Innovative use of auxiliary bus in EHV Switch-yard - A case

history narrating extension of 220 kV supply to needy

220 kV S/S at Sarni in MPPTCL.
By K.K.Murty, Retd. C.E. (T&C),MPPTCL and M.Y.Mansoori E.E.(Testing) Sagar, MPPTCL.

1.0 Synopsis: - A Bus System in any Sub-station / Switch-yard in a power system are
analogous to a bulk supply reservoir. Bulk Power supply is received on a bus from the
generator units through GTs and /or from other nearby supply sources and is transmitted
through different feeders to other adjoining sub stations. Bus arrangements in the
Switch yards/ sub stations facilitate easy operations. There are two types of Bus
arrangements in 220kV and above S/Ss as follows;

i. 1&1/2 Breaker scheme.

ii. 2 main buses and an auxiliary bus system.

In both the schemes, the main focus is on taking out Circuit breakers for
maintenance/replacement without interruption of supply to the feeders/ transformers. In
the state of MP right from the MPEB days the norms of 2 main buses and an auxiliary
Bus system is followed for 220kV switch-yards / sub-stations.

Authors had innovated an idea of extending supply to a 220kV S/s which was deprived of
220kV supply due to failure of its circuit breaker through the 220kV auxiliary bus and
implemented this arrangement successfully.

2.0 Auxiliary bus Configuration: The Auxiliary bus facilitates interruption free breaker
maintenance /breaker replacement,

i. It is strung with the same sized conductors as the main bus.

ii. It has connection to the main bus 1&2 through main bus 1&2 main bus isolators
(as the case may be) and an aux bus isolator.
iii. Each bay is equipped with auxiliary bus isolator.

The figure no.1depicts the concept of an Auxiliary bus and how it is utilised in by-passing
the bay Circuit breaker for maintenance/ replacement without interruption.

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 Fig.1: Use of Aux.bus in 1-main bus + an auxiliary bus configuration

3.0

3.1Case history:

An incidence had occurred when all the important Express/ mail and goods train stopped
plying with electric locomotives between the Itarsi Rly Jn. to Nagpur Rly Jn. (Grand-
Trunk route between New Delhi to Hyderabad-Chennai) and vice versa consequent to
non-availability of traction supply from 132/25kV Rly Traction Sub stations. This
incidence occurred as the source 220 kV Substation at Sarni (MP) was deprived of 220
kV Supply.

3.2 Supply arrangement:

The 220kV substation Sarni is 3 Kms away from SSTPS(Satpura Super Thermal Power
Station)at Sarni in Betul Distt. It had an installed capacity of 2x100 MVA, 220/132kV
Transformers. It gets 220kV supply from SSTPS’s 220kV Bus through single 220 kV
Transmission line. The other 220 kV feeders emanating from SSTPS Switch yard are
220kV Itarsi feeders- 1,2,3 & 4 & 220 kV Ambazari feeder(inter- state fdr).(Please refer fig.
No2)

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 Fig. 2: SLD Transmission System around Satpura Super Thermal Power Stn, Sarni ,Fault
on Sarni S/S Fdr & Trx S/Ss

3.3 The 132kV feeders emanating from 220kV Substation Sarni are(Ref.fig.2);
i. Betul fdr,
ii. Ghora Dongri 1&2.
iii. Chhindwara
iv. Khapaswamy.
3.4 Traction S/S between Itarsi Rly Jn to Nagpur Rly Jn.in chronological order;
i. 220kV Txn S/S Kala-Akhar is tapped from 220kV Sarni-Itarsi Transmission
line line.
ii. 132 KV Txn S/S, Betul fed through132kV Txn feeder no. I&II. From 132 kV
s/s Betul S/S.
iii. 132KV Txn S/S, Ghoradongri is fed through132kV Ghoradonri feeder no. I
&II from 220kV S/S Sarni.
iv. 132kV Txn S/S, Multai gets feed through Txn fdr no.I &II from 132kV S/S
Multai which gets supply infeed from 132kV S/s Chhindwara via 132kV S/S
Boregaon and 132kV S/S,Pandurna .

