College of Engineering & Technology

Department of Electrical and Computer

Engineering

Introduction to Power Systems

Chapter-1
Basic Concepts of Power system
 1.1 Introduction to Power System

• Power System is a network of high tension wires/cables by which the generated

Electrical power is transmitted and distributed throughout a region.
• An electric power system is designed to generate, transmit , distribute and control
electrical energy to consumers.
• Power System consists of the following main components:
 Generation System- Energy Conversion Methods
 Transmission System- Ultra-high, Extra-high, High and Medium Voltage levels
 Distribution System- Low voltage levels
 The Load or Energy sink- Resistive, Capacitive and inductive Electrical devices

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 Power System main components

1. Generation System
Types of Energy Conversion Methods/Generation Systems:
1. non- conventional (renewable energy sources )
➢ are sources that are continuously replenished by natural processes.
– PV System, Solar Thermal, Hydropower, Wind Power, Geothermal, Biomass
(Renewable conversion systems)
2. Conventional (non-renewable energy sources )
➢ Are sources that are not continuously refilled by natural processes.
• Diesel Generator, Gas Turbine, Steam Turbine, Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
(CCGT), Steam Injected Gas Turbine, Nuclear power (Conventional systems).

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 Contu……
2. Transmission Systems:
➢ This component of the power system transmits the bulk electrical energy from
generation stations where it is produced to the main load centres.
➢ The transmission system is composed of:
• Step-up and Step-down substations
• Transmission lines
3.Distribution Systems
➢ The distribution system gives out the energy from the medium voltage
substations to customers’ location. It is composed of:
• Medium Voltage (MV) lines (33kV, 15 kV)
• MV/LV transformer substations (33/15/ kV to 400/380/220 V)
• Distribution lines (33/15 kV, 380 V 3-phase and 220 v single phase)
4. Load or Energy Sink:
➢ Load is the end equipment of the power system where the transmitted electrical
energy is converted to other forms of useful energy.
➢ Loads could be industrial, commercial and industrial based on their power
consumption. Based on their behaviour resistive, capacitive and inductive loads.

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 The Ethiopian Electric Power
Corporation

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 Introduction(Cont…)
I

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 Contu….
➢ In early days, there was a little demand for electrical energy so that small power
stations were built to supply lighting and heating loads.
➢ However, the widespread use of electrical energy by modern civilization has
necessitated producing bulk electrical energy economically and efficiently.
➢ The increased demand of electrical energy can be met by building big power
stations at favorable places where fuel (coal or gas) or water energy is available in
abundance. This has shifted the site of power stations to places quite away from the
consumers centers.
➢ The electrical energy produced at the power stations has to be supplied to the
consumers. There is a large network of conductors between the power station and
the consumers. This network can be broadly divided into two parts viz.,
transmission and distribution.

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 Non-Conventional Energy Sources
➢ Renewable energy sources also called non-conventional energy, are sources that are
continuously refilled by natural processes.

➢ A renewable energy system converts the energy found in

- sunlight

- wind

- falling-water

- sea-waves

- geothermal heat or

- biomass

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 Solar Energy
➢ Solar energy can be utilized through two different routs

❖ Solar thermal rout.

➢ Solar thermal route uses the sun's heat to produce hot water or air, cook food,
drying materials etc.

❖ Solar electric rout(Photovoltaic) rout.

➢ Solar photovoltaic uses sun’s heat to produce directly electricity for the
applications such as; lighting home and building, running motors, pumps,
electric appliances, and lighting.

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 Contu….
➢ Solar Photovoltaic (PV): Photovoltaic is the technical term for solar electric.
Photo means "light" and voltaic means "electric".

➢ PV cells are usually made of silicon, an element that naturally releases electrons
when exposed to light.

➢ Amount of electrons released from silicon cells depend upon intensity of light
incident on it.

➢ The silicon cell is covered with a grid of metal that directs the electrons to flow in a
path to create an electric current.

➢ This current is guided into a wire that is connected to a battery or DC appliance.

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 Contu….

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 Contu….

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 Wind Power
➢ The wind is a free, clean, and inexhaustible energy source.

➢ It has served humankind well for many centuries by propelling ships and driving
wind turbines to grind grain and pump water.

➢ Denmark was the first country to use wind for generation of electricity.

➢ One of the most critical features of wind generation is the variability of wind. Wind
speeds vary with time of day, time of year, height above ground, and location on
the earth’s surface.

➢ Wind energy is basically harnessing of wind power to produce electricity. The

kinetic energy of the wind is converted to electrical energy.

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 Wind Energy Technology

1. Horizontal-axis turbines, in which

the axis of rotation is horizontal
with respect to the ground (and
roughly parallel to the wind
stream.)

