This comprehensive "Live" Instructor-Led (On-Site or Virtual) course is designed for Engineers, Central Office Techs, and Installers, plus any others with the responsibility for the installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of Central Office infrastructure power and plant. NEW material is continuously being added to reflect some of the latest hardware and systems available in a mixed copperfiber central office environment, including automatic power monitoring, infrared cameras, battery testers, and the new sodium-nickel-chloride battery.

The course provides a broad yet detailed study of Central Office power systems, common to both earlier and modern hardware, covering virtually all aspects of DC power, including the initial commercial AC-to-DC conversion, plus the common grounding between AC and DC. Racking, cable runs, and fasteners are important, particularly when isolated ground zones (IGZ) are required. Cable suspension and securing methods are investigated, along with concepts like separation, cable rating, seismic rating, and bend-radius. Some focus is placed on the varieties of rectifiers available today, with typical and premium features, and the relative benefits of an integrated system versus stand-alone components. Existing and improved battery designs are compared, including traditional wet-cell and newer absorbent-glass mat (AGM), plus different chemistries and float voltages. Different types of generators, transfer-switches, and disconnects are also discussed, with examples of traditional and newer offerings with improved user interfaces. Grounding via an SPG is a key emphasis, using various regulatory and standards for their recommendations and requirements, including the NFPA's NEC, the IEEE NESC, the federal CFRs, plus certain Telcordia requirements and best-practices like GR-63 (NEBS), GR-1275 (Installation) and GR-1502 (Engineering).

Test equipment is also featured, including how to select and use the correct type of DC clamp meter, plus the use of battery testers, ground field meters, infrared cameras, and automatic power system monitoring.

Multiple examples are shown for a typical central office with both earlier DC rectifier, battery, and BDFB components, plus newer systems that integrate some or all of these parts. A remote equipment cabinet example is also used, demonstrating various options for site grounding, including maintaining an IGZ, and ground connections coordinated with the power company.

The course can also include material as-needed, such as Outside-Plant to CPE connections like the grounding of cable shields, messenger leads, and tracer leads. More detail on remote site power can also be shown, using a mobile telephone-switching office (MTSO) example where on-the-spot power and grounding are needed. The course can also offer material on Data Center power and plant infrastructure, which typically uses AC-powered servers that are increasingly being used by telcos and service providers.

Telecommunications and Data Center personnel (incl. engineers, planners, supervisors, technicians, and installers) responsible for equipment selection, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting repair.

None. Some basic understanding of electrical concepts, telecommunications equipment terminologies and OSP Bonding Grounding may be helpful.

Module 1 :   CO Power Concepts

Safety - What Could Go Wrong?
What Exactly Is Ground?
Ground as A Conductor
Voltage Potential: AC & DC Voltage
Ohm's Law
Series & Parallel Circuits
Reactance: Capacitance, Inductance
Impedance
     - Resistance vs. Impedance
     - Power: Watts vs. Volt-Amps
     - Power Factor
     - Surge Current
Decibel Measurements
      - dBrn & electrical Noise

Module 2 :   AC Power & Grounding

Commercial AC (supporting DC systems)
Conventions:
      - Single-Phase & Three-Phase
      - Wye & Delta Inputs
      - Multi-Grounded Neutral (MGN)
Power Conversion
      - Rectification
      - Peak-to-Peak, Average, RMS
Ground Potential Rise (GPR)
Disconnects:
     - purpose, manual versus automatic
     - ACB, switch-gears
Surge Arrestors
     - types, monitoring
Generator Transfer Switch & Generator:
     - selecting, common settings
Rectifier Comparison:
     - current vs. future estimates
     - early (non-switching) conversion
     - switching (early, modern, full-featured with monitoring)
     - settings: float, equalize, LVD, walk-in, surge current, other settings
Inverters:
     - functions, individual vs. net system efficiency
     - configurations for redundancy
     - integrated features & solutions
Examples
Exercise

Module 3 :   DC Power Components

CO DC Components
     - Rectifier, Charge Bus, Discharge Bus, Battery String, Power Board, Inverter
     - Points of Failure
Rectifier Operation
     - Non-Switching vs. Switching Comparison
     - Review of Rectifier Types
Negative Voltage Systems
     - Wiring Conventions
Battery Types
     - Wet Cell: LA, LC, VLRA, NaNiCl
     - AGM
     - Mounts
DC Power Boards
     - Main Disconnect, LVD, Shunt, meters
     - A&B distribution
DC Power Distribution
     - primary & secondary distribution buses
     - BDFB
     - bar types - Cu vs. Al, coated vs. non-coated
Fuse & Breaker Types
Wire Derating Charts
Testing
     - Reconciling Currents - potential & return leads
     - Voltage Drops: battery-to-power board, to equipment
     - How to take a measurement
Examples
Exercise

