Transmission of Power

Generation, Transmission, & Distribution

1. Power Plant 2. Transmission 3. High Voltage
Substation Transmission Lines

steps the voltage up to

69,000 - 765,000 V moves power over long distances
generates 3-phase AC power on the transmission grid

6. Distribution 5. Distribution Substation

Power Lines

4. Subtransmission

Steps the voltage down

to 22,000 – 69,000 V

Moves power over distribution steps the voltage down

grid to points-of-use to 4160 -36,000V
 Small Substation Distribution Power Lines

Distribution

Industrial Uses 2400 – 15,000 Volts

6. Distribution
Power Lines 1200 A

Commercial Uses 480Y/277 Volts

Residential Uses 120/240 Volts

WIND ENERGY

• Wind energy is a form of indirect solar energy

 The atmosphere is warmed by the radiant

energy of the sun.
 Wind is caused by the uneven warming of the
atmosphere, the varying topography of the
earth, and the rotation of the earth.
 The flow of the wind is modified by the earth’s
terrain, obstacles (such as trees and buildings),
bodies of water, etc.

• A wind turbine converts the kinetic energy in

wind into electricity.

 The kinetic energy of the wind rotates the

blades of a wind turbine.
 The blades rotate a shaft and convert the
kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy.
 The shaft of the turbine is connected to a
generator, which converts the mechanical
energy to electrical energy.
Hydropower
• Hydropower is a form of indirect solar energy

 Water constantly moves through a global

hydrological cycle driven by the sun.
 Water evaporates from the surfaces of lakes
and oceans and rises into the atmosphere.
 The moist warm air rises, cools, and
condenses to forms clouds.
 Water is transported through the atmosphere in
clouds and as water vapor.
 Water precipitates to the surface of the earth in
the form of rain, snow, sleet, or freezing rain.
 Water flows into lakes, rivers and streams and
is carried back to the oceans.

• Hydropower plants convert the kinetic energy

of falling water into electricity.

 A dam is built to control the flow of water,

increase the elevation, and form a reservoir to
harness the potential energy of elevated water.
 As water is released, gravity causes water to
flow through the penstock.
 The moving water turns a turbine at the base of
the dam, converting the kinetic energy of water
into mechanical energy.
 The shaft of the turbine is connected to a
generator, which converts the mechanical
energy to electrical energy.
Fossil Fuels
• Fossil Fuels are the remnants of organisms
that lived 300 million years ago.

 The sun provides energy which plants use

to produce energy through photosynthesis.
 Plants accumulate energy throughout life
and eventually die.
 Plant life decays and is buried under water
and rock at very high pressures.
 These ancient seas recede, exposing fossil
fuels such as coal and petroleum buried in
the rock.
 For every ten feet of plant matter, there is
roughly one foot of coal.

• Fossil Fuel burning plants convert chemical

energy into thermal energy, thermal energy
into mechanical energy, and mechanical
energy into electrical energy.

 A boiler combusts fuel, and uses the

resulting heat to boil water.
 This high pressure steam processes
through the plant, powering a turbine.
 The shaft of the turbine is connected to a
generator, which converts the mechanical
energy to electrical energy.
SOLAR POWER

• On the sun, fusion reactions continually occur, releasing

energy – solar radiation.

 Two pairs of protons fuse, and the two products of these

reactions fuse with an additional proton.
 The three proton nuclei then fuse together to form beryllium-
6, which is highly unstable.
 The beryllium-6 decays into a helium nucleus (alpha particle)
and two protons.
 Along the way, gamma rays, or solar radiation (γ), is
released.

• Some of this solar radiation reaches the earth and strikes a

photovoltaic cell.

 Light that is not reflected and has a specific amount of energy

is absorbed by the cell.
 The energy absorbed from the light frees electrons from the
semiconducting layers, generating an electric current.
 This power can then be used at the source, or stored until a
later time when it is needed.
 Nuclear Power

• Nuclear fission occurs inside what is known as a reactor.

 A neutron collides with a uranium nucleus and is absorbed

 The nucleus is induced to split into two smaller nuclei (fission products) and other neutrons.
 The mass that is lost in the process is released in the form of thermal energy.
 The other neutrons cause further fission reactions.

• The energy released from fission is used to generate electrical energy.