2. Vertical-axis wind turbines, in which

the axis of rotation is vertical with
respect to the ground (and roughly
perpendicular to the wind stream),

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 Bio Energy/Biomass Energy
➢ Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from the carbonaceous
waste of various human and natural activities. It is derived from
numerous sources, including the by-products from the wood industry,
agricultural crops, raw material from the forest, household wastes etc.

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 Hydro-power
➢ Hydroelectric power generation involves the storage of a hydraulic fluid, water,
conversion of the hydraulic (potential) energy of the fluid into mechanical (kinetic)
energy in a hydraulic turbine, and conversion of the mechanical energy to electrical
energy in an electric generator.

➢ The early generation of electricity from about 1880 often derived from hydro-
turbines, and the capacity of total worldwide installations has grown at about 5%
per year since.

➢ Hydro-power now accounts for about 20% of world’s electric generation. Output
depends on rainfall and the landscape.

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 Contu….
➢ The term hydro-power is usually restricted to the generation of shaft power from
falling water. The power is then used for direct mechanical purposes or, more
.
frequently, for generating electricity

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 Contu….

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 Tidal Energy
➢ Tidal electricity generation involves
the construction of a bombardment
across an estuary to block the
incoming and outgoing tide. The head
of water is then used to drive turbines
to generate electricity from the
elevated water in the basin as in
hydroelectric dams.

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 Geothermal Energy
➢ The temperature of the ground or groundwater a few feet beneath the Earth’s
surface remains relatively constant throughout the year, even though the
outdoor air temperature may fluctuate greatly with the change of seasons. At a
depth of approximately six feet, for example, the temperature of soil in most of
the world’s regions remains stable between 45º and 70°. This is why well water
drawn from below ground tastes so cool even on the hottest summer days.

➢ Utilizes the Earth’s inner heated rocks to heat water that reaches these areas
through seismic faults. This water is turned to steam then captured to operate
steam-powered generators.

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 Aloto Langano (Ziway) Tendaho (Afar)

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 Conventional Energy sources(Non-
renewable)
➢ Is a stocks of energy Not continuously refilled using natural process.
• They are:
❖ Fossil fuels - Coal, Oil, & Natural Gas
❖ Nuclear fuel –

Natural gas
➢ A natural gas is a mixture of different gases the main ingredient is Methane, a
natural compound that is made from the decay of plant and animal remains.

Nuclear Fission
➢ Splitting uranium atoms produces a great deal of heat energy that is processed
into electrical energy in nuclear plants.

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 Structure of a Power System
➢ Single line diagram of a Power System Structure
Generation Transmission
System System
15,20 kV 400,500 kV 400,500 kV 66,45 kV
Generator-1
Large
Consumers

Step-up Step-down
Transformer 132,230 kV Transformer

Distribution
System
Generator-2 400,500 kV
15,20 kV 132,230 kV
66,45 kV
Step-down
Transformer
Step-up
Transformer 33,15 kV

11,11.5 kV
400/220 V
33/15 kV
Medium
Generator-3 and small
Consumers

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 POWER SYSTEM STRUCTURE

➢ Electric energy is produced in large quantities at small number of locations in the

electric power plants by converting different forms of energy fossil fuels, nuclear
energy, water power, etc.

➢ Generating stations, transmission lines and the distribution systems are the main
components of an electric power system.

➢ Generating stations and a distribution station are connected through transmission

lines, which also connect one power system (grid, area) to another. A distribution
system connects all the loads in a particular area to the transmission lines.

➢ Electric power is generated at a voltage of 11 to 25kV which then is stepped up to

the transmission levels in the range of 66 to 400kV (or higher)

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 Contu….
➢ Generation: Normally 15-25kV,
Generation sources could be Hydro,
Nuclear, Thermal, Gas turbines,
Geothermal, wind, solar.
➢ Step-up transformer: Increase the
voltage from the generation level to
the transmission level.
➢ High voltage transmission: The
high voltage transmission network
is responsible for transporting the
energy over long distance from the
generator. The long distance
transport is only possible at high
voltage levels to reduce losses. The
voltage level varies from 220kV to
800kV.

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 Contu….
➢ High voltage substation: Reduce the voltage to sub-transmission level (69kV-
150kV) and works like a node for several lines.
➢ Sub-transmission: Like the High voltage transmission network, the sub-
transmission network used to transport the power over relatively long distance. The
sub-transmission supplies regions and large industries.
➢ Distribution station: Another reduction of voltage to 10-20kV and supplies
distribution grids.
➢ Distribution lines: Each lines supplies small area (several streets) or medium
industry.
➢ Distribution transformers: Reduce the voltage to 400V (in Europe) and 380V (in
Ethiopia) and Supplies Street or a large building or small scale industries.

