EE410-Electrical Power

Generation

CO4-SUBSTATION
Typical AC Power System
• The function of electric power
system is to connect the power
station to the consumers load by
means of inter connected system
of transmission & distribution
network.
• Structure of power system
becoming complex depending
upon the demand
Typical AC Power System
Generating Station

• Electrical power is produced by 3phase alternator connected in

parallel.
• Generation voltage is 11kV due to economic consideration.
• High voltage transmission is recommended because of the following
reasons (i) save the conductor material (ii) Improve the transmission
efficiency.
• 11kv 132kV or 220kV
(ii) Primary transmission
220kV or 132kV is transmitted by 3phase, 3 wire system to the outskirt of the city
called as primary transmission.

(iii) Secondary transmission

132 kV Step down transformer 33 kV

(iv) Primary distribution

33kv 11kv
• 3phase, 3wire system is recommended
• Big/bulk consumer can directly access the power
• Those demand may be greater than 50kW
(v) Secondary distribution

• Electric power from the primary distribution line (11kV) is delivered to distribution
substation.

• Substation is located near to consumer premises steps down the voltage to 400V,
3phase, 4 wire system

• It includes i ) feeders ii) Distributors & iii) Service mains.

• Loads are connected to distributors through service mains

Introduction- Substations
• The electric power is produced at the generating station is far away from the
consumers.

• The electric power is delivered is to the consumers through the large network of
transmission & distribution.

• At each stages it may necessary to change power system characteristics such as

voltage, power factor, ac to dc etc.

• The assembly of apparatus used for changing the necessary & desirable
characteristics of power system is called as Substations.
Substation-Definition
• A station in the power transmission system at which electric power is transformed
to a conveniently used form.

• The substation station consist of transformers, switches, circuit breakers and other
auxiliary equipments .

• Its main function is to receive energy transmitted at high voltage from the
generating station, by either step-up or step-down the voltage to a value
appropriate for local use and provide facilities for switching.
Factors to be considered for Substation layout
• It should locate at proper site
• It should provide safe and reliable arrangement
• Good design and construction
• It should be easily operated & maintained
• It should involve minimum capital cost.
1. According to service requirement
(i) Transformer substation
• Changing the voltage level of electric supply
• Receive power of some voltage and deliver it to other voltage
• Transformer is the main component Most of the substation are like ‘transformer
substation ’

(ii) Switching substation

• Do not change the voltage level
• Incoming voltage=outgoing voltage
• Simply perform the switching operation of power lines

(iii) Power factor correction substation

• Substation are locate at receiving end of transmission line
• Commonly ‘synchronous condenser’ is used for power factor
• Substation improve the system power factor
(iv) Converting substation
• Converting substation converting to AC power to DC power
• Applications-Traction purpose, electroplating etc

(v) Frequency changer substation

• Those substation can change the supply frequency
• Frequency change may require for industrial utilities
According to constructional features
(i) Indoor substation

• Operating Voltage – 400V and 11kV

• Substation equipment installed indoor because of economic consideration
• These substation can put together & satisfy up to 66kV

(ii) Outdoor substation

• Voltage above 33kV or 66kV.

• Large number of equipment's such as switches, CB etc. All equipments lie open in the
air. Only control and monitoring is performed inside.
• It is not economical to install indoor, because large space requirement
(iii) Underground substation

• Used in thickly populated area where no space is available to construct open

substation.

(iv) Pole-mounted substation

Low capacity usually having upto 500 kVA transformers

• Type of outdoor substation
• It is installed over H-pole or 4 pole structure
• Simpler and Cheapest form of substation
• 11kV or 33kV
 Transformer Substations
• Change in voltage level of electrical supply types
• Step up substation-generation voltage 11kV to
high voltage up to 220kV for reducing
transmission losses & economic considerations.
• Primary grid substation-220kV to 66kV
transmitted through 3phase 3 wire system &
Outdoor type
• Secondary substation-voltage stepped up to 11kv
(66kv to 11kV) , outdoor type.
• Distribution substation- Near to consumer
locality,11kV to 400V(3phase 4 wire system)
 Pole Mounted Substations
• It is a distribution substation placed over head pole.
• Cheapest form of substation
• No building work is required
• Transformer & other equipments are mounted
on the H Type pole
• 11kV lines are connected to transformer & it
will forms (11kV/400V)
• Lighting arrester are installed at HT side to
protect the substation from lighting stroke.
• Transformer steps down to 400V, 3phase, 4 wire
system
• Oil circuit breaker is installed at LT side to
automatically isolate the transformer to consumer at
the event of fault
• Transformer capacity is up to 200kVA
Underground Substation
• Suitable in thickly populated cities
• Price of land is costly
• Equipments are placed underground
• Size should be as minimum as possible
• Should be provided with good
ventilation
• Should be provision for excessive
temperature rise indication
Typical Components of a Power Substation
(Switchyard)
Busbar
• Is a term we use for a main bar or conductor
carrying an electric current to which many
connection may be made.
• Buses are merely convenient means of
connecting switches and other
equipment into various arrangements.
• In the switchyard or substation, buses
are open to the air.
• Air, aluminium or copper conductors
supported on porcelain insulators, carry
the electric energy from point to point.
Isolators
• Isolator operates under no-load condition and does not
have current breaking or making capacity.

• The purpose of disconnects/Isolators is to isolate

equipment.

• Isolators/Disconnects are not used to interrupt circuits;

they are no-load devices.

• A typical use of disconnects is to isolate a circuit

breaker from live part of maintenance by installing
one disconnect on either side of the circuit breaker .

