The Four Ashramas of Yoga
The traditional Indian culture promoted four Ashramas, or stages of spiritual life, that provided a simple framework of life planning for the spiritual aspirant. Each Ashrama defined a level of spiritual practice based on the duties and responsibilities required at each stage of life. The four Ashramas allowed the Indian culture to participate in and actively support a rich spiritual life, as well as gave the individual comfort and clarity to progress along the path of Self-realization. These four stages need not be practiced in a sequential order, and while they were traditionally discussed as lasting 21-25 years, the duration of the Ashramas will vary with the individual.
Brahmacharya (Student)
The first quarter of spiritual life is spent as a celibate student, closely studying with a spiritual teacher (guru). In this stage the focus is on yogic training, mental discipline, and learning about spiritual, community, and family life. This Ashrama creates the foundation and overview of spiritual practice that follows in the three other stages.
Grihasta (Householder)
The second quarter of spiritual life is spent as a householder, creating and supporting a family and fulfilling one’s worldly interests and duties. The most appropriate path of yoga for this stage is Bhakti and Karma Yoga, and other practices that can be performed in the context of worldly life and service to others. During this Ashrama one utilizes the training, discipline and knowledge gained from the Brahmacharya Ashrama to live a complete life and to enjoy worldly pleasures. The Householder’s challenge is to “Live in the world but allow not the world to live in you.” He or she must view life as a great teacher and strive towards a spiritual life in the midst of worldly temptations and distractions. The Householder path is also considered the most important Ashrama as it supports all of the other three Ashramas.
Vanaprasthya (Hermit)
In the third Ashrama, one begins to withdraw from the world to establish a state of hermitage. This is a transition stage, moving away from fulfilling the needs of the family and society to deepening the practices started as a householder in preparation for the forthcoming renunciate stage. A quiet living space is sought, a simple yogic lifestyle is practiced and the close ties with family and community are reduced to the role of a detached counselor.
Samnyasa (Renunciate)
In this last Ashrama, the yogi/ni retreats from all involvement in all worldly pursuits and seeks only the attainment of the unitive state of Self-realization. Becoming a Sannyasin requires committing to a set period of practice and the taking of spiritual vows, usually including a vow of poverty and the abandonment of physical possessions. In order that all their time, energy and focus could be expended on spiritual practices, the Sannyasin cannot stay in a household, he has to stay in a temple or live in forest or ashram, relying on charitable donations for food.
The structures and meanings of the Ashramas have changed over the years due to the loss of caste system and through the influence of Western culture. The distinctions between the Ashramas have over time become blurred, and their overall importance has become diminished. The deeper yoga practices, once only taught to renunciates, are now becoming available to Householders who wish to practice a hybrid path. Unfortunately, these changes have produced a level of confusion and misunderstanding in the modern world of yoga, as the levels and types of yoga practices are missing an overall context. Reviving the idea of the Ashramas will not only provide this missing context, it will also give modern yoga practitioners a valuable long–term plan for their progress along the path of yoga.
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
Challenge Yourself
To go deeper into your practice of yoga, it is necessary to challenge your body-mind-spirit on occasion. Use these four powerful techniques in combination or by themselves to challenge yourself further.
Go to the Edge
When holding a yoga posture you want to go to your edge. The edge is the place where you feel a deep stretch in your body or you feel the body working hard, but not going past that to where you hurt yourself or over work the body.
The edge is a magical place, but a scary place too. Getting to know your edges is getting to know your body. Its a body thing, not a mind thing, so let go of any thoughts or distractions. Slow down and listen to the body, easing your way closer and closer. Find the place between pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, creation and destruction, openness and protection. Balance there, feeling both worlds, feeling everything, and breathe.
Incorporate Challenge Postures
Start off your practice with postures that make you feel strong and confident in your self, getting your whole body warmed and energized. Then add one or two postures to your flow that bring you to your edge, postures you feel you “can’t” do, postures you normally avoid. Move slowly into these challenge postures, focusing the mind on the breath and the body. Feel what is happening in the body without the temptation to react, judge, or criticize. Breathe, breathe, breathe, and let go of the “I can’t”. Take yourself right to your edge, breathe some more, and see if you can go just a tiny bit more. Give yourself permission to bail out at any time if the body (not the mind) is saying a big “no”. Challenge postures can bring up strong emotions, and it is important to be in a safe environment so these emotions can be fully expressed and released from the body.