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 Ethiopian POWER SYSTEM

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 Inter Connected Power system
➢ Individual power systems are organized in the form of electrically connected areas
or regional grids.
➢ Each area or regional grid operates technically and economically independently, but
these are eventually interconnected to form a national grid.
➢ It is also possible to have international grid
➢ advantages of interconnecting power systems
– Increased reliability
– Reserve sharing
– Economic operation

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 Electric Supply System

➢ The conveyance of electric power from a power station to consumers’ premises is

known as an electric supply system.
➢ It consists of three principal components viz., the power station, the transmission
lines and the distribution system.
➢ Electric power is produced at the power stations which are located at favorable
places, generally quite away from the consumers. It is then transmitted over large
distances to load centers with the help of conductors known as transmission lines.
➢ Finally, it is distributed to a large number of small and big consumers through a
distribution network.
➢ The electric supply system can be broadly classified into (i)
DC. or AC. system (ii) overhead or underground system.

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 AC & DC transmission scheme
➢ The electric power can be transmitted either by means of DC or AC.

➢ Each system has its own merits and demerits.

➢ It is therefore, desirable to discuss the technical advantages and disadvantages of

the two systems for transmission of electric power.

A. DC Transmission

➢ For some years past, the transmission of electric power by DC has been
receiving the active consideration of engineers.

➢ Development of solid state devices (rectifiers and inverters)enables HVDC

transmission.

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 Contu….
➢ For long distance(600Km~800km) HVDC system is less expensive and suffer low
electric losses.

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Advantages:
➢ requires only two conductors as compared to three for ac transmission.
➢ There is no inductance, capacitance and phase displacement in dc trans-mission.
➢ Due to the absence of inductance, the voltage drop in a dc transmission line is less
than the ac line.
➢ There is no skin effect in a dc system. Therefore, entire cross-section of the line
conductor is utilized.
➢ For the same working voltage, the potential stress on the insulation is less in case of
dc system than that in ac system. Therefore, a dc line requires less insulation.
➢ A dc line has less corona loss and reduced interference with communication
circuits.
➢ The high voltage dc transmission is free from the dielectric losses, particularly in
the case of cables.

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Dis-Advantages:
➢ Electric power cannot be generated at high dc voltage due to commutation
problems.
➢ The dc voltage cannot be stepped up for transmission of power at high voltages.
➢ The dc switches and circuit breakers have their own limitations.

B) AC transmission
➢ Now-a-days, electrical energy is almost exclusively generated, transmitted and
distributed in the form of ac.
❖ Advantages
➢ The power can be generated at high voltages.
➢ The maintenance of ac substations is easy and cheaper.

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 Contu….
➢ From the above comparison it can be conclude that, it is clear that HVDC
transmission is superior to HVAC transmission.

➢ Although at present, transmission of electric power is carried by ac, there is an

increasing interest in dc transmission.

➢ The introduction of mercury arc rectifiers has made it possible to convert ac into dc
and vice-versa easily and efficiently.

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 Contu….
➢ Cost comparison of HVDC and HVAC overhead transmission lines

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 Power in Single-phase AC Circuit
INTRODUCTION
➢ The main components that make up a power system are generating sources,
transmission and distribution networks, and loads.
➢ For the purpose of analysis, the power system is treated as a network of circuit
elements contained in branches radiating from nodes to from closed loops or
meshes.
➢ The system variables are current and voltage, and in steady state analysis, they are
regarded as time varying quantities at a single and constant frequency.
➢ The network parameters are impedance and admittance; these are assumed to be
linear, bilateral (independent of current direction) and constant for a constant
frequency.

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 Contu….
➢ The analysis of electric power systems involves the study of the performance of the
system under both normal and abnormal conditions. Such analysis considers single
phase and three phase circuits.
➢ This chapter deals with steady state ac (alternating current) analytical techniques.
➢ The real power absorbed by a single-phase load is the product of the instantaneous
voltage drop across the load and the instantaneous current through the load. If the
voltage and current are expressed by:
v  Vmax cos(t ) i  I max cos(t   ) (1.1)
➢ The instantaneous power p is therefore give by

p  vi  Vmax I max cos(t ) cos(t   ) (1.2)

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 Cont….
➢ Where the phase angle is positive for current lagging the voltage and
negative for leading current.
➢ Using appropriate trig identity, equation(1.2) can be reduced to
V I V I (1.3)
p  max max cos (1  cos(2t ))  max max sin  sin(2 )
2 2
➢ If T is the period of the voltage and current wave forms , then the average power P
is given by
T
1 Vmax I max
P
T 
0
pdt 
2
cos  VI cos

➢ Where V and I are the rms voltage and current respectively and Cos is the power
factor.