• Connected in series with the breaker

Circuit Breaker
• Circuit breaker is an automatic switch which can
interrupt the fault current on receiving the trip
signal from the protective relay.
• Is used to interrupt circuits while current is
flowing through them.
• The making and breaking of contacts in a Oil type
circuit breaker are done under oil.
• This oil serves to quench the arc when the circuit
is opened.
• Bulk oil circuit breaker is used when the voltage
is up to 66kV.
• For higher voltage(36-42okV), SF6 or air blast
circuit will be used.
Current Transformer

• Current transformers are used for measuring

current and for giving the input to the relays.
• The current transformer is connected directly in
series with the line.
• One current transformer can be used to operate
several instruments.
• Current transformer are used with ammeters,
watt meters, power-factor meters, watt-hour
meters, compensators, protective and regulating
relays and the trip coil of circuit breakers.
Voltage Transformer
• Also know as potential transformer(PT)
• PT are used for measuring voltage.
• They are used with volt-meters, wattmeters, watt-hour
meters, power-factor meters, frequency meters,
synchroscopes and synchronizing apparatus, protective
and regulating relays and the no-voltage and overvoltage
trip coils of automatic circuit breakers.
Earthing Switch
• Also known as ground disconnect
• It is intended to protect people working on the grounded equipment.
• Reducing the voltage difference between the equipment and its surroundings.
• Used to connect the equipment to a grid of electrical conductors buried in the earth
on the station property.
Surge Arrester/Lightning Arrester
• Normally connected between phase and ground at the substation.
• Devices used to provide the necessary path to ground for surges.
• Protect Substation equipment's from lightning and switching surges.
• Surge arrestors offers low resistance to the high voltage surge for diverting to the
ground.
Reactors and Capacitors in Substation
• Both capacitor and reactors are used for power factor correction in the substation.
• When the capacitor bank is energized, the network is subjected to high voltage and
Inrush current
• Reactors damping the effects (reducing the inrush currents/switching currents)
• Series reactors are connected series with the line or feeder.
• Used are fault current deduction, load balancing in parallel circuit & limiting the
inrush current of capacitor bank.
• Shunt reactors are used to compensate for capacitive VARs generated by lightly
loaded transmission line or underground cable.
• It can directly connected to the system up to 115kV
Busbar Arrangement in Substation
• Substation bus bars are the most important part of the substation structure.
• They carry high amount of energy in a confined space and their failure would have
very drastic effect on the power supply continuity.
• Bus bars are of: rigid and strain type.
• Low voltage and medium voltage bus bars are of rigid bus type using copper or
aluminium bars or tubing as the phase conductors with pedestal type insulator
supports.
• High voltage busbars use strain type i.e an overhead system of stranded
aluminium conductors strung between supporting structures and supported by
strain insulators.
Busbar Arrangement Schemes in Substation
• The choice of bus bar arrangement depends on various factors such as safety,
flexibility of operation, system voltage, position of substation, degree of reliability
and cost.
• Important bus bar arrangements are
• Single bus scheme
• Single bus scheme with bus sectionalizer
• Double Bus with double breaker
• Double Bus with single breaker
• Main and Transfer bus
• Ring bus
a

a
Single Bus with Sectionalizer

b
Double Bus with Double Breaker
Double Bus with Single Breaker
Main and Transfer bus
Ring Bus
Interconnections of power station

• Connection of various generating station in parallel is

called interconnection of power stations or interconnected
grid system.

Base load:-
• The unvarying load or fixed load which occurs almost
whole day on the plant is called base load.
• The power plant which are working as base load should be
capable of working continuously for long periods.be
• ca
Peak load:-
• The various peak demands of the load over and above base
load of the power plant is called peak load.
Interconnections of power station
continued…..
• Thus by interconnection of various power stations of different
• pabof
types working
, some continuously
station for long
will supply baseperiods.
load while some other stations
will supply peak load.
• The power plant which are working as base load should be capable
of working continuously for long periods. It should have low
operating cost. Its repair should be economical and speedy.
• The peak load power plants should be capable of quick start, fast
synchronization, quick taking of load and fast response to load
variations.
• The hydro power plant serves as base load or peak load efficiency.
They are normally employed as base load plants as their capital
cost is high. When water is not abundantly available then the hydro
power plant works as peak load.
• Nuclear power plants are also employed as base load
• Diesel, gas and pumped storage plants are used as peak load plants.
Advantages of Interconnections of Power Station
(i) Exchange of peak loads :
• peak load of the power station can be exchanged If the load curve of a power station
shows a peak demand that is greater than the rated capacity of the plant
• Then the excess load can be shared by other stations interconnected

(ii) Use of older plants:

• The interconnected system makes it possible to use the older and less efficient plants to
carry peak loads of short durations.
• interconnected system gives a direct key to the use of obsolete plants.

(iii) Ensures economical operation:

• It is because sharing of load among the stations is arranged in such a way that more
efficient stations work continuously throughout the year at a high load factor and the
less efficient plants work for peak load hours only.
Continued………
(iv) Increases diversity factor :
• The load curves of different interconnected stations are generally different
• The result is that the maximum demand on the system is much reduced as compared to the sum
of individual maximum demands on different stations.
• The diversity factor of the system is improved, thereby increasing the effective capacity of the
system.

(v) Reduces plant reserve capacity :

• Every power station is required to have a standby unit for emergencies.
• However, when several power stations are connected in parallel, the reserve capacity of the
system is much reduced. This increases the efficiency of the system.

(vi) Increases reliability of supply:

• The interconnected system increases the reliability of supply.
• If a major breakdown occurs in one station, continuity of supply can be maintained by other
healthy stations.
Sources

• Electrical Power Generation ,S N Singh (Text book)

• https://www.slideshare.net/pgec-vtu-notes-module-4-eee-students