Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Paper I - Maintenance of Equipment
Paper I - Maintenance of Equipment
Er. K.P.Krishanrajendra,
SEE(retired), KPTCL
Major Generating stations are at remote places and loads are far away from
these plants.
Power is generated at 11kV/22kV level.
Power generated is to be transmitted over long distances.
So to transmit the power with less technical loss and economical way,
voltage is stepped up to EHV using generator transformers.
At the receiving end voltage is again stepped down and power is delivered.
What is a Station?
Different equipments are interconnecting in a station to deliver the power.
Power can be delivered either at the same voltage level or at stepped
up/stepped down voltage level.
Provides protection to each Bay/equipment.
It is a link between the Generation plants and the ultimate consumers.
Voltage levels are 400-220-110-66-33-11kV.
Types of stations – Grid - R/s - S/s
Distribution system :
Condition monitoring:
For condition monitoring, all the pre-commissioning test reports are be maintained
and these values will be taken as reference values for future analysis of tests
conducted.
Isolator: It is group (gang) operated double break switch which can be operated
only under off condition and helps to create safety zone for any maintenance work.
CTs and PTs: Current is the basic input for both measurement and protection. CTs
will reduce the higher magnitude of current to lower standard value and also
provides isolation from higher voltages. Similarly PTs will reduce the higher
voltage to lower standard values.
Circuit Breaker: It is a switch which can be operated under load conditions also. It
is also capable to open/close under fault conditions when the trip/close command
is extended during faults.
Transformer: it is the static equipment and step up/step down the voltage and deliver the
same power at the same frequency. Also the required voltage can be maintained by
providing tap changer (OLTC) on HV side. Transformer protection devices-BZ-PRV-
OSR-WTI-OTI and fire protection scheme.
Capacitor Bank: Drawl of reactive power increases the load Current drawn and
drop of voltage. Use of capacitor bank will help reduction of technical losses and
improvement of voltage profile.
C&R panel: Required for control and monitoring of the bay. It has Metering -
control-Indication-Annunciation and protection scheme.
RTCC: Is used to operate the OLTC of the transformer remotely from control room
to maintain the voltage.
GOS: It is a single break group operated switch which can be operated only under
off condition and helps to create safety zone for any maintenance work.
HG fuse units: This is the over current protection provided on the HT side of a
distribution transformer.
Distribution Transformer: Step down the voltage to 433-250V to cater the local LT
consumers. Three earth electrodes are provided for each transformer center, one
each for LAs, DT neutral and for all non- current carrying parts. Three earth pits
with earth electrodes should be located such that they form an equilateral triangle
of a side of 6500mm.
Earth pits arrangement should be such that DP structure of the transformer is on
one of the sides of the earth pits triangle formation.
For earthing, two earth connections with 4sqmm conductor, one on either side of
the transformer is to be run and connected to the same earth pit. Switch operating
handle to be provided with coiled type earth connection(flexible).
There shall be no joint in the earth leads/conductors en-route to earth electrodes.
If joints are unavoidable, they shall be brazed, riveted or welded and painted with
bituminous paint.
UG cables:
UG cable is a conductor insulated through its full length and designed to lay
underground either buried directly or in conduit.
Designed to protect against moisture, rodents, etc.
Cables are used in densely populated urban areas where there is no space to
run overhead lines and reliability is of important.
Gives long life with less maintenance.
Types of UG cables:
PILC –Paper insulated lead sheathed cables.
PVC insulated and PVS sheathed cables
XLPE insulated – Crossed linked polyethylene – PVC sheathed cables.
Cable has conductor – insulation (dielectric) – sheath.
Sheath does not allow the moisture to enter and protects the cable from all
external influences.
Maintaining of cable route map.
Cable route marking slabs.
DAS RMUs:
DAS Ring main units are used in urban area to maintain continuity of power
supply during any contingency with minimum interruption period.
By implementing distribution automation scheme (DAS), the interruption
period can be reduced.
With DAS we can monitor, have supervisory control and operation of the 11
kV distribution network.
Fault passage indicators are provided in OD to know the faulty section of
the network , which will help in restoring power supply with lesser time.
Auto reclosure: Are the circuit breakers with built-in automatic reclosing and
opening capability under fault conditions. AR feature is useful in avoiding the
permanent shutdown in case of temporary faults in one section of the line.
Sectionalizer: are normal load break switches with built-in capability to open
automatically. The sectionalizers are designed to open based on the “fault count”
setting. The sectionalizer trips in no-load condition after auto-reclosure has opened
and before it recloses again.
