Module 4: Substation Equipment's Details And

Operations

July 2021
In this module we will discuss about
 Insulators
 Conductors
 AC Auxiliary Supply
 DC Supply & Battery Chargers
 Earthing
 Metering System
Insulators

 The metal which does not allow free movement of electrons or electric charge is called as an
insulator.
 There are different types of insulators such as suspension type, strain type, stray type, shackle,
pin type and so on.
 Insulators are used for insulation purpose while erecting electric poles with conductors to avoid
short circuit and for other insulation requirements
 A few types of insulators are shown in the figure
 Pin insulators are used in power networks up to 33 kV system.
 In higher voltage, beyond 33KV, it becomes uneconomical to use pin insulator because size, weight
of the insulator become more. Handling and replacing bigger size single unit insulator are quite
difficult task.
 For overcoming these difficulties, suspension insulator was developed.
 When suspension string is used to sustain extraordinary tensile load of conductor it is referred as
strain insulator.
 they are used where there is a dead end or sharp corner in transmission lines
 For low voltage lines, the stays are to be insulated from ground at a height. The insulator used in
the stay wire is called as the stay insulator
Operation & Maintenance:
General Checks:
Periodically all insulators should be wiped with cloth to avoid failure of insulator due to short
circuits, Special inspections should be made for insulators i.e.
1.Hot Line Inspection/Bare Hand inspection
2.Thermograph inspection (For detecting Hot Spots)
Irrespective of these inspections, Daily Visual checks should be carried out for any abnormal
chipping out of insulators, Hair Line Cracks etc......
Conductors
 The material or object that obeys the electrical property conductance (mostly made of metals
such as aluminium and copper) and that allows the flow of electric charge is called conductor.
 These are used for the transmission of power or electrical energy from one place (generating
station) to another place (consumer point where power is consumed by the loads) through
substations.
Types of conductors were as follows:
AAC     : All Aluminium conductors.
AAAC   : All Aluminium Alloy conductors
ACSR   : Aluminium conductors, Steel-Reinforced
ACAR   : Aluminium conductor, Alloy-Reinforced
 AAC has lesser strength and more sag per span length than any other category. Therefore, it is
used for lesser span.
 AAAC has same construction as AAC except the alloy. Its strength is equal to ACSR but due to
absence of steel it is light in weight. Due to stronger tensile strength than AAC, it is used for
longer spans.
  ACAR is cheaper than AAAC but pro to corrosion.
 ACSR is used for longer spans keeping sag minimum.
 
Used at Stranding & Wire Dia

Aluminium Steel Current

Conductor
Capacity
No. Dia No. Dia

Moose PSS 61 3.45 0 0 855

Panther 33KV Lines 37 3.30  0  0 535 
WOLF 33 KV Lines 32 2.7 0 0 365
Moose 220KV Lines 33  4.442  0   0  855

Operation & Maintenance:

General Checks:

Visual inspections should be made on periodical basis for

 Any fraying of conductors

 Check the jointing b/w incoming & outgoing conductors were in good condition
 Check the condition of jumpers for any burning/frayed strands.
 Check the Sag in between poles If any abnormality observed take necessary action.
DC Supply & Battery Chargers

 For controlling various operations of substation equipment, suitable D.C. supply is required.
 In battery charger panel, A.C. 1 phase or 3 phases is given, which converts A.C. to D.C. supply.
This D.C. supply is given to various control panels of substation ,for charging the batteries and
D.C. Distribution Board (DCDB).
 In case of A.C. supply failure, batteries provide D.C. supply for controlling the operations of
substation equipment in normal or abnormal conditions.
 Battery capacity is expressed in Ampere Hours which is equal to the product of the specified
discharge current in amperes multiplied by the number of hours before the battery discharges
to the specified extent.
Name Plate Details of Battery Charger:

Input Voltage(415 V+/- 10%) Frequency (50 HZ)

Output Float Boost

Voltage 242 V Dc max. 253 V Dc max.

Current 20 A DC max. 30 A DC max.

Operation & Maintenance:
General Checks:
 Batteries should be cleaned regularly.

 Cell voltages to be recorded as per schedule.

