Power Systems
Typical Power System
❖ An electrical network initiates at the point of generation. Electrical power is generated by
converting the kinetic energy of turbines into electrical energy.
❖ The generated voltage is then stepped up to be transmitted via the transmission line.
❖ Reaching the load side, voltage is stepped down again for distribution.
2
Three-phase System
➢ A three-phase system can transmit more power as compared to a single-phase system.
➢ Three-phase system can feed both three-phase and single-phase loads.
3
Advantages of Three-phase System
➢ Three phase system produces constant power/torque as opposed to the pulsating torque produced by the
single-phase systems.
➢ Three phase motors are self started while single phase motors can’t be started automatically.
➢ The size and cost of a three-phase machine is less than that of an equivalent rating single-phase machine.
Why Use Only three-phase?
➢ The optimal number of phases is three as it can transmit the maximum power with the least number of
conductors.
➢ Increasing the number of phases leads to a more complex system including conductors, circuit
breakers, transformers and transmission towers.
4
Voltage Levels
Voltage levels are defined internationally, as follows:
• Low voltage: up to 1000 V
• Medium voltage: above 1000 V up to 36 kV
• High voltage: above 36 kV
Supply standards vary by continent, with two general standards dominating:
• In Europe
IEC governs supply standards
The frequency is 50 Hz and LV voltage is 230 V.
• In North America
IEEE/ANSI governs supply standards
The frequency is 60 Hz and the LV voltage is 120 V.
Cables
Cables
• cable are used for power
distribution in industrial, Shield
commercial and residential
applications.
• The main component of the
cable is the conductor which
can be solid or stranded.
Stranded conductors are
more flexible however with
higher cost.
❖ Filler is a non-conductive material like plastic or cotton. It maintains the round shape
of the cable, and prevents internal damage.
Underground Cables
1. Conductor: is the conducting portion of a cable. The most common materials used for
cables are the copper and aluminium. Copper has better carrying capacity but with
higher cost. On the other hand, aluminium is lighter and cheaper.
2. Insulation: required to prevent live conductors from touching each other. The most
common insulation materials are the PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), which is used for LV
applications like electrical installations in buildings, and XLPE (Cross linked
polyethylene), which is used for MV applications like feeders for industrial buildings.
3. Shield: prevents the cable from emitting electromagnetic radiation that could interfere
with nearby equipment. Usually made of copper tape.
4. Inner sheath to hold the conductors together.
5. Armour is added to protect the insulated conductors from mechanical damage.
6. Outer sheath provides protection against environmental factors like moisture and
chemicals.
Protective Devices
Faults
• Electrical faults usually occur due to the breakdown of the insulating media between live
conductors.
• This breakdown may be caused by: mechanical damage, overheating, voltage surges,
deterioration of the insulating media due to an unfriendly environment or old age.
Fuses
• The fuse is probably the oldest,
simplest, cheapest and most-often
used type of protection device.
• The operation of a fuse is very
straightforward: The thermal energy
of the excessive current causes the
fuse-element to melt and the current
path is interrupted.
• Technological developments have
served to make fuses more
predictable, faster and safer (not to
explode).
Fuses
• A common misconception about a
fuse, is that it will blow as soon as
the current exceeds its rated value
(i.e. the value stamped on the
cartridge). This is far from the truth.
A fuse has a typical inverse time–
current characteristic and the higher
the current, the faster the fuse will
blow.
• Fuses are inexpensive. Therefore,
they are suitable to use solely on less
critical circuits
Circuit Breakers
• A circuit breaker (CB) is designed to open an electric circuit under fault conditions.
• When the CB contacts open, an arc is produced This arc needs to be extinguished.
• Modern circuit breakers have total breaking times between 1 and 5 cycles (20–100 ms).
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): Molded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB):
• Commonly used in residential and commercial • Used in both industrial and commercial
buildings for low current ratings. applications, handling higher currents than
MCBs.
LV Panel Board
LV Panel Board
Main CB
Branch CBs
Main panelboard
LV Panel board
The panel board is composed of:
1. Main circuit breaker.
2. Outgoing circuit breakers.
3. Bus bars.
4. Measuring devices.
5. Indicator lamps.
LV Panel board
Branch CBs
1. Main circuit breaker:
• The main circuit breaker controls the flow
of electricity into the main panelboard and
protects the entire electrical system from
overloads, short circuits, and faults.
• The main breaker allows for the complete
isolation of power from the entire system,
making it safe for maintenance or repairs
without risking live wires. Main CB
LV Panel board
Branch CBs
2. Outgoing (branch) circuit breakers:
• protect individual circuits within the
system (e.g., individual floor in a
building). This prevents localized faults or
overloads from affecting the rest of the
system.
