High Tension (HT) & Low

Tension (LT) Line

Presented by

Md. Helalur Rahman

Executive Engineer (Maintenance)
Titas 50 MW Power Plant
BPDB, Titas, Cumilla
Objectives
   In this course you will learn the following:
What is high voltage and What is low voltage ?
 Why needed
Levels of  voltages
 Application of High Voltage
Electrical Insulation and Dielectrics
 What is high voltage
A mobile phone is operated from a 4V battery. It may be destroyed if
anyone attempts to operate it from a 12V car battery.

Therefore 12V is quite a high voltage for a mobile phone.

What is high voltage & low Voltage?

in power distribution, according to the IEC HV is anything above

1000Vac and LV anything below. The Americans, of course, have a
different scheme.

In some systems 1000Vac to about 36kV is medium voltage, 36kV

and above is High Voltage
 What is high voltage & low Voltage?
there are obvious differences because as you go up in voltage you need
progressively better insulation, and air clearances. For any given load in
MW, the current is less at higher voltages, allowing lighter conductors.

The biggest difference in terms of distribution systems is that HV (>1kv)

systems usually have a system for earthing the outgoing cable when
isolating.
 What is high voltage & low Voltage?

The higher the voltage gets the bigger and more elaborate the switchgear
tends to be, with specialist methods of isolation built in like withdrawable
carriages or off-load isolators upstream.
Low tension (LT)

Low tension (LT) lines have low voltage (less than 1kV) and high current
distribution .(eg.230V/440V).The power supplying to our household
applications are at LT . It is used to transmit power at very small
distances and uses thicker conductors.
High tension(HT)

High tension(HT) lines are using much higher voltages (11kV,33kV,

132kV,230kV etc). It is used to transmit power to large distances by
increasing voltage and decreasing current, so as to reduce I^2 R losses.
HT lines uses thinner conductors than LT line.
 Voltages are referred to electrical power system.
230kV
230kV
Step down 230kV Step up transformer is
transformer is used to
used to rise the voltage
reduce the voltage to
to 132kV or 230kV
33kV Long transmission line used to carry the
power to Dhaka

33kV 11kV
Step down At Power Station we
transformer is used to generate at 11kV to
reduce the voltage to 15kV
11kV

11kV 400V
Another Step down transformer is used to 230V
reduce the voltage further to 400V suitable Domestic users get electricity at 230Volt.
for end user.
 High voltage

Below 11kV : Low voltage

11kV – 100kV : HV (high Voltage)
100kV – 400kV : VHV (Very high voltage)
400kV and above : EHV ( Extra high voltage)
UHV : Ultra high voltage
Levels of high voltage:
World over the levels are classified as:
LOW VOLTAGE
HIGH VOLTAGE
 VERY HIGH VOLTAGE
EXTRA VOLTAGE
ULTRA HIGH Voltages

However , the exact magnitude of these levels vary from country to

country. Hence this system of technical terms for the voltage levels is
inappropriate .
In most part of the world even 440 V is considered to be high
voltage since it is dangerous for the living being.
Hence it would be more appropriate to always mention the level
of voltage being referred without any set nomenclature .
Basically it is required for transmission lines to be able to transmit more power over the
same line.
Why high voltage Loss in
transmission
New Loss in
transmission line
line = I2R, (2I)2R=4I2R
R is the resistance of
Kaptai the line. Dhaka
I2I

I I Equation for power is

P= V I Cos 

Therefore we conclude that it is not wise to increase

the line current to transmit more power over a line,
keeping the voltage same.
 Why high voltage Loss in
Basically it is required for transmission transmission line
lines to be able to transmit more power = I2R,
over the same line. R is the resistance of the
line.
Kaptai Dhaka
I

I 2V

Transformer Equation for power is

P= V I Cos 
V

I I Therefore we see that if the transmission line

voltage is increased it is capable of transmitting
Generator more power without increasing the power loss in
the line.
Trends in voltage growth
Ac voltage Unfortunately it is a
very old data.
Trends in voltage growth
dc voltage

Unfortunately HVDC
In our country we do not
transmission has been
have any HVDC
proven to be less
transmission system so
attractive to the power
far.
system engineers.
Fields of applications of HV

Power system engineering

Research laboratories
Industries
Nuclear research, particle accelerators
Electrostatic precipitators
Automobile ignition coils
Medical applications like X-ray machine
What we learn

Testing of HV equipments like power transformers, bushings, CB,

insulators, cables etc.
Usually tests are done at a voltage much higher than the operating
voltage.
Generation, measurement and control of different types of HV.
What we learn in High Voltage

Failure mechanism of HV equipments caused by HV stress.

Breakdown mechanism of different types of insulating materials ( solid,
liquid, gas, vacuum) under different types of voltages (ac, dc, li, si).
 Few future prospects of HV

For cosmopolitan cities overhead distribution lines are not allowed any
more. HV underground cables of compact size is the solution.
Compact all-in-one fix-and-forget type GIS substations are required in near
future.
HV has some residential and industrial applications like water treatment
plant, insect killer/repeller, exhaust air purifier etc.
 ac High Voltage Suppose it is said that the voltage is 100kV.

