MODULE -4

SUBSTATION
Substations: Introduction to Substation equipment; Transformers, High Voltage
Fuses, High Voltage Circuit Breakers and Protective Relaying, High Voltage
Disconnect Switches, Lightning Arresters, High Voltage Insulators and Conductors,
Voltage Regulators, Storage Batteries, Reactors, Capacitors, Measuring Instruments,
and power line carrier communication equipment. Classification of substations –
indoor and outdoor, Selection of site for substation, Bus-bar arrangement schemes
and single line diagrams of substations. Interconnection of power stations.
Introduction to gas insulated substation, Advantages and economics of Gas
insulated substation.
Grounding: Introduction, Difference between grounded and ungrounded system.
System grounding – ungrounded, solid grounding, resistance grounding, reactance
grounding, resonant grounding. Earthing transformer. Neutral grounding and
neutral grounding transformer.

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

S.G.Balekundri Institute of Technology,
1 Belagavi 2
 INTRODUCTION
 The assembly of apparatus used to change some characteristic
(e.g. voltage, a.c. to d.c., frequency, p.f. etc.) of electric supply is
called a sub-station.
 Sub-stations are important part of power system.
 A substation is the intermediate means between high voltage
transmission or distribution and end user including connecting
generators, transmission or distribution lines, and loads to each
other, and generally stepping higher voltages down to lower
voltages to meet specific customer requirements.
 For example we cannot use electricity directly form 11 KV power
line or 33 KV power line. In order to use energy from these lines
we would have to get power through substation from these lines.
Therefore it is required to install a substation.
 Also if we want to transmit electrical energy over long distance,
then it is also required to install a substation to get high voltage
for transmission.
 Substation can be as simple as one pole mounted transformer
near our homes and villages or factory and as complex as several.
 Power transformers, auxiliary transformers, Current
Transformers(CTs), Potential Transformers(PTs), circuit
breakers, isolators, bus-bars, Liner protection system (LPS), LT
panel , HT panel , Power factor improvement(PFI plant) ,
Automatic Voltage Switches(AVS) , Industrial voltage
Stabilizer(IVS) , Automatic Transfer Switch(ATS) , HT cable ,
LT cable, Main Distributing board , Sub Distribution board &
others small & heavy electrical equipment's all in one yard.
 The present-day electrical power system is a.c. i.e. electric power
is generated, transmitted and distributed in the form of alternating
current.
 The electric power is produced at the power stations which are
located at favorable places, generally quite away from the
consumers.
 It is delivered to the consumers through a large network of
transmission and distribution. At many places in the line of the
power system, it may be desirable and necessary to change some
characteristic(e.g. voltage, frequency, p.f. etc.) of electric supply.
 This is accomplished by suitable apparatus called sub-station.
For example, generation voltage (11 kV or 6·6 kV) at the power
station is stepped up to high voltage(say 220 kV or 132 kV) for
transmission of electric power.
 The assembly of apparatus (e.g. transformer etc.) used for this
purpose is the sub-station.
 Similarly, near the consumers localities, the voltage may have to
be stepped down to utilization level.
 This job is again accomplished by a suitable apparatus called
substation.
 Yet at some places in the line of the power system, it may be
desirable to convert large quantities of a.c. power to d.c. power
e.g. for traction, electroplating, *d.c. motors etc.
 This job is again performed by suitable apparatus (e.g. ignitron)
called sub-station.
 It is clear that type of equipment needed in a sub-station will
depend upon the service requirement.
 Although there can be several types of sub-stations, we shall
mainly confine our attention to only those sub-stations where
the incoming and outgoing supplies are a.c. i.e. sub-stations
which change the voltage level of the electric supply.
 The following are the important points which must be kept in
view while laying out a sub-station :
 It should be located at a proper site.
 It should provide safe and reliable arrangement.
 For safety, consideration must be given to the maintenance of
regulation clearances, facilities for carrying out repairs and
maintenance, abnormal occurrences such as possibility of
explosion or fire etc.
 For reliability, consideration 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 capital cost.
Classification of Sub-Stations :There are several ways of classifying sub-
stations. However, the two most important ways of classifying them are
according to
(1) service requirement and
(2) constructional features.
1. According to service requirement:A sub-station 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, sub-stations
may be classified into :
(i) Transformer sub-stations. Those sub-stations which change the
voltage level of electric supply are called transformer sub-stations. These
sub-stations receive power at some voltage and deliver it at some other
voltage. Obviously, transformer will be the main component in such
substations. Most of the sub-stations in the power system are of this type.
