Electrical Equipment layout Design Guidelines

Substation shall be located in a safe area close to the load Centre. In exceptional cases, e.g., in view of
restricted space on offshore platforms, electrical substations may be located in a hazardous area
classified as Zone 2, subject to approval by the Principal. The following requirements shall then apply:
- Interior of the building shall be pressurized in accordance with IEC 60079-13;
- An overpressure of at least 50 Pa (0.5 mbar) shall be maintained by a duplicate fan system with a
suitable dry element dust filtering system to ensure a supply of clean air, each fan system being capable
of supplying the required pressure;
- The fan systems shall be suitable for a Zone 1 area and shall be supplied from two independent sources
of electricity;
- Both fans shall normally be in operation and shall have individual alarms to indicate Failure in a
manned control Centre
Proper access shall be provided for Maintenance and Operation of Indoor and Outdoor Equipment.
Substation floor shall be raised above grade level with a cable cellar. The cable cellar floor shall be at
least 300mm above the approach road level and shall be cemented. It shall have a minimum clear height
of 2.5m and shall house all the cable trays and its supports.
Transformer floor shall be at least 150mm above the approach road level.
In addition to the entry to substation for operating personnel, a separate entry of minimum 3m x 3m
with rolling shutter shall be provided for bringing in all equipment for installation. The main entry for
operating personnel for pressurized substations shall be provided with double door system with an
airlock lobby. It shall also have an emergency door opening outwards.
Substation building shall be without any columns within the switchgear room to ensure optimum space
utilization, unless otherwise specified.
If electrical equipment is installed on the roof of the substation, e.g., air-conditioning compressor /
condensers, a cage ladder shall be provided leading from an entrance platform to the roof.
Battery banks shall be located in a separate adequately ventilated room in the substation with necessary
exhaust system (minimum 2 exhaust fans) and water connection with sink. Floor of the battery room
and walls up to 1.5m height shall have acid / alkaline resistant protective epoxy paint. Light fittings in
this room shall be chemical resistant type. However, separate battery room is not required in case of
VRLA batteries.
UPS and other power electronic equipment e.g. VSD shall be located in air-conditioned room unless
otherwise specified.
Substation shall have fire extinguishers, first aid boxes and other safety equipment as per statutory
requirements. Insulating mats of required rating shall be provided in front of switchboards.
Equipment like transformers, neutral grounding resistors, reactor and HV capacitor Banks shall be
located in bays adjacent to the substation building. All bays shall have well drained floor, surfaced with
gravel or other suitable material.
Substation wall adjacent to the transformer bays and walls separating transformers shall be 355mm
thick in case of brick construction and 230mm thick in case of RCC construction.
Transformer bay shall have R.C.C. foundation with steel rails for transformer. The height of the
foundation shall be at least 500 mm above the finished grade level. Transformer entry/exit shall be
through gates.
In order to prevent oil, whether from a small leakage or outflow from transformer tank, from reaching
and polluting the water bearing stratum, transformers shall have following provisions, depending on the
oil capacity of the transformer
Oil capacity upto 2000 litres: Shall be provided with a layer of 100mm deep stones of about 40mm
granulation, all around the transformer, for a width of 20% of the transformer height or a minimum
width of about 800mm.
Oil capacity exceeding 2000 litres: Shall be provided with oil containing pits. The pit shall extend all
around the transformer for a width of 20% of the transformer height or a minimum width of about
800mm. In case oil capacity exceeds 900 litres, in any chamber, provision shall be made for draining
away of any oil, which may escape or leak from the tanks to a waste oil tank.
Substation building shall be sized to maintain adequate clearances between equipment for ease of
maintenance. The following minimum clearances shall be maintained.
Sr.
No.
Location Clearance
1 Front clearance of Medium voltage Switchgear 2500 mm
2 Front clearance of all other switchboards 2000 mm
3 Rear Clearance for panels having front only access <200mm or >= 750mm
4 Rear Clearance for panels having rear access 1500mm for MV & 1000mm for LV
5 Side clearance between 2 switchgear 1000mm after considering space
for future panels
6 All around clearance for Transformer 1000 mm
7 All around clearance for NGR 1000 mm on 2 sides and 200mm on
other 2 sides
8 All around clearance for Capacitor bank and Series Reactor 1000 mm
9 Front clearance for wall mounted equipment 1000 mm
10 Front clearance for operator station / Annunciation panel /
Control panel
2000 mm
11 Head Room Clearance below bus duct or any other 2000 mm
overhead equipment
12 Battery Rack to wall clearance for Single row Single/Double
tier & Double row Single tier
100 mm
13 Battery Rack to wall clearance for Double row Double tier 750 mm
14 Battery rack to rack Clearance 750 mm

Vertical Clearance above the top of the highest equipment shall be minimum 1500mm measured form
bottom of Roof Slab (except transformer bay where same shall be 1000mm) and minimum 500mm
measured from the bottom of the lowest roof beam. However, for the areas with false ceiling, minimum
clearance of 750mm shall be provided between false ceiling and top of any equipment.
Space for Future extension of Switchboards shall be provided (one panel extension on each side
minimum)
DG sets shall preferably be located in a separate building in a safe area to reduce the noise level in
substation. In case, it is located in the substation, DG set foundation shall be structurally delinked from
the slab / floor of the rest of the substation. Exhaust of the Diesel engine shall be kept away from the
process area. Diesel day tank shall be kept outside the DG room. Suitable ventilation shall be provided to
avoid heat accumulation in the room.
All cable entry holes in the substation floor or walls shall be suitably sealed. Where such cable entry
holes are required to be gas tight and/or fire resistant, multi-cable transits blocks shall be installed, or
silicone foam, weak-mix concrete (in floors only) or a chemical compound with subliming heat resistant
and fire retardant properties may be used.
Instrumentation and control system interface panels should be located in the same switch room as the
associated switchboard.
A smoke detection system comprising of point detectors or beam detector(s) should be installed in
substations. A common alarm shall be routed from each substation direct to the plant's central fire and
gas alarm system, i.e., independently of the substation alarm annunciator.
SF6 Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) shall be installed in a separate room. This room shall have a gas
detection and alarm system which shall provide for an alarm display at the outside near the entrance
doors, and a remote alarm in a manned control room. An exhaust system shall be installed which shall
automatically be switched on in the event of a gas release. The exhaust shall be at floor level, and shall
be directed to the outside of the building at a location where the gas will be quickly diluted with air.
Warning plates shall be provided at the outside of the building, instructing people not to enter without
personal protection when the alarm display is on.
All auxiliary equipment related to the GIS, e.g., protection and control systems, shall be installed in a
separate room