Note:-132kV S/S, Chhindwara gets supply from 220kV S/S Sarni and
alternately from 132kV long lines from Pench Hydel Power stn, Bargi Hydel

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 Power Stn or through Balaghat which gets supply from Bhilai (now in
Chhatisgarh).

v. 132kV Txn S/S, Pandurna gets supply through Txn feeder no I&II
from132kV S/S Pandurna.132kV Pandurna S/S gets supply from the
upstream S/S- 132kV S/S Boregaon. Please refer to the note in (iv).
(ref.fig.3)

Fig 3: Rly Traction S/S between Itarsi Jn & Nagpur Jn.

4.0 Occurrence of incidence:

An incidence had occurred in SSTPS causing all the feeders and Gen Step-up
Transformers to trip due to non-operation of 220kV, SF6 Circuit breaker ( Westing House
make) on a fault on 220kV SSTPS- 220kV Sarni S/S feeder. This incidence had
rendered;

(1) System disturbance

(2) Interruption of supply to all 132/25kV Traction Sub stations between Itarsi Rly Jn to
Nagpur Rly Jn causing all the en-route trains to halt wherever they were in between
Itarsi Rly Jn to Nagpur Rly Jn and vice versa( Grand Trunk route).

The System was normalized immediately by ousting the 220kV SSTPS-220kV Sarni S/S
feeder.

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5.0 Reason for Non –operation of Circuit breaker of SSTPS-220kV Sarni S/S fdr. On
thorough investigation it was found that the 220kV SF6 breaker of 220 SSTPS- 220kV
Sarni S/S feeder did not trip though the DPR had sent the trip-command to the circuit
breaker due to some mechanical problem (At that point of time there was no Stuck
breaker Protection in operation.)

6.0 Reasons for non-operation of Electric Locos in this Trunk route; The reason for
non-operation of Electric Locos was due to non availability of 132KV supply to the
Railway’s 132/25kVTraction S/Ss consequent to non availability of 220kV supply at
220kV Sarni S/S.

7.0 Steps/ measures taken by The Railways to combat the situation:

 The Railways had to switch-over to use diesel locos for pulling the important Mail,
Express & Goods Trains between Itarsi Jn to Nagpur Jn and vice versa.
 Frantic FAX messages sent to the Chairman, MPSEB, requesting resumption of
supply to their 132/25 KV Traction Substations immediately.

8.0 Extension of 220kV supply to 220kV Sarni S/s implementing Innovative idea:

 It was a challenge for the Protection and the EHV Maintenance Engineers as to
how to extend 220kV supply to the needy 220KV Sarni S/S?
 As the saying goes in English language” Necessity is the Mother of Invention”
keeping this in mind, an innovative idea struck to the mind of the principal author
as mentioned here under;
 “Since, the old 220kV corridor (through 220kV Itarsi-4nos feeders) for
evacuation of Power of 300 MW STPS has almost become redundant,
why not use Aux. Bus available in the 220kV Switch-yard of SSTPS as tie
link to connect 220kV Sarni S/S feeder with one of the 4 Nos. -220kV
feeders from SSTPS to 220kV S/S Itarsi and convert this feeder as 220kV
Itarsi-220kV Sarni S/S feeder with revising the DPR settings accordingly at
Itarsi end.”
Note:-
 Before Introduction of 400kV System in the WREB grid 220kV feeders namely
220kV STPS – Itarsi feeders-4 Nos were the only corridor for power
evacuation from 300 MW STPS.
 With the introduction of 400kV system and with enhanced the installed
capacity of 1130 MW, turning this Thermal Power Station as Super thermal
Power Station, the 4 Nos - 220kV feeders from SSTPS to Itarsi had lost their
importance.
 To transfer load from SSTPS to 220kV S/S Itarsi was adequate to be catered
with 3- no. 220kV SSTPA-220kV Itarsi feeders.