 Water surrounding the reactor is boiled by the thermal energy released in fission.
 The thermal energy of the newly produced steam powers a turbine.
 The mechanical energy of the turbine generates electrical energy in the same way as a wind turbine, or the turbine in a
fossil fuel plant.
 Geothermal Power
• Thermal energy from molten rock heats water below the surface of the earth.

 Underground water, stored under high pressure, is heated by molten rock.

 A heat pump takes this warm water, which either boils under the lower pressure, is already steam, or is used to boil a
second liquid with a lower boiling point than water.
 The resulting steam then powers a turbine, and electrical energy is generated.
 Water is pumped back into the ground, where it is again heated and placed under high pressure.
 Biomass Power
• Energy from the sun is absorbed by trees and other organic life forms.

 Solar radiation, the product of fusion, is absorbed by plants and converted to energy by a process known as
photosynthesis.
 Plants grow, and are eventually used for industrial or agricultural purposes.
 Organic material left over from these primary uses are collected by combustion plants.
 Biomass fuel is used in the same way as fossil fuel, to convert chemical energy into thermal energy, thermal
energy into mechanical energy, and finally mechanical energy into electrical energy.
 SUBSTATION
• SUBSTATION - A station in the power transmission system at which electric power is
transformed to a conveniently used form. The station may consist of transformers, switches,
circuit breakers and other auxilliary equipment. Its main function is to receive energy
transmitted at high voltage from the generating station, by either step-up or step-down the
voltage to a value appropriate for local use and provide facilities for switching. Substations
have some additional functions. Its provide points where safety devices may be installed to
disconnect circuits or equipment in the event of trouble.
Some substation, such as power plant switchyard are simply switching stations where
different connections can be made between various transmission lines.
 Types of substation
Classification: The substations can be classified in several ways including the following:

1. Classification based on voltage levels e.g. : A.C. Substation : EHV, HV, MV, LV; HVDC Substation.

2. Classification based on Outdoor or Indoor : Outdoor substation is under open sky. Indoor substation is inside
a building.

3. Classification based on configuration

• Conventional Air insulated outdoor substation or
• SF6 Gas Insulated Substation (GIS)
• Composite substations having combination of the above two

4 Classification based on application

• Step Up Substation – Associated with generating station as the generating voltage is low.
• Primary Grid Substation – Created at suitable load centre along primary transmission lines.
• Secondary Substation – Along secondary transmission line.
• Distribution Substation – Created where the transmission line voltage is step down to supply voltage.
• Bulk supply and industrial substation – Similar to distribution sub-station but created separately for each
consumer.
• Mining Substation – Needs special design consideration because of extra precaution for safety needed in
the operation of electric supply.
• Mobile Substation – Temporary requirement.
Typical Components of a Power Plant
Substation (Switchyard)

