MODULE I

Design Parameters

Lesson 1 - General Design Considerations

Lesson 2 - Documents and Drawings

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MODULE I

Design Parameters

 INTRODUCTION

This module presents the physical aspect of substation design particularly on the
following topics: Types of substation; General composition of substations; Specifications of
major equipment – power transformers, circuit breakers, switchgears, capacitors, voltage
transformers, current transformers, lightning arresters; Bus configurations – single bus,
double bus, double breaker, breaker and a half, main and transfer bus schemes; design
consideration and configuration; General arrangement of equipment; Coding and numbering
procedures; Substation grounding system; Substation maintenance and safety; and Line
hardware and tools..

OBJECTIVES

After studying the module, you should be able to:

1. Understand the concept on the Physical Design of Substation and Design

Consideration of a Substation.
2. Apply concepts in the design of Substation
3. Classify the major equipment’s & Protection Metering/Control used in a substation
4. Understand the Grounding system of a substation and explain the maintenance and
safety practice in a substation

 DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

There are three lessons in the module. Read each lesson carefully then answer the
exercises/activities to find out how much you have benefited from it. Work on these exercises
carefully and submit your output to your tutor or to the COE office.

In case you encounter difficulty, discuss this with your tutor during the face-to-face
meeting. If not contact your tutor at the COE office.

Good luck and happy reading!!!

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Lesson 1

 General Design Considerations

Utilities should consider both short- and long-range plans in the development
of their systems. Timely development of plans is not only essential for the physical
and financial integrity of electrical systems, it is also essential in supplying customers
with adequate service.

The long-range plan identifies the requirements of a substation not only for its
initial use but also for some years in the future. Consider ultimate requirements
during the initial design. Make economic comparisons to discover provisions are
necessary for ease of addition.

Remember that development plans embrace philosophies of equipment and

system operation and protection before construction is started. Changes in the
utility’s standard design philosophies should be reviewed by the personnel who
design, operate, and maintain the proposed equipment. Departures from standard
designs could jeopardize the operation of the system.

1.1 Site Considerations

Two of the most critical factors in the design of a substation are its location and
siting. Failure to carefully consider these factors can result in excessive investment in
the number of substations and associated transmission and distribution facilities.

It is becoming increasingly important to perform initial site investigations prior to the

procurement of property. Previous uses of a property might render it very costly to
use as a substation site. Such previous uses might include its use as a dumping
ground where buried materials or toxic waste has to be removed prior to any grading
or installation of foundations.

The following factors should be evaluated when selecting a substation site:

 Location of present and future load center

 Location of existing and future sources of power
 Availability of suitable right-of-way and access to site by overhead or
underground transmission and distribution circuits
 Alternative land use considerations
 Location of existing distribution lines
 Nearness to all-weather highway and railroad siding, accessibility to heavy
equipment under all weather conditions, and access roads into the site
 Possible objections regarding appearance, noise, or electrical effects
 Site maintenance requirements including equipment repair, watering, mowing,
landscaping, storage, and painting
 Possible objections regarding the impact on other private or public facilities
 Soil resistivity

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 Drainage and soil conditions

 Cost of earth removal, earth addition, and earthmoving
 Atmospheric conditions: salt and industrial contamination
 Cost of cleanup for contaminated soils or buried materials
 Space for future as well as present use
 Land title limitations, zoning, and ordinance restrictions
 General topographical features of site and immediately contiguous area;
avoidance of earthquake fault lines, floodplains, wetlands, and prime or
unique farmlands where possible
 Public safety
 Public concern; avoidance of schools, daycare centers, and playgrounds
 Security from theft, vandalism, damage, sabotage, and vagaries of weather
 Total cost including transmission and distribution lines with due consideration
of environmental factors
 Threatened and endangered species and their critical habitat
 Cultural resources
 Possible adverse effects on neighboring communications facilities

1.2. Environmental Considerations

Appearance is becoming increasingly important to the public. The general

trend is to locate substations in a way that they are not strikingly visible to the public.
A substation set back from a heavily traveled road may require little or no
architectural treatment to be acceptable.

Coordinate engineering of transmission, distribution, and substation facilities

to develop the least overall objectionable layout. Consider underground distribution
circuit exits for special applications.

The silhouette of a substation may be reduced in several ways, including the

use of solid-shape structural sections. Lowering of the substation profile may also be
accomplished by means other than underground circuits although this approach may
necessitate a larger surface area, resulting in larger site requirements. Lower profile
designs for substation high-voltage equipment may be cost-effective in design and in
reducing the profile that the substation projects.

Landscaping or architectural screening may offer effective means to blend a

substation into the surrounding environment. Landscaping has typically included the
use of trees, bushes, and the like to screen the substation. In some cases, masonry
walls or enclosures have been necessary to meet permitting requirements in special
use areas. Some sites may provide a natural screening with either vegetation or
natural barriers.

