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com 1
 Basic Electricity Concepts

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 Objectives

• Gain a basic understanding of electricity

concepts as they relate to PJM

• Gain a basic understanding of generation and

transmission

• Understand the differences in the bulk power

and distribution systems

• Understand PJM’s role in the power system

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 Electricity and Electric Current

• Electricity
The flow or movement of
electrons through a
material

• Current (Amps/Amperes)
The rate of flow of
electrons through a
conductor

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 Direct Current

• Electrons flowing in one direction are Direct Currents (DC)

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 Alternating Current

• Electrons flowing in one direction and then the

other direction are Alternating Currents (AC)

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 Voltage

• Voltage is the force

pushing electrons through
a material

• The voltage of the high

voltage system is defined
in kilovolts (kV) or 1,000
volts

– Example: 345 kV line =

345,000 volts

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 Energy

• Energy is the ability, or

capacity, to do work

• Electricity is one form of

energy. Other forms are:
– light
– chemical
– mechanical
– heat
– atomic
– sound

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 Power

Power:
• refers to how rapidly energy is used
or converted

– is the rate of using energy

– is measured in megawatts

Most power suppliers use

megawatts to quantify how much
power a generator is producing

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 Conductors

• Electricity is transmitted
by conductors

• Conductors allow
electrons to flow

• Conductors are the wires

on the poles

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 Residential service

• Most power suppliers use

kilowatts to quantify the
demand (how much electricity
we use) for billing purposes

• Electrical energy over time is

measured in units of kilowatt-
hours (kWh)

• Most utilities price their service

to residential customers based
on the number of kilowatt-hours
used/measured by the electric
meter

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 Electric Power

• There are 3 types of electric power:

– Real power (watts, kilowatts, or kW)

– Reactive power (kilovolt-amps reactive or

kVAR)

– Apparent power (kilovolt-amps or kVA)

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 Real Power

• Real power can be measured in watts

(W), kilowatts (kW), or megawatts (MW)
– Household meters measure real
power – the power we use at home
– Real power does the work – it lights
the lights and runs the motors
– Example: A light bulb is 100 watts

• Kilowatts = 1,000 watts

– kW is the residential billing term

• Megawatts = 1,000,000 watts

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 Reactive Power

• Reactive power provides the

magnetic field to make motors
operate

• The magnetic field is needed

for real power (MW) to flow
through transformers

• The magnetic field is the

invisible force of magnetism

– Example: The head on a

beer

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 Apparent Power and Power Factor

• Apparent power is the

actual/total power the generator
must supply to the system
– It includes both real power
(kilowatts) and reactive
power (kVARS)

• The bulk power system needs

both real power and reactive
power to be reliable

• Power Factor (p.f.) is the ratio

of real power (kW) to apparent
power (kVA) in a circuit

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 Power Factor

MVAR Reactive Power

MVA MW
Total Power Active Power
Power Factor =
ratio of
beer/capacity of
mug

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 Basic Design

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 PJM’s AC Grid

• PJM’s AC grid is supported by

AC generators

• Alternating currents produced

by AC generators are supplied
by today’s modern power
suppliers to economically
transport electricity over long
distances

• These and other generating

sources are the PJM
Generation System.

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 Generation

• Synchronous generators
in North America rotate at
the same speed of 60 Hz
frequency
– the generator is
rotating at 60 cycles
per second

• Generators “spit out” the

electrons and produce
the electricity that is
transmitted over electrical
wires.

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 Transmission

• The power flowing

through the wires is the
PJM Transmission
System

• The transmission system

moves electricity at high
voltages from generating
stations

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 The bulk power system

This high voltage system is the bulk power system

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 Transmission Bus
Transmission busses are like “power strips”. A bus is a bar
that connects transmission lines for distribution

Bus

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 Transformer

Transformers step the flow of electricity up or down

Transformer

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 Circuit Breaker

• Circuit breakers operate to

switch electric circuits and
equipment in and out of the
power system

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 One-line Diagram

Transmission line
Bus

Transformer

Circuit breaker

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 Distribution

(1) Primary distribution electricity

enters the substation from a
transmission line

(2) The electricity is connected

to large transformers that step
the voltage down

(3 & 4) Smaller transformers

step down some electricity again

(5 & 6) A network of local power

lines distributes the lower-voltage
electricity to the neighborhood

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 Distribution

Follow the path of electricity from the high voltage system

to the end-use customer

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 GENERATOR STEP UP TRANSFORMERS
25 kV/500 kV Generator Step Up

25 kV=25,000 Volts

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 Generator Step Up

25 kV=25,000 Volts

500 kV=500,000 Volts

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 500 kV Transmission Scherer
Lines 500 kV

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 SUBSTATION
500500kV/230
kV 230kV kV
Bank
Transformers

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 230 kV Line

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230 kV Transmission Line
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 SUBSTATION
230 kV/115
230kV
kV 115 kV Bank
Transformer

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 115 kV Line

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115 kV Transmission Line
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 Substation Transformer
Bank A 115 kV/12 kV
Smarr Substation

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 115 kV 12 kV Bank

115 kV/12 kV
Transformer
to step down
voltage

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Voltage Regulator
Breaker and Regulator

Circuit Breaker

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 The distribution system

This low voltage system is the distribution system

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 12 kV Line

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12 kV Distribution Line
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 Overhead Transformer

Overhead
Transformer
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 Consumer

CONSUMER

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 Retail Choice

Traditional Utility Generation Customer

Other suppliers
Traditional Utility Generation
Other Suppliers

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 PJM’s Role

• PJM balances available generation with demand (load)

by economically dispatching generation

• PJM maintains reliability by monitoring the transmission

system

• PJM balances and monitors the power system via

communication

• PJM does not own or operate any generation or

transmission equipment

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 Summary

• The generation system supplies electricity

• The transmission system moves electricity

• The high voltage system is the bulk power system

• The electricity in your home is supplied by the distribution

system

• PJM’s monitors and balances the system via

communication

• PJM does not own or operate any generation or

transmission equipment

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