• In case of a fault, only the affected circuit
trips, allowing other circuits to continue
functioning. For example, if a breaker Main CB
connected to first floor trips, it won’t affect
other floors.
LV Panel board
3. Bus bars:
• A busbar is a metallic bar, usually made of
copper, in a switchgear panel used to carry
electric power from incoming feeders and
distributes to the outgoing feeders.
• Busbars may be placed inside PVC jackets
for protection against moist, dust and mice.
❖ Note: A bus riser refers to the vertical
extension or segment of a busbar system that
is used to transmit electrical power between
different levels of a building or structure.
LV Panel board
4. Measuring devices:
• Panel boards are equipped with several
measuring devices to measure various
quantities like, voltage, current, power
and power factor.
• Measuring devices could either be
analog or digital.
5. Indicator lamps:
• They indicate whether the circuit is
energised or malfunctioning.
Sockets
1. Single sockets: (general purpose
like chargers, fridges, TV, etc)
Rating: 250V, 10 – 16A.
2. Double socket: (general purpose
like chargers, fridges, TV, etc)
Rating: 250V, 10 – 16A.
3. Power socket: (Air conditioning,
heaters, irons, kettle, toaster, washing
machines, microwave, dishwasher)
Rating: 250V, 20 – 32A.
Sockets
4. Weather-proof socket: (outdoor applications, store, etc.)
but has a cover for high ingress-protection
Rating: 250V, 10 – 16A.
5. three-phase socket: (for three-phase loads in factories)
Rating: 400V, 16 – 125A.
Sockets
6. Column socket: (usually used in offices) has 6 or 12
outlets
Rating: 250V, 20A.
7. Trunking socket: (used in hospitals) has 6 or 12 outlets
Rating: 250V, 20A.
Sockets mounting
• Sockets are mounted 30 – 40 cm from the floor,
except for bathrooms and kitchens, where the value
is 120 – 135 cm.
• Distance between any two successive sockets should
not exceed 3.65m.
• Distance between the socket and the next wall
should not exceed 1.8m.
• For power and three-phase sockets, there is only one
socket per line.
• For single sockets we can have between 8 to 10
sockets per line.
Switches
• Switches are most used to turn on/off lighting.
• Different types of switches are available. The most
common types are:
1. One-way switch: used to control light from one
location
2. Two-way switch: used to control light from two
locations.
❖ Note: the switch can control one or more lamps connected in parallel.
Switches
Switches
Safety
• Electric shock is a sudden and accidental stimulation of the body’s nervous system occurring
when an electric current passes through the body, potentially causing injury or harm.
• The degree of danger for the victim is a function of the magnitude of the current, the parts
of the body through which the current passes, and the duration of current flow.
Safety
• Electric shock can be classified as direct or indirect depending on how the person comes
into contact with the electrical current.
• Direct Electric Shock: Occurs when a person comes into direct contact with a live
electrical component or conductor (e.g., touching a live wire or an exposed terminal).
This could be avoided by proper insulation of live conductors and placing bare electrical
conductors (like bus bars) out of reach.
➢For more safety an RCD (residual current device) could also be used. An RCD is a safety
device which disconnects power if it detects a leakage current. It monitors the flow of
electrical current in a circuit and acts when there is an imbalance, typically caused by
electricity escaping to the ground through a person.
Safety
Residual Current Device (RCD)
Safety
• Indirect Electric Shock: Occurs when a person comes
into contact with a conductive part (e.g., a metal surface)
that has become live due to a fault, such as insulation
failure.
• To avoid this problem, protective earthing (grounding)
system is deployed. Earthing means the connection of all
metallic parts (electrical equipment chassis) to the earth
through an earthing rod (electrode).
• In this case, whenever the equipment chassis becomes
accidentally live due to insulation failure, current will
not flow through the body of someone touching the
chassis, but instead will flow directly to the earth.
• The reason is that the resistance of human body is
usually between 1,000 to 100,000 ohms depending on
factors like skin condition, moisture, and contact area.
While, the earth electrode has resistance of few ohms.
Safety
❖ Protective earthing refers to the connection of the exposed conductive parts of electrical
equipment (e.g., enclosures, frames) to the earth to protect people from electric shock in
case of equipment insulation failure.
❖ System earthing refers to the connection of the electrical system's neutral point (e.g.,
transformer or generator) to the earth to provide a reference point for the system's voltage.