What is Earthing?
Earthing Means an electrical connection to the general mass of earth.
Earthing is done to ensure safety to personnel and equipments and for
protection scheme.
Earthing is done to provide safe passage to fault current so as to enable the
protective devices to operate under abnormal condition to isolate the faulty
section and provide safety to personnel and equipments.
Purpose of Earthing:
Safety of personnel
Safety of all equipments in stations.
Protection of Installations.
Improve reliability of power supply.
Protection of communication exchanges in the vicinity.
Objectives of earthing:-
To ensure that no part of equipments, other than live parts, should assume a
potential that is dangerously different from that of surroundings
To suppress dangerous potential gradients on the earth surface which may
cause incorrect operation of protective devices and also may cause shock or
injury to personnel.
It preventing excessive voltage peaks during disturbances and also provides
protection against lightning surges.
While considering design of Earthing system of the station, care to be taken to
keep the Step potential and Touch potential below the specified values.
Step potential: Means the voltage between the two feet of a person standing on the
floor of the sub-station with 0.5metres spacing between the two feet during the flow
of fault current through the earthing system.
Touch potential: Means the voltage between the raised hand fingers touching a
faulted structure and the feet of a person standing on the floor of the sub station.
Maintenance of Sub-Stations:
Engineer incharge of the station and all the shift engineers should know
about all the equipments provided in their station and the protection scheme
adopted.
The maintenance staff shall also be educated about the station and the main
key factors to be monitored regularly.
Maintenance means inspection, monitoring and carryingout works on the
equipments.
Such works may be daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly.
½ yearly:
IR test- while conducting IR test of a transformer, recording of oil
temperature is very important. Minimum IR values for one minute can be
determined using the formula R=CE/√kVA
Where R is IR in mega-ohms, C=1.5 for oil filled transformers, E is the
voltage rating of the transformer in volts.
Polarization index (PI) is measurement of variation in the IR value and is the
ratio of 10 minutes to one minute IR values. Low value of PI indicates that the
oil might be contaminated with dirt or absorption of moisture.
DC voltage to be applied to measure IR values depends on the voltage rating
of the equipment under test.
Rated voltage of <600 1000- 2500- <5000
the equipment 2500 5000
DC test voltage 500 500- 1000- 2500-
1000 2500 5000
BDV of oil for new & in service oil
Whenever gas traps frequently in the relay, gas is to be collected and tested
by passing the collected gas through silver nitrate solution.
With change in colour of the solution cause for generation of gases can be
ascertained as below
White - Destroyed paper
Yellow - Damaged wood
Black or Grey -Dissociated Oil
Physically seeing the colour of the Oil, condition of the Oil can be
ascertained as tabled below.
Oil Colour Oil quality
Yellowish/Transparent/ Very good
Sparkling
Yellow/dull Good
Brownish Bad
Brownish/Black Contaminated
Black Discardable
Yearly:
DGA and PPM of oil
Tan-delta and capacitance test of windings and Bushings.
All quarterly maintenance works
If recommended, the transformer is to be taken out of service after 5-8 years
and check the windings, core, core clamps for proper position and tightness.
Clean the tank and replace the gaskets
Overhauling of OLTC diverter switch
Above works are to be carriedout with the technical assistance of the
manufacturer.
Circuit Breaker
Quarterly:
Leakages in Air and Gas pipes.
Lubrication of operating and linkage mechanisms.
Tightening of clamps.
Checking of breaker for local/remote/ SCADA operations
Antipumping and PD operations
Checking lockout scheme.
Vermin proof
Anti-pumping scheme: Capacitance trip device:
½ yearly:
IR test between poles and between poles and earth.
Measurement of contact resistance
All quarterly maintenance works
General:
After recommended years of Breaker in service, carryout the overhauling
of the Breaker through the manufacture.
This enhances the life of the equipment.
Isolators:
Linkages for simultaneous operations
Copper flexibles
Mechanical interlock for isolators with earth switch
Operations/indications/lubrication
Capacitor Bank:
Fuses – Oil leakage – bulging – capacitance measurement – leakage current
–connections.
Why capacitor bank is required?
Advantages of reactive power compensation – losses and voltage
How to be the series and parallel combination of the capacitor units?
What to do when any one or two units fails
Capacitor Bank:
72.5kV 30MVAR two bank capacitor Bank
Each unit 333.33kVAR, 8.37kV
Total No. of units =30000/333.33 = 90
No. of units per bank = 90/2 = 45
No. of units per phase = 45/3 = 15
Rated per phase voltage = 72.5/1.73 = 41.8
No. of units in series = 41.87/8.37 = 5
No. of units in parallel = 15/5 = 3
For each phase, 3 will be in parallel and such 5 parallel connections are to be
connected in series.