Generally, it is better to use complementary rather than contrasting colors.

Sometimes, coloring can be used to blend substation equipment into the background.

Outdoor lighting of the substation site may have an effect on the acceptance
of the substation in a community. Lighting is typically a means to deter vandalism. It
also provides safety for line crews who may be performing maintenance at night. A
means of switching off a portion of the lights at night to provide reduced lighting may
make the site more acceptable to the community.

Substations should be safe for people who may have occasion to be near
them. The primary means of ensuring public safety at substations is by the erection

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of a suitable barrier such as a metal fence. Unless local restrictions are more
conservative, the fence needs to meet the Additional means of protecting the public
are provided through adequate design of all facilities inside the fence and the
addition of a peripheral ground outside the fence. Appropriate warning signs should
be posted on the substation’s peripheral barrier fence. The engineer should specify
their location and design. Substations, no matter how small, should have one sign
per side, as a minimum. For each substation site, assess whether standard signs are
sufficient. Special bilingual signs may minimum requirements specified in the
National Electrical Safety Code and IEEE Std. 1119, “IEEE Guide for Fence Safety
Clearances.” be advisable for some areas. Additional signs, such as “No
Trespassing,” may be advisable in some areas. See ANSI Std. Z535.2,
“Environmental and Facility Safety Signs,” for further information.

1.3. Noise

Sources of audible noise within a substation include transformers, voltage

regulators, circuit breakers, and other intermittent noise generators. Among the
sources, transformers have the greatest potential for producing objectionable noise.
The design engineer should consider audible noise reference documents and
regulations.

Corona, which is localized incomplete dielectric failure, causes a hissing

sound. Corona noise occurring at voltages of 230 kV and below is seldom serious.
Corona noise is usually kept to a tolerable level if guidelines for minimizing electrical
effects are followed. Design for 345 kV systems will normally require extra-high-
voltage (EHV) connectors and fittings or corona shields to reduce the amount of
noise from corona to tolerable levels. Table 1 lists guidelines for considering noise in
land-use planning and control. The reaction to noise can be subjective, so each
substation situation should be analyzed separately.

If the substation has to be located in or near a residential area, select a site

with the greatest distance from nearby residences, and, if possible, avoid a direct line
of sight with them. A site with natural barriers such as earth mounds or shrubbery is

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desirable since such barriers can help reduce the psychological impact of a new
installation.

Good practice for noise control is to locate transformers the maximum

possible distance from the substation fence. Once a transformer is located, its noise
level at any distance can be estimated by using standard formulas. See IEEE Std.
1127, “IEEE Guide for the Design, Construction, and Operation of Electric Power
Substations for Community Acceptance and Environmental Compatibility,” for
formulas that may be used. If noise is anticipated to be a problem, reduced sound
levels are available from the transformer manufacturer or the equipment layout
should be arranged to permit the installation of a sound barrier. Anticipated future
requirements should also be considered since additional transformers will increase
the noise level.

As a general rule, substation noise will not be a problem if, when combined
with ambient noise, it is less than 5 dBA above the ambient noise level. It may be
desirable to measure the ambient noise levels at locations of concern.
Measurements should be taken during the quietest periods, approximately midnight
to 4 a.m. Calculation of the resultant sound level will then indicate whether further
study is required.

Consideration should be given to preventing radio and television interference

that could result from visible corona. Significant corona could be caused by
energized parts having small radii or from small-diameter conductors, particularly
when conductive climatic conditions prevail. Experience has shown, though, that
conductor fittings and energized parts other than conductors do not produce serious
corona at phase-to-phase voltages of 230 kV and below. At 345 kV, electrical voltage
gradients are such that corona shields and connectors designed to mitigate corona
should be used. It is necessary, however, to consider the size of conductors.
Connections to equipment such as voltage transformers and coupling capacitors
should not be sized from a current-carrying standpoint only. From a corona
standpoint, conductors should not be smaller than 3/0 at 230 kV or 1/0 at 161 kV and
138 kV. At 345 kV, equipment jumpers should consist of bundled conductors.

1.4. Water Pollution

Potential water pollution is another concern. Federal regulations in 40CFR110

and 112 provide guidance to prevent the pollution of navigable waterways. The
essence of these regulations is that, upon the failure of a container filled with a
pollutant, such as oil in a transformer or oil circuit breaker, no harmful quantity of
such pollutant may be allowed to enter a navigable waterway. Absolute prevention
and containment of oil spills is not required by the regulations; however, the
discharge of harmful quantities of pollutants into navigable waterways is prohibited.

