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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

Diesel Generators: AMF, ATS and Synchronising

Diesel generating sets from the engine and alternator to the panel: ISO 8528 ratings, excitation and the AVR, governors and droop, DSE, ComAp, DEIF and Woodward controller concepts, automatic mains failure sequences and timers, transfer switches and neutral switching, synchronising and check-sync, kW and kVAr load sharing, multi-set and mains paralleling, generator protection by ANSI number, sizing and derating, commissioning, maintenance and troubleshooting, ending in an AMF and two-set synchronising scheme.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
14
Video
29 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Rate and size a generating set for its duty; explain how the alternator, AVR, engine and governor hold voltage and frequency; configure the I/O and alarms of a genset controller; write and time an AMF sequence; choose an ATS type, transition and pole count; synchronise sets by hand or automatically and check the result; predict load sharing from droop settings; set up load demand and mains paralleling modes; explain each protection function; plan commissioning and maintenance; troubleshoot common faults; and design an AMF and synchronising scheme a commissioning engineer can test.

  • Rate a generating set under ISO 8528-1 and check a load profile against the 70 percent average limit
  • Explain brushless excitation, PMG and shunt AVR supplies, and estimate fault current from X''d
  • Calculate governor droop, no-load speed and magnetic pickup frequency, and choose droop or isochronous control
  • Configure a genset controller's I/O, CT ratio and alarm classes using DSE, ComAp, DEIF or Woodward concepts
  • Write and time an AMF sequence and choose the ATS transition, pole count and rating
  • Synchronise sets with a synchroscope or automatic synchroniser and set check-sync windows
  • Predict kW and kVAr sharing, set load demand thresholds and run sets in parallel with the mains
  • Set generator protection by ANSI number, size for motor starting, plan maintenance and troubleshoot faults

Software

A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for the sizing, droop and timer sheets. Optional: a free controller configuration tool from the controller maker (DSE Configuration Suite, ComAp InteliConfig or DEIF Utility Software) to open a sample configuration; the course does not need any controller hardware.

Hardware

None. Generating sets, panels and controllers are shown in the videos. Real work on a set or panel needs a competent person and the site's permit and isolation rules.

Syllabus

14 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1How a diesel generating set works and how it is rated4 lessons
  2. 2The alternator, excitation and the automatic voltage regulator5 lessons
  3. 3The diesel engine, its systems and the speed governor3 lessons
  4. 4Generator controllers: DSE, ComAp, DEIF and Woodward concepts9 lessons
  5. 5Automatic mains failure: sequence, timers and panel wiring2 lessonsLab
  6. 6Transfer switches: types, transitions, neutral switching and ratings8 lessons
  7. 7Synchronising generators: conditions, synchroscopes and check-sync3 lessons
  8. 8Load sharing: droop, isochronous control and kVAr sharing5 lessons
  9. 9Paralleling systems: multi-set plants, mains parallel and load demand5 lessons
  10. 10Generator protection, earthing and circulating currents4 lessonsLab
  11. 11Sizing, derating and installing a generating set4 lessons
  12. 12Commissioning, load testing and maintenance of gensets4 lessonsLab
  13. 13Troubleshooting and the capstone AMF and synchronising scheme2 lessonsLab
  14. 14Final assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Start, stop, reverse and protect a motor in the Lab's motor control simulator.

Works alongside Diesel Generators: AMF, ATS and Synchronising. The Lab is substation and mcc practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Substation and MCC: Work a real switchroom.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Diesel Generators: AMF, ATS and Synchronising

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • saVRee

    the animated explanation of a diesel generating set and its parts

  • The Engineering Mindset

    AC generator basics: how rotation and a magnetic field make three-phase voltage

  • Cummins

    the Integrated Power Systems series: power system overview, paralleling control, generator protection, load demand, transfer switch functions, transition modes, bypass switches and withstand and closing ratings

  • Cummins Power Generation

    ISO 8528 and EPA generator set ratings by duty class

  • Jim Pytel

    the full lectures on synchronous generators, loaded synchronous generators and generator synchronization

  • Anscience

    the animation of an alternator's exciter, PMG and AVR

  • Gaurav J - TheElectricalGuy

    how generators keep voltage stable through excitation control

  • MarEngBase

    the English lessons on the AVR (error-operated and practical arrangement), diesel and electronic governors, and load sharing with a simulator

