Power Generation Technology

Certificate and AAS in Power Generation Technology

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Overview

The courses in EPCE and Bismarck State College’s online Power Generation Technology (PWRP) program are:

  • Flexible to accommodate personal and professional schedules.
  • Offered every 3-5 weeks on a rotating schedule with the ability to enroll at any time.

The technical courses in this online program can count towards an Associate’s of Applied Science Degree or Certificate in Power Generation  Technology.  Courses can also be taken individually for professional development or training.

Course Information

  • ENRT 101 Introduction to Energy
  • ENRT 105 Safety, Health & Environment
  • ENRT 107 Mechanical Fundamentals
  • ENRT 110 Equipment & Systems
  • ENRT 112 Print Reading
  • ENRT 104 Electrical Fundamentals
  • ENRT 116 Instrumentation & Control
  • ENRT 224 Automation & Control
  • ENRT 118 Heat Transfer, Fluid Flow & Thermodynamics
  • ENRT 120 Water Purification & Treatment
  • ENRT 205 Steam Generation
  • ENRT 215 Operations, Troubleshooting & Communication
  • PWRP 207 Boilers & Environmental Protection
  • ENRT 221 Applied Electronics
  • PWRP 210 Turbines & Combined Cycle
  • PWRP 224 Power Generation, Components & Protection

ENRT 101 – Introduction to Energy Technology – 4 credits
An introduction to the expanding energy industry. Students will learn about a variety of energy facilities from traditional to renewable, including but not limited to fossil fuel power plants, petroleum refineries, ethanol and biodiesel facilities, gasification plants, wind farms, geothermal and hydro power production facilities, natural gas processing facilities, petroleum production, water and wastewater treatment and others. The role of the technician in these facilities will be a focus, as will be the expectations and culture of the industry.

ENRT 105 – Safety, Health & Environment – 3 credits
This course covers the personal protective equipment and proper safe work practices and procedures commonly used in the energy industry. Students will also gain a working knowledge of standard safety, health and environmental practices and regulations set by various government entities.

ENRT 107 – Mechanical Fundamentals – 2 credits
This course provides an introduction to mechanical concepts commonly found in a plant setting. Topics covered include hand tools, piping, valves, steam traps and strainers. In addition, pumps, compressors, drivers, fans and rotating equipment are covered. Bearings, seals and lubrication are a focus in this course, as well as heat exchanger designs. Plant terminology and operator expectations are covered also.

ENRT 110 – Plant Equipment & Systems – 4 credits
This course provides an introduction to equipment used in the power, process and renewable industries. Valves, piping, pumps, compressors, generators, turbines, motors, lubrication systems, heat exchangers, furnaces, boilers, cooling towers, separators, reactors, and distillation columns are covered. The utilization of this equipment within systems will be covered.

2nd Semester Courses

ENRT 112 – Print Reading – 3 credits
This course covers schematics, prints, and piping and instrument diagrams used in the energy industry. Students will learn how to read and interpret block and single-line diagrams, which will prepare them for the logic and electrical schematics included in this course.

ENRT 104 – Electrical Fundamentals – 3 credits
This course covers basic direct current theories and applies those to the electrical system and related equipment. Students will also study basic DC circuit calculations. This course will also cover basic alternating current theories and apply those theories to electrical systems and related equipment. Students will study various methods of producing a voltage. Students will also study essential generator and motor design, construction and operating principles.

ENRT 116 – Instrumentation & Control – 4 credits
This course provides a comprehensive study of instrumentation components, control theory, control systems and typical controllers associated with the operation of energy facilities.

ENRT 224 – Automation & Control – 3 credits
This course includes an in-depth study of discrete motor control devices and the assembly and programming of PLC discrete input and output modules.  The application of these devices in energy and industrial environments is included.  Understanding of real-world control systems and student constructed systems is part of this course.  Some of the equipment covered is switches, relays, contactors, motor starters, control transformers, discrete input devices, electronic input devices, and PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers).

3rd Semester Courses

ENRT 118 – Heat Transfer, Fluid Flow & Thermodynamics – 3 credits
Students enrolled in this course will study heat transfer, fluid flow and the conservation of energy. Specific equipment design considerations based on thermodynamic principles will be covered.

ENRT 120 – Water Purification & Treatment – 3 credits
This course covers industrial water treatment processes. Students will study boiler water treatment, raw water treatment and the design and operation of ion exchangers. The course also covers cooling water treatment equipment and waste water treatment equipment and systems.

ENRT 205 – Steam Generation – 3 credits
In this course the various types of boilers, systems, components and auxiliary systems associated with steam generators are covered. Different designs of boilers will be covered including low/high pressure, fire tube/water tube, negative/positive draft, drum type and others. Boiler operation, combustion, safety and emission control equipment will be covered along with efficiency measures.

ENRT 215 – Operations, Troubleshooting & Communication – 3 credits
Students will gain the knowledge necessary to comprehend overall plant operations and respond to abnormal operating conditions. Students also will participate in root cause analysis exercises while troubleshooting different operating scenarios. This course provides instruction in the different types of troubleshooting techniques, procedures, and methods used to solve process problems. Students will use existing knowledge of equipment, systems and instrumentation to understand the operation of an entire unit in a facility. Students study concepts related to commissioning, normal startup, normal operations, normal shutdown, turnarounds, and abnormal situations, as well as the process technicians individual and team role in performing tasks associated with these concepts within an operating unit.

