GENERAL INTRODUCTION

TO POWER SYSTEM

Dr. AHMED-ALARASHI

TOPICS TO BE COVERED
• Electric Power system
Generation
Transmission
Distribution
• Function
• Reliability
• Voltage levels
• Equipment
• Costs

ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM

(INTRODUCTION)
Generation

Transmission

Step up to HV
Distribution

Step down to LV

Consumer

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 ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM (1)
Electrical Power System is divided into three main
components
(1) Generation
Power system is generated at few large isolated power
station.
Where it is more economic. Lowest possible energy
cost, at after analyzing capital cost, operation and
maintenance costs.
Electricity is generated using different energy sources
such as fossil, nuclear, hydro and some renewable
sources.

ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM (2)

(2) Transmission system

Transmission system is used to transport
large amount of power over long distances.
In European countries transmission voltage
ranges from Extra High Voltage (EHV) 300,
400, 500 and 750 kV to High Voltage (HV)
110, 132 and 275 kV.
Sub-transmission system may use voltage
range between 132 to 66 kV.

ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM (3)

(3) Distribution system
Distribution system delivers electrical energy
from transmission substation to the customers
through service transformers.
Only large consumers may be supplied from
HV and Medium Voltage (MV) networks, but
most of the customers are supplied from Low
voltage (LV) networks.
MV ranges 66 to 1kV and LV is below 1kV.

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FUNCTION OF POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM

The main function of the supply system is to

deliver electrical power to all consumers
at their places.
Summary of power supply system goal
includes:
• Reach all consumers.
• Meet the peak demands.
• Continuity of the service.
• Provide stable voltage.

RELIABILITY (1)
• Reliability are based on:
1. Duration of power interruption (how
long they last?).
2. Frequency of interruptions (how often
they occur?).
3. Extent of the interruption (how many
customers are interrupted?).
• Outage of equipment causes
interruption.
• Drops of voltages have same effect as
interruption.

RELIABILITY (2)
Change of the perspective on reliability:

• Early era (1890-1930)

• Interruption of revenue.
• Slow interruption data reporting.
• During (1930-1960)
• Power is essential and needed.
• Over night interruption reporting, but
large crews.
• Digital era (1970-2000)
• Power is critical for homes and business.
• Very fast track for all data.

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 RELIABILITY (3)
As a definition
Reliability may be looked at as the ability
of the power delivery system to make
continuously available sufficient voltage,
of satisfactory quality, to meet consumers’
needs.

Characteristic of Reliable system

• Continues availability .
• Sufficient power.
• Satisfactory quality.

VOLTAGE LEVELS (1)

Why we need different voltage levels in
power system?

• Generally it is more efficient and

economical to produce power at few
locations using large generators. Voltage
is usually generated at MV (3.3-25 kV).

• Power demand of average customer is

very small compared to output of large
generators. It is delivered at low voltage
level.

VOLTAGE LEVELS (2)

• Power is transmitted at high voltage as it is
more economical to move power at higher
voltage level. However higher voltage level
equipment costs much more than lower
voltage ones, but have much higher capacity.

• Using MV or LV for transmission over long

distance is not practical and results in very
high losses, sever voltage drop and very high
equipment cost.

• For the above reasons hierarchical voltage

levels are used for power flow from
production to energy consumer.

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 LEVELS OF THE TRANSMISSION AND
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (1)
Power delivery system composed of several
levels.

Each level consists of many units doing the

same job.

The units are composed of similar

equipment doing the same job.

They are located in different parts of the

system.

LEVELS OF THE TRANSMISSION AND

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (2)
Although levels vary in many things they have the
following characteristics:
• Each level is fed power by the one above it. The
higher the level the closer to the generation.
• Voltage level and average capacity of equipment
gets lower as we move from generation to
customer. For example transmission lines operate
at voltage between 66-750 kV have capacity of 50-
2000 MW. Distribution feeders operate at voltage
between 3.3-33 kV and have capacity of 2-35 MW.
• Lower level has many more equipment than the
one above.
• Net installed capacity of each level increases as
one moves toward consumer.
• Reliability drops as we move toward consumer.

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 EQUIPMENT (1)

• Power system is very complex and composed of

thousands of components which acts as a
system.
• Each unit of equipment has a small part to play
and has a small cost and it is critical to
satisfactory service to one customer or more.
• As each unit of equipment behavior has
influences on its neighbors, it must be designed
to function well in conjunction with rest of the
system

EQUIPMENT (2)
• Type of equipment includes:
• Power plants (gen. sets of different types and
sizes), they are the sources of electrical
energy.
• Power lines (conductors), To move power
from one location to another.
• Transformers, to change voltage levels of
power.
• Switching and Protection to provide safety.
•Voltage regulation equipment, to maintain
voltage within acceptable range.

