MAINTAINANCE OF SUB-STATION

1.1 INTRODUCTION OF SUBSTATION

The present-day electrical power system is A.C. i.e. electrical power is generated,
transmitted and distributed in the form of alternating current. It is delivered to the consumers
through a large network of transmission and distributed. At many places in the line of the
power system, it may be desirable and necessary to change some characteristics (e.g. voltage,
A.C. to D.C., frequency power factor etc.) of electric supply.

This is accomplished by suitable apparatus called substation. For example generation

voltage (11KV or 6.6KV) at the power station is stepped up to high voltage (say 132KV or
220KV) for transmission of electric power. The assembly of apparatus (e.g. transformer etc.,)
used for this purpose in the sub-station. Similarly, near the consumer’s localities, the voltage
may have to be stepped down to utilization level. This job is again accomplished by a suitable
apparatus called sub-station.

1.2 CONSTRUCTION OF A SUB-STATION

At the time of constructing of a substation, we must consider some factors which affect
the substation efficiency like selection of site.
1.2.1 Selection of site

Main points to be considered while selecting of the site of EHV Sub-Station are as
follows:
 The site chosen should be as near to the load center as possible.
 It should be easily approachable by road or rail for transportation of equipment.
 Land should be fairly levelled to minimize development cost.
 The Sub-Station site should be as near to the town /city but should be clear of public
places , aerodromes ,and military / police in installations.
  While the selecting the land for the Sub-Station preference to be given to the Govt.land

 There are several ways of classifying sub-station . However, the two most important
ways of classifying them according to (1) service requirement and (2) constructional
features.

2.1 ACCORDING TO THE REQUIRMENT

A substation may be called upon to change voltage level or improve power factor or
convert A.C. power into D.C. power etc. According to the service requirement ,substation may be
classified into:
1.transformer substation
2.switching substation
3.power factor correction transformer
4.frequency changer substation
5.converting substation
6.industrial substation

2.2. ACCORDING TO THE CONSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES

A substation has many components which must be hosed properly to ensure continuous
and reliable service. According to constructional features, the substation are classified as

1.Indoor substation
2.outdoor substation
3.underground substation
 4.pole mounted substation

3.1 FEEDER CIRCUIT

1 Lightning arrestor
2 CVT
3 Wave Trap
4 Isolator with earth switch
5 Current transformer
6 circuit breaker
7 feeder bus isolator
8 bus
9 potential transformer in the bus with a bus isolator
4.1 LIGHTNING ARRESTER
lightning arrester are the instruments that are used in the incoming feeders so that to
prevent the high voltage entering the substation. This high voltage is very dangerous to the
instruments used in the substation. Even the instruments are very costly, so to prevent any
damage lightning arrestors are used. The lightning arrestor do not let lightning to fall on the
station. If some lightning occurs to lightning arrestor pull the lightning and ground it to the
earth.in any substation the main important is of protection which is firstly done by these lightning
arrestors.
These are located at the entrance of the transmission line into the substation and as near as
possible to the transformer terminals.
The lightning arrestor is a protective device, which conducts high voltage surges on the
power system to the ground.
4.1.2 The Action of the Lightning Arrester or Surge diverter:
*Under normal operation, the lightning arrester conducts no current to earth or the gap is
non conducting.
*on the occurrence of over voltage, the air insulation across the the gap breaks down and
arc is formed providing a low resistance path for the surge to the ground. In this way , the excess
charge on the line due to the surge is harmlessly conducted through the arrester to the ground
instead being sent back over the line.