LAs:
Check for any cracks.
Cleaning
Record leakage current
Measurement of IR values
If the leakage current is almost twice the old value, clean the LA. If there is
no change in the current value, LA may be suspected and may be required to
be replaced.
11kV Switchgears:
Quarterly – DC and control circuit wiring, operations, anti-pumping,
indication, annunciation, tightness of connections, vermin proof
arrangements.
½ yearly – IR values of CTs, PTs, Breakers and Bus
Yearly – calibration of relays and energy meters.
Fire protection:
Fire is due to combustion of materials and are categorized as Class A-B-C
and D fires.
If the fire is due to combustion of solid state non-metal like paper, wood,
cloth, Plastics, etc, such fire is catageriozed as class-A fire.
If the fire is due to combustion of liquid state materials, such fire is
catageriozed as class-B fire.
If the fire is due to combustion of gases, such fire is catageriozed as class-C
fire.
If the fire is due to combustion of metal materials, such fire is catageriozed
as class-D fire.
For fires in electrical equipments, carbon dioxide extinguishers are to be
used.
For other fires, Dry chemical extinguishers are to be used.
Training on operation to be given to staff
The fire extinguishers are to be kept in good condition and at suitable
locations.
They should be refilled at recommended intervals.
Distribution Transformers:
Supports, connections
HT and LT fuses
Load on each phase and balancing if required.
Check for oil leakage
Check for any bushing damage
Earth connections
Breather condition
Monthly inspection:
Check supports and connections
Check fuses for proper tightness and rating
Check the load on the transformer. If over loaded action to be taken to
transfer the load or to provide additional transformer.
Check for any leakage of oil and arrest it.
Check the bushings for their healthiness and clean them.
Check the condition of silicajel and recondition it.
Check the tightness of both neutral and body earth connections.
Check the availability of barbed wire and danger plates
Check the explosion vent for any crack or damage.
Preventive maintenance:
Monthly schedule – as stated above for inspection
Quarterly Schedule:
Tighten all the connections and replace any damaged or loosen bolts and nuts if
required.
Replace old fuses by new fuses of right capacity.
Check the oil level and top up if necessary. Arrest oil leakage if any.
Clean off oil dirt, paint or other deposit on bushings. Examine for any cracks.
Adjust the arcing horns for alighnment and proper gap between the rods.
If tap changer is provided, measure phase to phase and phase to neutral
voltaes during peak hours and if required change the tap position.
Half yearly schedule:
Select the schedule such that one should be before and other after monsoon
season.
Oil sample is to be got tested to know its condition.
Load on each phase is to be checked and if required it has to be balanced on
all the phases.
Check the earth connections for tightness and examine and replace broken
rods/conductors with proper size Yearly schedule:
Measure the earth resistance of transformer neutral and body earthings
during the driest part of the year.
Check the lightning arrestors for their healthiness.
When transformer serves for ten years or recommended period, it should be
dismantled and overhauling to be done at repair shop which includes
Inspection of core assembly
Inspection of windings
Inspection of all clamping bolts and other bolted joints
Cleaning of main and conservator tanks.
Replacing the gaskets
Reconditioning of oil or replacing the oil.
Painting of transformer body.
Lines:
Smooth operation of GOS
Replacing damaged jumps
Attending loose spans
Replacing deteriorated jumps
Earth wires
Guysets
Underground cables:
Periodical inspection of cable and cable joints which are accessible for
inspection.
Patrolling of cable route
Loading of cables.
Faults:
Conductor faults – open circuit – insulation failure (short circuit)
Sheath fault – due to stress at any point leads to insulation failure, cable
failure –failure of insulation in outer sheath – water/moisture ingress
RMU:
Periodical calibration of relay and Meters
Checking of FPI and supply healthy indicators.
Local and remote operation of OD/VL.
Communication system
Battery charger and both the battery sets used for control and
communication purpose.
Vermin proof
Condition monitoring:
Frequency response signature analysis of windings.
Tan-delta and capacitance of windings and Bushings.
IR values
Temperature rise with reference to load over a time.
Tan-delta and capacitance of CTs.
Contact resistance and operating timings of breaker.
The values obtained during tests are to be compared with the reference values
(pre-commissiong test / acceptance test values) to know the healthiness of the
transformer and the tolerances for the equipment service are to be allowed during
such evaluation.
