1. What are the different substation components.?

Answer: Circuit Breakers, Disconnecting switches, Grounding switches, Current

Transformers, Potential Transformers or Capacitor voltage Transformers, Line Traps, Lightning
Arrestors, Power Transformers, Shunt Reactors, Current limiting reactors, Station Buses and
Insulators, Grounding system, Series capacitors and shunt capacitors.

2. What are different types of bus-bar arrangement Schemes in Substations?

Answer: Different switching schemes or bus-bar arrangement scheme employed in switch-yard
are:

 Single Bus Scheme

 Double bus single breaker scheme
 Main and Transfer bus-bar scheme
 Double bus single breaker scheme
 Breaker and half scheme
 Ring main bus scheme

3. Which type of bus arrangement is costlier and more reliable?

Answer: One and half breaker scheme is most reliable and costlier scheme. In one and half
breaker scheme 3 circuit breakers are provided for 2 bus-bars. Hence the name is coined as One
and half breaker scheme

4. For distribution network which type of Switching scheme is employed?

Answer: For distribution network Ring Main busbar scheme is employed. It has the provision
that if power interruption occurs to one bus section due to maintenance or fault, power can be fed
the bus from other side of the power system.

5. Factors on which material of station busbar depends?

Answer: Some of the factors on which station busbar depends are:

 Current Carrying capacity

 Short Circuit Stresses
 Establishing minimum electrical clearances

6. What are the different electrical clearances in Substation?

Answer:
Ground Clearance: This is the minimum distance between any live conductor and the earth or
ground.
Phase Clearance: It is the clearance between the different phases in a circuit or same phases in
different circuits
Sectional Clearance: This is the minimum clearance between the live conductor and the limits of
work, where special clearance is related to the safety of the operating personnel. The limits of work
section may be ground or the platform on which the person is working.
7. Creepage Distance for Insulators.

The creepage distance for insulators is the shortest distance along the insulator surface between
the metal parts at each end of the insulator. Creepage distance can also be refer as leakage distance for
insulators.
Insulators in substation are provided to avoid any leakage current from live electrical conductors to flow
to the earth through supports. The atmospheric dust sticks to the insulator surface forming a conducting
layer. The leakage current flows from the live conductor to the earth through such surface layers. The
leakage properties (creepage properties) of an insulator s in substation are characterized by the length of
the leakage path. While designing the insulator sheds, the leakage distance for insulators requirement
should be satisfied. The requirement of the leakage distance or creepage distance for insulators depends
on the

 Rated phase to ground voltage

 Degree of atmospheric pollution

8. What are different insulators employed in substations?

Answer: Some of the insulators employed in substations are:
Pin insulators
Post insulators
Strain insulators
Suspension insulators
Hallow apparatus insulators
Dead-end insulators
Solid core insulators
9. What is creepage distance?
Answer: Creepage distance is the shortest distance between two conducting points along the surface
of the insulating material.

10. What is Basic Impulse Level (BIL)?

Answer: Basic Impulse Level (BIL) refer to the peak value of lightning impulse voltage withstand
capability of the equipment

11. What are the disadvantages of corona?

Answer: Some of the disadvantages of corona are:
 Corona causes power loss
 Corona causes unacceptable noise
 Corona cause radio interference

12. What is the neutral point earthing and its advantages?

Answer: In substation all the neutrals of rotating machines, transformers, busbars and
other equipment are connected to ground. Some of the advantages are:

 Earth fault protection is based on the method of neutral grounding

  The system voltage during earth faults depends on the neutral grounding. During line to
ground faults, grounding of neutral helps to reduce the over-voltages which occur on the
one healthy phases

13. Different Transformer Internal Faults

Faults in Transformers:
 Some of the faults in the transformers are likely to be over-voltages which resulting from
the atmospheric phenomenon (lightning) transmitted by overhead lines.
 Switching in the power system (especially high voltage switching more than 400kV) can
produce over-voltages of less steep but longer duration surges stressing both liquid and
solid dielectrics (insulation). These over-voltages should be restricted in amplitude to a
value below the transformer insulation breakdown withstanding level.
 Short circuits in the power system subject the transformer to currents of 10 to 20 times
the rated currents (short circuit current level will be severe when fault occur close to
transformer). Power transformer is generally designed to withstand tens of short circuits,
lasting not more than 2 sec duration in its life time. If there are more short circuits than
the designed limit special construction is required. Short circuits should eliminated (by
isolating faulty power system by opening circuit breakers) as quickly as possible to limit
the short circuit intensity on transformer.
 Overloads can arise in transformers from planned or fortuitous (unexpected)
circumstances. In the first case, temperature increase in transformer insulating material
should not exceed the standard value. In the second case, certain time limit can be
tolerated but this will have certain cost in reduction in the life of the transformer.

