SWITCHYARD

MANOJ BARSAIYAN
 What is a Switchyard ?
It is a switching station which has the following credits :
(i) Main link between Generating plant and Transmission
system, which has a large influence on the security of the
supply.

(ii) Step-up and/or Step-down the voltage levels

depending upon the Network Node.

(iii) Switching ON/OFF Reactive Power Control devices,

which has effect on Quality of power.
 SWITCHYARD EQUIPMENTS

Equipments commonly found in switchyard :

1. Lightening arrestor
2. Current transformer
3. Voltage transformer
4. Power transformers / I.C.T.
5. Bus bar and clamp fittings
6. Support structure
7. Isolators
8. Circuit Breaker
9. Wave traps
10. Earthing switch
 Functions of various equipment :

* Transformers :
- Transforms the voltage levels from higher to lower level
or vice versa, keeping the power constant.
* Circuit breakers :
- Makes or automatically breaks the electrical circuits under Loaded
condition.
* Isolators :
- Opens or closes the electrical circuits under No-load conditions.
* Instrument transformers :
- For stepping-down the electrical parameter (Voltage or Current) to a
lower and safe value for Metering and Protection logics.
* Earth switch :
- Used to connect the charged body to ground to discharge the trapped
charge to have a safe maintenance zone.
 Functions of various equipment :

* Lightning arrestors :
- Safe guards the equipment by discharging the high currents
due to Lightning.
* Overhead earth wire :
- Protects the O/H transmission line from Lightning strokes.
* Bus bar :
- Conductors to which a number of circuits are connected.
* Wave Traps/Line traps :
- Used in PLCC circuits for Communication and Protection of
Transmission lines
* Reactive Power control devices :
- Controls the reactive power imbalance in the grid by switching
ON/OFF the Shunt Reactors, Shunt Capacitors etc.,
* Current Limiting Reactors :
- Limits the Short circuit currents in case of faulty conditions.
 Switchyard One line Diagram
Transfer Bus 400 KV

Main Bus II

Main Bus I

Bus
Isolator

CB
CB CB

Transfer Bus
Bay

GT
20.5/400KV

Gen Bay Feeder Bay

 Bus Switching Schemes :

Bus Bar Schemes

* Single Sectionalised bus
* Main & Transfer bus
* Sectionalised Main bus with Transfer bus
* Sectionalised Double Main & Transfer bus
Breaker Schemes
* Ring bus
* One and Half breaker
* Double bus Double breaker
* Single Sectionalized Bus-bar system :
I/C Feeders

CB

Bus-bar

Isolators

O/G Feeders
* Main & Transfer Bus-bar system :

I/C Feeders

CB

Transfer Bus

Bus Coupler

Main Bus

Isolators
* Ring Bus system :

Bus

CB

O/G feeder

I/C Supply
* One and Half Breaker scheme :

Main 1

Main 2

Tie CB
Feeder 2 Feeder 1
 What is a Switchgear ?
The apparatus used for Switching, Controlling and
Protecting the Electrical Circuits and equipment.

Need of Switchgear :
* Switching during normal operating conditions for the
purpose of Operation and Maintenance.

* Switching during Faults and Abnormal conditions and

interrupting the fault currents.
 Basic relay circuit scheme
Equipment

CT
RELAY

Trip Coil
CB of Battery
Breaker

Supply from
source
Circuit Breakers
 Main Parts of a Circuit Breaker :

* Fixed Contact

* Movable Contact

* Operating Mechanism

* Arc extinguishing medium

 Fault clearing process :

During any Fault..

* Fault impedance will be low, so fault current will
increase and relay senses this increase in current.
* Relay contacts closes and sends trip signal to circuit
breaker and the trip coil of the circuit breaker will get
energized.
* Operating mechanism of the circuit breaker will
operate and separate the contacts.
* Arc will be initiated between the contacts and it is
extinguished by suitable methods.
 Arcing phenomenon :
- When a fault occurs, heavy current flows through the contacts
of the circuit breaker before they are opened by the protective system.
- At the instant when the contacts begin to separate, the contact
area decreases rapidly and current density (I/A) increases and hence
rise in temperature.
-The heat produced is sufficient to ionise the medium between the
contacts. This ionised medium acts as conductor and an arc is struck
between the contacts.
- The potential difference between the contacts is very small and
is sufficient to maintain the arc.
- The current flow depends upon the Arc resistance.
 Few definitions :
Breaking Capacity Max fault current at which a CB is capable
of breaking a circuit.
Making Capacity Max current a CB can withstand if it closing on
existing Short circuit.
Restriking Voltage After the arc has been extinguished, the
voltage across the breaker terminals does not normalize
instantaneously but it oscillates The transient voltage which appears
across the breaker contacts at the instant of arc being extinguished.
Recovery Voltage Power frequency voltage which appears across
the breaker contacts after the arc is finally extinguished and transient
oscillations die out.
 Events/Timings during fault clearing process :

Fault clearing Circuit breaker

= Relay time +
Time Time

Instant Closure of
Relay time = Of to Trip
Fault Circuit

Closure of Final arc

Circuit breaker
= Trip to
Time Extinction
Circuit
 Various types of CBs :

(i) Miniature CB
(ii) Air Break CB
(iii) Air Blast CB Bulk Oil CB
(iv) Oil CB
(v) SF6 CB Minimum Oil CB

(vi) Vacuum CB
 Air Break CB :
 Air Blast CB :
ABCB- Principle of arc quenching
 Bulk Oil CB :
 Minimum Oil CB :
 SF6 CB :

1. Op mechanism 8. Puffer cylinder

2. Interrupter 9. Nozzle
3. Support 10. Fixed position
4. Op rod 11. Fixed contact
5. Linkage 12. Moving contact
6. Terminals 13. Gas inlet
7. Filters
 Advantage of SF6

* Inert gas with high dielectric strength.