4.2 EARTHING
The earthing practice adopted at generating stations, sub-stations and lines should be in a
such a manner as to provide inn units of ohms.
*Minimum damage to equipment as a result of flow of heavy fault current improve
reliability of power supply
*Large substation – 1
*small substation – 2
*power station – 0.5
*distribution transformer substation -5

4.3 CAPACITOR VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER (CVT)

a capacitor voltage transformer is a transformer used in the power system to step-down
extra high voltage signals and provide low voltage signals either for measurement or to operate a
protective relay.
These are high pass filters (50 HZ to 500 KHZ) pass carrier frequency to carrier panels and
power frequency parameters to switch yard. In its most basic form the device consists three parts:
two capacitors across which voltage signals is split , an inductive element used to tune the device
and a transformer used to isolate and further step-down the voltage.
 The device at least four terminals, a high voltage terminal for connection to the high voltage
signal, a ground terminal and at least one set of secondary terminals for connection to the
instrument or protective relay. CVTs are typically single phase devices used for measuring voltages in
excess of one hundred KV where the use of voltage transformers would be uneconomical. In
practice the first capacitor, C1, is often replaced by a stack of capacitor connected in series. This
results in a large voltage drop across the stack of capacitors, that replaced the first capacitor and a
comparatively small voltage droop across the second capacitor C2, and hence the secondary
terminals

4.3.1 Specifications of CVT

CVT type : CVEB/245/1050
Weight : 665 kg
Total output simulation : 250VA

Output maximum : 750 VA at 50 0c

Rated voltage : A-N, 220/√3

High system voltage : A-N, 245/√3
Rated Frequency :50 HZ
 Normal intermediate voltage : A1-N, 20/√3 KV
Voltage factor : 1.2 Const, 1.5/30 sec
‘HF’ capacitance : 4400pF + 10% - 5%
Primary capacitance C1 : 4840Pf + 10% - 5%
Secondary capacitance C2 : 48400 pF +10% - 5%
Voltage ratio : 220000/√3/110/√3/110/√3/110 – 110/√3
Voltage : 110/√3 110-110/√3
Burden : 150 100
Class : 0.5

4.4 WAVE TRAP

Wave trap is an instrument using for trapping of the wave. The function of the wave trap is
that it traps the unwanted waves. Its shapes is like drum . it is connected to the main incoming
feeder so that it can trap the waves which may be dangerous to the instruments in the substation.
Generally it is used to exclude unwanted frequency components. Such as noise or other
interference of a wave.
Line trap also known as wave trap. What it does is trapping the high frequency
communication signals sent to the line from the remote substation and diverting them to the
telecom / tele protection panel in the substation control room through coupling capacitor
This is relevant in power line carrier communication (PLCC) systems for communication
among various substations without dependence on the telecom company network. The signals are
primarily tele protection signals and in addition, voice an data communication signals thus
obstructs the flow of these signals in to the substation, then signal loss is more and communication
will be ineffective / probably impossible.
4.5 INSTRUMENT TTRANSFORMERS
Instrument transformers are defined as the instruments in which the secondary current or
voltage is substantially proportional to the primary current and voltage and differs in phase from it
by angle which is approximately zero for an appropriate direction of connection.
Direct measurement of current and voltage in high voltage system is not possible because of
high values and insulation problems of measuring instruments they cannot be directly used for
protection purpose.
Instrument transformers are two types
*Current transformers
*Voltage transformers

4.5.1 Current transformers

Current transformer is a current measuring instrument used to measure the currents in high
voltage lines directly by stepping down the currents to measure values by means of
electromagnetic circuit.

4.5.1.1 Basic Design Principle of Current Transformers

The basic principle induced in designing of current transformers is
Primary ampere turns = Secondary ampere turns
Ip x Np = Is x Ns
Where, Ip – primary current
Np - primary winding turns
Is – secondary current
Ns – secondary winding turns

*Ampere turns plays very important role in designing of current tranformers.