Internal Faults in Transformer:

 Electrodynamic faults: which occurs between insulation and current carrying

conductors, HV and LV winding due to external and internal short circuits
 Electromagnetic faults: Which occur due to eddy currents induced in the magnetic
circuits or the clamping structure.
 Electrical faults which occurs due to bad contacts in the leads or bad contacts in the tap
changer Dielectric faults: Which occur due to shorting between windings or between live
parts and earth, partial discharges
 Thermal faults: Which occurs due to abnormal temperature rise, hot spot, thermal
ageing or pollution in transformer oil
 Mechanical faults: Which occur due to vibrations, leakages or defective operation of the
tap changers
 Different types of defects originated in transformers will have degree of gravity
depending on the amount of damage it can do on transformers and their consequences.
Some of the defects (vibrations, partial discharges) will not immediately endanger the
equipment but care must be taken before causing major damage. On the other hand,
defects such as (over-voltages and short circuits, and initial breakdown) requires
immediate attention
14. Why Earth Wire is provided in the overhead transmission lines?
Answer: Earth wire is provided above the overhead transmission lines for protection against
lightning strokes. The ground wire or earth wire protects the phase conductors or line conductors by
attracting itself the lightning strokes which in its absence would strike the phase conductors. Also the
ground wire reduces the voltage electrostatically or electromagnetically induced in the conductors by
the discharge of a neighboring cloud. It also provides the additional protective effect by causing the
attenuation of traveling waves set in the lines by acting a short circuit secondary of the line current

15. What is meant by protective angle? Give its value for reliable operation?
Answer: Protective angle is the vertical angle through the ground wire axis and the line passing
from the ground wire axis to the outermost phase conductor. Its value for reliable protection is taken
equal to 20-30 degrees

16. What is the difference between the lightning arrester and surge absorber?
Answer: Lightning arrester limits the duration and amplitude of the follow current while a surge
absorber reduces the steepness of the wave front for a particular surge

17. What is meant by Lightning arrester or surge diverter?

Answer: A Surge Diverter is a device that is connected between line and earth, i.e, in parallel with
the equipment under protection at the substation. It limits the duration and amplitude of the follow
current

18. What is meant by impulse ratio of any lightning arrester?

Answer: Impulse ratio of any lightning arrester is the ratio of breakdown voltage of the wave of
special duration to breakdown voltage of a 50Hz wave

19. What is meant by voltage surge?

Answer: Voltage surge is sudden excessive rise in voltage that may be dangerous to the electrical
equipment of an installation. Voltage surge cause damage to insulation of the system. Voltage surges
are caused because of lightning, switching on and off the load at high voltages

20. How standard lightning impulse wave is represented?

Answer: Standard Lighting impulse wave is represented by 1.2/50 micro sec wave

21. Underground Cable Fault Identification Methods

If a fault occurs in the underground cable, it is essential that the type of the fault and location of
the fault should be determined as quickly and accurately as possible. Accuracy is important in order
to avoid excessive trenching work. The type of fault which is most likely to occur is single conductor
to ground fault. In multi-core cables, the fault current will likely give rise to excessive heating at the
fault causing further damage to the insulation and extending the fault to remaining conductors. Open
circuit faults may occur occasionally which be usually at cable joints.
22. Cable fault type identification:

Prior to the location of the fault on the power system it is important to determine the type of
fault to make a better choice of the method to be used for fault location.

 Isolate the faulty cable and test each core of the cable for earth fault. One terminal of the
insulation tester is earthed and each conductor of the cable is in turn touched with other
terminals. If the insulation resistance tester indicates zero resistance during any measurement,
conductor to earth fault for the particular conductor is confirmed.

 Then check the insulation resistance between the conductors. In the case it is a short circuit fault,
the insulation resistance tester will indicate zero resistance

 After the above step, short and earth the three conductors of the cable at one end. Check the
resistance between the conductors and earth and between individual conductors (at the other
end). This procedure is carried out to check the open circuit faults

 In case in order to test any other faults. the insulation test of the individual cores with sheath or
armor and between the cores is essential. The test should also be done by reversing the polarity
of the insulation resistance tester. In the case of any difference in the readings, the presence of
moisture in the cable insulation is confirmed. The moisture in the cable forms a voltage cell
between the lead sheath and conductor because of the difference in the conductivity of these
metals and the impregnating compound forms an organic acid when water enters

23. Cable fault location Identification:

After the fault type identification, suitable fault location method should be employed to pinpoint
the location of the fault. Some of the fault identification methods generally employed are:

 Murray loop test method

 Fall of potential test

 dc charge and discharge method

 Induction test

 Impulse wave echo test

 Time domain reflectometry test

24. What’s is MARX CIRCUIT?

It is used with generators for charging a number of capacitor in parallel and discharging them in
series. It is used when voltage required for testing is higher than the available.
25. Which is the basic busbar scheme employed in 220kV and 400kV substations?
Answer: In case of 220kV and 400kV substations double main busbar scheme or one-and-half
breaker schemes are generally employed
26. Function of Isolators in Substation?
Isolators are disconnecting switches which are used for disconnecting of the circuit under no
load conditions. Isolators are placed in the substation such a way that any part of the circuit can be
isolated from the live parts for maintenance purposes. Isolators plays an important role during
maintenance of the substation. Isolators should be always operated under no load condition.
Isolators should be open after opening the circuit breaker and closed before closing the circuit
breaker contacts.

27. Function of earth switches in substation?

Earth Switches in substation are employed to connect the conductors to the earth thereby
discharging any charging currents due to capacitance. Earth switches are employed for the
protection of operating personnel. Earth switches are operated along with isolators. When isolators
opens, earth switches immediately connects the conducting parts to ground.
28.