1

TYPES OF SUBSTATIONS,
MAIN COMPONENTS, AND ITS MAJOR FUNCTIONS



BY
DR. MOHAMED A. ALI









2

SUBSTATIONS:

Electrical Substations are a part of the power system acts as links between the Generating
Units and the Load Centers. They are simply nodal points of the power system helps
power to reach the consumers form power plants in a more reliable fashion. Electrical
Substation consists of a collection of Switching and protection equipments such as
Busbars, Circuit Breakers, Isolators, Earth Switch, Current Transformers, Potential
Transformers, Lightning Arresters or Surge Arresters, Series Capacitors, Shunt
Capacitors, Series Reactors, Shunt Reactors, Power Transformers, Line traps or Wave
traps and control cables and Power line carrier Communication Systems. There are
different types of substations present in the power system. Main function of Substations
are to receive the electrical power transmitted at high voltage from the Generating
stations to step down the voltage appropriate to an appropriate value for local distribution
Some substations are simply the switching stations where different connections between
various transmission lines are made. Some substations acts as converting substations
stations and converts AC power to DC power and transmits the power in HVDC manner
and once again convert back to AC power at the other end. Substations are convenient
place for installing Synchronous Condensers at the end of the transmission lines for the
purpose of improving power factor. Reactive Power Control in the power system is
carried at the Substations Where Synchronous Condensers are used to compensate the
Reactive Power.
3

SECTION I:
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUBSTATIONS
I. Step-up or Step-down Substations:
These Substations are available in the Generating Side (Generating Plants) and in
Distribution Side (Load Centers) of the Power System. This Substations are used for
Stepping up the voltage form (11kV, 13kV, 21kV) generating voltage to (220kV and
420kV and above) transmission voltage.
Step down Substations are used for stepping down the voltage that is transmitted
(220KV,420kV) to Step-down voltage to (132kV,66kV) for distributing the voltage. This
Primary Distribution Voltage is further Stepped down to the Secondary Distribution
Voltage (11kV) and this is further stepped down to (440kV,220kV or 110kV) at the
consumer terminals.
II. Switching Substations:
These Substations are Used to Switch the power among different circuits for reliable
transfer of power to the Consumers. Different Switching Configurations are followed
such as

1) Double Busbar Scheme
2) One and Breaker Scheme
3) Single Busbar Scheme
4) Main and Transfer Busbar Scheme
5) Ring main Scheme
III. Conversion Substations:
This Substations are Used at the HVDC transmission systems to Convert the AC power
to the DC power and transmitted in the High Voltage DC format and once again convert
back to DC to AC on the Other end of the HVDC transmission System.




4

SECTION II:
DIFFERENT SUBSTATION TYPES BASED ON DESIGN
I. Outdoor Substations:
In this type of Substations all the switchyard equipment such as busbars, circuit breakers,
isolators, earth switches, Current Transformers, Voltage Transformers etc are present
under the sky. Outdoor substations are applicable to all ratings and types of substations
are best suited for the high voltage ratings (220kV above).
II. Indoor Substations:

In type of Substations all the switchyard equipment are present inside a building. This
type of substations are limited for Voltage rating of (66kV) because as the ratings
increases further phase clearances also increases results in large size of the building.



5

SECTION III:
BASED ON THE DESIGN CONFIGURATION
I. Air Insulated Substation
In Air Insulated Substation all the live parts of the equipment are surrounded by the air.
Busbars, isolators, Switches, bushing terminals etc all the live terminals are exposed to
the atmosphere.
II. Gas Insulated Substation
This type of substations is typically employed where the space requirement is the major
factor in cities and large towns. This type of substations has the advantage of more
reliability and compactness. In this Substation Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas is used as
dielectric and insulating medium for all the live parts of the equipment. In Gas Insulated
Substation all the equipment is enclosed in the closed modules filled with Sulfur
Hexafluoride gas (SF6) gas. Sulfur Hexafluoride gas has the advantage of having high
dielectric strength and high electronegative behavior. These two properties make the
substation 1/10 th of the conventional substation.
III. Hybrid Substation
Hybrid Substation is a mixture of both Gas Insulated Substation and Air Insulated
Substation. In this Substation some components are enclosed in the SF6 gas modules and
some are same as conventional substation type.

6

SECTION IV:
MAIN COMPONENTS OF SUBSTATIONS
Electric Substations are the part of the power system and used for transferring power
from generating points to load centers. Some of the important components of substation
will be listed below.
I. Busbars:
Various incoming and outgoing circuits are connected to busbars. Busbars receive power
from incoming circuits and deliver power to outgoing circuits.