POWER PLANTS
• Various Power capacities.
• Generates electricity at low and medium
voltages.
• Traditional ( gas, oil, coil, nebular ….. etsc)
• Renewable ( solar, wind ocean …… etsc)
• Generally located far away from load centers
and cities.

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 CONCERNED WITH POWER PLANTS

Main environmental issues in power

generation includes the following
Cooling water (supply and vapor).
Chimney discharge
Ash disposal
Radioactive waste

POWER LINES
• Various capacities depends on the current-
carrying capacity. Capacity corresponding to
the metal cross section.
• Conductors can be all, all aluminum, copper, or
a mixture of aluminum and steel.
• Conductor has an impedance (a resistance to
electrical flow through it) that causes voltage
drop and electrical losses (reduction in the net
power) whenever it is carrying electric power.
• Voltage drop and power losses vary in direct
relation to load

POWER LINES EXAMPLE

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 TRANSFORMERS (1)

• They change the voltage and current

levels of the power flow with almost
same overall power flow.
• If voltage is reduced by a factor from
high to low side, then current is
multiplied by the same factor.
• Transformers are available in a diverse
range of types, sizes, and capacities.

TRANSFORMERS (2)
• They are used within power systems at
power plants, at switching stations, at
distribution substations and at service
transformers.
• Transformers experience two types of
electrical losses.
• no-load losses (often called core, or iron,
losses).
• load-related losses are due to the current
flow through the transformer's
impedance and correspond very directly
with the level of power flow

SWITCHING EQUIPMENT
• To vary the connection of line.
• Switches are placed at strategic locations.
• Switches are planned to be normally
closed (NC) or normally open (NO).
• Switches vary in their rating (how much
current they can vary) and their load
break capacity (how much current they
can interrupt, or switch off).
• They can be manually, automatically, or
remotely controlled in their operation.

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 PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (1)
• Protective equipment is designed to
detect electrical equipment failure and
isolate the damaged equipment.
• Circuit breakers, sectionalizers, and
fused disconnects, along with control
relays and sensing equipment, are used
to detect unusual conditions and
interrupt the power flow whenever a
failure, fault, or other unwanted
condition occurs on the system.

PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (2)

• A good deal of protective equipment is
quite complex, containing sensitive
electro-mechanical parts and depending
on precise calibration and assembly for
proper function.
• Cost of protective equipment and
control, and the cost of its maintenance,
is often significant differences in
protection cost.

VOLTAGE REGULATION EQUIPMENT

• It includes line regulators, line

compensators, and tap changing
transformers.
• Tap changing transformers vary their
turns ratio (ratio of voltage in to
voltage out) to react to variations in
voltage drop
• They can help maintain voltage on the
system within acceptable limits.

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 COSTS
• Power system equipment incurs two types of
cost :
 Capital cost, which includes the
equipment, land, labor for site preparation
construction and installation … etc.
 Operating costs, which includes labor
and equipment for operation,
maintenance and services as well as power
losses.
• Although, equipment losses may be small
compared to the power it delivers, it’s life time
losses may be much more higher than it’s
capital cost.

CAPITAL COSTS

1) Transmission cost costs:

Transmission line costs are based on a per mile
cost. It varies between $ 1/kVA-mile to $
5/kVA-mile depending on Voltage level, MVA
capacity, pole type and number of circuits.

2) Substation costs
It includes all equipment costs and labor and
materials required to build the sub station. It
covers Site costs, transmission line
termination cost, transformer costs and Feeder
getaway costs

CAPITAL COSTS (2)

3) Feeder system costs
Feeder cost includes all primary distribution lines
and equipment which includes transformers,
switchgears, regulators. Cost varies between $
55,000/mile to $ 500,000/mile.

4) Service level costs

It includes secondary line, poles, transformers
and installation. It varies between $ 1000/mile $
10,000/mile

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MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION COST
1) Upgrading cost
The cost of upgrading the equipment to higher
capacity may exceeds the cost to build a new
one. The higher cost is mainly because it
includes removing the old conductors and the
work is don hot (with feeders energized).
2) Load related losses
This is mainly due to the impedance of conductor
or devices. Economic analysis will decide if
higher capacity device with lower losses will
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be
more economic. ( e.g. using larger conductor)

MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION COST

3) No load costs
Equipment like transformers and regulators
have both load related and no load losses.
No load losses are their all time

EXAMPLE OF TOTAL COST

USA PRIVATELY OWNED UTILITY

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 EXAMPLE OF TOTAL COST
USA PRIVATELY OWNED UTILITY (ABOUT 10 – 750 GW)

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EXAMPLE OF TOTAL COST

USA PRIVATELY OWNED UTILITY

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EXAMPLE OF TOTAL COST

USA PRIVATELY OWNED UTILITY

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