SUBSTATIONS

SUBSTATIONS
The substation may be defined as an assembly of apparatus
installed to perform switching, voltage transformation, power
factor correction, power and frequency-converting operations.
The purpose of a substation is to take power at high voltages from the
transmission or sub-transmission level, reduce its voltage and supply it to a
number of primary voltage feeders for distribution in the area surrounding it.

It performs operational and emergency switching and protection duties at

both the transmission and feeder level.
FACTORS GOVERNING THE SELECTION OF SITE

Rules are to be considered for the selection of an

ideal location for a substation:

 The substation should be located nearer the load

center of its service areas, so that its distance from the
substation is minimum.
 Proper voltage regulation should be possible without
taking extensive measures.
 There should be proper access for incoming sub-
transmission lines and outgoing primary feeders.
 It should provide enough space for future expansion.
 It should help minimize the number of customers
affected by any service interruption.
View of 33/11 kV Substation
 CLASSIFICATION OF SUBSTATION
Substations are classified based on the service, location, function and
type of apparatus they use.

ACCORDING TO SERVICE

Transformer Substations
These substations
transform power from
one voltage to another
as per requirement.

Kinds of Transformer Substation

1. Transmission or primary substations These substations receive

power from local generating stations (11 kV or 33 kV) and step up the
voltage (220 kV or 400 kV) for primary transmission so that huge
amounts of power can be transmitted over long distances to the
load centres economically.
2. Subtransmission or secondary substation These substations receive the
power from primary transmission substations at high voltages (above 132
kV) and step down the voltage to 33 kV or 11 kV for secondary
transmission or primary distribution.
3. Step down or distribution substations These substations receive
the power from sub-transmission substations or directly from
power stations and step down the voltage for secondary
distribution, i.e. 400 V for three phases or 230 V for single phase
for household consumers.

Other types of substations

 Industrial Substations Some industrial consumers require huge
amounts of power, it is advisable for such consumers to install
individual substations.
 Switching Substations These
substations are used for
switching operations of
power lines without the
transformation of voltage. c

 Converting Substations These substations are used for converting AC

into DC. This is useful for special purposes such as electric traction,
electric welding, battery charging, etc.
 ACCORDING TO DESIGN

The main components of substation equipment are insulators, bus bars,

circuit breakers, transformers, switches, relays, etc., which are properly
protected for continuity and quality of supply.
 The substations are classified as indoor and outdoor substations.

 Indoor Substations are those whose apparatus are installed

within a building. These substations are generally used up to 11
kV voltage only. Generally these types of substations are
installed where the atmosphere is contaminated with impurities
such as metal-corroding gases and fumes, conductive dust, etc.

 Outdoor Substations are of two types. They are

1. Pole-mounted substations These are used for

distribution purposes only and are usually
mounted on double or four-pole structures with
suitable platforms.
2. Foundation-mounted substations These are
also called plinth-mounted substations.

These are used for high-rating transformers due to the heavy

weight of the transformer.
2. Foundation-mounted substations These are also called plinth-
mounted substations.

These are used for high-rating transformers due to the heavy weight of the transformer.
 Merits And Demerits Of Indoor And
Outdoor Substations
Outdoor substations have the following merits over indoor substations:

1. All the equipment is visible. So the identification of fault is

easier.
2. Expansion of the substation is easier.
3. Takes less erection time.
4. There is no necessity of building. So it requires less building
material.
5. The construction work required is comparatively smaller,
and hence, the cost of the switchgear installation is low.
6. The spacing between the apparatus is more, so less
damage occurs due to faults.
The demerits of outdoor substations over indoor substations are:

1. Switching operations, the supervision and maintenance of

apparatus are to be performed in the open air during all kinds of
weather.
2. Requires more space for arranging apparatus in the substation.
3. The apparatus is exposed to the sun. It requires special design,
therefore, for withstanding high temperatures.
4. The apparatus requires more maintenance due to dust and dirt
deposition on the outdoor substation equipment.
5. These are prone to lightning strokes.

The choice of the particular arrangement depends upon the relative

importance of safety, reliability, flexibility of operation, initial cost, easy
maintenance, availability of good area, location of connecting lines and
provision for expansions and appearance.
 SUBSTATION EQUIPMENT

The various equipment's required in a substation depend upon the

type of substation, service requirement and protection importance.

 Bus Bars- A bus bar term is used for a conductor carrying current
to which many connections are made.

Bus bars used in substations are of copper or aluminum and they

are bare rectangular cross-section bars or round solid bus bars,
but the former is more commonly used since it is more
economical as compared to the latter.
 Two kinds of bus bar

1. Copper or copper-clad steel tubes or aluminum tubes

supported on post insulators.
2. Standard copper or ACSR wires or cellular hollow wires strung
between strain insulators. They are of 5–6 m in length.
 Insulators Porcelain are
used in substations to
support and insulate
the live conductors
and bus bars.

 Switchgear Under normal working conditions, any equipment will

carry the rated load current of the circuit.

 Isolators are used for isolating

the circuit when the current
has already been interrupted.
They allow currents into the
circuit until circuit health is
restored.
Isolators are used only for connecting and disconnecting parts of
electrical installations after re-energizing them by opening their
circuits with the respective circuit breakers.

Transformers
A transformer is a static device used to transform power from one
voltage level to another voltage level without changing the
frequency.
Transformers can be classified into two kinds:

1. Power transformers Step-up power

transformers are used at generating
stations to step up the voltage for
transmission, whereas step-down
transformers are used at receiving-end
stations to step down the voltage for
secondary transmission, and primary
and secondary distribution.
 2. Instrument transformers are
used (a) to protect personnel
and apparatus from high
voltage, and (b) to permit the
use of reasonable insulation
levels and current-carrying
capacity in relays and motors.

Indicating and Metering Instruments Ammeters, voltmeters, PF meters,

watt meters, energy meters, kVAr meters are installed in substations
for control and measurement purposes.
Protective Relays These are installed for the protection of equipment
against faults or overloads.

Lightning Arresters All the

equipment in the outdoor
stations should be
protected against direct
lightning strokes and
travelling waves reaching
the station over the
transmission lines.

Substation Auxiliary Supply in any substation, it is a practice to connect

two transformers to the 11 kV main bus bars for the supply of auxiliaries
at a voltage of 400 V/230 V. E
 Basic Terms Of Earthling

Earth An object is said to be earthed when it is

electrically connected to an earth electrode.

Earth Electrode A metal plate, pipe, any other conductor or

an array of conductors electrically connected to the general
mass of the earth.

Earthing Lead The conductor by which the earth electrode is

connected to neutral is called earthling lead.