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8.1 Execution of Innovative idea;

The following single line diagram depicts the use of Aux bus at 220kV SSTPS Switch
yard.(ref.fig.4)

Fig 4: Innovative use of 220kV Aux bus at SSTPS Switch yard for tying 220kV SSTPS-220kv
Sarni s/s feeder with 220kV SSTPS-220kV Sarni S/S feeder and to convert it as 220kV Itarsi-
220kV Sarni S/s feeder.

220kV SSTPS-Itarsi fdr no 3 had been converted into 220kV Itarsi-220kV Sarni feeder by
tying them together with closing the Aux Bus Isolator of 220kV SSTPS -220kV Sarni S/s
and the Aux.bus isolator of 220kV SSTPS-220kV Itarsi fdr-3 keeping their Main bus
isolators and Line side Isolators and the circuit breaker of 220kV Itarsi feeder no3 open,
with revised DPR settings at Itarsi end

With execution of this operation the 220kV supply could be extended to the 220kV S/s
Sarni , and thus 132kV feeders could be energised and supply to 132/25 kV Rly Traction
S/s could be resumed.

9.0 Conclusions:

9.1 Advantages;

By implementing this innovative method, following advantages could be achieved;

 Curbing dissatisfaction of the Indian Railway Authorities towards MPPTCL.

 Saving on time,
 Saving on investment on arranging any other method for tying any 220kV feeder
with 220kV Sarni S/S feeder outside the Switch yard.
 Saving on manpower.

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  This system is foolproof and can last for any length of time without any system
constraints.

9.2 Caution:This episode is an eye opener episode/incidence calling for attention to

keep the Stuck breaker protection (Now known as 520BFP) always in healthy condition
in all the EHV sub stations/Switch yards of the Power Stations.

10.0 Acknowledgement:

The authors are grateful to the MD, MPPTCL for permitting them to use the data of the
220kV S/S Sarni in this paper and also to the C.E.(T&C),MPPTCL for all the help and
support in writing this paper.

11.0 The Authors;

Er.K.K.Murty, BE(Hons.)Elect, FIE, CE(I), Member-CIGRE’India.

1) Er.K.K.Murty holds a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Electrical Engineering obtained from the
University of Jabalpur in the year 1968. He was a former Chief Engineer and Head of
Department (Testing & Commun.) in M.P. Power Transmission Co. Ltd. Jabalpur (India).,he
used to represent MPSEB in the WREB Protection Committee meetings, he was a member of
the panel of Expert Professionals at the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bangalore,
from 2008 to 2012. Previous to this, he worked as an Advisor (Testing) at SOUTHCO, a
DISCOM in the State of Odisha, a metering consultant to M. P. Electricity Regulatory
Commission and a Course Director for the Graduate Electrical Engineering Trainees at the
Training Institute of MPPTCL, Jabalpur. He has published many technical aricles in the national
and international journals and presented techical papers at various national and international
conferences pertaining to the Power Transformers and other eqipments of power sector. Mr.
Murty is a member of India’s Society of Power Engineers (MSPE), a Fellow of Institution of
Engineers India (FIE),a Chartered Engineer (CE) and a member of CIGRE’ India .He had been
awarded a plaque by the Institution of Engineers(India),Kolkata, in Oct. 2015,in recognition of his
eminance and contribution to the profession of Electrical Engineering at the National level.

Contact details: mob-+91 9425154250 & email ID: kkmurty05@yahoo.com

2) Er.MY Mansoori: He had obtained Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from G.E.C
Rewa (A.P.S. University) in the year of 1989. He has worked as Assistant Engineer in 220 KV
S/s Sarni from 1992 to 2005. Presently he is serving as Executive Engineer (Testing), Sagar
since 2009.Testing Division Sagar, headed by him was also awarded, one of the best Testing
Divisions in MPPTCL during 2015-16.He has more than 29 years rich experience of various

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Substation equipment, Transformer and Capacitor banks erection, testing and commissioning
works thereof..

Contact Details: 9425805063 & Email ID : mymrjy@gmail.com

***END***

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