INTRODUCTION:

In this seminar we are going to study about the hybrid switchgear technology but
before that we will take a brief overlook of substation technologies.
ELECTRIC SUBSTATION: The electrical substation is an often
overlooked, yet integral part of power production. Regardless of the source,
electricity goes through miles and miles of either underground or overhead
transmission/distribution lines before reaching the consumer. Substations are
located along these lines to ensure safe electrical distribution to the consumer. So
electrical substations can be defined as
“The electrical substation is the part of a power system in which the voltage is
transformed from high to low or low to high for transmission, distribution,
transformation and switch”
The power transformer, circuit breaker, bus-bar, insulator, lightning arrester are
the main components of an electrical substation.
Types of electric substation depending on the insulating medium between various
parts of substation are:
1)AIS (Air Insulated Substation):
AISs, which are more common, use air to insulate the different components of the
substation from each other as well as for grounding the charge. Substations rely
on copper grounding on equipment and in the ground to properly ground the
system and make it safe. Since this type of system is exposed to the open
environment, the elements can have a notable impact on the durability of the
components. Some integral parts of AIS are as follows:
The lightning or surge arrester works much like surge protectors in your home. If
there is ever too much voltage in the system, surge arresters dissipate the excess or
direct it to the ground.
Air break switches are used to isolate equipment or a circuit within the substation
allowing the various equipment or lines of the substation to be maintained without
the risk of electrocution.
Circuit breakers are automatic electrical devices that protect an electrical circuit
caused by an overload on the line. For distribution substation use, vacuum
technology is commonly used for extinguishing the arc caused by an overload
inside a vacuum bottle. Other types of substation circuit breakers use oil or gas
technology to insulate its components and help interrupt a fault.
The step-down transformer might be the most important component to the
substation. It converts extremely high-voltage power into a lower voltage that can
be transmitted down distribution lines until it is further converted by smaller
transformers to usable voltage.

The voltage regulator maintains the proper voltage after it has passed through the
t Voltage regulators are responsible for ensuring the correct electrical
output travels across the distribution lines to the consumer.
The electricity moving through the transformer is sent to the high voltage bus, a
junction of many different lines that disburse power in many directions. Since the
high voltage bus is responsible for carrying incredible loads, it is yet another piece
that requires great care to maintain proper function.
Metal-clad switchgear is the control center for the many distribution lines leaving
the substation. This is where electricity can be distributed to certain destinations
with and protected with the aid of the cutout switches, allowing lines to be isolated
for required maintenance. The term metal-clad describes the housing which is
metal enclosed to protect the sensitive equipment from the outside elements. In a
lot of substations, engineers and utilities use an open-air secondary design using
freestanding breakers instead of metal-clad switchgear which requires more
maintenance. Coops might use ‘fused cutouts’ or ‘reclosers’ instead of switchgear
to protect distribution circuits.
Advantages of AIS (Air Insulated Substation):

1: This type of substation arrangement is best suited for low voltage rating
substations (step down substations) and for those substations where there is ample
amount of space available for commissioning the equipment of the substation.
2: The construction work required is comparatively less to indoor switch yard and
the cost of switchgear installation is also low.
3: In future the extension of the substation installation is easier.
4: The time required for the erection of air insulated substation is less compared to
indoor substation.
5: All the equipment in AIS switch yard is within view and therefore the fault
location is easier and related repairing work is also easy.
6: There is practically no danger of the fault which appears at one point being
propagated to another point for the substation installation because the equipment
of the adjoining connections can be spaced liberally without any appreciable
increase in the cost.
Disadvantages of AIS (Air Insulated Substation):

1: More space is required for outdoor substation when compared to indoor gas
insulated substation (GIS).
2: Outdoor switch yards are more vulnerable to faults as it is located in outside
atmosphere which has some influence from pollution, saline environment and other
environmental factors. Deposition of saline particles on insulators can cause
insulator failures. They are also vulnerable to direct lightning strikes and other
external events such as heavy winds, rains and cyclones. Therefore, reliability wise
air insulated substation or outdoor substations are relatively low compared to
indoor substation.
3: Regular maintenance is required compared to indoor substations (Maintenance
for Gas Insulated Substation is very minimal and reliability is very high) as they are
exposed to outside environment.

2: GIS (Gas Insulated Substation):

A gas insulated substation (GIS) is a high voltage substation in which the major
structures are contained in a sealed environment with sulfur hexafluoride gas as
the insulating medium. GIS technology originated in Japan, where there was a
substantial need to develop technology to make substations as compact as possible.
The clearance required for phase to phase and phase to ground for all equipment
is much lower than that required in an air insulated substation; the total space
required for a GIS is 10% of that needed for a conventional substation.
The SF6 Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) contains the same compartments as in the
conventional outdoor substations. All the live parts are enclosed in metal housings
filled with SF6 gas. The live parts are supported on cast resin insulators. Some of
the insulators are designed as barriers between neighboring modules such that the
gas does not pass through them. The entire installation is sub divided into
compartments which are gas tight with respect to each other. Thereby the gas
monitoring system of each compartment can be independent and simpler.
The enclosures are of non-magnetic materials such as aluminum or stainless steel
and are earthed. The gas tightness is provided with static ‘O’ seals placed between
the machined flanges. The ‘O’- rings are placed in the grooves such that after
assembly, the ‘O’-rings are get squeezed by about 20%. Quality of the materials,
dimension of grooves and ‘O’-seals are important to ensure gas tight performance
of Gas Insulated Substation.
Gas Insulated Substation has gas monitoring system. Gas inside each compartment
should have a pressure of about 3kg/cm2.The gas density in each compartment is
monitored. If the pressure drops slightly, the gas is automatically trapped up. With
further gas leakage, the low-pressure alarm is sounded or automatic tripping or
lock-out occurs.
Advantages of GIS (Gas Insulated Substation):

Safe:
Gas insulated Substations are very safe and operating personnel are protected by
the earthed metal enclosures. While the Substation in operating condition the
Operating personnel can touch the compartment.
Reliable:
The complete enclosure of all live parts guards against any impairment of the
insulation system.
Space Saving:
SF6 switchgear installations take up only 10% of the space required for the
conventional installations.
Economical:
Initial high investment is required for installation but the cost can be comparable
for the less maintenance, reliable, safe operation against conventional substation.
Maintenance Free:
An extremely careful selection of materials, an expedient design and a high
standard of manufacturing quality assure long service life with practically no
maintenance requirement.
Low Weight:
Low weight due to aluminum enclosure, corresponds to low cost foundations and
buildings.
Shop assembled:
Quick site assembly ensured by extensive pre assembly and testing of complete
feeders or large units in the factory.
Disadvantages of GIS (Gas Insulated Substation):

1: Cost is higher compared to Air Insulated Substation or conventional substation.

2: Procurement of SF6 gas and supply of gas to the site is problematic

3: Normally this type of substations are indoor type and requires separate building
4: Maintaining Cleanliness is very important. Dust or moisture inside the
compartment causes the flash overs
5: When fault occurs internally, the outage period will be very long. The damage
effect will also be severe.