*Current transformers must be connected in series only.
*Current transformers has less no of turns in primary and less number of turns in secondary.
*The secondary current is directly proportional to primary current.
*The standard applicable to CTs are IEC – 600441-1 and IS – 2705.
4.5.1.2 Simple Line Diagram of Current Transformer
The line diagram of current transformer contains different components

4.5.1.3 Tests generally to be conduct on Current Transformers

* Insulation resistance values (IR values):primary to earth. Primary to secondary core1,
primary to secondary core2, core1 to earth, core2 to earth and core1 to core2. Primary to
earth and primary to secondary cores are to be checked with 5KV motor operated insulation
tester (megger) and secondary to earth values are to be checked with 1000V insulation tester
or preferably with 500v insulation tester.
* Ratio test: Primary injection test is to be conducted for this purpose
 * TAN-DELTA test on 132KV CTs and above
* Secondary and lead resistance check
* Secondary injection check
* primary injection check

4.5.1.4 Specifications of HVCT

Type : IT – 245
Frequency : 50 Hz
H.S.V : 245 KV
BIL : 460/1050 KV oil
Weight : 360 kgs
Total weight : 1250 kgs

Ratio 800-600-
400/1-1-1-1-1
Core number 1 2 3 4 5
Rated primary 800
current (A)

Rated 1 1 1 1 1
secondary
current (A)
Output (VA) -------- --------- -------- ---------- 30
Accuracy class PS PS PS PS 0.5

I.S.F/A.L.F -------- -------- ------ ------ <=5

Turn ratio 2/1600 1200 800

RCT at 75 C AT 6 6 6 ------
800/1(ohms)

At the ratio of LV (132 KV) side we can use 1-33 over CT .the specification of LVCT are given
below:
Type : IT- 145
Frequency : 50 Hz
HSV/NSV : 145/132 KV
BIL : 650/275 KV Oil
 Weight : 75 kg
Total weight : 550 Kg

Ratio 500/1-1, 0.66 -1

Core number 1 2 3

Rated primary 500

current (A)
Primary and 500/1 500/1 500/0.66 500/1
secondary 1s1- 1s2 2s1 -2s2 2s1-2s3 3s1 – 3s2
connection
Rated 1 1 0.66 1
secondary
current (A)
Output (VA) 20 --------- ----------- 20
Accuracy class 5p PS 0.2
I.S.F/A.L.F 20 ------------- ------------ <=5
Rct at 750 C ------------------ <=5 --------------- -----------
(ohms)

NOTE

 CT secondary circuit and PT primary should never be open circuited. It is vulnerable to

the CT/PT.
 CT primary circuit and PT secondary e short circuited.
4.5.2 Potential transformer (PT)
an instrument transformer In which the secondary voltage, in normal condition of use, is
substantially proportional to the primary voltage and differs in phase from it by an angle
which is approximately zero for an appropriate direction of the connections.

4.5.2.1 basic design principle of voltage transformer’s

The basic principle involved in the designing of voltage transformer is
Voltage ratio = turns ratio
Vp / Vs = Np / Ns
Thus Ns x Vp = Np X Ns
 As heavy voltages will be reduced to secondary voltages, it will have more turns in the
primary & less turns in secondary. It must always be connected inn parallel only. Even if we
connect a directly it directly from high voltage to earth, it is not going to be a short circuit as its
primary winding has very high resistance. Its core is a set of assembled laminations. It operates at
constant flux .

4.5.2.2 Simple line diagram of voltage transformer

4.5.2.3 Tests generally to be conducted on the PTs

* Insulation Resistance values test (IR test): primary to earth, primary to secondary core-
1, primary to secondary core-2,core =1 to earth,core2 to earth and core -1 to core-2. These
values are to be checked with 1000KV insulation tester (megger) or preferably with 500V
insulation tester.
 * Ratio test : By applying single- phase voltage across primary the voltage induced in the
secondary winding is to be measure. This is approximately equal to voltage applied in the
primary winding or voltage ratio of PT.
* Polarity test: at the time of commissioning (at least on the PTs connected to revenue
meters)
*PT secondary injection check.

4.5.2.4 General checks for PT

*mechanical alignment for PT power jaws.
* PT primary winding star earthing.
*tightness of all connections.
*Primary secondary fuse ratings.
*PT specifications.
In the PTs no of secondary cores is 1 or more than 1 based on the requirement. Generally in 11KV
or 33 KV bus PTs, there is one secondary winding which is used both for protection and metering
and in 132KV and above, there are two secondary cores. First core is metering core with 1.0 or 0.5
or 0.2accuracy classes. This will be used metering directional over current protection and distance
protection.

