BAY DESIGN, CHOICE OF

SWITCHING SCHEMES,
SELECTION & SIZING OF
SUB-STATION
EQUIPMENT
 Reference Documents for Switchyard
Design & Engineering
Sl.No. Document Publisher

1. Manual or Layout of Sub- CBIP

Stations
2. Power Systems Design USBR (United States Department of
Standards No.4 Interior Bureau of Reclamations)

3. Indian Electricity Rules 2005

4. Switchgear Manual ABB

5. Electrical Engineering Hand TNEB

Book
 INTRODUCTION
Stations in Electrical parlance is classified into Five Major
Groups.

1. Generating Stations
2. Step up Stations
3. Step down Stations
4. Switching Stations
5. Distribution Stations

Sl. Nos. 2 & 3 are generally called as SUB-STATIONS

 SUB-STATIONS
Sub-Stations form important part of Transmission & Distribution Network of Power Supply.

The Power generated from Hydel, Thermal, Windmill generating Stations has to be evacuated to
Load Centres. The generation voltage is limited to 15/18KV due to the Limitations of rotating
Machinery. The Power generation at 15/18KV has to be stepped upto a suitable higher voltage
depending upon the distance and quantum of Power to be transmitted .

The Power will be stepped down to suitable value at Load Centres and for Distribution Purposes.

Transmission and Distribution voltage levels in India

Sl. No. Particulars Values

1. Transmission System 400KV, 220KV, 132KV, 110KV and 66KV
2. Sub-Transmission System 33KV
3. Distribution System
i) Primary Side 22KV, 11KV, 66KV, 4.6KV
ii) Secondary Side 400Volts & 250Volts
 SUB-STATION PLANNING
Type of Sub-Stations.

1. Environment Outdoor Type

Consideration
Indoor Type
Low Level Type
2. Space Air Insulated Type
Consideration High Level Type
Gas Insulated Type
[GIS]

3. Operation Local Operation

Consideration Local SCADA
Remote Operation (SCADA)
Group SCADA
Design and Engineering of Sub-Station
1. Selection of Site

2. Switching Schemes - Type and Selection

3. Clearances

4. Main Bus, Cross Bus (Jack Bus) and Equipment

Inter-connections

5. Design of Reference Levels and Levelling

6. Earthmat

7. Station Structures
Design and Engineering of Sub-
station(Contd)
8. Equipments/Materials and Selection

i) Circuit Breaker

ii) Isolators

iii) Instrument Transformers

iv) Power Transformers

v) Control and Protection Panels

vi) Lightning arrestor

Design and Engineering of Sub-Station(Contd)
vii) Auxiliary equipments
a) Battery & Charger
b) LTAC Panel & AC Distribution board
c) Distribution Transformers

viii) PLCC Equipments

ix) Shunt Reactors
x) Bus Material
xi) Hardware Clamps & Power Connectors
xii) Insulators
xiii) Control and power cables

9. Lightning Protection

10. Illumination
11. Civil Works

i) Control Room Building

ii) Cable Ducts

iii) Roads

iv) Storm Water drains

v) Protection works

vi) Water Supply

vii) Fire Fighting building

viii) Fencing
 Selection of Site
 Accessible to Main Road, which is suitable for hauling

the biggest piece of equipment

 Suitability of Transmission Lines.

 Levelled

 Should not be Marshy, Water Logged or a Valley.

 Socio – economic Fabric

 Suitable dimension
 SWITCHING SCHEMES
 The Switching Schemes are broadly classified into seven groups:
Arrangement Advantages Disadvantages
Configuration
Single busbar - Least Cost -Bus fault or breaker failure causes station outage
-Maintenance is difficult No Station extension works

without complete shutdown

-For use only where loads can be disconnected or

supplied from another sub-station.

-For use only where loads can be disconnected or

supplied from another sub-station.

Single Main and - Higher flexibility as compared to - Maintenance of Main bus will involve outage of
Transfer bus single bus sub-station. One breaker can be taken for
maintenance at a time.
Double Main -High flexibility with two busbars of -Expensive for additional bus and BC breaker and
busbar equal merit. associated equipments and also extra space is
-Each busbar can be isolated for required
maintenance -One Breaker maintenance possible at a time.