 Do not disturb any connection with charger on, as there is risk of sparking.
 Tighten connections periodically. Apply petroleum jelly to terminals to prevent corrosion.
 Do not short circuit the battery terminals. Do not tamper the safety valve of the cell
 Check the ambient temperature of battery room & temperature of Individual cell by touching with
bare hand.
 Check the working of FLOAT & BOOST Chargers &Ensure their respective voltages as per the
manufacturer.
Earthing
 One of the important aspects in the operation of the protective equipment is proper
earthing.
 Earthing also increases the reliability of the supply service as it helps to provide stability of
voltage conditions, prevent excessive voltage peaks during disturbances .
 It provides protection against Lightning. For outdoor substation, a main earthing ring should
be provided round the substation which should be connected to all earth electrodes. The
ring should be laid so as to have shortest connection from transformers, circuit breakers etc.
Types of Earthing:
 Neutral Earthing: Deals with the earthing of system neutral to ensure that neutral points
are held at earth potential and return path is available to neutral current.
Points to be earthed: Transformer neutral is to be earthed to two separate earth pits.
 Equipment Earthing: Deals with earthing of non-current carrying parts of equipment to
ensure safety to personnel & protection against lightning.
Points to be earthed: All non-current carrying metallic parts of equipment, structures,
enclosures, overhead shielding wires, flanges of bushings, cores of transformer,
cable sheaths, earthed screens, pipes, portable appliances, fences, doors, screens.
 
 IEEE 80 is the reference or guide for safety alternative current substation grounding
DESIGN CRITERIA: -
The earth mat shall be designed by considering the following criteria.

 Earthing system shall be designed for maximum fault current level (KA) at switchyard area without
exceeding any operating and equipment limits or adversely affecting continuity of service and within
the vicinity of grounded facilities is not exposed to the danger of critical electric shock.
 The grid resistance shall be less than 2 ohms for 33kv switchyards, 1 ohm for 132&220kv
switchyards, 0.5 ohm for 400kv switchyard.
 Touch and step potential shall be within tolerable limits.
 Individual earth electrode should be designed in such a way that earth resistance of each electrode
is less than 3 ohms.
 Equipment earthing conductor sizes shall be as per required fault current levels (KA), fault clearing
time.
Methods of Earthing

Plate Earthing

Pipe Earthing

Rod Earthing

Strip Earthing
 Plate Earthing

 In this type of earthing plate either of copper or of G.I. is buried into the ground at a depth of
not less than 3 meter from the ground level.
 The earth plate is embedded in alternative layer of coke and salts for a minimum thickness of
about 15cm.
 The earth wire(copper wire for copper plate earthing and G.I. wire for G.I. plate earthing) is
securely bolted to an earth plate with the help of bolt nut and washer made of copper, in case
of copper plate earthing and of G.I. in case of G.I. plate earthing.
 Pipe earthing

 Pipe earthing is best form of earthing, and it is cheap also in this system of earthing a GI pipe of
38 mm diameter and 2meters length is embedded vertically in ground to work as earth
electrode, but the depth depend upon the soil conditions, there is no hard and fast rule for this.
 But the wire is embedded up to the wet soil. The earth wire are fastened to the top section of
the pipe with nut and bolts.
 The pit area around the GI pipe filled with salt and coal mixture for improving the soil
conditions and efficiency of the earthing system.
 It can take heavy leakage current for the same electrode size in comparison to plate earthing.
 The earth wire connection with GI pipes being above the ground level can be checked for
carrying out continuity test as and when desired, while in plate earthing it is difficult.
 In summer season to have an effective earthing three or four bucket of water is put through the
funnel for better continuity of earthing.
Rod Earthing

 In this system of earthing 12.5mm diameter solid rods of copper 16mm diameter solid rod of
GI or steel or hollow section of 25mm GI pipe of length not less than 3 meters are driven
vertically into the earth.

 In order to increase the embedded length of electrode under the ground, which is some time
necessary to reduce the earth resistance to desired value more than one rod section are
hammered one above the other.

 This system of earthing is suitable for area which are sandy in character .

 This system of earthing is very cheap

STRIP OR WIRE EARTHING

 In this system of earthing strip electrode of cross section not less than 25mm into 1.6mm of
copper or 25mm * 4mm of GI or steel are buried in horizontal trenches of minimum depth of
0.5m.

 If round conductor are used their cross-sectional area shall not be smaller than three if copper
is used and 6mm2 if GI or steel is used.

 The length of buried conductor shall be sufficient to give the required earth resistance (about
0.5Ωto 1.5Ω)

 It shall however be not less than 15 m

 The electrode shall be as widely distributed as possible in a single straight or circular

trenches radiating from a point .

 This type of earthing is used in rocky soil earth bed because at such places excavation work
for plate earthing is difficult
 Metering System

 The Power in electrical circuit is measured by energy meter. Energy is the total power consumed
 over a certain period and is measured in kilowatt-hour (KWH).
 Energy meter records Import / Export energy parameters. These Energy meters were fed by metering
 CT’s &PT’s.
 Basic Energy meter in substation is six quadratic electrometer which registers
Following parameters
 P+
 P-
 Q ind (if P+)
 Q ind (if P-)
 Q cap (if P+)
 Q cap (if P-)
Operation & Maintenance:

  General Checks: 
 Periodical Calibration should be done for these energy meters and reports should be
documented.
 Meter housing panels should keep clean & tidy.
 Metering panels should be water proof & air tight.
 Metering seals should not be tampered without proper authorisation.
Thank You