-7. True

5-1. d

5-2. True

5-3. False

5-4. Are not

5-5. True

5.6. a

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Capacitors & Reactors
Answers (continued)

5.7 c

6-1. False

6-2. Capacitive

6-3. Any six of the following, in any order:

a. Temperature gauge readings
b. Bushings
c. Grounds
d. Ground connections
e. Potential sources of oil leaks
f. Oil level indication
g. Flag on pressure relief device
h. Gas detector relay indication
i. Control cabinet

6-4. True

6-5. a

6-6. (These answers may be in any order)

a. Damaged support insulators
b. Damaged winding shims
c. Buzzing noises indicating current leakage

6-7. e

7-1. False

7-2. Induction

7-3. a

7-4. Current-limiting

7-5. (These answers may be in either order):

a. Protect system equipment from excessive current
b. Reduce the fault-interrupting capacity required by associated circuit breakers

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 Capacitors & Reactors
Final Test

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________

1. Circle the correct answer.

Non-working power is measured in:
a. Vars
b. Watts
c. Ohms
d. None of the above.

2. If a system has more inductive power than capacitive power, the result is apparent
power on the _____________________ side of the working power.
(inductive, capacitive)

3. Circle the correct answer.

The ideal condition in a T and D system is achieved when apparent power is
_________ working power.
a. Greater than
b. Less than
c. The same as

4. Match each type of equipment in Column A with the appropriate function from
Column B. Write the correct number in each blank.

Column A Column B
_____a. Shunt reactor _____ (1) Offsets excessive demand
_____b. Capacitor Bank for non-working power
_____ (2) Offsets excessive demand
for non-working
capacitive power

5. A capacitor bank is de-energized by (a) ________________________

(electrically, physically)
separating the bank from its source of energy. A capacitor bank is isolated by
(b) ________________________ separating the bank from its source of energy.
(electrically, physically)

6. True or False. Normally, a capacitor bank is switched out only after permission
and detailed switching instructions have been received.

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Capacitors & Reactors
Final Test – (Con’t)

7. Circle the correct answer.

After a capacitor bank has been de-energized and isolated, it should be grounded
a. Immediately
b. After waiting 2-5 minutes
c. After waiting 5-10 minutes
d. After waiting 10-15 minutes

8. Circle the correct answer.

When a capacitor bank is grounded using portable grounds, the first connections
should be made
a. From an established ground to the neutral side of the capacitor bank
b. From an established ground to the hot side of the capacitor bank
c. To an established ground

9. True or False. For a capacitor bank that is grounded by closing switches, the first
switch that is closed is a shorting switch.

10. Circle the correct answer.

For a capacitor bank equipped with shorting and grounding switches, before any
work is done on a switch, it is important to

a. Close the switch

b. Open the switch
c. Connect a jumper across the switch connection points
d. Make sure that the switch opens and closes without binging

11. Circle the correct answer.

Before working with a capacitor with a blown fuse, it is very important to
a. Short the capacitor terminals together
b. Short the capacitor terminals to the capacitor tank
c. Wrap the capacitor terminals in rags
d. All of the above
e. Only a and b

12. If a capacitor is not labeled, you should assume that is _______________ contain PCB’s.
(does, does not)

13. True or False. Before a capacitor is tested, it should be checked to ensure that it
has been properly shorted.

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Capacitors & Reactors
Final Test – (Con’t)

14. Circle the correct answer.

An internal bleed resistor can be tested using a
a. Multimeter
b. Megohmmeter
c. Glowstick
d. Both a and b
e. Both a and c

15. Circle the correct answer.

When capacitance is tested by applying voltage to an individual capacitor and
using an ammeter, ____________________ of the capacitor should be
disconnected from the bank.
a. Both terminals
b. Neither terminals
c. Only one terminal

16. Circle the correct answer.

When capacitance is tested by applying voltage to an individual capacitor and
using a hand-held capacitance checker, _______________ of the capacitor should
be disconnected from the bank.
a. Both terminals
b. Neither terminals
c. Only one terminal

17. True or False. Generally, a visual inspection is all that is required to check an air-
core shunt reactor.

18. Circle the correct answer.

The principles of taking a reactor out of service are ____________________
those for clearing and grounding any other device in a substation.
a. The same as
b. Different from

19. As source current in a series reactor increases, ___________________ in the coils

(capacitance, induction)
also increases, further inhibiting current flow through the reactor.

20. Circle the correct answer.

During normal system conditions, the current flow that is inhibited by a series
reactor is
a. Minimal
b. At its peak
c. None at all

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 Capacitors & Reactors
Final Test Answers

1. a.

2. Inductive

3. c.

4. a. (2)
b. (1)

5. a. Electrically
b. Physically

6. True

7. c

8. c

9. False

10. c

11. e

12. Does

13. True

14. d

15. a

16. c

17. True

18. a

19. Induction

20. a

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 Field Performance Requirements (FPR)
Complete 

NAME: __________________________ #___________

Incomplete 
SECTION: Substations and Switchyards VG = Very Good
ACC = Acceptable
NI = Needs
UNIT(S): Capacitors and Reactors Improvement
NA = Not Able to
Complete on this
Crew

REQUIREMENTS SUPERVISOR SIGN-OFF

VG ACC NI NA
SEGMENT 1 – FUNCTION OF CAPACITORS & REACTORS
1.1 Can Explain how capacitor banks and shunt reactors are used to
improve power factor …………………………………………    
SEGMENT 2 – CLEARING CAPACITOR BANKS
2.1 Can demonstrate how to safely de-energize, isolate, and test a
substation capacitor bank ………………………………………
2.2 Can demonstrate how to safely ground a substation capacitor
   
bank using portable grounds …………………………………...
2.3 Can demonstrate how to safely ground a substation capacitor    
bank that is equipped with switches ……………………………
   
SEGMENT 3 – CAPACITOR BANK MAINTENANCE
3.1 Can identify common problems to look for when inspecting
substation capacitor banks ………………………………….......    
3.2 Can demonstrate how to safely remove individual capacitors
and capacitor fuses …………………………………..................    
3.3 Can explain special precautions required when handling
capacitors containing PCB’s ………………………………........    
SEGMENT 4 – CAPACITOR RESISTOR & INSULATOR
TESTING
4.1 Can demonstrate how to test the integrity of the internal resistor    
of a substation capacitor …………………………………………
4.2 Can demonstrate how to test the integrity of the insulators of a
substation capacitor ……………………………………………... Continued (over)
   
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SEGMENT 5 – CAPACITOR CAPACITANCE TESTING
5.1 Can demonstrate an approved method for checking the
capacitance of substation capacitors and how to check the
balance of a substation capacitor bank …………………………
   
SEGMENT 6 – SHUNT REACTORS
6.1 Can demonstrate how to safely de-energize, isolate, test, and
ground a substation shunt reactor ………………………………    

SEGMENT 7 – SERIES REACTORS

7.1 Can demonstrate how to safely de-energize, isolate, test and
ground a substation series reactor ………………………………
   

________________________ _______________________ ____________

Employee’s Signature Supervisor’s Signature Date

PERFORMANCE NOTES:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

1910.269(a)(2)(vii) as of July, 2006:

The employer shall certify that each employee has received the training required by
paragraph (a)(2) of this section. This certification shall be made when the employee
demonstrates proficiency in the work practices involved and shall be maintained for the
duration of the employee’s employment.

Note: Employment records that indicate that an employee has received the required
training are an acceptable means of meeting this requirement.

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