Major

Electrical Equipments
in Power Stations

Major Components of a
Power Station
Alternators- Hydro turbo generators, Steam turbine generators.
Exciter and Excitation System
Power Transformers
Bus Bars
Voltage Regulators
Lighting Arrestor
Switches Air Break Switches, Isolators
Circuit Breakers
Protective Relays
Reactors
Power Line Carrier Current Equipments
Metering Equipment-CTs and PTs, Energy Meters, Frequency
meters
Control Room Equipments

Alternators:
The generator employed in power plants are three
phase synchronous generators, called as alternators
Main types are Hydro-generators and Turbo Generators
Used to generate electricity
Input to Hydro-generator is velocity or pressure of
water and output is electrical power
Input to turbo generators is pressurized steam and
output is electric power
Turbine used for hydro generators are Kaplan turbine,
Francis turbine
Turbine used for turbo generators are impulse and
reaction turbines

Alternators:
Hydro Generators:

Rotor

Stator

Alte nator

SHAFT

3 Ph
output

Slip
Rings

Excite r

Salient pole type alternator is used.

Field winding is wound on rotors and
stator is used as armature.
The frequency of supply is depends on
f=NP/120.
As the speed of hydro turbine is lower, to
get required frequency, number of poles
is high.
To provide large number of poles, the
diameter of pole is large as compared to
axial length.
For impulse turbine the alternator is
horizontally mounted (for speed 1001000 rpm) and for Francis and Kaplan
turbine it is vertically mounted (for
speed 50-500 rpm)
Machines are usually air cooled and sizes
varies from 0.5MW to 1000MW.

Alternators:
Steam Generators:

3 Ph
output

Altenator

Stator

Exciter

Rotor

Slip
Rings

SHAFT

Cylindrical rotor (non-salient)type

synchronous generator is used
Field winding is wound on rotors and
stator is used as armature.
Rotor construction is cylindrical.
The frequency of supply is depends on
f=NP/120.
As the speed of steam turbine is large
(3000 rpm or 1500 rpm), to get required
frequency, number of poles is 2 or 4.
To reduce peripheral speed, the diameter
of rotor is small and axial length is
increased.
Nearly sinusoidal flux distribution in air
gap
Machines are usually air cooled, hydrogen
cooled or oil cooled and sizes varies from
10MW to over 1500MW

Alternators:
Specifications:
The following specifications are given for alternator
Rated Capacity in MVA
Rated Over load capacity
Rated voltage
Rated current
Rated speed or frequency
Excitation voltage and current
Cooling system
Maximum allowable temperature
Bore diameter, frame diameter, core length, shaft
diameter
Rotor weight, stator weight

Excitation Systems:

It required to provide the necessary field current to the rotor

winding of synchronous generator
Should available for all time.
Loss of excitation is serious than drop of a generator from
line. Unexcited alternator will draw large reactive power from
line.
Main requirements are Reliability, easy to control, ease to
maintenance, stable for higher transients
The amount of excitation depends onLoad current, Load
power factor, speed of machines. More load current, large p.f
and lower speed will require more excitation.
Exciter is normally a small ac or dc generator provided on
same shaft of machine (centralise or separate one)
Types of Excitation Systems are:
--DC excitation system
--AC excitation system
--Static excitation system

Excitation Systems:
DC Excitation System:
Alternator

Main Exciter
P ilot
E xciter

Main Field
Main E xcitor
Field

Having two exciter

Main exciter-to provide field current to alternator
--a separately excited dc generatorPilot exciter-To provide field current to main exciter
--a compound wound self excited generator
Directly coupled exciter are used for small turbo
alternators
Directly coupled gear driven exciter of large and
medium alternators
Large time constant (response time is about 3sec) and
commutation difficulty are the drawbacks

Excitation Systems:
AC Excitation System:
Alternator
Main Field

Main Exciter

Rotating Rectifier

Main E xcitor
Field

Consists ac exciter and rotating thyristor system

Main ac exciter-to provide ac input to rectifier
--small ac alternator with fixed field and rotating armature
Rotating rectifier- provide field current to alternator
The field of ac exciter may be fed from a rectifier unit
As commutator is not required, it eliminates the problem of
commutation
Short time constant (response time is less than 0.1 sec)

Excitation Systems:
Static Excitation System:

Alternator
Main Field

Three phase
rectifier

Three Phase
Transformer
Star-Primary
Delta-Secondary

Supply for excitation is taken from alternator itself

Output of alternator is connected to three phase star delta oil
immersed force air cooled step down transformer
Star connected primary is connected to alternator output and delta
connected secondary to three phase controlled rectifier
The output of this controlled rectifier unit is fed to field winding of
alternator
Response time is 20msec and excellent dynamic performance.
Eliminate the exciter winding loss possibility and reduced operating
costs

Power Transformers:

Used for step up voltage at generating station

and step down voltage at main distribution
substation
Upto 10MVA-Naturally cooled, oil immersed
(ON type).
Above 10MVA-Blast cool
For higher ratings-Forced oil, water cooing or
air blast cooling
To regulate the voltage the on load tap changer
is used on hv winding of the transformer
It is generally operated at full load so it is
designed to have maximum efficiency at full
load.
Flux density of 1.5 to 1.77
% impedance ranging from 6-18%
% regulation is 6-10%

Power Transformers

Power Transformers

Power Transformers:
Specifications of power transformers:

kVA Rating
Rated voltage HV and LV
Number of phases
Rated frequency
Connection type (star or delta for both windings)
Tapping
Type of core
Cooling system
Permissible temperature rise above ambient temperature of oil and
windings
Voltage regulation
% impedance
Efficiency in % at full load, load, load at unity and 0.8 p.f.
lagging
Covered under IS 2026-1962

Instrument Transformers:

Potential or voltage transformer (PT or VT) is

used to reduce the higher voltage level to
measurable voltage (generally above 440V is
converted to 110V)
Current transformer (CT) is to reduce the
higher current level to measurable current
(generally above 50A is converted to 1A or 5A)
Having two types 1) measuring instrument
transformer 2) protection instrument
transformer

Specification of PT and CT:

Rated primary voltage/current

Rated secondary voltage/current
Accuracy class
Burden
Rated frequency
Insulation systems
Tapping

Power Switches:

A Switch is used in electric circuit for making

and braking the electric circuit by simple
motion of knob
Switches may classified as air break switches
and oil switches

Air Break Switches:

Horn gap type contact for quenching the arc

May opened singly or in gang
Mounted such that it opens in downward
direction

Isolators:

Not equipped with arc quenching devices so can

not be used on load
If opened on load arc flashover may take place
between contact and earth and causes accident
to operator

Protective Equipments:
Circuit Breakers

A circuit breaker is a mechanical device

designed to close or open contact members,
thus closing or opening an electrical circuit
under normal or abnormal conditions.
Can be operated manually or remote controlled
under normal conditions and automatically in
abnormal condition.
Must carry normal load currents without
overheating and damage
Must quickly open short circuit current without
serious damage with minimum burning contact
Types- Air circuit breaker, oil circuit breaker,
SF6 circuit breaker, vacuum circuit breaker
Function: i) to carry full load current
continuously ii) to open or close the circuit on
no load iii) to make and break the short circuit
currents of magnitude which it is designed for.

Protective Equipments:
Circuit Breakers
Specifications

Type of construction :
No. of Poles :
Nominal System voltage :
Highest System voltage :
Rated Frequency :
Rated Continuous current :
Rated short circuit breaking current :
Rated short circuit making current :
Rated short time current :
Rated duration of short time current : 1 Sec
Rated operating duty : O 0.3 Sec- CO-3 Min
CO

Protective Equipments:
Relays

Sensing
Element
Comparing
Element

Control
Element

To trip or signal
circuit

The protective relay is an device which is

interposed between the main circuit and the
breaker in a such manner that any
abnormalities in the circuit acts on the relay.
The protective relay ensures the safely of the
circuit equipment from any damage from the
fault.
Fundamental items of relay
--Sensing Element: sometimes it is measuring
equipment. Responds to change in actuating
quantity
--Comparing Element: serves to compare the
action of the actuating quantity on the relay
with pre selected setting.
--Control element: on pick up it opens the main
circuit
Over current Relay, Over voltage, under
frequency, distance relay, differential relay

Power line carrier

communication: PLCC
Substation A

Control
Room

Substation B

It is installed in an power system for

communication, relaying, tele-metering or
for supervisory control.
The power itself is used for
communication
LC type of filter is used to convert carrier
signal to audible vice or commands
Series connected L acts as the low pass
filter (blocks high frequency signal) and
protect substation equipment from carrier
signal
Shunt connected C acts as high pass filter
to transfer carrier signal to control room.
Reliable, fast operating, need not separate
line to transfer signal

Control Panel and Room:

The various controls are performed such

as voltage adjustment, load control,
emergency control.
It consists voltage regulators, relays,
ammeters, voltmeters, energy meters,
temperature gauges, water level meters
etc.
Well equipped with suitable display and
alarms which shows the current status of
the station.
It should be neat, clean, away from noise,
well ventilated and illuminated, good fire
handling facility etc.
All the meters should be clearly visible to
operator and it should be calibrated.

Other Equipments:

Battery room: used to supply all

relays and CB for operation
Lightning arrestor and Surge
Absorber: to provide protection
against lightning and over
voltages
Earthing and earthing mat: to
provide protection against earth
fault and prevent from shocks.
Instruments: used to measure
electrical and mechanical
quantities.

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