The Power of Visualization
When approaching a challenging / difficult / strenuous yoga posture, you can harness the power of the mind to move the body into the pose. If you can see yourself in the yoga posture, you can do it.
Close your eyes, deepen the breath and see your body doing the yoga posture in your mind’s eye. See every detail, seeing your body’s alignment and how you are breathing. See yourself in the posture strong, confident, and graceful. See yourself holding the posture with ease. See a simile on your face! Keep this image clearly in your mind as you move your body into the posture. Simply allow your body to fill up this mental picture, without excess pushing, straining or effort. When your body is fully in the posture, keep your focus on the mental picture, and begin to feel your body inside this image, filling it up with your awareness.
Create Inner Focus with Pratyahara
Pratyahara is the pivotal point in the practice of yoga where the path leads from the exterior to the interior landscape of the body. Pratyahara translates directly as “sense withdrawal” and is the fifth limb or branch of an eight-staged yogic approach to the unification of body-mind-spirit. By withdrawing our attention from the external environment and by focusing inwards on the breath and sensations, we still the mind and increase our awareness of the body. With this awareness and focus we can move deeper into the practice of yoga, learning to move through our limitations, fears and expectations. The key to practicing pratyahara is observing the body, breath and sensations as a detached witness, as if you were watching and feeling someone else’s body. Used with compassion and discipline, pratyahara enriches the practice of yoga and leads to deeper stages of concentration and meditation.
To go deeper into your practice of yoga, it is necessary to challenge your body-mind-spirit on occasion. Use these four powerful techniques in combination or by themselves to challenge yourself further.
Go to the Edge
When holding a yoga posture you want to go to your edge. The edge is the place where you feel a deep stretch in your body or you feel the body working hard, but not going past that to where you hurt yourself or over work the body.
The edge is a magical place, but a scary place too. Getting to know your edges is getting to know your body. Its a body thing, not a mind thing, so let go of any thoughts or distractions. Slow down and listen to the body, easing your way closer and closer. Find the place between pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, creation and destruction, openness and protection. Balance there, feeling both worlds, feeling everything, and breathe.
Incorporate Challenge Postures
Start off your practice with postures that make you feel strong and confident in your self, getting your whole body warmed and energized. Then add one or two postures to your flow that bring you to your edge, postures you feel you “can’t” do, postures you normally avoid. Move slowly into these challenge postures, focusing the mind on the breath and the body. Feel what is happening in the body without the temptation to react, judge, or criticize. Breathe, breathe, breathe, and let go of the “I can’t”. Take yourself right to your edge, breathe some more, and see if you can go just a tiny bit more. Give yourself permission to bail out at any time if the body (not the mind) is saying a big “no”. Challenge postures can bring up strong emotions, and it is important to be in a safe environment so these emotions can be fully expressed and released from the body.
The Power of Visualization
When approaching a challenging / difficult / strenuous yoga posture, you can harness the power of the mind to move the body into the pose. If you can see yourself in the yoga posture, you can do it.
Close your eyes, deepen the breath and see your body doing the yoga posture in your mind’s eye. See every detail, seeing your body’s alignment and how you are breathing. See yourself in the posture strong, confident, and graceful. See yourself holding the posture with ease. See a simile on your face! Keep this image clearly in your mind as you move your body into the posture. Simply allow your body to fill up this mental picture, without excess pushing, straining or effort. When your body is fully in the posture, keep your focus on the mental picture, and begin to feel your body inside this image, filling it up with your awareness.
Create Inner Focus with Pratyahara
Pratyahara is the pivotal point in the practice of yoga where the path leads from the exterior to the interior landscape of the body. Pratyahara translates directly as “sense withdrawal” and is the fifth limb or branch of an eight-staged yogic approach to the unification of body-mind-spirit. By withdrawing our attention from the external environment and by focusing inwards on the breath and sensations, we still the mind and increase our awareness of the body. With this awareness and focus we can move deeper into the practice of yoga, learning to move through our limitations, fears and expectations. The key to practicing pratyahara is observing the body, breath and sensations as a detached witness, as if you were watching and feeling someone else’s body. Used with compassion and discipline, pratyahara enriches the practice of yoga and leads to deeper stages of concentration and meditation.
