What is Transmission?

Transmission System is a system of High Voltage network which interconnects main generating stations with major load center. The system also enables bulk transfer of power between these transmission points. In Peninsular Malaysia, this transmission system is known as the National Grid. The voltages at which bulk power transfer takes place in the National Grid are 132kV, 275kV and 500kV TNB Transmission Network Sdn. Bhd. maintains the towers and transmission lines, and high voltage equipment at substations.

Chenderoh Power Station 1. The Hydro Power Generating Stations in Malaysia. At Power Stations, electric power is produced at 11 - 20 kv & frequency of 50Hz.

Transmission Towers

2.The power is then transformed to higher voltages (132 - 275 kV) using power transformer and transferred through the Transmission System to substations where voltage is lowered to 33 or 11 kV.

What is a substation?
A substation is a place where electrical power is received from generating station via incoming transmission lines and delivered to the distribution systems via outgoing transmissions lines. Substations are integral parts of a power system and form important links between generating stations, transmission systems, distribution systems and load points. There are 2 types of substations in Malaysia ; outdoor and indoor. An Outdoor Substation is under open sky

An Indoor Substation is inside a building

Indoor substation is used when the switchgears are of the GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear) type and where land area is limited for example, city area.

Everything you need to know about Transmission towers...

Have you ever noticed the transmission towers as you drive along the highway? What are the functions and the different types of the transmission towers? The primary function of the transmission tower is to support the overhead conductors that go from power generators to substations. As these lines carry high voltages they are not used to distribute electricity to end-consumers such as those at home. In fact it is dangerous to do so. Therefore having a huge transmission tower near your house does not mean that there will be electricity supply. In fact, for a house to receive supply, there must be electric poles nearby, and not towers. There are a few types of transmission towers :(a) Terminal Tower (b) Heavy Duty Tower (c) Right Angle Tower (d) Medium Angle Tower (e) Section Tower (f) Light Suspension Tower

There are a few different designs of towers such as Single Circuit and Double Circuit. A single circuit tower can only carry single circuit which consists of 3 phase conductors and at least one earth wire that provides shielding against lightning strikes. They usually have 8 "wings". Double Circuit towers, which have 14 "wings" can carry 2 circuits which consists of 6 phase conductors carrying the electric power and a Quadraple Circuit tower normally carries electric power of

different voltages for example, the upper portion carries 275 kV and the lower portion 132kV . What is an insulator and what is its function?

The above pictures show what insulators look like. The main function of an insulator is to support and provide sufficient clearance or isolation between conductors and the tower structure. Insulators are typically made of ceramics or glass. There 2 types of insulator sets : the Suspension set and the Tension set

Do you know that you can differentiate the different types of towers by looking at the insulators? How can you differentiate the towers which carry 132 kV , 275 kV and 500kV ? You can do this by looking at the insulators. The number of insulators for each set will tell you the differences:- 14 insulators for the 132 kV - 20 x 2 insulators for the 275 kV - 27 x 3 insulators for the 500 kV Some towers are colored in red and white. Is there a reason for it? Towers taller than 45m are colored in red and white as a safety warning to flying aircrafts. Towers also have solar panels to light up aircraft warning lights especially when it's dark. Other than the red and white colors, some towers such as those near the Amcorp Mall in PJ are painted in green, yellow and blue. This is just to make the scenery look nicer (as requested by the MPPJ). Why are there ball-like objects hanging from the transmission lines?

Why are birds still alive when they are perched on a transmission line?

Birds are not burned when they are perched on the lines because they are free from ground potential. As long as there is no difference in potential (voltage) between the point where power enters to the point where power exits the object, the object will not be burned. The same principle applies to TNBT staff when they work on transmission live wires. However the public is advised not to try this as TNBT staff are competent and well-trained for this purpose. They know what to do if something goes wrong. Also most of the time the lines are isolated and made dead and thus safer for them to work on. How would you know if the lines are energized or not? Lines are not energized if they are grounded. Most of the time the public will never know this, that is, there is no way to tell this by just looking at the towers and/or lines. You can, however, know the voltage of a line by checking the number of insulators at the tower that holds the line.

Rentice
You should keep your distance from the transmission towers. What is the safety limit? Rentice is the restricted area around the transmission tower where no activities should be carried out. For an industrial and residential area the rentice is 20 meters from the center point of the tower as shown below:-

Can there be any activity under the transmission lines?

Can there be any activity under the transmission lines?

For safety reason, it is better not to have any activity under the transmission lines because too close to the line can cause a flash over and fatality. However certain activities and cultivation are allowed under the lines, some of which may be necessary. If there is a need to perform these activities, one should contact the Transmission Regional Managers for more information as some of the land on which transmission towers reside is leased from the land owner. Without the landowner's permission, the activities conducted may be illegal. It is also advisable to contact the Transmission Regional Managers regarding cultivation and activities conducted under the lines for safety reason. The Regional Manager will advise you on the safety limits, procedures and other necessary information.