4th Semester Courses

PWRP 207 – Boilers & Environmental Protection – 3 credits
Recommended prerequisite: ENRT 205
In this course, students will gain a more thorough understanding of the various types of boilers, systems, components and auxiliary systems associated with steam generation. Topics covered include low/high pressure, fire tube/water tube, negative/positive draft, drum type, supercritical and fluidized bed boilers. Boiler operation, combustion, safety and emission control equipment will be covered along with efficiency measures.

ENRT 221 – Applied Electronics – 3 credits
This course focuses on the electronic components and devices that are critical in the operation of energy, manufacturing and other industrial facilities.  Students will understand the function of a variety of devices and how to troubleshoot them.

PWRP 210 – Turbines & Combined Cycle – 3 credits
Students enrolled in this course will study all the elements that make up a gas turbine and a combined cycle unit. This course also covers the safe and efficient operation of gas turbines and heat recovery steam generators and their different applications as used in combine cycle and cogeneration configurations. Coal gasification is also studied. This course covers basic steam turbine construction and design and associated auxiliary systems. Students will learn how thermal energy is converted to mechanical energy as the steam passes through a typical industry steam turbine. Students will also study the auxiliary systems associated with steam turbine operation, including extraction steam systems, gland steam sealing systems, turbine lube oil systems, seal oil systems, instrumentation and control devices and protective schemes used during abnormal operating conditions. Steam turbine start-up and shut-down procedures will also be studied.

PWRP 224 – Power Generation, Components & Protection – 3 credits
Students enrolled in this course will study the design and construction of large industrial generators used in the production of electricity. Students will study the various exciter designs and operation and the various auxiliary equipment that supports generator operation. Students enrolled in this course will study the electrical systems from the main generator through the switchyard.

ENRT 220 – Practical Applications – 2 credits
*Online students are required to contact their advisor prior to registering
Students will participate in hands-on lab activities, internships or industry job shadowing to gain entry-level job competencies. Students may not complete this course before their final semester.

AAS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Power Generation Technology  Associate of Applied Science degree requires 67 credit hours

  • Technical program: 52 credit hours
  • General education: 15 credit hours

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

The Power Generation Technology Certificate requires 56 credit hours.

  • Technical program: 52 credit hours
  • General education: 4 credit hours

Semester 1

Introduction to Energy Technology
Catalog # ENRT 101
Class # 11630
Dates: 1/9/2023 – 2/5/2023
Credits: 3

Safety, Health & Environmental Practices
Catalog # ENRT 105
Class # 11633
Dates: 2/6/2023 – 3/5/2023
Credits: 3

Mechanical Fundamentals
Catalog # ENRT 107
Class # 11635
Dates: 3/6/2023 – 4/9/2023
Credits: 3

Plant Equipment and Systems
Catalog # ENRT 110
Class # 11637 or 11638
Dates: 4/10/2023 – 5/12/2023
Credits: 4

Semester 2

Print Reading
Catalog # ENRT 112
Class # 11640
Dates: 1/9/2023 – 2/5/2023
Credits: 3

Electrical Fundamentals
Catalog # ENRT 104
Class # 11632
Dates: 2/6/2023 – 3/5/2023
Credits: 3

Instrumentation & Control
Catalog # ENRT 116
Class # 11724 or 11725
Dates: 3/6/2023 – 4/16/2023
Credits: 4

Automation and Control
Catalog # ENRT 224
Class # 11818
Dates: 4/17/2023 – 5/12/2023
Credits: 3

Semester 3

Heat Transfer, Fluid Flow & Thermodynamics
Catalog # ENRT 118
Class # 11642
Dates: 1/9/2023 – 2/5/2023
Credits: 3

Water Purification & Treatment
Catalog # ENRT 120
Class #11643
Dates: 2/6/2023 – 3/5/2023
Credits: 3

Steam Generation
Catalog # ENRT 205
Class # 11644
Dates: 3/6/2023 – 4/9/2023
Credits: 3

Operations, Troubleshooting & Communications
Catalog # ENRT 215
Class # 11645
Dates: 4/10/2023 – 5/12/2023
Credits: 3

Semester 4

Boilers & Environmental Protection
Catalog # PWRP 207
Class # 11663
Dates: 1/9/2023 – 2/5/2023
Credits: 3

Applied Electronics
Catalog # ENRT 221
Class # 11649
Dates: 2/6/2023 – 2/26/2023
Credits: 3

Turbines & Combined Cycle
Catalog # PWRP 210
Class # 11665
Dates: 2/27/2023 – 4/2/2023
Credits: 3

Power Generation Components & Protection
Catalog # PWRP 224
Class # 11667
Dates: 4/3/2023 – 4/30/2023
Credits: 3

Practical Applications
Catalog # ENRT 220
Class # 11399
Dates: 1/9/2023 – 5/12/2023
Credits: 2

Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck State College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Visit the accreditation page for more details.

All courses are delivered asynchronous and offered 24/7.

The majority of courses are 3-5 weeks long.

Plan to spend approximately 15-20 hours a week working on a course.

You can start anytime during the year.

You choose your education journey. You can take an individual course, a certificate program or pursue a degree. If you are degree seeking, official transcripts will be required and placement tests may need to be completed. 

Visit the tuition page here. If you/your company is not an EPCE member, learn more about becoming an EPCE member company and or individual member.

Yes, you can receive college credit for a variety of approved previous learning accomplishments. Explore your options with the BSC advisor. 

Contact your Human Resources department to see if courses/programs qualify.  

To get started, you will need to complete the application process . The admissions process typically takes 1 – 3 weeks.

Ask a BSC Advisor

Have questions about earning your certificate?
Get in touch with Bismarck State’s program advisor.

Contact the National Energy Center of Excellence (NECE)
701-224-5651 • 800-852-5685
[email protected]

Ask an Advisor
Tuition Info
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