?
Then this peak value is
=100 X 103 X 2 volt
 140kV
Voltage
In
kV

100kV
power frequency
ac voltage

Time
In
ms

?
10 ms
ac High Voltage

In high voltage engineering, we should

100kV
always be careful about the peak value
power of
frequency
the ac voltage, because this isacthe
voltage

maximum voltage in the system and may

be responsible for initiating breakdown or
failure.
 dc High Voltage 100kV
Voltage
In
?
kV

100kV
dc voltage

Time
In
ms
 Lightning Impulse
Voltage
In 90%
?
500kV
kV
500kV
50% li

10%

t0
t3 Time
t1 t2 In
μs
Wave front
=1.25(t2-t1) Wave tail
=t3-t0
TRANSMISSIO
N LINES
 INTRODUCTION
• The electrical power generated in the generating station is
transmitted with the help of transmission lines.
• Transmission line is a conductor or conductors designed to carry
electricity or an electrical signal over large distances with minimum
losses and distortion.
• The parameters associated with these transmission lines are
inductance, capacitance, resistance and conductance.
• These parameters are uniformly distributed along the length of
transmission line .For good electric design of transmission line , a
sound knowledge of all these parameters are essential.
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHILE
DECIDING TRANSMISSION LINE

• Type and size of the conductor

• Efficiency of transmission
• Corona loss
• Power flow capability and stability
• Economical aspects
CLASSIFICATION OF TRANSMISSION
LINES
1- Overhead transmission lines
• Short transmission lines
• Medium transmission lines
• Long transmission lines
2- Underground cables
 Overhead Transmission
Lines
1. Short transmission lines-
• Line voltage is less than 20KV
• Length of transmission line is upto about 50Km
• Capacitance effect are small or negligible
2- Medium transmission lines-
Line voltage is moderately high. It is greater than 20KV but
less than 100KV.
Length of lines is about 50 Km to 150Km.
Capacitance is significant.
3 Long transmission lines-
• Line voltage is very high (>100Km).
• Length of an overhead line is more than 150Km.
• Line constants are considered uniformly distributed over the
whole length of the line.
Conductors used to design overhead
transmission lines-

• ASCR- Aluminium conductor with steel reinforcement

• ACAR- Aluminium conductor with alloy reinforcement
• Hard drawn copper conductor
• Steel cored copper conductor(SCC)
• Phosphor bronze conductor
• Galvanized steel conductors
• AAC- All Aluminium conductors
 Overhead Line Insulators

PORCELAIN-
• It is a ceramic material.
• It is free from cracks, holes etc.
• It’s insulation resistance is very high.
• Dielectric strength of porcelain is about 60kV/cm.

GLASS-
• Cheaper than the porcelain.
• Less stronger than the porcelain.
• Higher compressive strength than porcelain.
SYNTHETIC RESIN-
• Tensile strength is high.
• Weight is low
• Comparatively cheaper.
Mechanical design of overhead
transmission lines
• Transmission lines are designed primarily on the basis of
economy point of view.
• But due to sag it requires more conductor material.
• For keeping the cost minimum, sag also must be kept minimum
• But if sag is too low then wire gets subjected to an extra
tension.
• If sufficient sag is not kept then there is possibility of the
mechanical failure of the transmission lines.so for favorable
condition, the required amount of sag and tension are
calculated considering all the sever conditions like ice coating
and wind pressure.
Advantages of overhead transmission lines-

• Cheaper to install and maintain than underground cables.

• Quicker to fix whenever fault develops.
• They have large transmission capacity.
• Good cooling conditions.
Disadvantages of overhead transmission lines

• Difficult to be erected in the area where the network is complex

and concentrate.
• Not very safe to be erected in densely populated area of the
city.
• Also is not beautiful.
• Affected by environmental conditions such as temperature,
wind, rain etc.
• Influenced by thunder and lightening.
 Underground cables
• Undergrounding is the replacement of overhead cables
providing electrical power or telecommunications, with
underground cables.
• In thickly populated areas, the use of overhead lines is not practicable
and electrical energy is transmitted and distributes through
underground cables.
• An underground cable is a conductor provided with proper
insulation.
• As voltage increases, the cost of insulation increases and hence
underground cables are restricted to low and medium voltage
distribution.
Construction of an underground cable
Classification of underground cables
By Voltage
LT cables: Low-tension cables with a maximum capacity of 1000 V
HT Cables: High-tension cables with a maximum of 11KV
ST cables: Super-tension cables with a rating of between 22 KV and 33 KV
EHT cables: Extra high-tension cables with a rating of between 33 KV and 66 KV
Extra super voltage cables: with maximum voltage ratings
beyond 132 KV

By Construction
Belted cables: Maximum voltage of 11KVA
Screened cables: Maximum voltage of 66 KVA
Pressure cables: Maximum voltage of more than 66KVA
 Laying of underground cables

1-DIRECT LAYING-
• The trench is about 1.5m deep and 45cm wide in dug.
The trench is covered with a layer of fine sand and the cable is
laid over this bed.
2- DRAW IN SYSTEM-
• Duct of cast iron or concrete are laid in the ground with
manholes at suitable positions along the cable route.
• Very less chances of fault occurrence.
3- SOLID SYSTEM-
• The cable is laid in open pipes or trough dug out in earth along
the cable route.
• After the cable is laid, the toughing is filled with the bituminous
compound and covered over.
• It has poor heat dissipation facilities.
Advantages of underground cables

• Low chances of developing faults.

• Low maintenance cost.
• Not influenced by environmental conditions.
• More durable in comparison to overhead transmission lines.
• Underground cables are more safer fore mankind.
• Requires a narrow band of length to install.
Disadvantages of underground cables

• Very expensive. It costs four times the overhead lines.

• Repairing of underground cables is not easy and it takes more
time to repair than overhead lines.
• Maintenance cost is also very high.
THANK YOU