LESSON NO.

5
SUBSTATIONS
LESSON OBJECTIVES: AT THE END OF THE LESSON, THE STUDENT
WOULD BE ABLE TO
1. Understand the parts and functions of different types of
substations.
2. Understand the line diagram of substation
Substations serve as sources of energy supply for the local areas of
distribution in which these are located. Their main functions are to
receive energy transmitted at high voltage from the generating
stations, reduce the voltage to a value appropriate for local
distribution and provide facilities for switching. Some substations
are simply switching stations where different connections between
various transmission lines are made. Others are converting
substations which either connect AC into DC or vice versa or
convert frequency from higher to lower or vice versa. They have
some additional functions. They provide points where safety
devices may be installed to disconnect equipment or circuit in the
event of fault.
Classification of substations on the basis of nature of duties
1. Step up or primary substation – such substation are usually
associated with generating stations. The generated voltage, which
is usually low (3.3, 6.6, 11 or 33KV), is stepped up to primary
transmission voltage so that huge blocks of power can be
transmitted over long distance to load centers economically.
2. Primary grid substations – such substations are located at
suitable load centers along the primary transmission lines, the
primary transmission voltage is stepped down to different suitable
secondary voltages. The secondary transmission lines are carried
over to the secondary substations situated at the load centers
where the volage is further stepped down to sub-transmission or
primary distribution votlages.
3. step-down or distribution substations – they are located at the
load centers, where the subtransmission/primary distribution
voltage is stepped down to secondary distribution voltage
(415/240V). These are the substations which feed the consumers
thru distribution network and service lines.
Classification of substations on the basis of service rendered
1. Transformer substation – transformer are installed on such
substation to transform the power from one voltage level to
another level as per needs.
2. Switching substations – such substation are meant for switching
operation of power lines without transforming the voltage. At
such substations different connections are made between
various transmission lines.
3. Converting substations – such substations are meant for either
converting AC to DC or vice versa or converting frequency from
higher to lower or vice versa.
Classification on the basis of operating voltages
1. High voltage substation involving voltages between 11KV and
66KV
2. Extra high voltage substations involving voltages between
13KVand 400KV
3. Ultra high voltage substations involving voltages above 400KV
Classification of substation on the basis of importance
1. Grid substation – these are substations from where bulk power is
transmitted from one point to another point in the grid. These
are important because any disturbance in these substations may
cause the failure of the grid
2. Town substation – these substations step down the voltages at
33KV/11KV for further distribution in the towns and any failure
in such substations results in the failure of the supply in the
whole town.
Classification on the basis of design
1. Indoor type substation – in such substation the apparatus is
installed within the substation building. Such substations are
usually for a voltage up to 11KV but can be erected for the 33KV
and 66KV .when the surrounding when the atmosphere is
contaminated with impurities such as metal corroding gases and
fumes, conductive dust, etc.
2. Outdoor substation – they are classified as pole mounted and
foundation mounted
Pole mounted substation – such substations are erected for
distribution of power in localities. Single stout pole or H-pole and 4
pole structures with suitable platforms are employed for
transformers of capacity up to 25KVA, 125KVA and above 125KVA
but up to 250KVA
Foundation mounted substation – for transformer of capacity
above 250KVA the transformer are too heavy for pole mounting.
Such substations are usually for voltages of 33,000V and above.
Advantages of outdoor substations over indoor substations
• Extension of Installation is easier.
• Fault location is easier as the equipment is within view.
• Lesser time is required for erection of outdoor substations.
• Smaller amount of building materials is required.
• cost of switchgear required is comparatively low.
• Repairing work is easy.
Disadvantages of outdoor substations over indoor substations
• More space is required for the substation.
• All the maintenance of the apparatus is to be performed in the open air
during all kinds of weather.
• Protection devices are required to be installed for protection against
lightning surges.
• Length of control cables required is more.
Selection of site
1. Type of substation
2. Availability of suitable and sufficient load
According to the latest practice the land required for various types
of substations are
400KV = 50acres
220KV = 25acres
132KV = 10acres
3. Communication facility - suitable communication facility should
be desirable.
4. Atmospheric pollution – atmosphere around factories may
produce metal corroding gases, air fumes, dust etc and near the
sea cost, air may be humid and may be salt loaden.
5. Availability of essential amenities to the staff – the site should
be such that the staff can be provided essential amenities like
school, hospital drinking water, housing etc
6. Drainage facility
What will happen if DC supply fails in an electrical
substation?
Purpose of use of DC supply in an electrical substation
We use circuit breakers and switch-gears for power supply
distribution for safe and systematic utilization of electrical
power. The breaker is mainly used for making the electrical
supply on and off. The circuit breaker also carries out
protection functions.
The protection system trips the circuit breaker to cut off
the supply to the faulty section during an electrical fault.
Thus, a breaker is used in an electrical network for;
• Closing 
• Cut off 
• Tripping of the breaker in the case of fault
Main electrical connections
Primary circuit main connections are represented by either single
line or three line schematic of elementary diagrams.
The single line diagram represents the electrical circuit arrangement
of any electrical power installations in its basic form.. It is the
diagram that is used by the designer in selecting the electrical
equipment for any given installation, indrawing up the protective
relay, control and signaling alarm system schemes and their
elementary and wiring diagram and also in working up the
constructional and mechanical design of the switchgear structure.
 a single line is consist of
1. Generators
2. Bus bars
3. Power transformer
4. Circuit breakers
5. Isolators
6. Series and shunt capacitors
7. Fuses
8. Current and power transformer
9. Line trap units
10. rectifiers
11. Static VAR source
12. Harmonic filters
13. Surge arresters
Components which are in series with the main circuit for power flow
Bus-bars, power transformer, circuit breaker, isolators, CT, line trap
unit, series capacitors, series reactors and rectifiers
Components in shunt connected between phase and ground are
Shunt capacitors, shunt reactors, static VAR sources, harmonic
filters, PT, lightning or surge arresters
Special types of apparatus such as isolators or disconnect
switches, circuit breakers, instrument transformers etc. are used for
interconnecting high voltage power lines(overhead or cable), with
the main bus-bars in the substation.
Connections may be divided as incoming (power feeder
connections), tie (lines interconnecting two substations or
switchgear installation), outgoing ( feeder connections for feeding
other subsequent substation or switchgear installation, power
transformer ( connections made in a given substations), voltage
transformer ( connecting for control and metering).
Circuit breaker is connected between the bus-bar and each
incoming and outgoing circuit. Isolator are provided on each side of
the circuit breaker.
CTs are provided for protection and measurement. It can be on
both side of the circuit breaker so that protection zones overlap
and cover the circuit breaker.
PTs are generally connected to bus-bars and on incoming line side.
Lighting arresters are connected phase to ground at the incoming
line as the first apparatus and also at the terminal of the
transformer, terminal of the capacitor bank, terminal of the shunt
reactor, terminal of the generator, terminal of the motor to divert
switching/lightning surges to ground.
Power transformer are connected between two voltage levels
The main connection scheme is drawn keeping in view of the
following
1. General bus-bar arrangement
2. Operating voltage
3. Number of incoming and outgoing lines
4. Number of transformers
5. Safety to equipment
6. Safety to operating personnel
7. Future extension requirements
Bus bar scheme
 ASSIGNMENT NO. 5
Draw completely the key diagrams for 66kv substation indicating all
the components with two outgoing line, a line for capacitor bank
and a line for step down transformer.