Substation Overview

THE ROUTE OF THE ELECTRICITY

LOAD AND CUSTOMER RELATION

Transmission Network

Typical Voltages
Transmission
765 kV
500 kV
345 kV
230 kV
138 kV
115 kV
Sub-Transmission

69 kV

46 kV
Distribution
Primary

34 kV
12 kV
4 kV

Secondary

240 Volts
120 Volts

Substation Configurations

Substations

Function

Switching
Voltage Transformation
Protective Relaying
Phase Shift

Substation Systems

Types of Bus Configurations (In Order of Increasing Relative Reliability)

Single bus single breaker

Main and transfer bus
Ring bus
Breaker and a half
Double bus double breaker

Substation Systems

Single Bus - Single Breaker (Radial Bus)

MAIN BUS

TRANSMISSION
LINES

Substation Systems

Single Bus - Single Breaker

Advantages
Low cost
Small footprint

Disadvantages

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Reliability Ranking = 1 (Lowest)

Bus fault or breaker failure de-energizes entire substation
Need to de-energize bus in order to extend it
Breaker or switch maintenance requires circuit outage

Substation Systems

Main & Transfer Bus

TRANSFER BUS

TRANSFER
BREAKER

MAIN BUS

TRANSMISSION
LINE

TRANSMISSION
LINE
G

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Substation Systems

Main & Transfer Bus

Advantages
Low cost
Any breaker can be taken out for maintenance

Disadvantages

Reliability Ranking = 2
Bus fault or breaker failure de-energizes entire bus
Need one extra breaker for transfer breaker
Switching complicated for breaker maintenance

Relaying complex for transfer bus

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Substation Systems

Ring Bus

TRANSMISSION
LINE

TRANSMISSION
LINE
G

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Substation Systems

Ring Bus
Advantages
Any breaker can be de-energized for maintenance without interrupting load
Each circuit is fed by two breakers
Reliability Ranking = 3

Disadvantages

If fault occurs during a breaker outage, ring can be split (Alternate sources and loads
around the ring)
Limited to about six circuits
Relaying and auto-reclosing more complex

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Substation Systems

Breaker and a Half

TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION
LINE
LINE
LINE

G
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Substation Systems

Breaker and a Half

Advantages

Bus fault does not take any circuit out of service

A line fault followed by a bus side breaker failure does not trip any additional circuit
Either main bus or any breaker can be taken out of service for maintenance without
interrupting any circuit
Reliability Ranking = 4

Disadvantages

Breaker and a half per circuit (cost)

Failure of center breaker takes one additional circuit out of service
Relaying and auto-reclosing more complex

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Substation systems

Double Bus - Double Breaker

Main BUS No. 1

Main

BUS No. 2

TRANSMISSION
LINES

TRANSMISSION
LINES

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Substation Systems

Double Bus - Double Breaker

Advantages
Two breakers per circuit
A line fault followed by a breaker failure does not trip any additional circuit
Reliability Ranking = 5 (Highest)

Disadvantages
Most expensive (two breakers per circuit)

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Substation Systems
Cost & Space Comparison of Bus Configurations
Relative
Relative
(Approx.
Nos.
Based
on
4
Circuits)
Bus Configuration
Cost
Land Area

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Single bus single breaker

Main and transfer bus
Ring bus
Breaker and a half
Double bus double breaker

Base
+30%
+10%
+40%
+90%

Base
+70%
+35%
+60%
+70%

OUTDOOR ELECTRICAL CLEARENCES

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Types of Substation

Substations

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Types
Air Insulated Substation (AIS)
Gas Insulated Substation (GIS)

GENERAL A.I. SUBSTATION LAYOUT

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GAS INSULATED SUBSTATION

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TYPICAL BUS CONFIGURATIONS

Air Insulated
Substation
Uses air insulation
between phases & ground
Located outdoors

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26

LATTICE OR SOLID-PROFILE

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Gas Insulated Substation

All conductive material within grounded metal enclosures
Enclosures filled with Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)gas

SF6 serves two purposes:

Insulation
Heat transfer medium

Outdoor installations take less land area than AIS

Indoor installations possible at essentially all voltage levels.