* Colour less and odour less.
* Non-toxic and non- inflammable.
* Sf6 is blown axially to the arc, hence it removes the heat
by axial convection and radial dissipation. As result the
arc dia reduces and comes to zero at current zero.
* Gas pressure in the chamber is at 5 ksc.
* SF6 is filled at a pressure of 12 ksc in the tank and
maintained by means of an individual or a common
compressor.
* The decomposition products of arcing are not explosive
hence no chance of fire.
 Vacuum CB :
 Advantage of vacuum CB

* Used up to 66 KV.
* Vacuum is of the range of 106 to 108 torr.
* Vacuum is highly dielectric, so arc cant persists.
* Separation of contacts causes the release of metal vapour from
the contacts, the density of vapour depends on the fault current.
* At current zero the vapour emission will tends to zero and the
density will becomes zero and dielectric strength will build up and
restriking will be prevented.
* No emission to atmosphere, hence pollution free.
* Non- explosive and silent operation.
* Compact size.
 Disadvantages

* High initial cost.

* Surge suppressors (R or RC combination) are to be connected
at load side for limiting switching over-voltage while
switching low pf loads.
MOVING PORTION
(Mechanism cover
removed)
 MECHANISM AND ITS OPERATION :

GEAR BOX CLOSING

COIL

TRIPPING
MOTOR COIL

CLOSING
SPRING

LIMIT
SWITCH

TRIPPING MECHANISM
SPRING SHAFT
 Vacuum CB Operation

ISOLATE

TEST
On
Off

SERVICE
On
Off
 SAFETY INTERLOCKS:

The various interlocks provided on the breaker

ensure that-

(A) VCB Truck cannot be racked in inside the panel

unless:

i) Door is closed .
ii) Breaker is in tripped condition.
iii) Plug & socket are engaged properly.

(B) VCB Truck can not be racked out from panel

unless:
i) Door is closed.
ii) Breaker is tripped .

Door cannot be opened unless the breaker is in

tripped condition .
Breaker can be closed only in SERVICE or in
TEST position.
Comparison of insulating
methods for CBs
features for different types of CBs
 AUTO RECLOSURE
Over 80% of the faults are transient in
nature.
Designed to carry out one or two fast closing
operations followed by automatically locked
open.
AUTO RECLOSURE
 FEATURES OF ISOLATORS
OPERATES UNDER NO LOAD CONDITION
INTERLOCKED WITH BREAKERS AND
EARTHSWITCHES
MOTOR DRIVEN AND HAND DRIVEN
LOCAL AS WELL AS REMOTE OPERATION
POSSIBLE
ISOLATES SECTIONS FOR MAINTENANCE
USED TO SELECT BUS BARS
SELECT CT FOR BUS BAR PROTECTION
400kV Isolator
Electric Arc in an isolator
Isolator
 FEATURES OF EARTH SWITCHES
USED TO GROUND SECTIONS REQUIRED FOR
MAINTENANCE
GROUND INDUCTION VOLTAGES
INTERLOCKED WITH BREAKERS AND ISOLATORS
CAN OPERATE FROM LOCAL ONLY
MOTOR DRIVEN AS WELL AS HAND DRIVEN
SAFETY DEVICE
Source
Isolator Isolator Load
CB

Earth S/W
Lightning Arrestors
 Purpose :
- To discharge the high voltage surges in the power
system due to lightning to the ground.
Apparatus to be protected :
* Overhead linesEarth/Ground wires
* HV equipmentLAs
* Substation...Lightning Masts, Earth wires
 Types :

Rod gap LA :
* Gap length is such that
the break-down occurs at
80% of the spark voltage Insulator
Rod gap
* After the surge, the arc
in the gap is maintained
by the normal supply Equipment
voltage. body
400kV Surge Arrester
Metal Oxide surge arrestor
The gapless arresters are
based on metal oxide (MO)
resistors, which have an
extremely non-linear V/I
characteristic and a high
energy-absorption
capability.
They are known as metal
oxide surge arresters, MO
arresters for short.
 Current Transformers
Primary always connected in series with the line, thus
the primary current is not affected by the burden of CT
secondary cores
Primary is adequately insulated from the secondary
which is generally at ground potential.
Unlike other transformers, primary winding current in
CT is independent of the secondary winding load. The
primary winding is designed to have very low
impedance (i.e. one turn) & has negligible effect on
the main current
 The voltage across the secondary is very
small. It is minimum when the secondary is
short circuited and maximum when open
circuited.
Wave Trap
 Wave Trap
Coupling capacitor with line matching units These
are high pass Filters ( carrier frequency 50 KHZ to
500 KHZ ) pass carrier. Frequency to carrier panels
and power frequency parameters to switch yard.

Wave Traps.- Low pass filter when power frequency

currents are passed to switch yard and high
frequency signals are blocked.
Wave Trap
 Transmission Line S/S-2
S/S-1

Wave Wave
Trap Trap

To control room
To control room
of S/S-2
of S/S-1
* Wave trap is used for Protection of the transmission line and
communication between the Substations.
* VHF signal is transmitted from one end to the another through the
same power line.
* Sends inter-trip signal to the other end CBs so that fault can be isolated
at the earliest time.
36 KV SF6 Gas Insulated Switchgear
245 KV GIS
SPACE COMPARISON
ISOLATOR/EARTH SWITCH
245KV CIRCUIT BREAKERS
BUS PT
CT,ISOLATOR,EARTH SWITCH
THANK
YOU