Safety Manual:
Definitions:
Authorised person: One who is properly authorised to perform specific duties
under certain conditions or who is carrying out order from competent authority
Unauthorised person: One who is not permitted to work on electrical apparatus
except under the personal supervision of an authorised person.
Dead: 'Dead' means at or about earth potential and disconnected from any live
system. Provided that the apparatus separated from a live conductor by a spark
gap shall not be deemed to be 'Dead'
Note: The term 'Dead' is used only with reference to current carrying parts, when
these parts are not alive.
Earth: 'Earth' means a conducting mass of earth or of any conductor in direct
electrical connection therewith.
Earthed: 'Earthed' means connected to earth in such a manner as it will
ensure immediate discharge of electrical energy without danger at all times.
Emergency: 'Emergency' for the purpose of this code means an unusual condition
which exists that endangers life and/or property.
Foreman: 'Foreman or supervisor' shall mean Assistant Engineer/Junior
Engineer/the authorised employee directly in charge of workmen doing the work
regardless of title.
Live: 'Live' means electrically charged.
Permit issuing Officer: 'Permit issuing Officer' is a person who is authorised for
ensuring that all controlling switches and circuits have been isolated, made dead
and inoperative and that adjacent circuits have been made safe for the work to be
carried out and who is authorised to issue the 'Permit to work'.
Permit to work: 'Permit to work' means a form of declaration signed by and given
by one authorised person to another authorised person in-charge of work to be
carried out on or adjacent to any electrical apparatus, mains or service lines, for
the purpose of making known to such latter person exactly what apparatus, mains
or service lines are made dead and earthed and safe for working.
Protective Devices: 'Protective Devices' means devices such as rubber gloves,
rubber gauntlets, line hose, rubber boots or other insulating devices, which are
especially designed for the protection of workmen.
Low Voltage: Where the normal voltage is not greater than 250 Volts and in no
circumstances exceeds 263 Volts.
Medium Voltage: Where the normal voltage exceeds 250 Volts but is not greater
than 650 Volts and in no circumstances exceeds 683 Volts.
High Voltage: Where the normal voltage exceeds 650 Volts but is not greater than
33,000 Volts and in no circumstances exceeds 37,125 Volts.
Extra High Voltage: Where the voltage exceeds 33,000 Volts under normal
conditions subject to 12.5% variation.
Fundamentals of Safety:
Prevention of accidents
A careless man is a liability to the Organisation, dangerous to himself, his
fellow workers, the public and the Organisation.
Accidents do not just happen. Accidents are the result of unsafe acts or
unsafe conditions or a combination of both.
General Instructions for Safety:
Responsibility of Individuals:
1. Safety to himself.
2. Safety to his fellow employees.
3. Protection to the Public.
4. Protection to the equipments.
A.B.C ( Always be careful)
Failure to comply with safety precautions is an offence and is punishable.
An accident may be defined as a sudden mishap that interrupts the
operation of an activity.
Direct Artificial respiration is the method whereby a person ventilates the
lungs of an unconscious non-breathing victim by blowing his own breath
directly into the mouth or nose of the victim.
Direct mouth-to-mouth breathing is by far the most effective method of
artificial respiration, as proven by comparative studies conducted by
research groups in the United States.
DO’S:
Use all the safety equipments while working
Before starting the work, make sure that the supply is switched off.
Place safety/warning boards on main switch on which Line clear is taken
before commencing the work.
Make sure controlling switches are switched off and locked.
Don’t face the fire/arc directly when fire/arc occurs.
Guard against arcs and high voltages. Remember burns from arc are more
severe.
Discharge the cables before starting the work.
Confidence in work will avoid any mis-happenings.
Follow the given safety instructions strictly.
Ensure that all the tools used for the work are collected after completing the
work and the connections removed were put back correctly.
Even though we have the knowledge and confidence in the work, make it a
practice to note down the connections before disconnecting them and again
reconnect them accordingly before switching on the circuit.
DO NOT’s:
Do not provide switch/fuse in the neutral circuit. Always provide it in the
phase circuit.
Do not operate any circuit unless you have the knowledge about the circuit.
Do not work on the live circuit, unless you are permitted to do so and take all
safety precautions if so.
Do not make any changes in the earthing circuit without permission
Do not make any tampering in the meter board knowingly or unknowingly.
Do not expose your eyes when any arc is observed and turn your face and
protect the eyes.
Do not close the switch slowly. Close it fastly.
Do not touch the live part with wet bare hands.
IR values in megaohms
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