C-20-TRASMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION (20EE32P)

WEEK 7
SESSION 1

1. Substation: Meaning of substation, Necessity of substation, classification,

comparison between outdoor and indoor substation
Meaning of Sub-station:
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. “Substation is integral part
of a power system and form important links between the generating station, transmission
systems, distribution systems and the load points.”

Necessity of substation
The following are the necessity of substation
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Converting sub-stations: Those sub-stations which change a.c, power into dc power
are called converting sub-stations. These sub-stations receive a.c. power and convert it
into dc power with suitable apparatus to give supply for traction, electric welding,
electroplating etc. vi. Industrial sub-stations: Those sub-stations which supply power
to individual industrial concerns are known as industrial sub-stations,

Classification of substations
 1. According to service requirement:
i. Transformer sub-stations.
ii. Switching sub-stations.
iii. Power factor correction sub-stations.
iv. Frequency changer sub-stations.
v. Converting sub-stations.
vi. Industrial sub-stations.
2. According to constructional features:
i. Indoor sub-station
ii. Outdoor sub-station
iii. Underground sub-station
iv. Pole-mounted sub-station

Comparison between outdoor and indoor sub-station:

SESSION 2
2. Code of practice related to substation. List the materials required for 66/11 KV
substation with their specifications

SESSION 3
3. 3.Capacitor banks, specifications and calculation. Ref.7(17,18, 19) selection of
capacitor bank
What is a Capacitor Bank : Working and Its Calculation

When a number of capacitors are connected together it forms a capacitor bank. They can
be connected in series or parallel.
A capacitor bank has numerous advantages and applications.
Most of the time, these are used for reactive power compensation and power
factor improvement.
The arrangement of these can be done at substation or power plants. The unit for
capacitance in Farads.
A capacitor bank of lower scale is frequently used in industrial buildings, college campus,
large residential communities to improve power factor.
The necessity of improving the power factor is very critical, as a low power factor at one
point would disturb the power balance among the vicinity and would also attract penalties
from local electrical distribution companies.

Capacitor Bank Definition

When a number of capacitors are connected together in series or parallel, forms a

capacitor bank. These are used for reactive power compensation. Connecting the
capacitor bank to the grid improves reactive power and hence the power factor.

Capacitor Bank Symbol

This symbol is often used in a single line diagram of the substation. The symbol is shown
in the following figure.
As shown in the figure, a capacitor bank is represented either in star or delta connection

Capacitor Bank Types

The capacitor bank is classified as:

● Externally Fused – For this type of connection, each fuse unit is connected externally
to the capacitor bank. This helps to save the capacitor bank from faults like surge
voltage, temperature, etc. without any interruption in the operation.
● Internally Fused – In this type, the fuse is kept inside the casing of the capacitor
bank. Since the protection cannot be provided without any interruption, such banks
are used for low rating capacitor banks. The disadvantage of such an arrangement is,
under any fault case, the whole unit has to be replaced.
● Fuse Less – This unit has no fuse placed along with the bank. These units are used for
low ratings and specifications where the unit can be easily replaced.

Capacitor Bank Specification

We have seen that a capacitor bank is used for the improvement of power factor and
reactive power compensation in a substation. As the role of this bank is very
important, it becomes critical to see that the bank is maintained well. Also, it has to be
seen which parameters of this bank should be specified for installing it into the
substation.

Important Specifications are

● Voltage Rating – The voltage rating of this is designed up to 110% of normal

system peak voltage and 120 % of normal system RMS voltage. This rating helps
the bank to sustain voltage peaks and surge voltages.
● KVaR Rating of Capacitor Unit – Based on the initial power factor and desired
power factor, the reactive power rating of this is calculated. It is ensured that with
this rating sufficient reactive power is injected into the system.
● Temperature Rating – In order to sustain room temperature, and an increase in
temperature due sunlight the temperature rating of this bank is calculated. While
considering the temperature rating all these factors must be considered. One more
important factor is the increase in temperature due to losses.
● Basic Insulation Level – Like any insulating medium, the insulating medium of
these banks is also considered. The insulation level is an important factor. Other
devices where this parameter is also considered are overhead insulators,
transformer oils, etc.
● Rated Current Levels.
● Discharge time/voltage in second/voltage
● Single-phase and three-phase

3 phase Capacitor Bank Wiring Diagram

The wiring diagram of the three-phase capacitor bank is shown below.