(ii) Switching sub-stations. These sub-stations do not change the voltage
level i.e. incoming and outgoing lines have the same voltage. However, they
simply perform the switching operations of power lines.
(iii) Power factor correction sub-stations. Those sub-stations
which improve the power factor of the system are called power
factor correction sub-stations. Such sub-stations are generally
located at the receiving end of transmission lines. These sub-stations
generally use synchronous condensers as the power factor
improvement equipment.
(iv) Frequency changer sub-stations. Those sub-stations which
change the supply frequency are known as frequency changer sub-
stations. Such a frequency change may be required for industrial
utilisation.
(v) Converting sub-stations. Those sub-stations which change a.c.
power into d.c. power are called converting sub-stations. These sub-
stations receive a.c. power and convert it into d.c. power with
suitable apparatus (e.g. ignitron) to supply for such purposes as
traction, electroplating, electric welding etc.
(vi) Industrial sub-stations. Those sub-stations which supply power to
individual industrial concerns are known as industrial sub-stations.
2. According to constructional features. A sub-station has many components
(e.g. circuit breakers, switches, fuses, instruments etc.) which must be housed
properly to ensure continuous and reliable service.
According to constructional features, the sub-stations are classified as :
(i) Indoor sub-station
(ii) Outdoor sub-station
(iii) Underground sub-station
(iv) Pole-mounted sub-station
(i) Indoor sub-stations. For voltages upto 11 kV, the equipment of the sub-
station is installed indoor because of economic considerations. However, when
the atmosphere is contaminated with impurities, these sub-stations can be
erected for voltages upto 66 kV.
(ii) Outdoor sub-stations. For voltages beyond 66 kV, equipment
is invariably installed outdoor. It is because for such voltages, the
clearances between conductors and the space required for switches,
circuit breakers and other equipment becomes so great that it is not
economical to install the equipment indoor.
(iii) Underground sub-stations. In thickly populated areas, the
space available for equipment and building is limited and the cost
of land is high. Under such situations, the sub-station is created
underground. The reader may find further discussion on
underground sub-stations in Art. 25.6. (iv) Pole-mounted sub-
stations. This is an outdoor sub-station with equipment installed
overhead on H-pole or 4-pole structure. It is the cheapest form of
sub-station for voltages not exceeding 11kV (or 33 kV in some
cases). Electric power is almost distributed in localities through
such substations.
Selection of site for substation:
The following factors are considered while making site selection for a substation
1. Type of Substation:
 The category of substation is important for its location.
 For example a step-up substation, which is generally a point where power
from various sources (generating machines or generating stations) is pooled
and stepped up for long distance transmission, should be located as close to
the generating stations as possible to minimize the transmission losses.
 A step-down substation should be located nearer to the load center to reduce
transmission losses, cost of distribution system and better reliability of supply.
2. Availability of Suitable and Sufficient Land:
 The land proposed for a substation should be normally level and open from
all sides.
 It should not be water logged particularly in rainy season.
 The site selected for a substation should be such that approach of
transmission lines and their take off can be easily possible without any
obstruction.
 3. Communication Facility:
 Suitable communication facility is desirable at a proposed substation both
during and after its construction.
 It is better, therefore, to select the site along-side on existing road to facilitate
an easier and cheaper transportation.
4. Atmospheric Pollution:
 Atmosphere around factories, which may produce metal corroding gases, air
fumes, conductive dust etc., and nearer to sea coasts, where air may be more
humid and may be salt laden, is detrimental to the proper running of power
system and therefore substations should not be located near factories or sea
coast.
5. Availability of Essential Amenities to the Staff:
 The site should be such where staff can be provided essential amenities like
school, hospital, drinking water, housing etc.
6. Drainage Facility:
 The site selected for the proposed substation should have proper drainage
arrangement or possibility of making effective drainage arrangement to avoid
pollution of air and growth of micro-organisms detrimental to equipment and
health.
SubstationTransformer

 Transformers are an essential part of any electrical power

system. They come in various sizes and voltage ratings.
 AC transformers are one of the keys to allowing widespread
distribution of electric power as we see it today.
 Transformers efficiently convert electricity to higher voltage for
long distance transmission and back down to low voltages
suitable for customer usage.
 The distribution power transformers perform the necessary
voltage transition from transmission (or sub- transmission)
voltage level to a level suitable for power distribution. One
example of such transition would be a change from 66 kV to 11
kV.
