Distribution BASICS
Generation
Transmission
Distribution
Retail
• lighting
System
Loads • heating
• appliances
• motors
Power Lines
Power Lines
Considerations in the design of a power line:
• The amount of active power it has to transmit
• The distance over which the power must be
carried
• The cost of the power line
• Aesthetic considerations, urban congestion,
ease of installation, expected load growth
Types of Power Lines
Power
Station Substation
e.g. Swanbank
High voltage (HV)
Substation
e.g. House
Standard Voltages
Insulators
• Support and anchor conductors and insulate them from ground
• Ceramic or glass
• Must withstand mechanical and electrical stress
Load
Supply
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
P / Pmax
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
2
Vsup ply 0%
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Pmax = Vload / Vsupply
4R
Voltage Regulation and Power Transmission
Capability of Transmission Lines:
Inductive Line
L
Load
Supply
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
P / Pmax
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
2
Vsup ply 0%
2X L
Choosing the Line Voltage
• The voltage should remain as constant as
possible over the entire length of the line – from
source to load – for all loads between zero and
rated load.
• The line losses must be small so as to attain a
high transmission efficiency and not overheat
the conductors
Î There is a trade-off between capital cost and
transmission losses in the choice of line
voltage for a given power transmission capability
Substations
Substation Equipment
• Transformers
• Circuit breakers
• Switches (horn-gap, disconnect & grounding)
• Surge arrestors
• Current-limiting reactors
• Relays and protective devices
• Instrumentation
• See text for more info and examples