As shown in the above figure, 2 capacitor banks have been connected to the grid. All
these are connected in delta. In the delta, the line voltage is equal to the phase voltage.
This helps in improving the power factor.

Applications
Some of the important applications of capacitor bank have been listed below

● Reactive Power Compensation

 ● Power Factor Improvement
● Bypassing of noise
● Improvement of voltage profile
● Storage of Energy
● Improving power quality

FAQs

1) Why do we use a capacitor bank in substation?

These are used for reactive power compensation and power factor correction.

2) Will a capacitor bank save on electricity?

Yes, installing a capacitor bank improves the power factor. Less power factor causes more losses and
attracts fine from the local electricity board. So by installing this we can save electricity.

3) What is the purpose of the capacitor bank?

It is used for power factor correction and reactive power compensation.

4) What happens if I connect a capacitor to the generator load?

Both capacitors and generators inject reactive power into the system. So connecting a capacitor to the
generator load increase the reactive power level. This may also cause instability. For this purpose,
shunt reactors are used which consume excess reactive power.

5) How do I test a capacitor with a multimeter?

The capacitance of a capacitor can be measured using a multimeter. For this, we need to put the
range of the meter in high ohm value such that, it can measure capacitance in farads.

Hence we have seen the capacitor bank purpose, operation, connections, and applications.
The capacitor banks are one of the handiest devices required in not only in substations but also in
residential establishments and industries. Two interesting aspects with respect to this are left to the
reader to think about. One is what is the ideal placement of capacitor bank? It means that where
should the bank be placed, at the beginning of the plant, or midway or endpoint. The other aspect
is can we control the capacitance of the capacitor bank? If yes then which auxiliary devices we
should use for it.
Selection of capacitor bank

To calculate the rating of the bank, we must have the following data available directly on indirectly.
First is the power factor.

The present power factor must be calculated to know the desired power factor.

This can be done by using a power factor meter. The power factor meter is an instrument that
measures power factor cos ø based on load and active power consumption.

Based on the active and reactive power consumptions, the power factor can be calculated as

Epi and Eqi are the values of active and reactive power respectively. These values are measured
initially or at the beginning of one cycle. The cycle refers to a period, it may be a day or a few hours.
Similarly, Epf and Eqf are the values of active and reactive power at the end of the cycle. Once we
get these four values, we can calculate the initial value of the power factor.

Once the present value of the power factor is known, next is to know the desired power factor. That
is the power factor that we want to obtain. Let the initial value be cos φ1 and the desired value is cos
φ2. From the initial and final values of power factor, active power P can be evaluated as shown in the
below figure
As shown in the figure, φ1 is the initial power factor angle and φ2 is the final power factor angle.
From these two, active power P can be evaluated. After evaluating P, the required reactive power
rating of this can be calculated as

Qc=KP

Where ‘Qc’ is the required rating of the bank, P is the active power rating of the load, and K is
constant. To evaluate the constant a power factor table is followed.

From the below table, from the initial and final values of the power factor, constant K is evaluated
and the required rating is calculated.

Example
Find the rating of required capacitor bank for a plant with rating 300 W, 400 V. Initial power factor
angle is Cos φ1 = 0.75 and desired is Cos φ2 = 0.9.

From the table, it can be seen that with the initial power factor 0.75 and desired power factor 0.9,
constant K is 0.398. Hence the required reactive power rating of the bank to improve the power
factor from 0.75 to 0.9 is 0.398*300= 119.4 KVar.

specifications and calculation. Ref.7(17,18, 19) selection of capacitor bank