PADMANABAH NAGAR SUBSTATION This s one of the several 66\ 11 kv sub-stations sprawling Bangalore city.

The station is named as such since the 11kv feeders are spread out in Padmanabah Nagar locality of Bangalore. It is situated at outer ring road opposite one of the famous landmarks of Bangalore namely Devegowda(Former Prime minister of India) petrol station. Figure below shows the substation single line diagram and indexes:

The 66 KV power supply to the station is by means of two numbers of 66 KV (UG) underground cables emanating from the nearby 220 KV receiving station at SubramanyapuraBangalore. The cables are single core XLPE ( Cross Linked Polyi-Ethylene) copper of 630 sq mm size. At present the station bay (area under an over head structure) is being extended to provide another 66 KV line to serve as another alternate 66 KV source since both the present feeders are from the same station. The present two incoming feeders are used alternatively (one at a time). The station peak load is 24 mega watts and handle about 3,25000 units every day. At the eastern end of the substation one can see the two UG cable feeders (consisting of six numbers of single core armored cables) rising and terminating in pot-heads. Each pot-head is provided with adequate number of rain sheds to increase the creapage path and to prevent continuous water film formation whenever it rains. Provision is also made for earthing the armor of each cable through a fuse. This grounding conductor is jointed with lightening arrester grounding conductor. The entire wiring on 66 KV side is done by using 63mm aluminum pipe . The two feeders pass through double break (GOS ) group operating switches with ground switch. They are called line GOSs. After wards there are SF6 breakers called line breakers followed by three core CTs (400/1A ratings) and another GOS called bus GOS. (this is without grounding switch) All these equipments come under what is called as Line-bay. The supply is terminated in rigid north-south bus bar made of 100mm dia electrolytic pure-aluminum pipe (hollow tubes). At the northern end the bus is provided with a GOS controlled PT (four core). As done in every station the breaker consist of, three numbers of single phase SF6 circuit breakers inter connected to form a three phase item. The arcing contacts held in a porcelain bushings containing SF6 gas at pressure of about 6 kgs \ sq.cm are independent with separate seals. It is a single pole breaker. One male contact movement results in engaging or disengaging with a female contact. But the operating mechanisms (watched by a pole disturbance relay) for all three phases is by means of compressed air at about 15 kgs\ sq.cm held in high pressure tanks interconnected through common piping. An automatic operating air compressor motor pump replenishes air when there is a fall in air-pressure. The opening of breaker is pneumatically controlled and closing is by spring mechanism (Closing springs are energized at the time of opening the breaker by air pressure). The breaker is so arranged that when high pressure air opens the male and female contacts, spring loading (for a later charging

purpose) action is initiated. The spring load actuated by relays \ manual results in the breaker getting closed/charged. The breaker (held in three porcelain bushings) is provided with all safety devices and indicating mechanism like SF6 gas pressure indicator, air pressure indicator etc . The breaker trips on its own if there is a DC failure. It gets locked in (LOCK IN : The breaker fails to obey any commands ie neither opens or closes) whenever the SF6 gas and air pressure falls below the set pressures. The equipments after the 66 KV bus come under what is called as transformer bay. They consist of a GOS, a breaker, a CT and lightning arresters. The supply is terminated in one numbers of 16 \20MVA and another number of 31.5 MVA Dyn11 vector group 66/11kv class transformers. The H.V bushings are condenser type and are mounted over turrets which house winding CTs. There are CTs mounted on L.V windings also. The transformers are provided with OTI (Oil temperature indicator) and WTI (Winding temperature indicator) The OTI is mounted with two mercury switches where as the WTI is provided with four mercury switches. Theses switches are meant to close DC relay contacts and set to act at different temperatures. Those of OTI are for alarm and trip for specified temperatures. Those of WTI are (again for specified temperatures) for actuation of (1) first set of radiator fans, (2) second set of radiator fans (3) alarm and (4)trip. The LV winding CTs are connected to work in parallel with that of HV winding CT from the point of reliability. ie. At least one will be working even if the second fails. to perform

The main tank of the transformer is compartmentalized into two, each having its own conservator tank. A main chamber of larger volume with a PRV houses the transformer active part and a small portion houses the OLTC with a sensitive oil surge relay. The on load tap changer (MR type) of the transformers have 17 taps which can deliver a constant 11 KV output even if the incoming voltage varies from over voltage 69.4 kV up to 54.3kV. For the purpose of mounting the OLTC The OLTC operation is either by an electric motor or manual and remote operable from the control room. The main tank is interconnected to the conservator through a Buchholtz (Gas operated) relay. As required under the rules the transformers are provided with two body groundings and two separate groundings for the system grounding of the 11 kv side neutral. The transformer is mounted over on RCC platform covered sump tank into which the whole transformer oil can be drained in case of emergencies. The transformers has valves one at the bottom and the other at diagonally opposite top for on line filtration of transformer oil. One of the periodical maintenance works is to get the oil sample tested for BDV (Break down Voltage) and dissolved gas analysis The sample of oils