-Each branch can be connected to -There will be a time delay for restoration of the

either of the bus with bus tie circuit in case of breaker outage.
breaker
-The two buses can be individually

operated in case of island

operations.
Double Main -High flexibility with 3 buses and 2 tie - Expensive consequent to
bus with breakers additional bus and two
transfer bus -One breaker is available at a time for breakers with associated
maintenance equipments and also extra
-No time delay for restoration of the
space is required
Circuit in case of breaker outage

One and a half -Greatest operational flexibility - Three circuit – breakers

Breaker -High reliability with associated
system -Breaker fault on the Busbar side equipments required for
disconnects only one branch two branches.
-Greater outlay for
-Each main bus can be isolated at any

time protection and auto-

reclosure, as the middle
-All switching operations executed
breaker must respond
with circuit – breakers independently in the
-Bus fault does not lead to branch
direction of both feeders.
disconnections
Ring bus -Flexibility for breaker maintenance -Breaker maintenance and
-Each breaker removable without any faults interrupt the ring
disconnecting load -Auto reclosure and
-Only one breaker needed per branch protection fairly
-Each branch connected to network to complicated
-Area required will be
two breakers
-All change over switching done with
more.
circuit-breakers & hence flexible

Two Breaker -Greatest operational flexibility -Most expensive method

system -Each branch has two circuit breakers

-Connection possible to either bus bar

-Each breaker can be serviced without

completely disconnecting the branch

-High reliability
Selection of Switching Scheme
- Reliability factor

- Land / Space availability

- Economics

Finalization of Single Line diagram

 CLEARANCES

- Definition:
- Basic Insulation Level
- Phase to Phase Clearance
- Phase to Earth Clearance
- Safety Section Clearance
- Ground Clearance
- Distance between equipments
- Formation of Main Bus & Jack Bus
- Equipment heights.
- Formation of Terminal bay.
MINIMUM VERTICAL CLEARANCE FOR
BOTTOM MOST LIVE POINT FROM
GROUND LEVEL
HIGHEST SYSTEM MINIMUM VERTICAL
VOLTAGE (KV) CLEARANCE (MM)

36 3750

72.5 4000

123 4400

145 4500

245 5500

420 8000
TABLE SHOWING THE VOLTAGE CLASS OF
SUB-STATION, BASIC INSULATION LEVEL
AND CLEARANEES
HIGHEST BASIC MINIMUM SECTIONAL MINIMUM
SYSTEM INSULATION CLEARANCE CLEARANCE GROUND
VOLTAGE LEVEL Ph-Ph PH – (MM) CLEARANCE
(KV) (KVCP) EARTH (MM) (MM)
36 170 320 3000 2500
72.5 32.5 630 3500 2500
450 900 3500 2500
123 550 1100 4000 2500
550 1100 4000 2500
145 650 1300 4000 2500
950 1900 4500 2500
245 1050 2100 5000 2500
420 1425 2850 6500 2500
 Main bus, Cross bus (Jack bus) and
equipment Inter-Connection.

- First Level : Equipment inter-connection

- Second Level : Main Bus

- Third Level : Cross Bus

(Jack Bus)
 DESIGN OF LEVELS AND REFERENCE
LEVELS
 Significance of levels

 Economics

 Adequate clearance to be maintained

 Suitable location of control building

 Location of power transformer and associated roads

 Proper drainage
 Earthmat

- Step Potential

- Touch Potential

- Type of Conductors

- Welding
 Station Structures

- Design

- Height of Bus
- Width of Terminal bay
- Phase of Phase width
- Phase to earth clearance
- Vertical Load

- Type

- I Beam
- Lattice Type

- Painted & Galvanised

- Economics
 Circuit Breakers

i) Type - SF6 & Vacuum

ii) Voltage Level

iii) Continuous Current rating.

iv) STC rating and duration.

v) Insulation Level

vi) Co-ordinating valves.

vii) Type of Operating Mechanism pneumatic, Hydraulic and

spring charged.

viii) Compatibility for Switchyard.

 Table for Coordinating Values of Rated Voltage, Rated
Short Circuit Current and Rated Continuous Current
[IEC 56-2]
Rated Rated Short Rated Continuous Current Amps
Voltage Circuit
KV Current KA
12.5 800 1250
20 1250 1600 2000
123 25 1250 1600 2000
40 1600 2000
12.5 800 1250
20 1250 1600 2000
25 1250 1600 2000
145 31.5 1250 1600 2000 3150
40 1600 2000 3150
50 2000 3150
Rated Rated Short Rated Continuous Current Amps
Voltage Circuit
KV Current KA
12.5 800 1250
20 1250 1600 2000
31.5 1250 1600 2000 3150
170 40 1600 2000 3150
50 1600 2000 3150
20 1250 1600 2000
31.5 1250 1600 2000
245 40 1600 2000 3150
50 2000 3150
16 1250 1600
20 1250 1600 2000
300 31.5 1250 1600 2000 3150
40 1600 2000 3150
Rated Rated Short Rated Continuous Current Amps
Voltage Circuit
KV Current KA