(Optional: DC-AC Inverters for Video Head-End or Data Center Servers)
(Inverter examples, redundancy configurations incl. cost vs. benefit, surge & efficiency specs)

        

Module 4 :   Bonding & Grounding

RUS, AT&T, other standards
Ground Bar Types: MGB, OPGP
Wiring
     - RUS: "PANI", CEGB, FGB, GWB, IGZ, etc.
     - AT&T: OPGP, CVGB, COGB, MGB, IBN, etc.
Isolated Grounds
     - Ground Window Theory: when and when not required
     - Noise fault locating, mitigation
Grounding Rods
     - size, depth, angle
     - chemical grounding (GEM, ground wells)
Bonding Methods
     - Exothermic Welds
     - Compression/Crimp Connection
     - other connection types
Grounding Standards:
     - Remote Site Example, MGE ground options
     - Ground cable types: cable-entrance, AC pedestal/MGN, DC equipment, etc.
     - Grounding at the Prem: ground bar depth, ground cable sizing
Measurements
     - OSP cable shield
     - Ground Field Resistance: multiple-electrode fall-of-potential & clamp-on meters
Exercise
(Optional: Customer Premise Grounding Examples: aerial or buried ground, detached-home
                  BET, trailer park, telco & power company grounds, citations from agencies like
                  the NEC/NESC/CFR, etc.)

(Optional: MTSO antenna tower grounding, fence and hut grounding)

Module 5 :   Specifications & Standards

Organizations:
     - NFPA NEC, IEEE NESC, Federal CFR/eCFR, Telcordia, telco-specific
Telcordia GR-1502:
     - fastener types
     - supports
     - ASTM specifications
     - Seismic zones II & IV
Telcordia GR-1275:
     - Installer Skill Levels 1 thru 4
     - CLEC access - physical, power, grounding, signal interconnections
     - Safety, Hazmat, Warnings
     - Planning & Communication
Telcordia GR-63:
     - NEBS standards
     - Examples
Telco-Specific:
     - Verizon IP72202
     - AT&T TP-76xx
     - CenturyLink/Lumen 77351
     - others (as provided)

Module 6 :   Hardware Examples

        General:  Types, safe loads, selection of hardware
        Assembly:  J-hooks, brackets, bolt/washer/nut assembly, grades, isolation
        Frames:  Securing a bay, securing line-ups, maintaining the IGZ, bonding
        Cabling:  Support types: grid, ladder rack, troughs, waterfalls, etc.
        Distance:  Work space, power space, signal space, ventilation, plenums, etc.
        Labeling:  Required fields (Telcordia), examples of incorrect labeling, longevity, etc.
        Inspections:  Testing, verification (operational, safety), changes, optimization, fire
        Examples

Module 7 :   CO Power-Related Routines

Battery String Maintenance
     - Specific Gravity, electrolyte level, voltage measurements
     - Frequency, common problems & solutions
     - Strap Continuity Test example
Rectifier & Powerboard
     - Voltage & Current Readings
     - Automatic power monitoring (Alpha Cordex example)
     - Floating vs. Equalizing
     - Common problems & solutions
Breakers & Fuses
     - Primary vs. GMT 'tell-tale'
     - Oxidized or current-inhibiting contacts
     - Possible problems
Smoke & Fire Prevention
     - Symptoms - What to do
     - Firestopping
     - Causes of previous fires
Equipment List
     - Calibration vs. equipment that cannot be calibrated
     - Digital Multimeters: minimum capabilities, tolerances, data-logging
     - Ground Field Resistance Testers
     - Specific-Gravity/Hydrometer/Battery Density testers
     - Battery Internal Resistance Tester
     - Infrared Camera
Battery & Power System Monitoring
     - per-cell & system measurements
     - on-demand & trend measurements (Generex BACS & Emsys examples)
     - alarm history

(Optional: Power Monitoring System In-Depth Example: Enersys, Generex, Benning, etc.)

Module 8 :   Power & Grounding Terms

Glossary & Dictionary of Terms
Regulatory & Standards Agencies (US)
Regulatory & Standards Agencies (Canada)
Metric Prefixes

Instructor-Led with numerous Hands-On exercises throughout.

BTS always provides equipment to have a very successful Hands-On course. BTS also encourages all attendees to bring their own equipment to the course. This will provide attendees the opportunity to incorporate their own gear into the labs and gain valuable training using their specific equipment.

4 Days