Bus Bars
See all 19 ph
II. Surge arrestors or Lightning arrester:
Surge Arresters or Lightning Arresters discharge the over voltage surges to earth and
protect the equipment insulation from switching surges and lightning surges. Surge
arresters are generally connected between phase conductor and ground. In a Substation
surge arrester is located at the starting of the substation as seen from incoming
transmission lines and is the first equipment of the substation. Surge arresters are also
provided near the transformer terminals phase to ground. Two type of surge arresters are
1. available Gapped Arresters,
2. Gapless Zinc Oxide arresters.
7

Lightning Arrester or Surge Arreseter

III. Isolators or Disconnecting Switches:
Isolators are provided for isolation from live parts for the purpose of maintenance.
Isolators are located at either side of the circuit breaker. Isolators are operated under no
load. Isolator does not have any rating for current breaking or current making. Isolators
are interlocked with circuit breakers
Types of Isolators are
1. Central rotating, horizontal swing
2. Centre-Break
3. Vertical swing
4. Pantograph type


Isolators
8

IV. Earth Switch:

Earth Switch is used to discharge the voltage on the circuit to the earth for safety. Earth
switch is mounted on the frame of the isolators. Earth Switch is located for each incomer
transmission line and each side of the busbar section.


V. Current Transformer:
Current transformers are used for Stepping down current for measurement, protection and
control. Current transformers are of two types
1. Protective CT
2. Measuring CT

Current Transformer
9

VI. Voltage Transformer:

Voltage transformers are used to step down the voltage for measurement, protection and
control. Voltage transformers are of two types.
1. Electro magnetic type
2. Capacitive VT located on the feeder side of the Circuit Breaker.

Voltage Transformer
VII. Circuit Breaker:
Circuit Breaker is used for Switching during normal and abnormal operating conditions.
It is used to interrupt the short circuit currents. It is used to interrupt short circuit currents.
Circuit Breaker operations include.
1. Closing
2. Opening
3. Auto reclosing
Circuit Breaker is located near every switching point and also located at the both ends of
every protection zone.
10

SF6 Circuit Breaker
VIII. Power Transformers:
Power Transformers are used to step up or step down a.c. voltages and to transfer
electrical power from one voltage level to another. Tap changers are used for voltage
control.

Power Transformer
11

IX. Shunt Reactors:

Shunt Reactors are used for long EHV transmission lines to control voltage during low
load period. Shunt reactors is also used to compensate shunt capacitance of transmission
line during low load periods. Usually Shunt reactors are unswitched.

Shunt Reactors Bank
X. Shunt Capacitance:
Shunt capacitors are used for compensating reactive power of lagging power factor.
Shunt Capacitors are used for improving the power factor. It is also used for voltage
control during heavy lagging power factor loads. Shunt Capacitors are located at the
receiving stations and distribution substations. Shunt Capacitors are switched in during
heavy loads and switched off during low loads.
12

Shunt Capacitor Bank
XI. Series Capacitor:
Series Capacitors are used for some long EHV a.c lines to improve power transferability.
Capacitors are located at the sending end / receiving end of the lines. Series Capacitors
are provided with by pass circuit breaker and protective spark gaps.

Series Capacitors
13

XII. Series Reactors

Series reactors are used to limit short circuit current and to limit current surges
associated with fluctuating loads. Series reactors are located at the strategic locations
such that the fault levels are reduced.

Series Reactors
XIII. Lightning Protection:
Lightning protection is used to protect substation equipment from direct lightning strokes.
Lightning Masts are located at the outdoor yard. Overhead Shielding wires are used to
cover entire outdoor yard.

Lightning Masts
14

XIV. Isolated Phase Bus System:

Isolated Phase Bus System provides connection between Generator and the main
Transformer. It carries very high currents.

Isolated Phase Bus Duct
XV. Neutral Grounding Equipment:
Neutral Grounding Equipment are Resistors and reactors. They are used to limit the short
circuit current during ground fault. They are connected between neutral point and ground.

neutral Grounding resistor
15

XVI. Line Trap:

Line Trap consists of Inductive coil usually connected in the outdoor yard incoming line.
Line traps are usually mounted above Capacitor Voltage Transformer (CVT) or on
separate structure.

Wave Trap or Line Trap
XVII. Insulators:
Used for Insulation purpose. Different types of insulators are porcelain, Glass, Epoxy.

Porcelain Insulators

16

XVIII. Power Cables:

Power Cables are used to carry the power. They are single core and three core. Types of
power cables are PVC insulated, XLPE insulated.

XLPE insulated Power Cable
XIX. Control Cables:
Control Cables are for protection, control and measurement etc.. They are of low voltage
and PVC insulated. Control Cables are Multi core and Shielded.

XLPE insulated Control Cables

17

XX. Station Earthing System:

Station Earthing System includes Earth Mat and Earth electrodes placed below ground
level. These Earth Mat and Earth electrode is connected to the equipment structures,
neutral points for the purpose of Equipment earthing and neutral point earthing.
Function earthing system is to provide low resistance earthing for
1. Discharging currents from the surge arresters, overhead shielding, earthing switches
2. For equipment body earthing
3. For safe touch potential and step potential in substation.

Earthing Mat
XXI. Metering, Control and Relay panels:
To house various measuring Instruments, control Instruments, Protective relays. They are
located in air-conditioned building. Control Cables are laid between Switchyard
equipment and these panels.
18

Metering and Control Panel