20 2000
362 31.5 2000
40 1600 2000 3150
20 1600 2000
31.5 1600 2000
420
40 1600 2000 3150
50 2000 3150 4000
525 40 2000 3150
765 40 2000 3150
 Isolators

i) Voltage Level

ii) Continuous Current rating

iii) STC rating and duration.

iv) Insulation Level.

v) Type - Single break

- Double break
- Vertical break
- Pantograph

vi) Operating Mechanism Manual, Pneumatic Remote electrical

type.
 Instrument Transformers

i) Current Transformers
- Purpose – Protection & Metering
- Voltage & STC rating
- Insulation Level
- Ratio & Method of obtaining ratios
- Characteristics.
- Accuracy
- Burden
- ALF
- Knee Point voltage.

ii) Voltage Transformer

- Purpose – Metering & Protection

- voltage Class
- Ratio
 Instrument Transformers (Contd)
Characteristics

- Accuracy
- Burden

iii)Capacitive Voltage Transformers

- Purpose
- Voltage Class
- Characteristics
- Not Preferred for metering.
 Power Transformer

i) Rating

ii) Type – 3 Winding/3 Winding/Auto.

iii) Vector Diagram.

iv) Insulation.

v) OLTC.

vi) Impedance

vii) Losses – Cu, Iron & Auxiliary.

vii) Parallel Operation.

 Control & Protection Panels

i) Simplex & Duplex

Control Panels

- Remote Control of Breaker & Isolator.

- Indication of Status.
- SLD of the bay.

ii) Protection Panels

- Main Protection & Number

- Back up Protection
- Type of Main Protection
- Bus bar Protection
- Synchronization
 Lightning Arrestor (Surge Arrestor)
 Type - Gap type
Gapless or Metal oxide type

 Travelling waves and over-voltage protection

 Rating of lightning arrestor : Rated voltage

Continuous operating voltage
Discharge magnitude (KA)

 Co-ordinating values

 Location in the switchyard

 AUXILLARY EQUIPMENTS
a) Battery & Battery Charger

i) Battery

- Purpose
- Capacity
- Standardized at 400Volts, 100Volts and 48 Volts
- 2 Sets – Reliability.

ii) Charger

- Boost & Trickle Charge

- 2 Sets – Reliability.
 AUXILLARY EQUIPMENTS

b) LTAC Panel and ACDB

 LTAC Panel
- Purpose
- Two reliable sources and change-over facility
- SPN and TPN feeders of various capacities

 AC Distribution Box (ACDB)

- Purpose
- Convenient places abetting to cable ducts
- Group of ACDB inter-connected
 AUXILLARY EQUIPMENTS

c) DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS

 Purpose

 Adequate capacity for entire yard

 Termination - Cable termination type

 PLCC EQUIPMENTS

 Purpose

Carrier based protection

Communication

 Wave Trap and Allied equipments

 SHUNT REACTORS
 Control the over voltages due to long lines

 Normally in 400kv system and above (above 100km line)

 Sizing decided based on system studies

 Normal rating 50MVAR, 63MVAR

 Connected to line in parallel

 Switchable type

 Bus reactors
 BUS MATERIAL
 ACSR Conductor
- Power handling capacity
- STC rating
- Moose, Drake
- Multiple conductors with spacers
- Overhead = Higher level
 Alluminium alloy pipes
- Lower level
- Aesthetic layout
- Inter-connections will be easy
 HARDWARE CLAMPS & POWER
CONNECTORS
 Hardware Clamps
- Definition : Hold the conductor in tension and suspension
insulated from supports to which the clamps are attached
- Mechanical strength
- Minimum thickness of metal and bolt nuts
- Tension clamps and suspension clamps

 Power Connector
- Definition : Device/Clamps through which power flows
from main bus to cross bus, cross bus to equipment, equipment to other
equipment etc.
- Rated current carrying capacity
- Rated voltage
- Rated STC rating
 INSULATORS
 Insulating live points from earth
 Classification - Stringing and Suspension
Supporting

Stringing and Suspension

- Disc insulators strings
- String of single units
- No. of units depending upon the electrical and mechanical
characteristics
- Self washing type
- Polymor
 INSULATORS (Contd)

Supporting Conductor
- Post insulator
- Supporting alluminium alloy tube and ACSR conductor
- Electrical characteristics
- Insulation level, STC rating creepage dimension
- Cantilever strength, tension, compression and shear
strength
- Types : Solid core
Pedestal post
Polymor
 CONTROL AND POWER CABLE
Control cables
- Shall be copper stranded conductor
- Shall be preferably of rated voltage 1.1kv
- Size shall be suitable for the magnitude of current without
appreciable resistance drop
- Normal sizes

Power cables
- Normally Alluminium conductor
- To carry auxiliary AC supply (400/250 volts) or DC supply
- 11 kv cables also