4.6 CIRCUIT BREAKER

The circuit breaker are used to break the circuit if any fault occurs in any instrument. These circuit
breakers for a fault which can damage other instrument in the station. For any unwanted fault over
the station we need to break the line current. This is only done automatically by the circuit breaker.
*operation mechanism function.
*arc quenching function.
 Various operating mechanism
1 spring charge mechanism
2 pneumatic mechanism
3 hydraulic mechanism
Arc quenching medium
1 bulk oil(called bulk oil circuit breaker-BOCB)
2 minimum oil(called minimum oil circuit breaker -MOCB)
3 natural air (called air circuit breaker)
4 forced air (called air blast circuit breaker)
5 vacuum (called vacuum circuit breaker VCB)
6 SF6 gas (called Sulphur hexafluoride -SF6 gas CB)
The present trend is up to 33KV ,VCBs are preferred and beyond 33KV,SF6 gar circuit breakers
are preferred.
There are mainly two types of circuit breakers used for any substation. They are
(a)SF6 circuit breaker
(b)Vacuum circuit breakers.

4.6.1 SF6 Circuit Breakers

Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is an inert, heavy gas having good dielectric and arc extinguishing
properties. The dielectric strength of the gas increases with pressure and is more than the dielectric
strength of oil at 3 kg/cm2. SF6 is now being widely used in electrical equipment like high voltage
metal enclosed cables, high voltage metal clad switchgear, capacitors, circuit breakers , current
transformers, bushings , etc. the gas is liquefied at certain low temperature , liquidification,
temperature increases with the pressure.
*very high dielectric strength
* high thermal and chemical inertia
* superior arc extinguishing capability
* low decomposition by arcing

4.6.2 vacuum circuit breakers

Vacuum type of circuit breakers is used for small KV rated stations below 33KV.
They are only used in low distribution side.

4.6.3 Name plate details of 132 KV SF6 CB

Type : 200-SFM-40A
Rated voltage :145KV
Lightning impulse withstand : 650KV(peak)
Rated frequency :50Hz
Normal current : 1600A
Rated short circuit breaking current
Symmetrical : 31.5KA
Asymmetrical :37.2KA
Rated shirt circuit making current :80KA (peak)
Out -of -phase breaking current : 7.9KA
Rated break time :60ms (3 cycles)
Rated short time current : 40 KA For 3 sec
Operating sequence : 0-0.03s -CO-3min CO
Total mass of SF6 gas : 8.7 kg
SF6 Gas pressure AT 20c,101 3 hpa : 6.3 bar
Total mass of the circuit breaker : 1300kg
Reference standard : IEC-56
4.6.4 Name plate details of 33KV vacuum CB
Voltage : 36KV
Frequency :50 Hz
Normal current :800A
SYM Breaking Capacity : 25KA
Short Time Current : 25KA
Duration : 3sec
Making capacity : 63KA(peak)
P.F. Withstand : 70 KV
Impulse : 170 KV(peak)
Shunt trip coil : 220V DC
Total weight : 2000kg
Operating sequence : 0-3 MIN -CO -3 MIN-CO
Type : VN36 3AF

4.7 BUS
The bus is a line in which the incoming feeders come into and get into the instruments for
further step up or step down. The first bus is used for putting the incoming feeders in a single line.
There may be double line inn the bus so that if any fault occurs in the one the other can still have the
current and the supply will not stop. The two lines in the bus are separated by a little distance by
conductor having a connector between them. This is so that one can work at a time and the other
works only if the first is having any fault.

