Distribution Planning 32 l AMS Infrastructure 36 l Network Control 40

32 December 2009 | www.tdworld.com

DISTRIBUTIONPlanning
North China Utility
Looks Ahead 20 Years
Tianjin distribution system growth pushes planners
to increase voltage and substation capacity.
By Xue Jin, Tianjin Electric Power Co.
LOCATED IN NORTH CHINA, TIANJIN IS A MUNIC-
IPALITY DIRECTLY UNDER THE CHINESE CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT. Fed by a 500-kV ring-connected network
linking the power plant and the North China power grid,
the electric network of Tianjin extends to some 11,900 sq km
(4595 sq miles).
The downtown area comprises the political, fnancial, trad-
ing and cultural areas of the city and a population of 3.8 mil-
lion. There are 13 220-kV substations and 70 35-kV substations
downtown. Each 220-kV substation contains three 220/35/
10-kV transformers with 150/150/70-MVA ratings. Therefore,
in each 3-sq km

(1.2-sq mile) area of downtown, the average
available capacity is 60 MVA. The urban distribution networks
are supplied by 220-kV substations equipped with transform-
ers having secondary voltages of 35 kV and 10 kV, the voltage
levels commonly used for regional networks.
In accordance with Tianjin Electric Power Co.s plan for the
next 20 years, 13 to 15 220-kV substations will be constructed
and 70 to 75 35-kV substations will be constructed or increased
capacity will be installed in existing substations. Hence, to
supply the predicted load demand, a 35-kV substation will be
required for every 1.5 sq km