Article 2
History of Yoga
Yoga's history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to its oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yoga's long rich history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice and development.
Pre-Classical Yoga
The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (mystic seers) who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned of the Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Yoga
In the pre-classical stage, yoga was a mishmash of various ideas, beliefs and techniques that often conflicted and contradicted each other. The Classical period is defined by Patanjali's Yoga-Sûtras, the first systematic presentation of yoga. Written some time in the second century, this text describes the path of Raja Yoga, often called "classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of yoga and his Yoga-Sûtras still strongly influence most styles of modern yoga.
Post-Classical Yoga
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of what we primarily think of yoga in the West: Hatha Yoga.
Modern Period
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, yoga masters began to travel to the West, attracting attention and followers. This began at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, when Swami Vivekananda wowed the attendees with his lectures on yoga and the universality of the world’s religions. In the 1920s and 30s, Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda and other yogis practicing Hatha Yoga. Krishnamacharya opened the first Hatha Yoga school in Mysore in 1924 and in 1936 Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the banks of the holy Ganges River. Krishnamacharya produced three students that would continue his legacy and increase the popularity of Hatha Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois. Sivananda was a prolific author, writing over 200 books on yoga, and established nine ashrams and numerous yoga centers located around the world.
The importation of yoga to the West still continued at a trickle until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.
Yoga's history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to its oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yoga's long rich history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice and development.
Pre-Classical Yoga
The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (mystic seers) who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned of the Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Yoga
In the pre-classical stage, yoga was a mishmash of various ideas, beliefs and techniques that often conflicted and contradicted each other. The Classical period is defined by Patanjali's Yoga-Sûtras, the first systematic presentation of yoga. Written some time in the second century, this text describes the path of Raja Yoga, often called "classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of yoga and his Yoga-Sûtras still strongly influence most styles of modern yoga.
Post-Classical Yoga
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of what we primarily think of yoga in the West: Hatha Yoga.
Modern Period
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, yoga masters began to travel to the West, attracting attention and followers. This began at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, when Swami Vivekananda wowed the attendees with his lectures on yoga and the universality of the world’s religions. In the 1920s and 30s, Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda and other yogis practicing Hatha Yoga. Krishnamacharya opened the first Hatha Yoga school in Mysore in 1924 and in 1936 Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the banks of the holy Ganges River. Krishnamacharya produced three students that would continue his legacy and increase the popularity of Hatha Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois. Sivananda was a prolific author, writing over 200 books on yoga, and established nine ashrams and numerous yoga centers located around the world.
The importation of yoga to the West still continued at a trickle until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.
Article 1
Hatha Yoga: The Physical Path
What we commonly call yoga in the West is technically Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga (ha="sun" tha="moon") attains the union of mind-body-spirit though a practice of asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (yoga breathing), mudra (body gestures) and shatkarma (internal cleansing). These body centered practices are used to purify the body and cultivate prana and activate kundalini, the subtle energies of the body. Modern Hatha Yoga does not emphasize many of these esoteric practices and focuses primarily on the physical yoga postures.
In the history of yoga, hatha yoga is fairly recent technique that was developed from Tantra Yoga. The tantrics embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment and developed the physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices that lead to Hatha Yoga. But Hatha Yoga is uniquely focused on transforming the physical body through purification and the cultivation of the life force energy of prana. And all of the techniques of Hatha Yoga are seen as preliminary steps to achieving the deeper states of meditation and enlightenment found in the path of Raja Yoga (meditation).
