CHAPTER-II

BUS BAR CONFIGURATIONS & SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM OF A SUBSTATION

A Bus Bar is an aluminum or copper conductor supported by insulators which

interconnects the incoming and outgoing feeders of the substation. The type of Busbar
configuration used can be known from the Single Line Diagram of a Substation.
Based on construction Bus bars are classified as:
(i) Rigid bus-bars: The rigid bus-bar is an aluminum or copper bar, which is
supported by

porcelain insulators used at

low, medium, and high voltage;

(ii) Strain bus-bars: The strain bus-bar is a flexible, stranded conductor
which is strung

between substation metal structures and

held by suspension-type insulators used mainly for high

voltage;
(iii) Insulated-phase bus-bars: The insulated-phase bus-bar is a rigid bar
supported by insulators and covered by a grounded metal
shield. The main advantage of this system is the elimination
of short circuits between adjacent phases;
(iv) Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)-insulated bus-bars: The sulfur hexafluorideinsulated bus-bar is a rigid aluminum tube, supported by
insulators and installed in a larger metal tube, which is filled
with high-pressure sulfur hexafluoride gas.
Base on the configurations Bus bars are classified as:
(2.1) Single bus bar system.
(2.2) Single bus with sectionalize system.
(2.3) Single bus & transfer bus system.
(2.4) Double bus bar system.
(2.5) Double bus & transfer bus system.
(2.6) One & half breaker system

[3]

(2.1) Single Bus System:

Fig( 2.1): Single Bus bar arrangement

Single bus system:

Advantages
1. Simple in Design

Disadvantages
1. In case of bus or bus bar isolator fault or

2. Easy Maintenance
3. Less Expenditure

maintenance total Substation is out of service

2. In case of maintenance of transformer circuit

4. Good Appearance

breaker the associated transformer has also to

be shut-down. Similarly for Line also.

(2.2) Single bus with CB Sectionalize system:

Fig (2.2): Single bus with CB sectionalizer system

In this, Main Bus is divided into two sections with a Circuit Breaker and isolators in
between the adjoining sections. One complete section can be taken out for Maintenance without
disturbing the continuity of other section. Even if a fault occurs on one section of the Bus, that
faulty section along will be isolated while the other section continues to be in service.
(2.3) Single bus & Transfer bus System:

[4]

Fig( 2.3): Single bus & Transfer bus system

With this arrangement, all the feeders are normally on the Main Bus Bar. If at any
time, a Line Circuit Breaker Maintenance is required, that particular feeder can be transferred on
to the Transfer Bus. The feeder protection thus gets transferred to trip Transfer Bus Coupler
Breaker. On fault occurrence or maintenance, entire bus becomes de-energized.
Salient features:Only one Circuit at a time can be transferred on the transfer Bus.
For Maintenance or on fault occurrence, total bus becomes dead.
(2.4) Double Bus System:

Fig(2.4): Double bus system

This has got flexibility of transferring any Circuit to any of the Bus. For Maintenance or
on fault occurrence on one Bus, then only that Bus becomes dead, while the other Bus remains in
service. For Maintenance of a Circuit Breaker, that particular Circuit has to be taken out of
service. To overcome this, an additional bypass isolator is provided as indicated in figure below.
(2.5) Double main bus & transfer bus system:

[5]

Fig(2.5): Double main bus & transfer bus system

This is combination of Main and Transfer Bus and Double Bus Arrangement. This has
got flexibility of transferring any Circuit to any of the Main Buses.
For Maintenance or any fault occurrence on a Bus, Particular Bus only becomes dead,
while the other Bus continues to be in service. Any Circuit Breaker can be taken out for
maintenance by transferring that circuit to Transfer Bus and transferring its Protection to Transfer
Bus Coupler Circuit Breaker.
(2.6) One and half circuit breaker system:

Fig(2.6): one and half circuit breaker system

It has 3 Circuit Breakers for Two Circuits. (One is Line another is Transformer or Bus
Reactor or both are Lines).No changeover of Line from one Bus to the other is required. For
Circuit Breaker Maintenance of any Line, the load gets transferred automatically to the other bus.
For Maintenance or an occurrence of a Bus fault, all the interconnections will be on healthy bus
and no disturbance to the Circuits. Even if both Buses become dead, Circuits can still be in
service through the Tie Circuit Breaker. This has got many such advantages to maintain the
system stability.
A Single line diagram of a substation represents the Bus bar arrangements, number of
Power Transformers of different ratings, the different equipments of a bay and their sequence of
arrangement in a substation.
[6]

The importance of 132/66KV/33KV Erragadda Substation pertaining to APTRANSCO,

Metro Circle/Hyderabad and its single Diagram is here with mentioned for exemplary purpose:
The 132KV/66V/33KV substation at Erragadda is very oldest in Hyderabad (charged 40
years back) and it is situated in load center feeding supply to industry as well as VIP Offices like
Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Chief Ministers residence,
MLA quarters, etc.
The 132KV/66V/33KV Erragadda substation whose 132KV Bus is of single bus with
sectionilsers is mainly fed by 220/132/33 KV Shivarampally, Shapurnagar, Gachibowli
substations .The substation steps down 132 KV supply to 33 KV as well as 66KV with the help
of power transformers 2*80MVA,50MVA,40MVA ratings. The 40MVA power transformers of
132/66KV directly feeds the Hussain Sagar Substation through 66KV exclusive overhead feeder.
The 80MVA & 50MVA power transformers are 132/33KV feeds the 18Numbers 33KV
feeders .The system reactive power is better handled by 5 numbers of Capacitor Banks.

[7]