(0.6 sq mile). In the year 2030,
the total installed capacity will be between 12,600 MVA to
14,000 MVA in the 220-kV substations in the downtown area to
supply the expected demand of 7000 MW. To meet the expect-
ed future load demands, the technical decisions on network
development are based on the following interrelated factors:
M Network voltage level
M Number of substations
M Number of outgoing circuits
M Distribution equipment selection.
A large number of environmental issues linked to land us-
uences the
This 35/10-kV indoor substation in Tianjin is equipped with three transformers.
age, including the provision of space
for reinforcement at a later date and
the control of noise, also form part of
the decision-making process, which
precedes the selection of the optimal
economic solution.
INFLUENCE OF LOAD
DENSITY TO VOLTAGE LEVEL
The design of a distribution net-
work should consider the existing
load density and the long-term load
density, determined by the annual
growth in demand. Therefore, the
ultimate load density inf
need to consider upgrading the ex-
isting network voltage, number of
substations and outgoing circuits.
The distribution network varies as
the load density is linked to construc-
tion development, customer diver-
sity (i.e., the percentage of industrial,
commercial and domestic consum-
ers) and several social issues.
In high load-density areas, char-
33 www.tdworld.com | December 2009
DISTRIBUTIONPlanning
acterized by 7 kW/sq km to 8 kW/sq km, and considering
the N-1 reliability standard, the 220-kV substations could be
equipped with 140/150-MVA transformers with end users be-
ing supplied by 10-kV or 35-kV feeders. However, the exclusive
use of 10-kV feeders for such high-demand users is not suitable
for reliability reasons.
In areas where the load density is lower (2 kW/sq km to
3 kW/sq km), and considering the N-1 standard and system
fexibility requirements, the load could be met by installing
three 20-MVA, 35/10-kV transformers. This arrangement ful-
flls various consumer demands and economic restrictions;
therefore, 10 kV and 35 kV are the preferred voltages for the
end users.
A 35-KV DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
The two secondary voltages used on the 220-kV main trans-
formers are 35 kV and 10 kV. The 10-kV feeders supply nearby
areas of 1 sq km to 2 sq km (0.4 sq miles to 0.8 sq miles). The
35-kV feeders supply 35/10-kV substations located in a load
center equipped with three 20-MVA 35/10-kV transformers,
thereby supplying the 10-kV network through low-voltage
distribution transformers for consumers demands less than
3 MVA. Consumer demands greater than 3 MVA are normally
supplied directly through a 220-kV substations 35-kV busbar
or indirectly through a 35-kV distribution substation.
The average length of a 10-kV feeder, including the main
line and spurs controlled by a 10-kV circuit breaker in the sub-
station, is around 4 km (2.5 miles). Therefore, with one 35/10-
kV distribution substation per square kilometer, the length of
the main feeder is less than 2 km (1.25 miles) and the current
carrying capacity is less than 630 A. Such an arrangement is
economical and the line loss is optimal.
In Tianjin, an indoor 35/10-kV distribution substation oc-
cupies an area of 35 m by 25 m (115 ft by 82 ft) and is often
placed in the basement of buildings.
The adoption of a 20-kV distribution network could re-
place the 35-kV and 10-kV networks, but, although this would
reduce system losses, it would take many years to develop. For
example, in Paris, France, the maximum capacity of a 220/20-
kV main transformer is 70 MVA. EDF (Paris) unifed the vari-
ous voltage levels to 20 kV a modifcation fnanced by the
utility and the consumers on a 50-50 basis in a program that
took 30 years to complete.
TARGET NETWORK STRUCTURE
Following confrmation of the voltage level, the Tianjin
Electric Power Co. considers the load density. Downtown
Tianjin has an area of around 334 sq km (129 sq miles), with
a planning load density of between 20 MW/sq km to 30 MW/
sq km, creating a maximum demand of 6500 MW.
To satisfy the N-1 rule used to provide system reliability,
it will be necessary to install transformer capacity totaling
13,000 MVA. Assuming an average demand of some 1.5 kW
per person for the predicted population in the downtown
area of 4.3 million, supplying this demand will require the
installation of 34 220-kV substations or, alternatively, invest-
ing in additional capacity at existing substations.
The development of the distribution network will require
construction programs to commission new 220-kV substations
that initially will supply a load equivalent to one-third of a sub-
stations fnal capacity. Considerable planning is required to
ensure the new substations have the appropriate capacity in
terms of the number of outgoing feeders and their thermal
ratings.
The Tianjin Electric Power Co. uses two designs for its
220-kV substations that are very compact, occupying an area of
between 6000 sq m to 7000 sq m (64,583 sq ft to 75,347 sq ft).
The designs are as follows:
M Key substations that are ring-connected and equipped
with two to four 220-kV transformers to supply the local loads
and two circuits for 220-kV transfer substations located in the
suburbs
M Transfer substations that are equipped with three 220-kV,
150-MVA transformers with two transformers supplying the
local load. The third transformer is supplied from an alter-
native 220-kV substation and connected as a line-transformer
bank. The load on the three transformers is balanced by the
substations 35-kV busbar.
In the event of a 150-MVA transformer fault, at least six
feeders within two 220-kV substations are available to trans-
fer the load. Each interconnected feeder supplies two to three
Control panels in a 35/10-kV substation.
The substation control room is not normally attended.
34 December 2009 | www.tdworld.com
DISTRIBUTIONPlanning
35/10-kV substations, so each 35/10-kV substation has a power
source from more than one 220-kV substation.
All 35-kV distribution substations are designed for the in-
stallation of three 20-MVA, 35/10-kV transformers. Often, two
transformers are installed initially and the third is added later,
although the 10-kV busbar for the three transformer arrange-
ment is installed at the outset, occupying an area of between
6000 sq m to 7000 sq m. Each 35/10-kV transformer supplies
two 10-kV feeders.
The standard 220-kV substation is equipped with 30 35-kV
bays, of which 24 bays are used for outlet feeders. Between 15
and 18 bays are used for feeders supplying 35/10-kV substa-
tions and large power consumers, with the remainder being
used for 35-kV network interconnections.
SUBSTATION EQUIPMENT
The selection of equipment is a key technical factor in the
development and construction of a distribution network. The
loading rate of 10-kV distribution transformers in downtown
Tianjin is 40% or less during the off-peak period in order to
avoid overload during the summer demand. Also, the distribu-
tion transformers used in residential areas must have a noise
level less than 45 dB to 50 dB. The reduction of transformer
loss and the low noise are the important problems that need a
cost-effective solution. The reduction in noise for the 220-kV
main transformers must frst be solved to overcome any obsta-
cles in the construction of substations in the downtown area.
PROBLEMS WITH THE CABLES
The selection of routes for distribution network circuits
in urban areas is increasingly diffcult, creating confict with
planning and infrastructure authorities. In Tianjin, there are
more than 90 inlet or outlet cables for each 220-kV substation
that require several road openings for cables. The 220-kV ca-
bles from the key substation to the transfer substation are now
in concrete chambers, but more than 80% of the cables down-
town are 35-kV and 10-kV cables. The increasing use of cables
has resulted in a change to the neutral grounding mode from
A 10-kV distribution substation in a prefabricated enclosure.
35 www.tdworld.com | December 2009
DISTRIBUTIONPlanning
neutral compensating grounding to neutral low-resistance
grounding in the medium-voltage network.
SUBSTATION MONITORING AND CONTROL
The centralized control of the substations is limited to
the operation of circuit breakers. The operation of ground-
ing disconnecting switches in substations still requires on-site
manual switching, prolonging the total switching time. To re-
alize improved effciency and benefts, more investment is re-
quired in several areas: monitoring and control of transformer
cooling systems; remote monitoring and control of switches
and grounding switches; remote monitoring and control of
dc devices; automatic tracking of arc-extinguishing coils; and
automatic connecting and disconnecting of capacitors and in-
ductors.
DISTRIBUTION AUTOMATION
Distribution automation is a system proj-
ect that needs to be achieved through stages.
New distribution substations are constructed
according to the planned network, so the ca-
pacity/load ratio of the distribution network
reaches 2.0 and substations have suffcient out-
going feeders to create the possibility for distri-
bution network reconstruction. At this stage,
the equipment used for the substation should
be miniaturized, compact with minimum loss-
es satisfying environmental standards to save
space, energy and protect the environment.
Distribution networks should be rede-
signed and reconstructed to establish a ring-
connected network for improving system re-
liability. Ring-connected feeders should only
supply seven to eight transformers to reduce
the outage range to shorten the fault-restora-
tion time.
A fault transmission unit should be in-
stalled on each feeder. The installation of an
effective communication system will transmit
signals from the fault transmission unit to
the dispatching center and system fault data
from consumers. The system also should have
a feedback signal facility from the dispatcher
in control to remotely operate the equipment
according to system operation and demand-
side management requirements.
COMPACT, HIGH-DENSITY EQUIPMENT
The 35-kV vacuum circuit breakers are
causing many overvoltage problems, so the
Tianjin Electric Power Co. will replace them
with SF
6
circuit breakers. The SF
6
circuit
breaker is compact, saving space. Still, at the
research and development stage, the open, in-
tegrated switchgear will use less SF
6
gas than
the normal gas-insulated substations, to sat-
isfy the Kyoto Protocols. Compact gas-insulated substations,
integrated circuit breakers, current transformers and discon-
necting switches together will reduce the space required for
a substation. This will enable the Tianjin Electric Power Co.
to increase the capacity of an existing substation by a factor
of 1.5, when equipped with new equipment. In this way, the
current capacity of the distribution network can be increased
without building new distribution stations.
Xue Jin is a professor-grade senior engineer and a former vice-
general manager of the Tianjin Electric Power Co. in China. Cur-
rently, Jin is the vice-chairman of the Urban Power Distribution
Committee of the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering.
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