 There are three transformers in the incoming feeders so that the three lines are
step down at the same time.
 In case of a 220KV or more KV line station auto transformers are used.
 While in case of lower KV line such as less than 132KV line double winding
transformers are used.
 The transformer is transported on trailor to substation site and as far as
possible directly unloaded on the plinth.
 Transformer tanks up to 25 MVA capacity are generally oil filled, and those of
higher capacity are transported with N2 gas filled in them +ve pressure of N2
is maintained in transformer tank to avoid the ingress of moisture.
 This pressure should be maintained during storage, if necessary by filling N2
 Bushings - generally transported in wooden cases in horizontal position and
should be stored in that position.
 There being more of fragile material, care should be taken while handling
them.
 Radiators – These should be stored with ends duly blanked with gaskets and
end plates to avoid in gross of moisture, dust, and any foreign materials
inside.
 The care should be taken to protect the fins of radiators while
unloading and storage to avoid further oil leakages.
 The radiators should be stored on raised ground keeping the fins
intact.
 Oil Piping. The Oil piping should also be blanked at the ends with
gasket and blanking plates to avoid in gross of moisture, dust, and
foreign
 All other accessories like temperature meters, oil flow indicators,
PRVs, buchholz relay; oil surge relays; gasket ‘ O ‘ rings etc.
should be properly packed and stored indoor in store shed.
 Oil is received in sealed oil barrels.
 The oil barrels should be stored in horizontal position with the lids
on either side in horizontal position to maintain oil pressure on
them from inside and subsequently avoiding moisture and water
ingress into oil.
 The transformers are received on site with loose accessories hence
the materials should be checked as per bills of materials.
CVT
 A capacitor voltage transformer (CVT) is a transformer used in
power systems to step-down extra high voltage signals and
provide low voltage signals either for measurement or to operate a
protective relay.
 In its most basic form the device consists of three parts: two
capacitors across which the voltage signal is split, an inductive
element used to tune the device to the supply frequency and a
transformer used to isolate and further step-down the voltage for
the instrumentation or protective relay.
 The device has 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
instrumentation or protective relay.
 CVTs are typically single-phase devices used for measuring
voltages in excess of one hundred kilovolts where the use of
voltage transformers would be uneconomical.
 In practice the first capacitor, C1, is often replaced by a stack of
capacitors 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 drop across the second capacitor, C2, and hence the
secondary terminals.
Wave Trap
 Wave trap is an instrument using for tripping of the wave.
 The function of this trap is that it traps the unwanted waves.
 Its function is of trapping wave.
 Its shape is like a drum.
 It is connected to the main incoming feeder so that it can trap
the waves which may be dangerous to the instruments here in
the substation.
•Instrument Transformer
 Instrument transformers are used to step-down the current or
voltage to measurable values.
 They provide standardized, useable levels of current or voltage
in a variety of power monitoring and measurement
applications.
 Both current and voltage instrument transformers are designed
to have predictable characteristics on overloads.
 Proper operation of over-current protection relays requires that
current transformers provide a predictable transformation ratio
even during a short circuit.
 These are further classified into two types which are discussed
below.
 a. Current Transformers
 b. Potential Transformers
Current Transformer
 Current transformers are basically used to take the readings of
the currents entering the substation.
 This transformer steps down the current from 800 amps to 1
amp.
 This is done because we have no instrument for measuring of
such a large current.
 The main use of this transformer is a. Distance Protection b.
Backup Protection c. Measurement.
 A current transformer is defined as an instrument transformer
in which the secondary current is substantially proportional to
the primary current (under normal conditions of operation) and
differs in phase from it by an angle which is approximately zero
for an appropriate direction of the connections.
 This highlights the accuracy requirement of the current
transformer but also important is the isolating function, which
means no matter what the system voltage the secondary circuit
need to be insulated only for a low voltage.
 The current transformer works on the principle of variable flux.
 In the ideal current transformer, secondary current would be
exactly equal (when multiplied by the turns ratio) and opposite to
the primary current.
 But, as in the voltage transformer, some of the primary current or
the primary ampere-turns are utilized for magnetizing the core,
thus leaving less than the actual primary ampere turns to be
transformed into the secondary ampere-turns.
 This naturally introduces an error in the transformation.
 The error is classified into current ratio error and the phase error.
Potential Transformer
 There are two potential transformers used in the bus connected both side of
the bus. The potential transformer uses a bus isolator to protect itself.
