Rural Electrification

Overview of topics
• Survey of OHL
• Design of Transmission and distribution
system
• Cost Estimate
• Construction
• Some pictures
 Softwares you need
• Autocad
• MHP(Microhydro) design aids
• MS Excel
• Optional:
• ETAP, Power world simulator, Netbas
 T/D process

Survey Design Construction

 Transmission and Distribution(T& D)
• Types

• Suspended Overhead on Poles (Overhead Line)

• Buried Cables (Underground Cable)

OH Line(Features)

• Less Expensive

• Frequent Maintenance Required

• Less cost per maintenance

• Does not look aesthetically good in dense locality

• Not preferred in areas which experience heavy snowfall

• UG Cable

• Costly Installation(if done per standard 6 times costly compared to OH)

• Less Maintenance

• Higher cost per maintenance

• Highly desirable in densely located areas

• Obvious choice for areas which experience heavy snowfall

• ACSR (Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced) conductors are the norms

of the day(as against hard drawn copper which were used in earlier days)
 Components used
• Transformers
• Poles
• Insulators
• Lightning arrestors and Earthing plates
 Transformer

• ONAN type
• Step up transformer near to generating station
of high KVA rating and stepdown of smaller
KVA ratings near to load centers
• Sizing is done taking load demand and dividing
by suitable power factor
Data sheet
Conductor
• ASCR type
• Mainly Dog, Rabbit, Weasel, and
Squirrel
• If dog is on phase, rabbit is taken
in neutral ;similarly if rabbit is in
phase weasel in neutral and so on
Comparison between conductors
 Poles

Voltage 230V 400V 11, 33kV

level
 Insulator types

Shackle Insulators ---

Shackle Insulators of suitable Supported(Clamped)by D-Iron
voltage ratings upto 1000V set which is a clamp made out
OH Line of galvanized steel

Shackle
S. No Size Dimensions Weight Corresponding
conductor

1 Small 55 mm x 55 200 gm Squirrel,

mm service wire

2 Medium 75 mm x 90 600 gm Gopher, weasel

mm and rabbit

3 Large 100 mm x 110 1300 gm Dog

mm
 Disc insulator
• Disc Insulators along
with suitable tension
Set are used for
deadening a line at
11kV or higher.

Pin Insulator

• Pin Insulators are used for

straight runs of 11kV Line
 Stay sets
• Stay sets to support poles

• Suitable Stay sets are

provided at first pole, at
line end, at all poles set at
an angle and at every fifth
pole even if the poles are
in a straight line

• Two types 16mm dia for LT

and 20mm dia for HT
 Lightning arrestor and
Earthing
• Lightning Arrestors to
protect lines from
Lightning

• 0.5kV ,ZnO
(Gapless)Arrestors for
400Volt Line

• 12kV, 5kA ZnO(Gapless)

Arrestors for 11kV Line
• Placed every 500m and on
junctions and last(end)
points

• Drop Out(DO) Fuse to

Protect Transformers from
Over Current
 Earthing system
• 600mm*600mm*3.15 mm
copper plate is used for
earthing purposes(weighs
around 10kg)

• Plate is connected with

8SWG copper
wire(4.06dia)

• Earth Resistance value <5

Ohm is desirable but in no
case should exceed 10
Ohm
 Service wire
• Aluminum cable
connecting from pole to
home
• Generally flat twin
sheathed cable is used
• Wrapped once or twice
around the pole to reduce
stress
• Distance is taken average
of 30m
 Survey
• Equipment required:
• Total power station(TPS), GPS receiver or measuring tapes and
compass
• Steps:
• Start from generating station
• Take the shortest and straight route for transmission line
• Fix the position of transformer
• Transformer should be positioned at the center of load as far as
possible so as to reduce the voltage drop
• Measure distribution lines length in similar way
• For distribution, within a radius of 30m service wire, otherwise
extend the conductor
• Note all the lengths, nodes and drawings on your notebook
 100HH
Talu dada N
c
Tr2

10
Tr1 Tr3
5
c
5 3
3 20HH
Sunera
10HH
Dharan
 Design of Transmission system
• Selection of voltage level
• 230/400/11,000/33,000Volts
• Balanced loading is considered
• Whole power system is radial

• Design Criteria of OH distribution line:

• Maximum allowable voltage drop at the
farthest end shall not exceed 10%
• Find optimum line voltage
𝑙 𝑃 0.5
using 𝑉 = 5.5 + where
1.6 100
l=length(kms) and P=Power in MW
• Take the nearest standard voltage
• Find line current using 𝐼 = 𝑃/ 3*V*pf
• Select the ambient temperature(25degrees)
• Select the allowable range of temperature and
find the resistance at new temp value
 1 1
• Use the relation: R𝑡 = 𝑅20 ∗ (( +𝑡) /( +𝑡20))
α α
Where R20= resistance of conductor at
20degrees
• Calculate the total resistance multiplying by
length of line
𝑃
• Find efficiency using relation:ῃ = ∗
𝑃+3∗𝐼2 ∗𝑅
100
• Model the transmission line as short and find
the receiving end parameters
𝑉𝑠 1 𝑍 𝑉𝑟
• = ∗
𝐼𝑠 0 1 𝐼𝑟 Z
Is Ir

Vs Vr
 Distribution line voltage drop
calculation
V1 V2 V3

Sending end Z Z
voltage (V)

I1,ф1 I2,ф2 I3,ф3

Phase Current(A) Voltage drop (cV)

3phase P/(sqrt3*V*pf) Sqrt3*I*Z*L
1 phase P/(V*pf) 2*I*Z*L
 Final design
100HH
Talu dada 10/1/3/dog
c

10/5/3/sq 11/0.4
0.4/11 89/1/3/dog
c
89/5/3/sq
2/0.5/1/sq

1/1/3/sq 11kV 0.5kV 20HH

10HH A-power(kW) A/B/C/D
B-length(km)
lightning C-phase
arrestor D-conductor type
HH-House holds
Typical drawings
 Cost Estimation
• Conductor estimate
• Add 10% for sag obtained from design length
• Calculate the length of phase conductors and neutral

• Pole estimate
• For HT lines, divide length by 50m to get no. of 8m steel tubular poles
• For three phase section, divide length by 35m to get no. of 7m wooden poles
• For single phase section, divide length by 35m to get no. of 6m wooden poles

• Transformer estimate
• Calculate the cost of no. of transformers in the project

• Insulator estimate
• HT
• Multiply no. of steel tubular poles by 3 to get number of pin insulators
• LT
• For 7m poles multiply by 4 to get number of shackle insulators
• Care must be taken to get medium and large size shackle insulator
• Multiply no. of 6m poles by 2 to again obtain shackle insulator
• Pole mounted substation
• Each pole requires 6 disc and 6 pin insulators, 3 DO fuse, 3 lightning arrestors, 1 earthing set
and 1MCCB

• Double station
• Each station requires 4 steel tubular poles, 6 disc insulators and 3 pin insulators

• Lightning arrestors
• HT arrestors:
• Divide the HT straight length by 500 and multiply by 3 o obtain no. Of lightning arrestors
• LT arrestors:
• Divide the LT straight length by 500 to obtain no. Of lightning arrestors. If it’s a 3phase
system multiply by 3 to get no. of lightning arrestors .
• If it’s a single phase system only 1 LA is connected and thus no. is obtained

• Stay set
• On every first, fifth and last pole, it should be provided. Simply, divide total no. of tubular
poles by 5 which gives the no. of HT stay set
• Similarly, divide total no. of 6m and 7m poles by 5 to get no. of LT stay set
• Earthing set
• Divide the HT straight length by 500 to obtain no. of earthing
sets
• Divide the LT straight length by 500 to obtain no. Of earthing
sets
• Service wire
• Multiply house hold number by 30m and per metre cost to
get service wire cost
• Multiply all numbers by respective cost to get total
transmission cost estimate
Sample of cost estimate
 Construction
• Choose a straight short line
• Calculate the number of poles required for the
given length and mark it through pegs
• The poles should be buried 1m with bitumen
paint
• Fix D-iron and insulators
• Insert the pole and check the verticality with a
plumb bob
• Commence unrolling of conductor and install
using manual wire puller
Unrolling
Method of joining
Earthing
Lightning arrestor installation
 Salient features
• Low voltage transmission system is still
popular in under-developed and developed
countries where reach of national grid is
difficult
• Off grid settlement or decentralized
generation
• Help in fights on poverty elimination and
sustainable development which is the mean
motto of UNDP, Practical Action, GIZ etc
Pictures
 References
• MHP design aids, Pushpa Chitrakar, GIZ Nepal
• Microhydro Design manual, Adam Harvey
• Mini grid manual, Allan Inversin
• www.etap.com
• www.aepc.gov.np
• Jayaram Karkee, Minigrid Engineer, Resource management
and rural Empowerment Center
• Transmission and Distribution Electrical Engineering Third
edition, Dr C. R. Bayliss CEng FIET and B. J. Hardy ACGI CEng
FIET
• A text book on power systems, BR Gupta