Electrical Substation
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Electrical substation A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions. Electric power may flow through several substations between generating plant and consumer, and its voltage may change in several steps. Substations may be owned and operated by a transmission or generation electrical utility, or may be owned by a large industrial or commercial customer. Generally substations are un-attended, relying on SCADA for remote supervision and control. A substation may include transformers to change voltage levels between high transmission voltages and lower distribution voltages, or at the interconnection of two different transmission voltages. The word substation comes from the days before the distribution system became a grid. As central generation stations became larger, smaller generating plants were converted to distribution stations, receiving their energy supply from a larger plant instead of using their own generators. The first substations were connected to only one power station, where the generators were housed, and were subsidiaries of that power station. Elements of a substation Substations generally have switching, protection and control equipment, and transformers. In a large substation, circuit breakers are used to interrupt any short circuits or overload currents that may occur on the network. Smaller distribution stations may use recloser circuit breakers or fuses for protection of distribution circuits. Substations themselves do not usually have generators, although a power plant may have a substation nearby. Other devices such as capacitors and voltage regulators may also be located at a substation. Substations may be on the surface in fenced enclosures, underground, or located in special- purpose buildings. High-rise buildings may have several indoor substations. Indoor substations are usually found in urban areas to reduce the noise from the transformers, for reasons of appearance, or to protect switchgear from extreme climate or pollution conditions. Where a substation has a metallic fence, it must be properly grounded (UK: earthed) to protect people from high voltages that may occur during a fault in the network. Earth faults at a substation can cause a ground potential rise. Currents flowing in the Earth's surface during a fault can cause metal objects to have a significantly different voltage than the ground under a person's feet; this touch potential presents a Elements of a substation A:Primary power lines' side B:Secondary power lines' side 1.Primary power lines 2.Ground wire 3.Overhead lines 4.Transformer for measurement of electric voltage 5.Disconnect switch 6.Circuit breaker 7.Current transformer 8.Lightning arrester 9.Main transformer 10.Control building 11.Security fence 12.Secondary power lines Main contents in a Sub-station:- Indoor Oil Filled Transformer Transformer oil or insulating oil is usually a highly-refined mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties. It is used in oil-filled transformers, some types of high voltage capacitors, fluorescent lamp ballasts, and some types of high voltage switches and circuit breakers. Its functions are to insulate, suppress corona and arcing, and to serve as a coolant. Contents 1 Explanation 2 Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 3 Testing and oil quality 4 On-site testing 5 References 6 External links The oil helps cool the transformer. Because it also provides part of the electrical insulation between internal live parts, transformer oil must remain stable at high temperatures for an extended period. To improve cooling of large power transformers, the oil-filled tank may have external radiators through which the oil circulates by natural convection. Very large or high- power transformers (with capacities of thousands of kVA) may also have cooling fans, oil pumps, and even oil-to-water heat exchangers. Large, high voltage transformers undergo prolonged drying processes, using electrical self- heating, the application of a vacuum, or both to ensure that the transformer is completely free of water vapor before the cooling oil is introduced. This helps prevent corona formation and subsequent electrical breakdown under load. Oil filled transformers with a conservator (an oil tank above the transformer) may have a gas detector relay (Buchholz relay). These safety devices detect the build up of gas inside the transformer due to corona discharge, overheating, or an internal electric arc. On a slow accumulation of gas, or rapid pressure rise, these devices can trip a protective circuit breaker to remove power from the transformer. Transformers without conservators are usually equipped with sudden pressure relays, which perform a similar function as the Buchholz relay. The flash point (min) and pour point (max) are 140 °C and −6 °C respectively. The dielectric strength of new untreated oil is 12 MV/m (RMS) and after treatment it should be >24 MV/m (RMS). Large transformers for indoor use must either be of the dry type, that is, containing no liquid, or use a less-flammable liquid. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Well into the 1970s, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)s were often used as a dielectric fluid since they are not flammable. PCBs do not break down when released into the environment and accumulate in the tissues of plants and animals, where they can have hormone-like effects. When burned, PCBs can form highly toxic products such as furan. Starting in the early 1970s, production and new uses of PCBs have been banned[where?] due to concerns about the accumulation of PCBs and toxicity of their byproducts. In many countries significant programs are in place to reclaim and safely destroy PCB contaminated equipment. Polychlorinated biphenyls were banned in 1979 in the US. Since PCB and transformer oil are miscible in all proportions, and since sometimes the same equipment (drums, pumps, hoses, and so on) was used for either type of liquid, contamination of oil-filled transformers is possible. Under present regulations, concentrations of PCBs exceeding 5 parts per million can cause an oil to be classified as hazardous waste in California (California Code of Regulations, Title 22, section 66261). Throughout the US, PCBs are regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act. As a consequence, field and laboratory testing for PCB contamination is a common practice. Common brand names for PCB liquids include "Askarel", "Inerteen", "Aroclor" and many others. Today, non-toxic, stable silicon-based or fluorinated hydrocarbons are used, where the added expense of a fire-resistant liquid offsets additional building cost for a transformer vault. Combustion-resistant vegetable oil-based dielectric coolants and synthetic pentaerythritol tetra fatty acid (C7, C8) esters are also becoming increasingly common as alternatives to naphthenic mineral oil. Esters are non-toxic to aquatic life, readily biodegradable, and have a lower volatility and a higher flash points than mineral oil. Testing and oil quality Transformer oils are subject to electrical and mechanical stresses while a transformer is in operation. In addition there is contamination caused by chemical interactions with windings and other solid insulation, catalyzed by high operating temperature. As a result the original chemical properties of transformer oil changes gradually, rendering it ineffective for its intended purpose after many years. Hence this oil has to be periodically tested to ascertain its basic electrical properties, make sure it is suitable for further use, and ascertain the need for maintenance activities like filtration/regeneration. These tests can be divided into: 1. Dissolved gas analysis 2. Furan analysis 3. PCB analysis 4. General electrical & physical tests: Color & Appearance Breakdown Voltage Water Content Acidity (Neutralization Value) Dielectric Dissipation Factor Resistivity Sediments & Sludge Interfacial Tension Flash Point Pour Point Density Kinematic Viscosity The details of conducting these tests are available in standards released by IEC, ASTM, IS, BS, and testing can be done by any of the methods. The Furan and DGA tests are specifically not for determining the quality of transformer oil, but for determining any abnormalities in the internal windings of the transformer or the paper insulation of the transformer, which cannot be otherwise detected without a complete overhaul of the transformer. Suggested intervals for these test are: General and physical tests - bi-yearly Dissolved gas analysis - yearly Furan testing - once every 2 years, subject to the transformer being in operation for min 5 years. On-site testing Some transformer oil tests can be carried out in the field, using portable test apparatus. Other tests, such as dissolved gas, normally require a sample to be sent to a laboratory. Electronic on- line dissolved gas detectors can be connected to important or distressed transformers to continually monitor gas generation trends. To determine the insulating property of the dielectric oil, an oil sample is taken from the device under test, and its breakdown voltage is measured on-site according the following test sequence: In the vessel, two standard-compliant test electrodes with a typical clearance of 2.5 mm are surrounded by the insulating oil. During the test, a test voltage is applied to the electrodes. The test voltage is continuously increased