CHAPTER 16:

CONTROL HOUSES
16.1 INTRODUCTION
16.1 INTRODUCTION

As substations increase in voltage, size, and

complexity, the necessity for supplemental
equipment and low-voltage distribution
equipment also increases.

Small distribution substations equipment can

usually be contained in weatherproof enclosures
or control cabinets.

Larger substations separate equipment housing

A control house provides a weatherproof.

16.2 CONTROL HOUSE
CONSTRUCTION
 Foundation

Floor

Superstructure
16.2.1 Foundation

The control house foundation typically consists of a

spread footing with either masonry blocks or cast-
in-place walls. (If soil data is not available, a max.
bearing of 48 kPa (1000 lb/ft2) can be used.)

Drilled piers are an alternative to spread footings.

Damp-proofing of foundation walls is desirable,

especially if concrete block is used.

All foundation walls should be insulated with a 5.1-

cm (2-inch) thickness of rigid insulation for energy
conservation.
16.2.2 Floor

Floating concrete slab 12.7 to 15.2 cm (5 to 6

inches) thick reinforced with welded wire fabric,
deformed steel bars, or a combination of both
Finished floor elevation 10.2 to 20.3 cm (4 to 8
inches) above the finished grade outside the
control house.
Base beneath the floor slab 10.2 cm (4 inches) of
compacted sand or gravel, thoroughly
mixed and compacted sand or gravel, or thoroughly
mixed and compacted natural soil.
A 0.15 mm (0.006-inch) thick plastic film vapor
barrier should be installed between the floor slab
and the base.
16.2.3 Superstructure

The control house superstructure should be

constructed from fire-resistant, low-maintenance
building materials.
Most control houses presently being designed and
constructed are of the pre-engineered metal or
masonry block type.
Two types of roof systems are commonly used for
masonry buildings: precast, prestressed concrete
panels; and steel joists and steel decks.
The control house should be equipped with at
least one double door.
Adequately ventilate the battery area.
16.2.3 Superstructure (cont.)

Provide portable or stationary water facilities or a

neutralizing agent.

Provide portable or stationary water facilities or a

neutralizing agent.

Windows can be provided, if desired, in office and

lavatory areas.

Adequate methods for building insulation.

16.3 CONTROL HOUSE
LAYOUT
 Control and Relay Panels
DC Equipment
AC Equipment
Cableways
Cable Entrance
Lighting
Control House HVAC Systems
Control House Plumbing
Communications
16.3.1 Control and Relay Panels
Most relaying, metering, and control equipment is
mounted on fabricated control and relay panels
installed within the control house.

Single vertical panels space requirements are

minimal

Double or duplex panels additional space for

equipment mounting
16.3.2 DC Equipment

Substation dc equipment located in the control

house normally consists of the battery(separate
room), battery charger, monitoring and control
devices, and distribution panel board(control and
relay room to facilitate cable routing and
equipment maintenance).
16.3.3 AC Equipment

An ac distribution panelboard located inside the

control house is used to supply the indoor lights,
convenience outlets, HVAC equipment, and other
devices.
16.3.4 Cableways
16.3.4.1 Cable Trenches: Cable trenches are
formed into the concrete floor slab and are
covered with metal plates.

16.3.4.2 False Floors: Lightweight removable floor

panels installed on adjustable pedestals are
positioned in areas requiring extensive cable
interconnections or where future plans dictate a
large amount of cable rerouting.

16.3.4.3 Conduits: Conduits can be used for cable

routing in floors, along walls, and for cable entrance
into the control house.
16.3.4.4 Wireways: Wireways are sheet-metal troughs
used for routing groups of power circuits around a
control house to feed various branch circuits.
Conduit is used between the wireway and the
devices.

16.3.4.5 Cable Trays: Cable trays can be used for

overhead routing of cables to and between control
and relay panels.
16.3.5 Cable Entrance

Control and power cables are brought into the

control house through windows, sleeves, or cable
pits.
16.3.6 Lighting

Fluorescent lamps are generally used for lighting in

control houses.

An emergency dc-operated incandescent system

is recommended for most control houses.
16.3.7 Control House HVAC Systems

To maintain the functions and accuracy of

electrical equipment installed in the control house,
HVAC systems may be desirable.
16.3.8 Control House Plumbing

Control houses may require plumbing for stationary

eyewash facilities.
16.3.9 Communications

A commercial telephone is usually installed in the

control house for external communications.
Additionally, system telephones or voice channels
over carrier systems may be used for system
communications.