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 Complex power
➢ If the voltage across and current in to a certain load are
expressed by V  V  andI  I  ,then the complex power
S is given by
S  VI  V I   
*

➢ In rectangular form
S  V I cos(   )  j sin(   )]

➢ Since    is the phase difference (phase angle) between

voltage and current  the above equation is reduced to:
S  V I cos  j sin  

S  P  jQ
➢ where P is the active power and Q is the reactive power.

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 Contu….
• The quantity S is described as the ‘apparent power’, and is the term used in
establishing the rating of a circuit or power
equipment.
• The unit of apparent power, S , is the volt-ampere (VA) and the larger units are kVA
(103VA) or MVA(106VA). The SI unit for real power P is the watt (W) and the
larger units are kW (103W) or MW (106W).
• The unit for reactive power Q is the volt-ampere reactive (VAr). Its larger versions
are kVAr (103VAr) or MVAr (106VAr).
• The reactive power Q is positive when the phase angle ϕ between voltage and
current (impedance angle) is positive (i.e., when the load impedance is inductive
and I lags V).
• Q is negative when ϕ is negative (i.e., when the load impedance is capacitive and I
leads V).

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Power Triangle

➢ A power triangle gives a graphical method of obtaining the relationship between

apparent power(S), real power(P), reactive power(Q) , Power factor angle(ϕ )
and power factor(cos ϕ )
➢ In this case the voltage is leading the current by ϕ degrees (radians) or the current is
lagging the voltage by ϕ degrees(radians).
➢ From the power triangle we have
– Apparent power Real power
– Reactive power Power factor angle
– Power factor
➢ In terms of power factor (pf) we say that:
 pf is lagging when current is lagging behind voltage (as in inductive loads)
 pf is leading when current is leading voltage (as in capacitive loads).

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 Power in Balanced Three-phase
Circuits
➢ A system is single or three phase depending upon whether the sources feeding it are
single or three phase.
➢ A source is single or three phase according to whether there is one or several
driving voltages associated with it.
➢ For example, a three phase source is a source containing three alternating driving
voltages that are assumed to reach a maximum in phase sequence; red (R), yellow
(Y), blue (B). The positive phase sequence is RYB, whereas the negative phase
sequence is
➢ If a three phase system has balanced voltages, that is, equal in magnitude and
reaching a maximum at equally displaced time intervals, and the phase branch
impedances are identical, it is called a balanced system.

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 Contu….

➢ It will become ‘unbalanced’ if any of the above conditions are not satisfied.
Calculations using a balanced three phase system are simplified, as it is only
necessary to solve for a single phase, the solution for the remaining phases being
obtained by symmetry.

➢ The power system is normally operated as a three-phase, balanced, system.

➢ For this reason the phase voltages are equal in magnitude and can be represented by
three vectors spaced 120 degree (or 2π ⁄ 3 radians) apart, as shown in the next slide.

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Contu….
➢ Since the voltages are symmetrical,
they may be expressed in terms of
one, that is:

➢ There are two types of 3-φ systems

connections
 Star connection (Y)
 Delta connection (Δ)

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 Contu….
➢ The total power delivered by three-phase generator or absorbed by three-phase load
is found simply by adding the power in each of the three phases.
➢ In a balanced circuit this is the same as multiplying the power in any one phase by
3,since the power is the same in all phases.
➢ If the magnitude of the voltages to neutral for Y connected load is V:p
V p  Van  Vbn  Vcn
➢
➢ The total three phase power is therefore P  3V p I p Cos
➢ If V l and I l are the magnitude of line-to-line voltage and line current respectively,

Vl
Vp  I p  Il
3

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 …CONT.

➢ Substituting this values

Vl
P  3V p I p Cos  3 I l Cos  3Vl I l Cos
3
➢ The total vars and volt amperes e can also be obtained in similar ways
Q  3Vl I l Sin S  3Vl I l
➢ Now if our system is delta(Δ) connected
Il
Vp  Vl I p 
3
➢ Hence the expression for the active reactive and apparent powers remain the same.
➢ Hence in general the apparent , active and reactive power absorbed or supplied is
summarized below

S  3Vl I l P  3Vl I l Cos Q  3Vl I l Sin

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 Direction of Power Flow
➢ It refers to whether power is absorbed or delivered by certain system.
➢ The direction of power flow for different systems is clearly demonstrated in the
table given below.

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