 The main use of this transformer is to measure the voltage through the bus.
This is done so as to get the detail information of the voltage passing
through the bus to the instrument.
 There are two main parts in it
a. Measurement
b. Protection
The standards define a voltage transformer as one in which the secondary
voltage is substantially proportional to the primary voltage and differs in phase
from it by an angle which is approximately equal to zero for an appropriate
direction of the connections.
Isolators 
 The isolators in substations are mechanical switches which
are deployed for isolation of circuits when there is an
interruption of current.
 These are also known with the name of disconnected
switches operation under no-load conditions and are not
fortified with arc-quenching devices.
 These switches have no specific current breaking value
neither these have current making value.
 These are mechanically operated switches
Circuit Breakers 
 Circuit breakers which control high voltages and protect
other substation equipment are also located at power
substations.
 Many outdoor substations use oil-filled circuit breakers. This
type of circuit breaker has contacts immersed in an
insulating oil contained in a metal enclosure.
 It should be pointed out that large arcs are present whenever
a high-voltage circuit is interrupted.
 This problem is not encountered to any great extent in low-
voltage protective equipment.
 The circuit breakers are used to break the circuit if any fault
occurs in any of the instrument.
 These circuit breaker breaks 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.
 There are mainly two types of circuit breakers used for any
substations.
 They are
a. SF6 circuit breakers
b. Spring circuit breakers.
Bus Bar
 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 la single line.
 There may be double line in 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 a 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.
 A bus bar in electrical power distribution refers to thick strips of copper or
aluminium that conduct electricity within a switchboard, distribution board,
substation, or other electrical apparatus.
Insulators and Conductors
 All power transmission lines must be isolated to avoid safety hazards.
 Large strings of insulators are used at substations and at other points
along the power distribution system to isolate the current carrying
conductors from their steel supports or any other ground mounted
equipment.
 Insulators may be made of porcelain, rubber or a thermoplastic
material.
 Conductors :
 AAC:All Aluminum Conductor
 AAAC:All AluminumAlloy Conductor
 ACSR:Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced
 ACSS: Aluminum Conductor Steel Supported
 ACCR:Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced
 ACCC:Aluminum Conductor Composite Core
Key Diagram of 66/11 kV Sub-Station
(i) There are two 66 kV incoming lines marked ‘incoming 1’ and
‘incoming 2’ connected to the bus-bars. Such an arrangement of
two incoming lines is called a double circuit. Each incoming line
is capable of supplying the rated sub-station load. Both these
lines can be loaded simultaneously to share the sub-station load
or any one line can be called upon to meet the entire load. The
double circuit arrangement increases the reliability of the
system. In case there is a breakdown of one incoming line, the
continuity of supply can be maintained by the other line.
(ii) The sub-station has duplicate bus-bar system; one ‘main bus-
bar’ and the other spare busbar. The incoming lines can be
connected to either bus-bar with the help of a bus-coupler which
consists of a circuit breaker and isolators. The advantage of
double bus-bar system is that if repair is to be carried on one
bus-bar, the supply need not be interrupted as the entire load can
be transferred to the other bus.
(i) There is an arrangement in the sub-station by which the same
66 kV double circuit supply is going out i.e. 66 kV double
circuit supply is passing through the sub-station. The outgoing
66 kV double circuit line can be made to act as incoming line.
(ii) There is also an arrangement to step down the incoming 66 kV
supply to 11 kV by two units of 3-phase transformers; each
transformer supplying to a separate bus-bar. Generally, one
transformer supplies the entire sub-station load while the other
transformer acts as a standby unit. If need arises, both the
transformers can be called upon to share the sub-station load.
The 11 kV outgoing lines feed to the distribution sub-stations
located near consumers localities.
(v) Both incoming and outgoing lines are connected through circuit breakers
having isolators on their either end. Whenever repair is to be carried over the
line towers, the line is first switched off and then earthed.
(vi) The potential transformers (P.T.) and current transformers (C.T.) and
suitably located for supply to metering and indicating instruments and relay
circuits (not shown in the figure). The P.T. is connected right on the point where
the line is terminated. The CTs are connected at the terminals of each circuit
breaker.
(vii) The lightning arresters are connected near the transformer terminals (on
H.T. side) to protect them from lightning strokes.
(viii) There are other auxiliary components in the sub-station such as capacitor
bank for power factor improvement, earth connections, local supply
connections, d.c. supply connections etc. However, these have been omitted in
the key diagram for the sake of simplicity.