Precautions
Power cables shall not be in the same cable tray or pipe as the control cable
Preferably to be run in the top cable tray
 lightning PROTECTION
 This protection is needed to prevent damage to the
sub-station equipments due to direct lightning strokes

 Based on the fact that lightning strokes strike the

highest point

 There are no absolute calculations. On the basis of model

experiments, measurements and years and years of
observations certain geometrical formations are put in place
which by and large have successfully prevented the damage to
the sub-station equipments from direct lightning strokes
 lightning PROTECTION (Contd)
Types : a) Overhead earthwires
b) Rod or spike
Overhead Earthwire
300 coverage
Two earthwires located at a distance of 2H (where H is the height of the

earthwire) additional coverage

Rod or Spike
420 coverage
If two rods or spikes located at a distance of <= 3H ( where H is the
height of the rod or spoke) additional coverage

Cardinal Principal
“Overlapping is desirable but not even a small area of one
mm2 shall be left uncovered”
 ILLUMINATION
 Illumination is required for both sub-station switchyard and
control building

Switchyard illumination

- Shall ensure normal operation and maintenance

activities and at the same time to ensure safety of
the working personnel
- Uniform illumination without darkspots
- Differential lighting for equipments and ground
- Glare free
- Types : Sodium vapour lamp
Mercury vapour lamp
 ILLUMINATION (Contd)
Control Building
- lighting should be conducive for normal strain free
working
- Smooth viewing and observation of meters and relays
- Uniform lighting with no dark spots
- Direct lighting, indirect, semi-direct, diffused etc
- Types of lamps : Incandescent, Fluorescent etc.

General
- Computer print out
- COU : coefficient of utilization
- MF : maintenance factor
- Average factor
- Economics
 RECOMENDED VALUES OF
ILLUMINATION OF VARIOUS
LOCATIONS
value of Illumination

(lux)
Switchyard

1. Ground - Roads, pathways, car park etc 20

2. Important equipments such as power 50

transformers at working height

3. Workshop repair bay 300

 RECOMENDED VALUES OF
ILLUMINATION OF VARIOUS
LOCATIONS (Contd)
value of Illumination
(lux)
Control Building
1. Control room 300
2. Carrier room 300
3. Office and reception 300
4. Conference hall 300
5. Test room 450
6. Stairs 100
7. Corridor 100
8. Store room 100
9. Cable gallery/room 70
10. Air conditioning plant/DG set room 150
 CIVIL WORKS
Control Building
- Consists of control room, Relay room, plce room, Auxiliary room
Firefighting room, DG room
- Control room and relay room may be same or may be different
depending upon the type of panels - simples or Duplex type
- Provision of cable routing
- Battery room shall have Acid proof tiles, acid proof paint
- Enough height depending upon the height of panel
- Enough Horizontal dimensions to take care of present and future
equipments
- Preferably to be located at a suitable reference level definitely not at
a lower level since general view of switchyard not possible and
during rainy seasons possibility of water logging
 CIVIL WORKS (Contd)
Cableduct
- Main duct
- Sub duct

Type
RCC TYPE
- Construction Brick masonry
Stone masonry – more width necessary due to bigger
dimensions of stone. Hence increased
dimensions of switchyard.
- Construction Duct with cable tray
Pipe

- Precaution - Control cable and power cable should not be run in the same pipe
In cable ducts the power cable shall be preferably run in top tray.\
Suitable clearance below the last tray
Suitable gradient with trough shall be formed at bottom to enable

gravitation flow of water

Cable duct entrance to control building shall be planned
properly
 CIVIL WORKS (Contd)
ROADS

- Very important part of switchyard

- Roads shall be run from heavy equipments like power
transformer, shunt reactor, circuit breaker etc.
- Enough width
- Roads shall lead to control building also
- Roads shall be of adequate strength to withstand the weight
of heavy equipments like power transformer, reactor etc.
 CIVIL WORKS (Contd)
Storm Water Drain
- To drain out water due to rains
- Preferably both sides of road
- Shall not let water into the cable duct
- Shall lead water outside switchyard preferably
through gravitational flow

Water Supply
- This is for water needed for drinking, sanitary and
replenishment of moisture for earthing pipes
- Maybe from borewell inside the switchyard or sourced from
outside
 CIVIL WORKS (Contd)
Protection Works
- To prevent landslides, when there is difference of levels inside
or outside switchyard
- Types : Retaining Wall
Stone pitching
Natural
- Phase to earth clearance to be taken care of near the line of
difference of levels
- Precaution
- Negotiation of cable duct
- Flow of storm drain water
- Difference of levels shall not be preferably more than
1.50 - 2.0 m for convenience of movement of persons and
hauling of equipments