Larger installations may include substation

automation systems or SCADA for remote control
and monitoring of substation equipment.
 CHAPTER 17
COMMUNICATIONS
17.1 INTRODUCTION
17.1 INTRODUCTION
Since substations are part of large interconnected
power systems, methods of voice and data
transmission among the various system parts are
necessary to maintain satisfactory operation and
control.
Communication systems are used in protective
relaying schemes to initiate tripping control
schemes ofpower circuit breakers; in supervisory
control systems to operate remote equipment, for
transmission of data indicating equipment status
and system conditions, and for voice
communications for system operation and
maintenance.
17.2 APPLICATIONS
 Relaying

SCADA

Telemetering

Voice
17.2.1 Relaying

Many relay schemes now in use require

information to be exchanged among all the
terminals on a transmission line to effect high-
speed tripping over 100 percent of the line.

Since these terminals are often many miles apart,

some form of two-way communication channel
has to be established between them.
17.2.2 SCADA
In most modern energy control centers, the remote
data monitoring and system control functions for
substation applications are performed by a SCADA
system.

These systems consist of a central host computer

system at the energy control center, referred to as a
master station, and RTUs located in the substations.
17.2.3 Telemetering

In some instances where a computer-based SCADA

system is not available or justified, it is desirable to
transmit discrete power system data from the
substation to the energy control system in an
analog format.
17.2.4 Voice

Power system operation and maintenance require

the use of voice communication for daily
operation and functioning of the power network.

Voice communications are required between

fixed points of operation and for mobile
maintenance crews.

The transmission of voice signals may take place

via cable, radio, or the power system itself.
17.3 METHODS
 Power Line Carrier
Audio Tone
Carrier or Audio Tone on Shield Wire
Microwave
Optical Fiber
Wire Lines
Satellite Communications
17.3.1 Power Line Carrier
Power line carrier, one of the more common
communication means found in power systems in
the past, is now being displaced in many
applications with fiber optics.

Power line carrier may still be used for relaying and

voice applications, and lower speed data.
Figure 17-1: Typical Carrier System
17.3.1 Power Line Carrier
17.3.1.1 Tuning Elements
17.3.1.1.1 Line Tuner Unit (LTU)
17.3.1.1.2 Hybrid:
17.3.1.1.3 L/C Units
17.3.1.2 Tuning Methods
17.3.1.2.1 Single-Frequency Resonant Tuning
17.3.1.2.2 Double-Frequency Resonant Tuning
17.3.1.2.3 Wideband Tuning
17.3.1.3 Modulation Types
17.3.1.3.1 On/Off
17.3.1.3.2 Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)
17.3.1.3.3 Single Sideband (SSB)
17.3.1.4 Power Line Carrier Reference
17.3.2 Audio Tone

Audio tone equipment operates in the frequency

range from 1000 Hz to about 3000 Hz.

Frequency shift keying is the only modulation type

available; voice modulation cannot be used.

Audio tone is used primarily as a short-distance

medium over wire lines.

Audio tone always requires another

communication transmission medium to carry the
audio (wire line, microwave, optical fiber, power
line carrier, or shield wire).
17.3.3 Carrier or Audio Tone on Shield
Wire

The chief distinction of this method is the

medium rather than the equipment. Transmitters and
receivers are the same as those employed in other
carrier and audio tone systems. However, in this
scheme they are coupled to insulated transmission
line shield wires.
17.3.4 Microwave
Microwave systems presently employed use
transmission frequencies of 960 MHz and higher,
which accounts for the high channel capacity and
line-of-sight transmission.

17.3.4.1 Analog vs. Digital Microwave

17.3.4.2 Multiple Address Systems

17.3.5 Optical Fiber
Optical fiber offers the advantages of
immunity to electrical sources of interference and
noise, and extremely large information-carrying
capacity.

17.3.5.1 Fiber-Optic Cables

17.3.5.2 Fiber-Optic Technology

17.3.6 Wire Lines
Wire lines leased from the telephone company
are used in many cases for routine voice and data
traffic. Wire lines entering substations for the purpose
of communications, control, and protective relaying
require special attention for high-voltage protection.
These circuits may be used in the event of a power
system fault; therefore, operation during these
periods is crucial to personnel safety, equipment
damage protection, and service reliability.

17.3.6.1 Voice and Data Channels

17.3.6.2 Relaying Channels

17.3.7 Satellite Communications
17.3.7.1 VSAT

Very small aperture terminals (VSATs)

have been widely and successfully used for SCADA
master station-to-RTU communications. VSAT
networks optimized for SCADA are offered by
network providers that sell the fixed transceiver
equipment to the end user and then lease satellite
airtime (space segment) on a monthly basis.
END