The regulations and interpretations thereof are dynamic. It is necessary to

have a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plan of action for
disposing of effluent, should spills or leaks occur. If more than 5.0 acres of land will
be disturbed during construction, a Storm water discharge permit has to be obtained
from the appropriate state agency prior to the start of construction. See the above-
mentioned CFR regulations and IEEE Std. 980, “IEEE Guide for Containment and
Control of Oil Spills in Substations,” for assistance in determining the
appropriateness of in-place structures and items to be included in an SPCC plan.
1.5. Weather

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As dependence on the use of electricity grows, it is increasingly important that

substations operate more reliably in extremes of weather than in the past. It is
necessary to design a substation for the extreme temperatures expected. Extreme
temperatures could affect circuit breakers, relay protection, or the bus. As a
minimum, substations should be resistant to the expected wind velocities.

A substation should continue to operate despite ice accumulation. Generally,

consensus equipment standards specify ice loadings for both electrical and
mechanical withstands. The complete substation assembly should also be
undamaged by ice accumulation. From the ice accumulation history for a given
substation’s location, the engineer can judge whether more severe loadings than
consensus equipment standards are necessary.

A substation should be designed to be operable under predictable conditions

of rainfall. Additionally, it is desirable that substation drainage be sufficient enough to
exhibit little standing water within a few hours after a heavy rainfall.
Snow introduces an extremely variable hazard to substations because of
uncertainties in drifting and accumulation. The substation has to be impervious to
snow damage, and consideration needs to be given to snow accumulation and the
maintenance of clearances. The engineer should seek local data on this weather
variable.

The two measures normally employed for substation lightning protection are
surge arresters and shielding. Surge arresters provide little protection against direct
strokes. Shielding is provided by overhead wires, masts that are extensions of
structures, or independent masts. A combination of surge arresters and shielding will
reduce the probability of damage from lightning. Consideration should be given to
installation of differential thermostat-controlled heating in outdoor cabinets such as
circuit breaker control cabinets where condensation could be a problem. In areas
where fog occurs often, and particularly where airborne contamination exists,
frequent insulator flashovers may occur. Methods of reducing flashovers include the
application of special insulation and insulator cleaning.

1.6. Altitude

Equipment that depends on air for its insulating and cooling medium will have
a higher temperature rise and a lower dielectric strength when operated at higher
altitudes; see ANSI Std. C37.30, “Standard Definitions and Requirements for High-
Voltage Air Switches, Insulators, and Bus Supports.”

Surge arresters are designed for satisfactory operation at elevations up to a

limit specified by the manufacturer. Applications above this limit are considered
special, and the manufacturer should be consulted for a recommendation. Dielectric
strength of air, current ratings of conductors operated in air, and ambient
temperatures should be corrected for altitude variation and be multiplied by the
factors shown in Columns “A” and “B” of Table 2.

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1.7. Earthquakes

Substations subjected to intense earthquakes will most likely be damaged;

however, seismic design practices can minimize the damage. Although some
substation equipment is inherently shock resistant, the foundations, structures,
equipment anchors, insulation, and conductors may not be. Designs that minimize
damage should be utilized in high seismic areas. Consideration should be given not
only to replacement costs but also to lead times for delivery of replacement
equipment. IEEE Std. C57.114, “IEEE Seismic Guide for Power Transformers and
Reactors,” provides recommendations as to design considerations for the installation
of transformers and reactors when seismic activity is likely.

THINK!

What do think will happen to implementation of Substation if the

design consideration is not deliberated?

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Lesson 2

 Documents and Drawings

Listed below are some of the documents or studies that may be required for
the construction of a new substation. The timing and chronological order of the
documents may vary, depending on the particular substation’s requirements.

1. Site Comparison and Suitability Evaluation

2. Environmental Assessment
3. Substation Design Summary Form
4. Functional One-Line Diagram
5. Application for Zoning Variance
6. Specifications for Equipment
7. Request for Proposals to Furnish Equipment
8. Evaluation of Proposals to Furnish Equipment
9. Construction Plan Drawings
10. Backup Sketches and Calculations for Construction Plans
11. Substation Drawings (Detailed One-Line, Elementary, and Schematic
Diagrams)
12. Requisitions for Material and Equipment
13. Application for Building Permit
14. Application for Permits for Roadway and Drainage Interface
15. Application for FCC License
16. Construction Specifications
17. Inquiry for Proposals to Furnish Construction
18. Evaluation of Contractor’s Proposals
19. Comment Letters on Equipment Vendors’ Submittals
20. Calculations for Selection of Protective Relaying and Devices
21. Economic Comparisons

Documentation forms the basis for the expression and evaluation of engineering
concepts. In its final form, a document fulfills its primary role of establishing design
and functional requirements. A document also serves as a record of what was built,
specified, or evaluated. The importance of good records in substation design
deserves emphasis. Successful designs and accurate records are convenient
references for designs and for standardized approaches for new substations.
Records can also be very useful in diagnosing and correcting problems.

