Static Substations
A substation is a facility that manages the flow of electricity at high voltages.
Substations are an essential part of the electrical grid, allowing electricity to be
transmitted reliably and securely.
How substations work
Voltage conversion: Substations can increase or decrease the voltage of
electricity. For example, a step-up substation increases voltage from a
generating facility to transmit electricity over long distances.
Switching: Substations can switch circuits to control the flow of power.
Fault isolation: Substations can isolate faulty sections of the system
ribution substations: Distribute electricity to homes and businesses
erground distribution substations: Distribute electricity underground
Substation types
Step-up transmission substations: Receive power from a generating facility
and increase the voltage for transmission
Step-down transmission substations: Reduce the voltage of electricity for
distribution
Distribution substations: Distribute electricity to homes and businesses
Underground distribution substations: Distribute electricity underground
Main equipment:
Transformers
Circuit breaker
Switchgear controls
busbar
Advances in digital technology
Instrument transformers
Surge arresters
Substation equipment
transformers, circuit breakers, bus bars,
metering equipment, protection relays,
and switching circuits.
Bus bar arrangement
• The conducting material or a conductor used to collect power from the input
terminals of an electrical system and distribute it to various output circuits is
known as an electrical bus bar or bus system.
• It is used to collect all the electrical power in one place. It is available in the
form of rectangular strips, round tubes, round bars, and square bars made up of
aluminum, copper, and brass.
• These are used in various applications like hospitals, industries, data centers,
railways, metros, institutions, computer technology, and many more.
Types of Bus Bar
• The bus bars are available in the sizes of 40x4mm, 40x5mm, 60x8mm,
50x6mm, 80x8mm, and 100x10mm. These are used in the distribution of
power depend on factors like cost, flexibility, reliability, etc.
• While selecting its arrangement, consider that the arrangement should be
easy and simple, cheap and the maintenance should not affect the process of
distribution of power.
Single Bus-Bar Arrangement
• The single bus bar arrangement is very simple and easy. This type of
arrangement consists of a single bus with a switchboard. The transformers,
feeders, and generators are connected to the bus bar
• The circuit breakers control the transformers, generators, and feeders. During
the maintenance, the isolators are used to isolate the transformers, generators,
and feeders from the bus bar.
advantages of the single bus bar
• Low cost
• Less maintenance
• Operation is simple and easy.
disadvantages of a single bus bar
• If any fault occurs in this, the whole distribution of power is
interrupted and the feeders will be disconnected.
• It is less flexible and used in only small substations,
switchboards, and small power stations where the continuous
distribution of power is not needed.
Single Bus-Bar Arrangement with Bus Sectionalized
• This type of arrangement is used in large stations where several units
are installed using a bus sectionalized. In this type, the circuit breakers
and isolators are used
• The isolator in the arrangement used to separate the faulty section to protect
the system from the shutdown. There is no increase in cost even though an
additional circuit breaker is used.
Advantages
•Easy to remove the fault section, without any loss in the supply continuity
•Individual sections on the bus can be repaired without disturbing the
overall section on the bus bar.
•The current limiting reactor helps to reduce the faults in the sections of
the bus.
Disadvantages
Usage of additional isolators and circuit breakers in the system increases the cost
Main and Transfer Bus Arrangement
This type of bus bar is designed by combining the auxiliary type and the main
bus bar by using a bus coupler to connect the circuit breaker and isolated
switches.
In case of overloading, the load is transferred from one to another bus bar by
using a bus coupler.
In this case, the potentials of the two bus bars should be the same to transfer
the load and the main bar should be opened and should be kept closer to
transfer the load.
Cont..
Advantages
• The main advantage is shifting the load from one type to another type if
any fault occurs loss of continuity.
• The cost of repair and maintenance is less
• Relays can be operated by using the bus potential.
• It is very easy to shift the load on any other buses.
Disadvantages
• As the whole systems use two bus bars, the cost would increase
• The whole system may breakdown if any fault occurs in any of the sections on
the bus.
Double Bus Double Breaker Arrangement
• In this type, two bus bars with two circuit breakers are used. So, that it
doesn’t require any special types of equipment like a switch and bus
coupler.
Advantages
• It gives the highest flexibility and reliability because there no loss of
continuity due to the faults
• Even though the load is transferred from one bus to another, there would be no
change in the supply continuity of the system.
Disadvantages
• The cost of the system and maintenance is more due to the additional circuit
breakers and two buses. So, these types of bus bar systems are used in
substations
Sectionalized Double Bus Bar Arrangement
• In this type, an auxiliary type is also used along with the sectionalized main
bus bar system. Any of the sections in the main type can be removed for
repair and maintenance and can be connected to any of the auxiliary bus bars in
the system. There is no need to sectionalize the auxiliary type because of its
highest cost.
One and a Half Breaker Arrangement
• This type of system uses 3 circuit breakers for 2 circuits. That means each
circuit in this will use ½ circuit breaker. This type of arrangement is mainly
employed in large stations like power-handling circuits.
Advantages
• Protects the system against loss of power supply
• Can be used to operate relays
• Easy to add additional circuits to the system
Disadvantages
• Complex circuit due to the relay system
• High maintenance cost
Ring Main Arrangement
This type of system is arranged in ring form by connecting the endpoint of the
main bus bar in the system back to the starting point.
Advantages
• Due to the ring arrangement, two paths are available for the supply. So, the
working of the system will not be affected due to the faults.
• Faults of a particular section in the whole system can be repaired without
affecting the entire working of the systems.
• Easy to maintain the circuit breaker without any interruption in the supply.
Disadvantages
• The system would be overloaded if any of the circuit breakers are opened.
• Adding the new circuit may create some complications.
Mesh Arrangement
• This type of bus bar is controlled by 4 circuit breakers, which are
installed in the mesh. From the node point, the circuit is tapped. The mesh
formed by the buses gets opened due to the occurrence of faults in any of
the sections. It is mainly used in the substations where it requires a large
no. of circuits. It also provides security against faults. There is a lack of
facility in switching.
Current Limiting Reactor
• A current limiting reactors is also called as series reactors. It is an inductive
coil having large inductive reactance compared to the resistance and is used to
limit the short circuit current during fault conditions.
Main Function of Current Limiting Reactor
The main purpose of the current limiting reactor is that its reactance should not
decrease when a large short current flows through its windings. When the fault
current exceeds about three times rated full-load current then large cross section iron
cored reactor is used for limiting the fault current.
Functions of Current Limiting Reactor
• Current limiting reactor reduces the flow of short circuit current so as to protect the
appliances from mechanical stress and overheating.
• Current reactor reduced the magnitude of voltage disturbances which is caused by
short circuits.
• It limits the fault current to flow into the healthy feeders or parts of the system,
thereby avoiding the fault from spreading. This increases the chances of continuity of
supply..
Drawbacks of current limiting reactor
The main drawbacks of the current limiting reactors are as follows
• When the reactor is installed on the network, the total percentage reactance
of the circuit increases.
• It decreases the power factor and thus the regulation becomes poorer.