The oldest and most widely used ancient text on the physical practices of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This book was composed in 15th century CE by Swami Swatamarama and is derived from older Sanskrit texts, the teachings from well-known teachers, and from Swatamarama's own yogic experiences. The main goal of this text is to illuminate the physical disciplines and practices of Hatha Yoga and integrate these with the higher spiritual goals of Raja Yoga. Swatamarama begins with explaining the relationship between Hatha Yoga and Raja yoga, informing us that Hatha is a preliminary practice for Raja Yoga. He tells us that obtaining self-control and self-discipline is much easier when we start with the physical and energetic body, verses trying to directly control the mind as in Raja Yoga. Through the mastery of the prana, or energy of the body, we can then easily master the control of the mind and obtain success with Raja Yoga.
It was not until the 1920s when Hatha Yoga became popularized and promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya and a few other brave and determined yogis. Krishnamacharya traveled through India giving demonstrations of yoga poses and with other pioneering yogis promoted hatha yoga through its strong healing and other positive benefits. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.
What we commonly call yoga in the West is technically Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga (ha="sun" tha="moon") attains the union of mind-body-spirit though a practice of asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (yoga breathing), mudra (body gestures) and shatkarma (internal cleansing). These body centered practices are used to purify the body and cultivate prana and activate kundalini, the subtle energies of the body. Modern Hatha Yoga does not emphasize many of these esoteric practices and focuses primarily on the physical yoga postures.
In the history of yoga, hatha yoga is fairly recent technique that was developed from Tantra Yoga. The tantrics embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment and developed the physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices that lead to Hatha Yoga. But Hatha Yoga is uniquely focused on transforming the physical body through purification and the cultivation of the life force energy of prana. And all of the techniques of Hatha Yoga are seen as preliminary steps to achieving the deeper states of meditation and enlightenment found in the path of Raja Yoga (meditation).
The oldest and most widely used ancient text on the physical practices of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This book was composed in 15th century CE by Swami Swatamarama and is derived from older Sanskrit texts, the teachings from well-known teachers, and from Swatamarama's own yogic experiences. The main goal of this text is to illuminate the physical disciplines and practices of Hatha Yoga and integrate these with the higher spiritual goals of Raja Yoga. Swatamarama begins with explaining the relationship between Hatha Yoga and Raja yoga, informing us that Hatha is a preliminary practice for Raja Yoga. He tells us that obtaining self-control and self-discipline is much easier when we start with the physical and energetic body, verses trying to directly control the mind as in Raja Yoga. Through the mastery of the prana, or energy of the body, we can then easily master the control of the mind and obtain success with Raja Yoga.
It was not until the 1920s when Hatha Yoga became popularized and promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya and a few other brave and determined yogis. Krishnamacharya traveled through India giving demonstrations of yoga poses and with other pioneering yogis promoted hatha yoga through its strong healing and other positive benefits. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Training Program Description
BEST PRACTICES IN DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M)
Place and Date: APSPDCL, TIRUPATI, 10 – 14 July 2006
Training Program Facilitators Central Institute for Rural Electrification
Training Program Venue APSPDCL, Tirupati
Training Program Duration 5 days
Target Audience Junior and Middle Management (Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer, and Junior Engineer or their equivalent)
Training Program Description
The objective of this course is to create awareness amongst the junior and middle management officials of the distribution utilities to the importance of adopting best practices in operation and maintenance of distribution system. The course will provide useful information on various types of maintenance, viz., routine, preventive, planned, predictive, break down, and emergency maintenance techniques. A spotlight will be on essential tools and tackles required for quality operation and maintenance job to be carried out by the utilities.
Learning Objective
1. Revisiting the safety procedures, accident prevention practices to be adopted
2. Latest tools and techniques for better operation and quicker and efficient maintenance
3. Exposure to new technologies that help in quick fault location detection
4. Learning maintenance philosophy and benefits of preventive and predictive maintenance vis-à-vis break down maintenance
5. Exposure to best practices in operation and maintenance of all the equipment and gadgets in distribution system
6. Learning to enhance the reliability and accuracy of energy meters by adopting better maintenance practice
7. Customer confidence building by promptly attending the break down and reducing the break downs through preventive and predictive maintenance
Training Program Modules
No. Module Items to be Covered Faculty
0.
Day 1 Inauguration
(Keynote address on Managing Change in Power Distribution
(1 period) Topics to be covered in keynote address:
• Why change?
