Power System Background

The main components of a power system are Generation, Transmission and Distribution.
The Generating stations are connected to the Distribution system through the Transmission lines.
The transmission lines are designed to carry bulk power at high voltage from one load station to
the other. The distribution systems convey electrical energy to the consumer through low voltage
network. The generating stations usually generate power in the range of 16 kV to 25 kV. This
voltage level at the generating station is increased to transmission voltage level with the help of a
step up transformer. The transmission voltage differs from country to country. For example, in
Nigeria, it is at 330 kV. In the USA, it is at 345 kV, 500 kV and 765 kV and in Britain, it is 275
kV and 400 kV. This voltage level is then reduced to a sub-transmission voltage which ranges
from 132 kV to 66 kV. The sub-transmission station feeds the distribution system. In Nigeria, the
distribution network operates at 33 kV, 11 kV and 0.415 kV. Most industrial premises are always
supplied with 33 kV and 11 kV while residential premises are supplied with 0.415 kV three-
phase or 0.24 kV single-phase. Figure 1 summarizes the main structure of the Nigerian electrical
power system.

Electric Power Generation

Electrical power can be generated from many sources, such as from heat, water, sunlight,
wind, chemical reactions, etc. Sources from heat, water and wind utilize device that converts
mechanical energy from prime mover to electrical energy. The source of energy that drives the
prime mover dictates the type of generating plant. For example, plant whose source is water are
referred to as hydroelectric plants while the ones whose source is heat from nuclear fission or
burning of fossil fuel are referred to as Thermal plants.
Higher percentage of electrical power generated worldwide is by the hydroelectric and
thermal plants while alternative sources of generating electrical power such as wind, solar,
geothermal etc. contributes lesser percentage to the world energy supplies. Different sources of
electrical energy generation are categorized under the conventional and the non-conventional
methods.

Conventional methods
These are methods that have been use for a very long time. Examples of such are the
hydro and thermal plants.
Hydro power generation involves the conversion of hydraulic energy of water into
mechanical energy in a hydraulic turbine. The mechanical energy in the turbine is further
converted to electrical energy in an electric generator. The energy of water utilized for hydro
power generation may be kinetic or potential. The kinetic energy of water is its energy in motion
and is a function of mass and velocity, while the potential energy is a function of the difference
in level of water between the two points, called the head.. Hydroelectric energy is available
anywhere there is water flow and head.
There are three main types of hydroelectric plant arrangements, classified according to the
hydraulic characteristics:
 Generation Station
(16-25 kV)

Step-up transformer

Transm ission Station

(3 30 kV )

Step-down transformer

Sub-Transmission
Station (132 kV)

Step-down transformer
Heavy consumers
(33 kV)

Distribution Station
(33 kV)

Step-down transformer
Medium Consumers
(11 kV)

Distribution Sub-station
(11 kV)

Step-down transformer

Residential Consumers
(0.415 kV)

Figure 1: Power Systems Main Components

(a) Run-of-the-river plants, having small amounts of water storage and thus little control of the
flow through the plant.
(b) Storage plants, having the ability to store water and thus control the flow through the plant
on adaily or seasonal basis.
(c) Pumped storage plants, in which the direction of rotation of the turbines is reversed during
off peak hours, pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, thus “storing
energy” for later production of electricity during peak hours.
 The main advantages of hydroelectric power is that the plant is highly reliable, the operation
and maintenance cost of the plant are very low, the plant has quick starting ability and can be
brought on load within few minutes to respond to rapidly changing loads without loss of
efficiency.
The major disadvantages of the hydro station are the high initial cost of construction, it
dependence on water availability which in turn depends on rain which is seasonal, its distance to
load centre which makes the station to require high cost of transmission and the negative
environmental impact it has on human and other animals.
A typical hydroelectric power plant arrangement is shown in Figure 2. A dam is a structure
which is used to provide head and(or) storage for water. The dam foundation must provide
fordam stability under different forces and supports itsweight. Thefoundation should be
sufficiently impervious to prevent seepage ofwater under the dam.A trashrack is made up of
steel bars and is placed across the intake gate to stopdebries from getting to the intake. An intake
gate is utilized to divert the required amount of water into a large pipe called penstock without
producing a negative impact on the local environment. When the intake gate opens, water is
allowed to flow through the penstock at a high flow rate. The water strikes and turns the large
blades of a turbine, which is attached to a generator above it by way of a shaft. The most
common type of turbine for hydropower plants is the Francis Turbine, which looks like a big disc
with curved blades. After passing through the turbine the water returns to the river through a
short canal called a tailrace.
The voltage of the electrical energy generated is in the range of 16 kV to 25 kV. Since this
energy needs to be transported at a higher voltage to the transmission station, a step up
transformer is needed to increase the generator output voltage to the desired value (330 kV in
the case of Nigeria power network).

Thermal Power Plants are designed and constructed to convert energy from fuel (coal, oil,
gas, orradiation) into electric energy. The actual conversion is accomplished by a turbine-driven
generator.The major components of a fossil power plant are shown in Figure 3. Heat from
burning fuel changes water in the boiler to steam at a very high pressure. The steam spins the
turbine which is connected to a generator through a shaft thereby producing electrical energy.
The transformer steps up the output voltage of the generator to a transmission voltage level.

Unlike the hydro plant, thermal plant has a high running and maintenance cost. It is not
environment friendly since burning of fuel causes pollution and it is not quick starting.
Nonetheless, it has the advantage of being situated close to load centres, it offers high reliability
since the source (fuel) of energy is not seasonal and its construction time is lesser than that of the
hydro plant.

Non-conventional methods
These are methods which are still in the process of development over the past few years.
Examples of such methods are solar, wind, geothermal etc.
 DAM
RESERVIOR

PENSTOCK

TRASHRACK

TAIL RACE

Figure 2: hydroelectricpower plant arrangement

 TURBINE GENERATOR
STEAM IN SHAFT

BOILER
ELECTRICAL
ENERGY

STEAM OUT

WATER IN

STEAM CONDENSER

FUEL INPUT
(COAL, OIL AND GAS)
WATER OUT

CONDENSATE

CIRCULATING
WATER PUMP

FLAME

Figure 3: A basic fossil fuel power system

Solar power is the largest energy source available today. This energy is found in the sun,
the sun supplies practically inexhaustible energy.The energy available from the sun far exceeds
any foreseeable futureneed. Photovoltaic solar cells are used to convert sunlight energy into
electrical energy. Asides the production of electricity through the photovoltaic solar panel, solar
collectors can concentrate the heat from the sun to heat water to steam which could be used to
drive a turbine inorder to generate electrical energy.
Wind systems utilize wind as the source of energy. The wind is a free and clean energy
source which has been considered for producing electrical energy for some years now. However,
winds are variable in most parts of our country. This fact causes wind systems to be confined to
being used with storage systems, such as batteries. It is possible that wind machines may be used
to rotate small generators which could, potentially, be located at a home. However, large
amounts of power would be difficult to produce by this method.
Geothermal systems utilize the heat of molten masses of material in the interior of
theearth. The principle of geothermal systems is similar to other steam turbine driven systems.
However, in this case, the source of steam is the heat obtained from within the earth through
wells.These wells are drilled to a depth of up to two miles into the earth. Geothermal sources are
used to produce electrical energy in certain regions of the western United States.