SUBSTATION

AUTOMATION
The thing will be tedious if everything is manual. But now a days there are advancement like
substation automation. You can control everything from the control room itself.

Following aspects can be considered which are as follows-

Requirements for System Operation :

• Demand
• Availability
• Shortfall / Capacity available
• System frequency
• Capacity of transmission lines and transformers
• Loading on transmission lines and transformers
• Transformers installed in the system
• SLD’s of the transmission network, all the sub-stations, distribution network etc.
• Reactive loading on the network.
• Alternative sources / lines available to feed various grid-stations.

Control , Monitoring & Reports:

• Remote Operation of all 118 grid stations

• System parameter tracking
• Capacitor bank operations
• Power Management
• Load Management
• Reactive Power Management
• Fault/data analysis
• Scheduling

Earlier methods used to acquire data:

• PLCC network.
• Wireless VHF sets.
• P&T / FWP telephones.
• Load pattern obtained in writing. ( Log Sheet )
• PTW Book etc etc..

Limitations of old methods:

• Outage of Telephone / PLCC network.

 • Non-clarity of speech.
• Human factor.
• No check on improper compliance of instructions.
• Huge time required to collect data.
• Huge time required to pass instructions.
• No control on operations.

Need For Automation:

 Improve Information Availability and better visibility.

 Reduction of Fault Restoration Times and adequate response to customer
query.
 Real Time and Historical data for Network Analysis.

Internationally, power generation and power transmission and distribution attract equal
investments. In India too, in the last couple of years, utilities have started investing
increasingly in various distribution automation tools for both cost reduction and service
benefits.

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is a major tool that will be
used for improving network operations. SCADA refers to a system that enables an
electric utility to remotely monitor, coordinate, control and operate distribution
components, equipment and devices in a real-time mode from remote locations with
acquisition of data for analysis, and planning from one central location.

A suitable SCADA system to monitor and control its distribution network is an imperative
for optimally running a distribution network, especially for a metropolitan city like Delhi.
Distribution automation through SCADA systems directly leads to increased reliability of
power for the consumers and lower operating costs for the utility. It results in forecasting
accurate demand and supply management; faster restoration of power in case of a downturn
and a quick, alternate arrangement for power for important/emergency locations.

It puts us in a better position to undertake both active and reactive power management and
with better anticipation of trouble and greater trouble-shooting through remote access.
Predictive maintenance results in reduced cost of maintenance of power system devices,
thereby extending their life.
SCADA also reduces human influence and errors. It offers complete power system controls
and data acquisitions in a central location, thereby assisting operators in faster decision-
making for healthy power supply. It also ensures reliability and quality of power supply
(minimum fluctuation in voltage supplies) for the consumers.

It is beneficial for the “Optimal operation of distribution network” and detection of

abnormalities in the network online.

Main features includes

a) visibility for the network operation on real-time basis, accurate and consistent
information of the system, flexibility of operational controls
b) Control and monitoring of Primary and Secondary distribution network.
c) faster fault identification, isolation & system restoration
d) extensive reporting & statistical data archiving, central database and history of all
system parameters
e) Optimized Load Shedding, optimized and efficient operation of the network based
on real time calculation.

Major benefits includes:

a) Faster identification-isolation-and restoration of faults

b) loss minimization, Intelligent alarms, load forecasting, resource handling,
c) Reactive Power management, outage management
d) switching optimization and network study / planning