• Impact of reforms and unbundling
• Role of Electricity Regulatory Commissions – Setting standards
• Electricity Act 2003 provisions
• Attitudinal and working style changes
• Need for a comprehensive training policy
2.
Day 1 Lecture: Concepts and Principles of Distribution Loss (2 periods) • ATC losses definition and assessment
• Technical losses
• Commercial losses
• Principal cause of technical losses
• International and national standards of technical loss in distribution equipment
• Best Practices in Distribution O&M to minimize technical losses KV Surya Prakash Rao
3.
Day 1 Lecture: Safety procedures, accident prevention and disaster management (3 periods) • Understanding safety procedures and incorporating them in daily routine
• Techniques for accident prevention
• Response to accidents
• Disaster Preparedness and management
• Role of engineers, managers and technicians
• Interface with other public utilities V. Padmaiah
4.
Day 1 Exercise: Case Study
(1 period) • Introduction of the International / national case study highlighting the development and implementation of better maintenance practices to meet the customer expectation
5.
Day 1 Lecture: Quality of Supply and Service (3 periods) • Quality of supply – definitions and indices
• International standards of quality of supply and service
• Faults - Ensuring speedy response: fault detection and correction
• Customer interface
• Trouble call centers Meda Ram Mohan
6.
Day 2 Sharing of Best Practices: Interactive session – Methods and Procedures Practiced in Different Utilities by participants (2 periods) • International best practices in O & M by faculty
• Presentations from the participants of each of the utilities represented Dr. R. Mohd. Nafi
7.
Day 2 Lecture: Best Practices in Operation and Maintenance of Sub-station Equipment, and auxiliaries (3 periods) • Load scheduling
• O & M breakers
• O & M isolators
• O & M auxiliary devices
• Sub-station earthings
• Capacitors
• Layout of distribution sub-stations KV Surya Prakash Rao
No. Module Items to be Covered Faculty
8.
Day 2 Lecture: Energy Audit and Energy Accounting of Distribution System (2 periods) • Electricity flow diagram in a distribution utility
• Power distribution equipment
• Energy accounting to assess losses
• Energy audit to identify measures to reduce losses ADV Saibaba Rao
9.
Day 2 Lecture: Best Practices in Distribution Engineering and Automation (3 periods) • Standards
• Specifications
• Distribution system and network design
• Use of GPS in distribution network design
• Layout of Sub-station
• Recent trends in Distribution Engineering
• Automation of distribution System
• Application of Computers Meda Ram Mohan
10.
Day 3 Demonstration: Field Visit (8 periods) • Objective is to show case the use of latest techniques and technologies on i. how preventive maintenance in planned and executed, and ii. how a break down maintenance is handled by the distribution utility
11.
Day 4 Lecture: Best Practices in Design and Maintenance of Distribution Lines and Cables (2 periods) • Poles, stays, insulators, etc.
• Cable-types, joints, etc.
• Load balancing
• Hot line maintenance, etc.
• Length of LT lines, HT:LT ratio and impact on losses and voltage
• Overhead lines vis-à-vis cables – comparative analysis V. Padmaiah
12.
Day 4 Lecture: Best Practices in Operation and Maintenance of Distribution Metering and Billing System (3 periods) • Metering technologies and techniques
• LT meters types and selection, installation, testing, and commissioning
• HT meters type and selection, installation, testing, and commissioning
• Bill generation and distribution
• Computer application in billing system KV Surya Prakash Rao
13.
Day 4 Lecture: Best Practices in Operation and Maintenance of Transformers (Sub-station and Distribution) (3 periods) • Transformer selection (technology, size etc), and placement
• Ways of enhancing transformer life and efficiency
• Causes of transformer failure
• Testing of insulation
• Testing of insulating oil KV Surya Prakash Rao
14.
Day 5 Lecture: Maintenance Philosophy, Types, Planning, and Implementation (3 periods) • Types of maintenance: preventive, predictive, and break-down
• Pre-monsoon maintenance system
• History card ADV Saibaba Rao
No. Module Items to be Covered Faculty
15.
Day 5 Lecture: Best Practices in Protection Systems in Distribution Network (2 periods) • Fault analysis
• Relay coordination
• Protection circuits KV Surya Prakash Rao
16.