should be from top \ middle \ bottom portions of the tank. To facilitate the same the tank is provided with valves for collection of oil samples from bottom, middle and top portions. As in the cases of all substations, an earth matt normally made out of about 70mm x 6mm GI flat is constructed at about a metre below the ground level to which all the metallic items which do not carry \ convey electricity are connected (equipment grounding).This earth matt design (normally consisting of welded GI flats of rectangular blocks) depend upon levels of fault currents that come into play at time of faults. The size of GI flat, rectangles size and total area of the earth matt is now-a-days decided by a software design in KPTCL. The design also gives out the number of CAST IRON pipe groundings to be provided and connected to the earth matt. Apart from the earth matt groundings certain equipments are also provided individual groundings. Over the entire substation stone gravel of different sizes is spread mainly to reduce the dangerous effects of STEP-POTENTIAL and TOUCH-POTENTIAL, on humans (operating personnel) who may be present in the station yard. These potentials, occur during creation of EPR (Earth potential rise) zones that are created during phase to ground faults of any feeder.

The neutral is grounded through a neutral CT for REFR (Restrict Earth Fault Relay) protection. The 11kv output of each of the transformer is taken to the 11kV switchgear through two parallel runs of 1000 square mm UG cable.. The 11kv switchgear consists of 16 numbers of out door type 11 KV cubicles. Each of the cubicle contains a set of Vacuum breakers (all operations are by spring loads), an ETVM (Showing KW, KWH, RKVA, PF and MD), CTs, PTs and IDMTL (Inverse definite minimum time lag) relays. The 11 KV power is handled by 16 numbers of 11kv outdoor kiosks each with a set of vacuum circuit breakers and all assembled adjacent to each other in one line. There are two sets of bus bars suitably suspended from 16 KV class insulators One set of bus bars interconnect 8 numbers of cubicles. The second set of bus bars interconnects 7 cubicles. There is bus coupler cubicle in between the two. Two numbers of the cubicles control 11 KV supplies incoming from each of the transformers. The incoming breakers are provided with three numbers each of OVER-CURRENT ,directional and earth fault relays where as the feeders are provided with 2 numbers of over current and one earth fault relay (A norm followed in almost all substations in India). There are two bus bars each catering to each of the power transformers. The bus bars are operated independently but can be interconnected through the bus coupler. One of the bus bars supply power to 7 numbers of 11 KV feeders where as the other supplies power to 6 feeders. Each of the cubicle are wired with 11 KV class CTs of different capacities(output currents is always one ampere) But PTs (output voltage is always 110 volts) are provided to the two incomers only.

The feeders are by means of UG cable terminating at structures at the borders of the substation. From there on monitoring and maintenance is taken care of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM). There is an exclusive feeder (F6) to provide power supply to a 63 kVA distribution transformer acting as a station auxiliary. The station activities are looked after by an assistant engineer with shift personal working on 3 shifts on the day. They maintain and note down the hourly readings of all meters like MWs, Ammeters, Voltmeter and etc. they are all entered into a computer and so the details are available at the load dispatch station. On first day of every month the units sent out from each 11 KV feeder is read and used for billing BESCOM. In the control room controls of all the equipments of the station yard like transformers OLTC, breaker switching on\ off etc. There are separate panels for each. Al the breakers(both 66 &11 KV), transformers OLTCs can be remotely controlled by levers \ handles Etc. The power of the 63 KVA transformer is drawn into this control room and terminated in an ACDB (Alternating current distribution panel). Various ac equipments like OLTC motors of Power transformers in the station yard are fed through individual UG cables emanating from this ACDB with suitably named control switches. The panels are wired with indicators to indicate spring charge, gas pressure, supply on or off, earthing etc. An electronic data panel mounted in the same control room collects all the information of the station and an adjacent RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) transmits the station parameters (Vsatellite communication through a dish antenna erected at the roof top of the control room) to the state load dispatch centre for SCADA activities. There is an AC to DC rectifier with boost and float chargers, drawing power from the ACDB. The DC power is extended to DCDB to which 110 V D.C. battery supply is parallel connected. From the past mistakes it has been found that the control room staff should always be looking at a clearly visible signs of DC presence or absence. For the purpose a two lamp (each lamp is connected between positive or negative and earth) method of DC indication is provided and exhibited conspicuously. From this DCDB individual UG cable are run to the relays circuits. 55 numbers of 2V (100 ampere-hours capacity) D.C sells interconnected in series to farm one circuit of D.C batteries. There is another set of batteries of 48 V D.C available and is used for SCADA operations. All the DC batteries are housed in a separate room as required by law Since there are several cells, they are checked by what is called PILOT CELLS basis. All the cells are numbered and number plates are fixed to each of them. One day the pilot cells are (for example) cell no.1,14, 16, 25, 36 etc. Specific gravity of acid and voltage of each of these cells are checked and maintenance works if necessary are done. The next day another set of pilot cells (cell nos 2,15,17,26,37 etc) are taken up. Thus in a specific period of say one month all the

available cells are subjected to checking and maintenance. G. A. Narayana Swamy.