NAME: AAMIR MUHAMMAD & SAIF UR REHMAN

TOPIC: SWITCHYARD, TYPES & COMPONENTS

ASSIGIGNMENT
NO “1”
SWITCHYARD:
Normally it is used for maintaining certain voltage level stepping up or down. Hence it is located in the
power plant for transmission or distribution. Switchyard consists of bus bar, surge arrestor, insulators,
isolators, earth switches, wave trap, circuit breaker, current transformer and voltage transformer

TYPES OF SWITCH YARD:

Following are the types of Switch Yard.

● AIR INSULATED SWITCHYARD (AIS):

It is the most common type used in power plant that uses 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.

● GAS INSULATED SWITCHYARD (GIS):

A gas-insulated substation (GIS) uses a superior dielectric gas, SF6, at moderate pressure for phase-
to phase and phase-to-ground insulation. The high voltage conductors, circuit breaker interrupters,
switches, current transformers, and voltage transformers are in SF6 gas inside grounded metal
enclosures. A GIS is mostly used where space is expensive or not available. In a GIS the active parts
are protected from the deterioration from exposure to atmospheric air, moisture, contamination,
etc.

COMPONENTS OF SWITCH YARD:

● BUSBAR: it simply receives power from incoming circuits & delivers power to outgoing circuits.
● INSULATORS: they support conductors & insulate high current to conductors. Most commonly used
type of insulators is suspension type but post & strain type insulators are used in switchyard.
● SURGE ARRESTOR: It is connected between phase conductor and ground that prevents from
transient voltage/ surges from lightning.
● CURRENT TRANSFORMER: It is used for stepping down current for measurement & it is connected
in series with transmission line.
● VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER: It is used for stepping down Voltage for measurement & it is connected
in parallel with transmission line.
● ISOLATORS: It provides isolation from live parts for the purpose of maintenance & it is located at
either side of circuit breaker.
● RELAYS: It detects the fault & isolate the faulty part from rest of the system.
● WAVE TRAP: resonant circuit control in series with HV transmission lines to prevent from
transmission of high frequency signals.
 ● PLCC: power line carrier communication is used to communicate with grid or other control systems.
● CIRCUIT BREAKER: are automatic electrical devices that protect an electrical circuit caused by an
overload or fault on the line.
TYPES OF CIRCUIT BREAKER

1. VACUUM CIRCUIT BREAKER:

A breaker which used vacuum as an arc extinction medium is called a vacuum circuit breaker. In this
circuit breaker, the fixed and moving contact is enclosed in a permanently sealed vacuum interrupter.
Vacuum circuit breaker does not require any additional filling of oil or gas. Breaker unit is compact and
self-contained. It can be installed in any required orientation. Because of the above reasons together
with the economic advantage offered, vacuum circuit breaker has high acceptance (up to 40KV voltage
levels).

2. AIR CIRCUIT BREAKER:

Air blast circuit breaker is a suitable option to use where frequent operation is required because of
lesser arc energy. The risk of fire is eliminated in the operation of Air blast circuit breaker. Air blast
circuit breaker is small in size, because of the growth of dielectric strength is so rapid (which final
contact gap needed for arc extinction is very small). Arc quenching is much faster. It requires less
maintenance (up to 15KV voltage levels)

3. SF6 CIRCUIT BREAKER:

Due to the superior arc quenching property of sulphur hexafluoride gas (SF6), such circuit breakers have
very short arcing time. Since the dielectric strength of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas is 2 to 3 times that
operation due unlike of air, such breakers can interrupt much larger currents. The sulphur hexafluoride
gas (SF6) circuit breaker gives noiseless operation due its closed gas circuit and no exhaust to
atmosphere unlike the air blast circuit breaker. It is used for high voltage application i.e., 33 KV – 132 KV