Day 5 Case Study: Better maintenance practices (4 periods) • Detailed discussion and interaction on the case study introduced on first day (item 4)
17.
Day 5 Exercise: Exercise on preparing list of items for implementation to introduce best practices in O and M (4 periods) • Complete details of an action plan for adopting best practices in O & M Dr. R. Mohd. Nafi
Note:
1. Total 49 periods and available is 40 periods in 5 days. Thus TIs in consultation could pick and choose or combine modules by shortening them to cover in 5-days.
2. One period would be of 40 minutes duration. There would be 8 periods in a day with lunch break after 4 periods and three breaks (two comfort breaks of 10 minutes each and one tea/coffee break for 20 minutes) in each half, i.e., forenoon and afternoon.
BEST PRACTICES IN DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M)
Place and Date: APSPDCL, TIRUPATI, 10 – 14 July 2006
Training Program Facilitators Central Institute for Rural Electrification
Training Program Venue APSPDCL, Tirupati
Training Program Duration 5 days
Target Audience Junior and Middle Management (Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer, and Junior Engineer or their equivalent)
Training Program Description
The objective of this course is to create awareness amongst the junior and middle management officials of the distribution utilities to the importance of adopting best practices in operation and maintenance of distribution system. The course will provide useful information on various types of maintenance, viz., routine, preventive, planned, predictive, break down, and emergency maintenance techniques. A spotlight will be on essential tools and tackles required for quality operation and maintenance job to be carried out by the utilities.
Learning Objective
1. Revisiting the safety procedures, accident prevention practices to be adopted
2. Latest tools and techniques for better operation and quicker and efficient maintenance
3. Exposure to new technologies that help in quick fault location detection
4. Learning maintenance philosophy and benefits of preventive and predictive maintenance vis-à-vis break down maintenance
5. Exposure to best practices in operation and maintenance of all the equipment and gadgets in distribution system
6. Learning to enhance the reliability and accuracy of energy meters by adopting better maintenance practice
7. Customer confidence building by promptly attending the break down and reducing the break downs through preventive and predictive maintenance
Training Program Modules
No. Module Items to be Covered Faculty
0.
Day 1 Inauguration
(Keynote address on Managing Change in Power Distribution
(1 period) Topics to be covered in keynote address:
• Why change?
• Impact of reforms and unbundling
• Role of Electricity Regulatory Commissions – Setting standards
• Electricity Act 2003 provisions
• Attitudinal and working style changes
• Need for a comprehensive training policy
2.
Day 1 Lecture: Concepts and Principles of Distribution Loss (2 periods) • ATC losses definition and assessment
• Technical losses
• Commercial losses
• Principal cause of technical losses
• International and national standards of technical loss in distribution equipment
• Best Practices in Distribution O&M to minimize technical losses KV Surya Prakash Rao
3.
Day 1 Lecture: Safety procedures, accident prevention and disaster management (3 periods) • Understanding safety procedures and incorporating them in daily routine
• Techniques for accident prevention
• Response to accidents
• Disaster Preparedness and management
• Role of engineers, managers and technicians
• Interface with other public utilities V. Padmaiah
4.
Day 1 Exercise: Case Study
(1 period) • Introduction of the International / national case study highlighting the development and implementation of better maintenance practices to meet the customer expectation
5.
Day 1 Lecture: Quality of Supply and Service (3 periods) • Quality of supply – definitions and indices
• International standards of quality of supply and service
• Faults - Ensuring speedy response: fault detection and correction
• Customer interface
• Trouble call centers Meda Ram Mohan
6.
Day 2 Sharing of Best Practices: Interactive session – Methods and Procedures Practiced in Different Utilities by participants (2 periods) • International best practices in O & M by faculty
• Presentations from the participants of each of the utilities represented Dr. R. Mohd. Nafi
7.
Day 2 Lecture: Best Practices in Operation and Maintenance of Sub-station Equipment, and auxiliaries (3 periods) • Load scheduling
• O & M breakers
• O & M isolators
• O & M auxiliary devices
• Sub-station earthings
• Capacitors
• Layout of distribution sub-stations KV Surya Prakash Rao
No. Module Items to be Covered Faculty
8.