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The chronology of a substation design generally follows the order shown in Table 3.

2.1. Drawings

For a basic distribution substation, a “One-Line Diagram” and “Plot Plan” may
be the only drawings that need to be custom made by the engineer. For example, if a
substation is small, it may be possible to show foundation details on the “Plot Plan.”
Similarly, the grounding layout and details might also be shown on a “Plot Plan.”
Larger substations will, of necessity, require more extensive documentation.
Substation drawings of any kind should conform to industry accepted quality
requirements.

It is recommended that drafting practices be in accordance with American Drafting

Standards Manual, ANSI Std. Y14. Prints of the drawings will be used in
construction, not always under the most convenient environmental conditions.
Experience indicates a preference for equipment outlines with detailed pictorial
representations. Pertinent component interfaces and connections should be
illustrated in adequate detail for construction and record purposes. The dimensions of
pertinent distances need to be shown. Drawings, though made to scale, should not
have to be scaled for construction purposes. Thought should be given to choosing
scales and lettering sizes appropriate for the type of drawing. It is desirable to use
bar-type graphic scales on all drawings since many of them may be reproduced in
different sizes. Plans, elevations, and sections should be organized for maximum
clarity. Tolerances should be noted on drawings, such as those that specify
foundation anchor bolt locations and equipment mounting holes on control panels.
Simplicity and clarity of drawings are essential.

Virtually all modern substations are designed on CADD systems. Parameters need to
be established before the creation of any drawings with CADD. These parameters
are basic to CADD and permit CADD to make use of its strength and flexibility to

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produce quality products. These parameters will ultimately lead to the increased
productivity that users expect from CADD:

1. Establish or revise key drawing criteria. The engineer needs to know what is
to be shown on each drawing.
2. Establish legends for the symbols that will be used.
3. Standardize the line weights and text sizes.
4. Establish standard layer or level schemes.
5. Provide for the ability to isolate layers and reference other files.
6. Provide for the ability to make changes on one file and have the changes
reflected on related drawings, eliminating having to change the other
drawings.
7. Establish a cell library or blocks, in a location for standard files, of items that
will be continually reused in the utility’s drawings.
8. Create seed files or prototype files that may be used as the base for drawing
preparation

A definitive legend should be included on the first sheet of each type of drawing.
This legend should not only include the standard symbols, but all special symbols or
designations. A set of notes is often found to be a desirable supplement on a
drawing. Use judgment to avoid overdoing notation. It may be better to consider
additional details on the drawings rather than a long list of notes. Electrical symbols
should be in accordance with IEEE Std. 315, “Graphic Symbols for Electrical and
Electronics Diagrams.” Give proper care to the listing of reference drawings to ensure
a coherent, concise pattern. Make drawing titles concise, accurate, and specific.
They should not be so general that the drawing itself has to be viewed to see what it
covers. Ensure that every drawing or revision to a drawing indicates the proper
approvals and dates.

2.2. Types of Drawings

Following are the types of substation construction and reference drawings often
required.

 One-Line Diagram - Switching

 One-Line Diagram - Functional Relaying
 Three-Line Diagram
 Electrical Plot Plan
 Site Preparation
 Fence Layout
 Electrical Layouts
 Structure Erection Diagrams
 Foundation Layouts
 Grounding Layout
 Conduit Layout
 Control House - Architectural, Equipment, Layout, Lighting, Etc.
 Station Service Diagrams AC and DC
 Cable Lists and Conduit Lists
 Bills of Material
 Drawing List
 Control Panels
 Schematic and Detailed Wiring Diagrams

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One-line diagrams serve as the major substation reference drawings and require
special emphasis. These references should be the first drawings prepared. The
switching and functional relaying information may appear on the same one-line
diagram if the presentation is not too complicated.

DO!

Illustrate the following acceptable symbols for some of the most

common substation equipment

1. Power Transformer
2. Three Phase Transformer with Tertiary
3. Three-Phase Auto-Transformer
4. Voltage Regulator
5. Hook Stick Operated Disconnect Switch
6. Three-Phase Gang-Operated Disconnect Switch
7. Three-Phase Double Side-Break Disconnecting Switch with Motor Operator.
8. Fused Disconnect
9. Oil Circuit Recloser
10. Circuit Breaker
11. Surge Arrester
12. Voltage Transformer
13. Current Transformer
14. Coupling Capacitor
15. Coupling Capacitor with Wave Trap
16. Disconnecting Clamp
17. Shunt Capacitor

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