  • Mahindra Powerol

    fuel system preventive maintenance on diesel generators

  • Deep Sea Electronics Ltd

    the official training videos on DSE Configuration Suite: reading, changing and writing a module's configuration

  • ComAp

    the official tutorials on starting with an InteliLite controller, configuring I/O and ECU communication on InteliGen and InteliSys, and reading history records

  • Woodward, Inc.

    getting started with the easYgen-3000XT controller and its toolkit

  • DEIF - global supplier of energy control solutions

    configuring an application on the AGC-4 controller

  • United Tech Power Inc.

    a walk-through of the DSE7320 MKII front panel on a working set

  • Ignatius Variath

    the AMF control system explanation and the panel tutorial on AMF and ATS schematics, protection and electro-mechanical interlocks

  • Eaton

    automatic transfer switch fundamentals and grounding and bonding of generator sources with transfer switches

  • Electrician U

    the difference between manual and automatic transfer switches and how they work

  • ASCO Power Technologies

    application considerations for closed transition transfer switches

  • BTCInstrumentation

    synchronizing AC generators with sync lamps

  • Jubaili Bros

    the webinars on the basics of synchronization, synchronization with the DSE8610, genset ratings, engine and alternator derating, and installation considerations

  • RealPars

    speed droop in power control

  • HIMT

    V. R. Venkatesan's lectures on the purpose of governor droop and on AVR droop and power factor

  • benzblogs Vlogs

    voltage and speed biasing with the DSE8610 and troubleshooting a set that fails to stop

  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer

    the webinar on specifying generator set paralleling controls

  • Romero Engineering Company

    reverse power protection basics and voltage-restrained versus voltage-controlled overcurrent protection

  • Mirus International Inc

    the webinar on preventing circulating current in parallel generator applications

  • WellandTV

    the overview of ISO 8528-5 performance classes

  • MahindraPowerol IBService

    generator preventive maintenance

  • JOT POWER

    preventive maintenance of a genset

  • Woodstock Power Company

    the step-by-step generator maintenance guide and the explanation of wet stacking and its prevention

Questions

About this course

What is this diesel generator course?
It is a free-to-learn online course on diesel generating sets and their controls: ISO 8528 ratings, the alternator and AVR, the engine and governor, genset controllers, automatic mains failure (AMF) panels, automatic transfer switches (ATS), synchronising, load sharing, paralleling, protection, sizing, maintenance and troubleshooting. It ends with an AMF and two-set synchronising scheme you design yourself.
Who is the generator synchronising and AMF course for?
It is for electricians, genset technicians, maintenance and facility engineers, panel builders, MEP and electrical design engineers and electrical students who install, operate, maintain or specify standby and prime power generators. You should know single and three-phase power, kW, kVA and power factor, and how a contactor and a circuit breaker work.
Does the course teach DSE, ComAp or DEIF controller programming?
It teaches the concepts every genset controller shares, using official videos from Deep Sea Electronics, ComAp, DEIF and Woodward: modes, inputs and outputs, CT ratios, alarm classes, AMF timers, synchronising windows and load sharing. Product names are used only to describe what is taught; it is not a manufacturer's training or certification, and real settings come from the maker's manual.
Is the diesel generator course free to learn?
Yes. Every module, the notes, worked problems, practice tasks, the project and the final assessment are free to learn, and the only software you need is a free spreadsheet. The certificate is optional.
Which standards does the course cover?
It explains ISO 8528 for generating set ratings and performance classes, IEC 60947-6-1 for transfer switching equipment, IEC 60364-5-55 and BS 7671 for generating sets in installations, IEEE C37.2 device numbers for protection, and NFPA 110 for emergency power testing in the United States. Standards are paraphrased, and local regulations and a competent person govern real work on generators and panels.
How long does the course take?
About 29 hours at your own pace, including about 14 hours of video by named creators and official makers' channels, plus the notes, worked problems and practice tasks. The optional cold store generator scheme project takes about 10 hours more.
Is it useful for generator jobs in the Gulf, Nigeria and Pakistan?
Yes. Standby and prime power generators with DSE, ComAp and DEIF controllers are standard in the Gulf, West Africa and South Asia, where AMF panels, synchronising panels and genset maintenance are everyday work for electricians and facility engineers. The course uses 50 Hz examples and covers 60 Hz where it differs.
What certificate do I get, and how is it verified?
You get a verifiable certificate of completion from EDWartens when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number and a QR code that open a public verification page showing the course, the modules covered and your final score.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module