Day 2 Lecture: Energy Audit and Energy Accounting of Distribution System (2 periods) • Electricity flow diagram in a distribution utility
• Power distribution equipment
• Energy accounting to assess losses
• Energy audit to identify measures to reduce losses ADV Saibaba Rao
9.
Day 2 Lecture: Best Practices in Distribution Engineering and Automation (3 periods) • Standards
• Specifications
• Distribution system and network design
• Use of GPS in distribution network design
• Layout of Sub-station
• Recent trends in Distribution Engineering
• Automation of distribution System
• Application of Computers Meda Ram Mohan
10.
Day 3 Demonstration: Field Visit (8 periods) • Objective is to show case the use of latest techniques and technologies on i. how preventive maintenance in planned and executed, and ii. how a break down maintenance is handled by the distribution utility
11.
Day 4 Lecture: Best Practices in Design and Maintenance of Distribution Lines and Cables (2 periods) • Poles, stays, insulators, etc.
• Cable-types, joints, etc.
• Load balancing
• Hot line maintenance, etc.
• Length of LT lines, HT:LT ratio and impact on losses and voltage
• Overhead lines vis-à-vis cables – comparative analysis V. Padmaiah
12.
Day 4 Lecture: Best Practices in Operation and Maintenance of Distribution Metering and Billing System (3 periods) • Metering technologies and techniques
• LT meters types and selection, installation, testing, and commissioning
• HT meters type and selection, installation, testing, and commissioning
• Bill generation and distribution
• Computer application in billing system KV Surya Prakash Rao
13.
Day 4 Lecture: Best Practices in Operation and Maintenance of Transformers (Sub-station and Distribution) (3 periods) • Transformer selection (technology, size etc), and placement
• Ways of enhancing transformer life and efficiency
• Causes of transformer failure
• Testing of insulation
• Testing of insulating oil KV Surya Prakash Rao
14.
Day 5 Lecture: Maintenance Philosophy, Types, Planning, and Implementation (3 periods) • Types of maintenance: preventive, predictive, and break-down
• Pre-monsoon maintenance system
• History card ADV Saibaba Rao
No. Module Items to be Covered Faculty
15.
Day 5 Lecture: Best Practices in Protection Systems in Distribution Network (2 periods) • Fault analysis
• Relay coordination
• Protection circuits KV Surya Prakash Rao
16.
Day 5 Case Study: Better maintenance practices (4 periods) • Detailed discussion and interaction on the case study introduced on first day (item 4)
17.
Day 5 Exercise: Exercise on preparing list of items for implementation to introduce best practices in O and M (4 periods) • Complete details of an action plan for adopting best practices in O & M Dr. R. Mohd. Nafi
Note:
1. Total 49 periods and available is 40 periods in 5 days. Thus TIs in consultation could pick and choose or combine modules by shortening them to cover in 5-days.
2. One period would be of 40 minutes duration. There would be 8 periods in a day with lunch break after 4 periods and three breaks (two comfort breaks of 10 minutes each and one tea/coffee break for 20 minutes) in each half, i.e., forenoon and afternoon.
Training Program
Pre-Training Self Assessment – Question Data Bank
BEST PRACTICES IN DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M)
Pre-training Self Assessment – Question Data Bank
The participants may wish to assess their knowledge about Operation and maintenance issues – tools, techniques, etc, its importance in reducing distribution losses, better quality regular power supply, and customer satisfaction before the commencement of the training. A comparison with the self-assessment after the training would help them in assessing the benefits of the training.