• CONNECT •A - Busbar

• CONNECT & DIS-CONNECT •B - Disconnector

• CONNECT, DIS-CONNECT & DETECT •C - Circuit Breaker

• DETECT & TRANSFORM •D - Current Transformer

• DETECT & TRANSFORM •E - Voltage Transformer

• PROTECT & SAFETY •F - Earthing Switch

• PROTECT •G - Surge Arrestor

 A. BUSBAR
• BUSBAR (bus) – is a term we use
for a main bar or conductor
carrying an electric current to
which many connection may be
made.
• Buses are merely convenient
means of connecting switches and
other equipment into various
arrangements.
• The usual arrangement of
connections in most substations
permit working on almost any
piece of equipment without
interruption to incoming or
outgoing feeders.
• In the switchyard or substation,
buses are open to the air.
Aluminum or copper conductors
supported on porcelain insulators,
carry the electric energy from
point to point.
 B. DISCONNECTS
• DISCONNECT – is an easily removed
piece of the actual conductor of a
circuit. The purpose of disconnects is to
isolate equipment. Disconnects are not
used to interrupt circuits; they are no-
load devices.
• A typical use of disconnects is to
isolate a circuit breaker by installing
one disconnect on either side of the
circuit breaker (in series with the
breaker).
• Operation of disconnects is one of the
most important and responsible jobs of
a power plant operator. One error in
isolation of equipment, or the
accidental grounding of line equipment,
can be a fatal mistake.
 C. CIRCUIT BREAKER
• CIRCUIT BREAKER – is used to interrupt circuits while current is flowing through
them. The making and breaking of contacts in a Oil type circuit breaker are done
under oil, this oil serves to quench the arc when the circuit is opened.
• The operation of the breaker is very rapid when opening. As with the transformer,
the high voltage connections are made through bushings. Circuit breakers of this
type are usually arranged for remote electrical control from a suitably located
switchboard.
Some recently developed circuit breakers have no oil, but put out the arc by
a blast of compressed air; these are called air circuit breakers. Another type
encloses the contacts in a vacuum or a gas (sulfur hexafluoride, SF6) which tends
to self maintain the arc.
 D. CURRENT TRANSFORMER
• Current transformer are used with
ammeters, watt meters, power-factor
meters, watt-hour meters,
compensators, protective and
regulating relays and the trip coil of
circuit breakers.
• One current transformer can be used
to operate several instruments,
provided that the combined burden
does not exceed that for which the
transformer is designed and
compensated.
• The current transformer is connected
directly in series with the line.
 E. VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER
• VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER – also know as
potential transformer, are used with
volt-meters, wattmeters, watt-hour
meters, power-factor meters, frequency
meters, synchroscopes and
synchronizing apparatus, protective and
regulating relays and the no-voltage and
over-voltage trip coils of automatic
circuit breakers.
• One transformer can be used for a
number of instruments at the same time
if the total current taken by the
instrument does not exceed that for
which the transformer is designed and
compensated. The ordinary voltage
transformer is connected across the
line, and the magnetic flux in the core
depends upon the primary voltage.
 F. EARTHING SWITCH
• EARTHING SWITCH – also known as ground disconnect, which
used to connects the equipment to a grid of electrical
conductors buried in the earth on the station property. It is
intended to protect people working on the grounded
equipment. It does this by completing a circuit path, thereby
reducing the voltage difference between the equipment and
its surroundings.
• For safety reasons, it is important that ground disconnects
and all associated connections have good contact and low
resistance. It is also important that the protective ground not
be accidentally remove, that is why all the earthing switches,
disconnect switches and circuit breakers are all interlocked to
each other and proper/correct sequencing must be followed.
 G. SURGE ARRESTOR
• SURGE ARRESTOR – are devices used to provide
the necessary path to ground for such surges, yet
prevent any power current from following the
surge. An ideal arrester must therefore have the
following properties:
1. Ability to remove the surge energy from the
line in a min. time.
2. High resistive to flow of power current.
3. A valve action automatically allowing surge
to pass and then closing up so as not to
permit power current to flow to ground.
4. Always ready to perform.
5. Performance such that no system
disturbances are introduced by its
operation.
6. Economically feasible
• OVERHEAD GROUND WIRE – by a ground wire is meant a wire, generally
of steel, supported from the top of transmission-line towers and solidly
grounded at each tower. It is considered a preventive device, but it does
not entirely prevent the formation of travelling waves on a line.
• These lines which are not equipped with ground wires will be subjected to
disturbances which produce surges that must be allowed to escaped to
ground, or the apparatus connected to the line must be strong enough to
reflect or absorb these surges until they are entirely damped out.
Transmission Lines
Transmission of Power
What is Power Transmission ?

Power transmission is the movement of energy

from its place of generation to a location where it
is applied to performing useful work.
Electric power is normally generated at 11-33
kV in a power station. To transmit over long
distances, it is then stepped- up to 400kV, 220kV
or 110 kV as necessary.
Power is carried through a transmission network
of high voltage lines. Usually, these lines run into
hundreds of kilometers and deliver the power
Transmission of Power
What is Power Transmission ?

The grid is connected to load centres

(cities) through a sub-transmission network
of normally 33kV (or sometimes 66kV) lines.
These lines terminate into a 33kV (or 66kV)
substation, where the voltage is stepped-
down to 11kV for power
distribution to load points through a
distribution network of lines at 11kV and
lower.
 Transmission of Power
The transmission lines are categorized as three types:

1)Short transmission Line – the line length is up to 80

km.
2)Medium Transmission Line – the line length is between
80km to 160 km.
3)Long Transmission Line – the line
length is more than 160 km.
 Transmission Lines

 Extra High Voltage

 110 kV, 132 kV, 220 kV, 400 kV

 Ultra High Voltage

 765kV

 High Voltage Direct Current

 ±500kV