4.8 TRANSFORMERS
Transformers come in range of sizes from a thumbnail -sized coupling transformer hidden
inside a stage microphone to huge units weighing hundreds of tons used to interconnect portions of
national power grids. All operate with the same basic principles, although the range of designs wide.
While new technologies have eliminated the need for transformers in some electronic circuits,
transformers are still found in nearly all electronic devices designed for household (“mains”) voltage.
Transformers are essential for high voltage power transmission, which makes long distance
transmission economically practical.
 4.8.1 Basic Principle
The transformer is based on two principles, that an electric current can produce a magnetic
field(electromagnetism) and secondly that a changing magnetic field within a coil of wire induces a
voltage across the ends of the coil (electromagnetic induction).
Changing the current in the primary coil changes the magnetic flux that is developed. The
changing magnetic flux induces a voltage in the secondary coil.

4.9 CAPACITOR BANK

the capacitor bank are used across the bus so that the voltage does not get down till at the
require place. A capacitor bank is used in the outgoing bus so that it can maintain the voltage level
same in the outgoing feeder.
4.9.1 Capacitor control is usually done to achieve the following goals
* reduce losses due to reactive load current.
* reduce KVA demand, decreases customer energy consumption.
*improve voltage profile, and increases revenue.
*indirectly capacitor control also results in longer equipment lifetimes because of reduced
equipment stresses.
Experience shows that switched that feeder captures produce some of the fastest returns
on equipment of the load and cannot be avoided. The former are caused by resistive
component of the load and cannot be avoided. The latter, coming from reactive component
of the load, can be avoided.
5.1.TRANSFORMER PROTECTION
* Station transformer : HG fuse protection on HV side and fuse protection on LV side and vent
pipe.
* power transformers up to 7.5 MVA
HV side: O/L and directional E/L with highest element in O/L relays.
LV side: O/L and E/L protection Buchholz relay OLTC Buchholz relay OTI and WTI.
*Power transformers from 8.0 MVA and above : HV side O/L and directional E/L protection
with high set element in O/L relays. LV side O/L &E/L protection: differential protection
Buchholz relay OLTC Buchholz relay OTI, WTI and PRV.

5.2 FEEDER PROTECTION

* 33KV feeders: non directional O/L & E/L protection with highest and IDMT characteristics.
*132KV feeders: main protection: Distance protection. Backup protection: Directional O/L
&E/L protection.
220 KV feeders: main-1 protection: distance protection main-2 protection: Distance
protection, LBB protection pole discrepancy relay.

5.3 IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE KEPT IN VIEW WHILE LAYING OUT OF THE

SUBSTATION
Substations are important part of power system. The continuity of supply depends to a
considerable extent upon the successful operation of sub-stations. It is therefore, essential to
exercise utmost care while designing and building a substation.
The following are the important important points which must be kept in view while laying out
a substation :

 It should be located at the proper site. S far as possible, it should be locate data the
centre of gravity of load.
 It should provide safe and reliable arrangement. For safety, consideration must be given
to the maintenance, abnormal occurrence such as possibility of explosion of fire etc. For
reliability, considerations must be given for good design and construction, the provision
of suitable protective gear etc.
 It should be easily operated and maintained.
 It should involve minimum capacity cost.
 CONCLUSION
Transmission and distribution stations exists at various scales through out a power system. In
general, they represent an interface between different levels or sections of the power system, with
the capability to switch or reconfigure the connections among various transmission and distribution
lines.
The major stations include a control room from which operations are coordinated smaller
distribution sub station follow the same principle of receiving power at higher voltage on one side
and sending out a number of distribution feeders lower voltage on the other, but they serve a more
limited local are and are generally unstaffed. The central component of the substation in the
transformer, as it provides the effective in enface between the high and low voltage parts of the
system. Others crucial components are circuit breakers and switches. Breakers serve as protective
devices that open automatically in the event of a fault, that is, when a protective relay indicates
excessive current due to some abnormal condition. Switches are control devices that can be opened
or closed deliberately to establish or break a connection.
An important difference between circuit breakers and switches is that breakers are designed
to interrupt abnormal high currents (as they occur only in those very situations for which circuit
protection is needed). Whereas regular switches are designed to be operate under normal currents.
Breakers are placed on both the high and low voltage side of transformers. Finally, substations may
also include capacitor banks to provide voltage support.