1. Which of the following contribute to the deterioration in the power sector distribution system performance?
a. More than optimum loading of DTRs
b. Technically wrong expansion of distribution lines (i.e., network structure is tree rather than radial)
c. Improper maintenance of distribution equipment
d. All above and more
2. For good earthing soil Resistivity should be
a. High
b. Low
3. Good earth resistance for a distribution sub-station is
a. 2 ohm
b. 20 ohm
4. Moisture improves earthing
a. Yes
b. No
5. A current of 100 MA is fatal
a. Yes
b. No
6. Sub-stations should also be provided with earthing
a. Yes
b. No
7. Closing a distribution transformer on repeated faults is a bad practice
a. Yes
b. No
8. Overloading of transformers result in technical losses and high transformer failure
a. Yes
b. No
9. What factors impede the conduct of an accurate energy audit of a distribution system?
a. Inadequate metering
b. Improper meter reading
c. Malfunctioning of meters
d. All above and more
10. Cannibalized transformer should be loaded up to
a. 52 %
b. 64 %
c. 74%
d. 80 %
11. Refurbishment of the distribution system is necessary before distribution automation can be taken up.
a. true
b. false
12. What steps can be taken to improve quality of power supply?
a. customer education on demand side management (DSM) adoption
b. refurbishing the distribution system
c. improving the distribution network system through GIS mapping
d. reducing AT&C losses
e. all above
13. In your opinion, what needs to be done as a top priority in a state utility or distribution company to improve its performance
a. Developing and implementing comprehensive training policy
b. Distribution system refurbishment
c. Customer education
d. None
14. Moisture harms transformer oil
a. Yes
b. No
15. Customer indexing is a pre-requisite for prompt outage management.
a. yes
b. no
16. Do you think that the lack of proper tools for maintenance crew is the main cause of bad workmanship leading to higher distribution losses?
a. yes
b. no
17. For proper earthing, the pit should be filled with _________________.
18. The refurbishment and regular maintenance of all distribution equipment is necessary for an effective distribution automation system.
a. true
b. false
19. Has your organization provided you safety manual?
a. Yes
b. No
20. Have you ever undergone training in first aid?
a. Yes
b. No
Pre-Training Self Assessment – Question Data Bank
BEST PRACTICES IN DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M)
Pre-training Self Assessment – Question Data Bank
The participants may wish to assess their knowledge about Operation and maintenance issues – tools, techniques, etc, its importance in reducing distribution losses, better quality regular power supply, and customer satisfaction before the commencement of the training. A comparison with the self-assessment after the training would help them in assessing the benefits of the training.
1. Which of the following contribute to the deterioration in the power sector distribution system performance?
a. More than optimum loading of DTRs
b. Technically wrong expansion of distribution lines (i.e., network structure is tree rather than radial)
c. Improper maintenance of distribution equipment
d. All above and more
2. For good earthing soil Resistivity should be
a. High
b. Low
3. Good earth resistance for a distribution sub-station is
a. 2 ohm
b. 20 ohm
4. Moisture improves earthing
a. Yes
b. No
5. A current of 100 MA is fatal
a. Yes
b. No
6. Sub-stations should also be provided with earthing
a. Yes
b. No
7. Closing a distribution transformer on repeated faults is a bad practice
a. Yes
b. No
8. Overloading of transformers result in technical losses and high transformer failure
a. Yes
b. No
9. What factors impede the conduct of an accurate energy audit of a distribution system?
a. Inadequate metering
b. Improper meter reading
c. Malfunctioning of meters
d. All above and more
10. Cannibalized transformer should be loaded up to
a. 52 %
b. 64 %
c. 74%
d. 80 %
11. Refurbishment of the distribution system is necessary before distribution automation can be taken up.
a. true
b. false
12. What steps can be taken to improve quality of power supply?
a. customer education on demand side management (DSM) adoption
b. refurbishing the distribution system
c. improving the distribution network system through GIS mapping
d. reducing AT&C losses
e. all above
13. In your opinion, what needs to be done as a top priority in a state utility or distribution company to improve its performance
a. Developing and implementing comprehensive training policy
b. Distribution system refurbishment
c. Customer education
d. None
14. Moisture harms transformer oil
a. Yes
b. No
15. Customer indexing is a pre-requisite for prompt outage management.
a. yes
b. no
16. Do you think that the lack of proper tools for maintenance crew is the main cause of bad workmanship leading to higher distribution losses?
a. yes
b. no
17. For proper earthing, the pit should be filled with _________________.
18. The refurbishment and regular maintenance of all distribution equipment is necessary for an effective distribution automation system.
a. true
b. false
19. Has your organization provided you safety manual?
a. Yes
b. No
20. Have you ever undergone training in first aid?
a. Yes
b. No
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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