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GIS

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Gas Insulated Substations

Sites Where GIS May Prove More Cost Effective

Limited space
Pollution

Industrial
Coastal

Security problems
Aesthetics
Mountainous
Grading, altitude, snow and ice

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Substation Equipment

Substation Equipment

Transformers
Construction

Insulated Windings & Steel Core (Core & Coil Assembly)

Steel Tank w/Radiators
Core & Coil Assembly Immersed in Mineral Oil in Transformer Tank
Mineral Oil

Insulating Medium
Heat Transfer Medium

Radiators Can Be Equipped with Fans/Pump(s)

Three Phase or Single Phase

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Substation Equipment

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Transformers - Core Type

TYPICAL STEP UP TRANSFORMER 23KV TO 345KV

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TYPICAL STEP DOWN TRANSFORMER

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Substation Equipment

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Transformers

Substation Equipment

Circuit Breakers
Function
Switch Normal Load Currents
Switch Fault Currents

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Substation Equipment

Circuit Breakers
Types
Dead Tank

Interrupting Media

Oil
Two Pressure (Compressed) SF6

SF6 Puffer

Vacuum

Live Tank

Interrupting Media

Air Blast (Compressed Air)

Two Pressure (Compressed) SF6

SF6 Puffer

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138kV Vertical Break Disconnect Switches, Dead Tank SF6 Puffer Breaker & CVT

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Line Tank 500kV Circuit Breaker & Freestanding Current Transformer

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SUBSTATION

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138kV Dead Tank Oil Circuit Breaker &

138kV Cable Termination

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Substation Equipment

SF6 Puffer Circuit Breaker

Simpler Design vs. Two
Pressure Breakers &
OCBs
Low Operating Noise
No Oil
Handling/Seepage
Less Frequent
Maintenance
Lower Energy Operator
Foundation Reaction Small to None
No Heaters for Gas
Liquefaction (Lower Gas
Pressure)
No Gas
Compressors/High
Pressure Seals

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Substation Equipment

Air Break Switch

Switching Device designed to close and open an electric circuit by means of
guided contacts that separate in air
Disconnect Switch
Functions

Current Carrying Capability

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Normal Load Currents

Short Circuit Currents

Equipment Isolation - Visible air gap for construction and maintenance

Substation Equipment

Disconnect Switch Types

Vertical Break
Single Side Break
Double Sidebreak
Center Break
Conventional
V Type

Pantograph

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138kV Double Sidebreak

Disconnect Switch

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Substation Equipment

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Centerbreak Disconnect Switch

Substation Equipment

Instrument Transformers
Current Transformers
Transform Large Currents at High Voltage to 0 to 5 Amps for Relaying & Metering
Located on Equipment or Freestanding

Potential Transformers (PTs or VTs)

Transform High Voltages to 69 Volts or 120 Volts for Relaying & Metering
Wound Primary
Single or Dual Secondary Windings

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Substation Equipment

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Freestanding CTs

Substation Equipment

Instrument Transformers
Capacitance Voltage Transformer (CVT)

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Capacitor Stack-Voltage Divider

Transformer with Single or Dual Secondary
Transform High Voltages to 69 Volts or 120 Volts for Relaying & Metering
Less Costly Than PT/VT at Higher Voltages

138kV Current Transformer (CT) &

Capacitance Voltage Transformer (CVT)

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Substation Equipment

Surge (Lightning) Arresters

Usually Connected Phase to Ground
Function
Limit Surge Voltage at Equipment to Level Below Equipment Insulation Withstand with
Suitable Margin
Normal - High Impedance Little to No Current Through Arrester
Occurrence of Surge - Impedance Drops - Large Current Through Arrester
After Surge - Interrupt Power Follow Current (Reseal) and Return to Normal
Duty Cycle = Surge - Fire - Discharge - Reseal

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Substation Equipment

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Surge Arresters

500kV Shunt Reactor (Oil Immersed) &

500kV Surge Arrester

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Control House

Function
Weatherproof Enclosure for Equipment

Contents

Protective Relay & Control Panels

Medium Voltage (5 to 35kV) Switchgear
AC & DC Distribution Panels
Batteries & Battery Chargers
Separate Battery Room(s)
Emergency Eyewash

SCADA Equipment
Digital Fault Recorders

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Control House

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Relay and Control Panels

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Control House

Types
Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings
Self Framing
Rigid Frame

Load Bearing Masonry Buildings

Structural Steel Framed Buildings
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Buildings

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Substation Systems

Protective Relaying

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Transformer Protection
Shunt Reactor Protection
Series Capacitor Protection
Line Protection
Bus Protection
Breaker Failure Protection

Substation Equipment

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Control & Relay Panels

Substation Systems

Communications (Methods)

Communications Used For

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Power Line Carrier (30-300kHz)

Fiber Optics
Telephone Lines
Microwave
Protective Relaying
Monitoring & Control (SCADA)
Revenue Metering
Fault Data

Substation Systems

Monitoring
SCADA (Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition)
Remote Control
Status/Alarm Monitoring
Metering

Digital Fault Recorder (DFR)

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