Overview of Distribution

Systems
Bocauto, Jun Lance J.
De Vera, Kint Harold T.
Maranan, Glenn Raffy A.
Soriano, Jeremy C.
Power system is a complicated interconnection of different electricity carrying utility
system. The electricity utility system is usually divided into three subsystems, which
are generation, transmission and distribution respectively. Further, the distribution
system is commonly broken down into three components: distribution substations,
primary and secondary distribution. At the substation level, the voltage is reduced
and the power is distributed in smaller amounts to the customers. Consequently, one
substation will supply many customers with power. Thus, the number of transmission
lines in the distribution systems is many times that of the transmission systems.
Furthermore, most customers are connected to only one of the three phases in the
distribution system. Therefore, the power flow on each of the lines is different and
the system is typically unbalanced. This characteristic needs to be counted for in load
flow studies related to distribution networks. A distribution circuit uses primary or
main feeders and lateral distributors. The main feeder originates from the substation
and passes through the major load centers. The lateral distributors connect the
individual load points to the main feeder with distribution transformers at their ends.
Many distribution systems used in practice have a single circuit main feeder with wide
range of resistance and reactance values. Thus, a radial configured distribution
network has a main feeder and a number of laterals emanate from the nodes of the
main feeder.
Distribution substation is provided power at any required
transmission or sub-transmission voltage level by the
transmission or sub-transmission lines, which is forwarded to
multiple distribution feeders originating in the substation.
This comprises of primary distribution system. Several
feeders originate radially from the substation in order to
supply the load.
 Transmission of voltage: Several transformers are located within the substation for
stepping down voltage level as acceptable to the primary distribution voltage level.
The configuration of these transformers would either be three phase or three single
phase transformers connected as three phase banks. The primary distribution
voltage standards are 4.16kV, 7.2kV, 12.47kV, 13.2kV, 14.4kV, 23.9kV and 34.5kV.
 Protection and switching: Various types of switchgear are located at the
substation and can have the following components:

 (i) Switches: These are those devices which connect or disconnect different parts of a
network and also carry or obstruct normal load currents.
 (ii) Circuit breakers: These devices work in a similar fashion to switches, in addition to which
they can interrupt short circuit current. These devices are often paired with relays which
can sense short circuit condition using potential transformers and current transformers.
 (iii) Re-closure: These devices have the ability to reclose after opening, open again, and
reclose again, repeating this cycle a predetermined number of times until they lockout.
These are switches similar to circuit breakers.
 (iv) Fuses: These devices have the capability of carrying a fixed load current without any
hindrance and also obstruct a pre-defined fault current.
 All of the above, but switches are protection devices. Switches are often used on high voltage side of the
transformer, whereas the protection devices are used on the low voltage side. In case of substations
supplying large amount of currents, the protection devices can be on both sides. Special substation
designs to achieve high reliability may utilize multiple circuit breakers.
 Regulation of voltage: The feeder will cause a voltage drop IZ volts per unit length, owing to the current
I flowing from source to load along the feeder length and finite impedance Z per unit length. Thus, load
connected over the length of the bus will see varying voltage levels with the farthest load seeing the
lowest voltage of all.
 Metering: Several substations have some sort of metering device that record, minimum existing current
and current peaks and falls that have occurred in the last time period. Digital recording which is capable
of recording a large amount of substation operational information is also heavily employed.
 Distribution System
 Distribution systems  as the sequential flow of procedures, systems,
and activities which are designed and linked to facilitate and monitor
the movement of goods and services from the source to the consumer.
 Primary Distribution System
Primary Distribution
 Primary distribution systems consist of
feeders that deliver power from
distribution substations to distribution
transformers. A feeder usually begins with
a feeder breaker at the distribution
substation.
 Primary distribution operates at the high voltage such as (3.3,6.6 and 11
KV).Primary distribution is usually carried out by 3-phase,3-wire
system.Electric power from the generating station is transmitted through
extra high tension transmission lines at voltage from 33 to 765 kv,to the
substations.At the substations called secondary substations the voltage is
stepped down to 11,6.6 or 3.3 KV with the help of power transformers for
primary distribution.
 The 33/11 kV secondary substations are usually located in the area having
load requirement of the order of 5 MVA and normally a primary distribution
line or a feeder is designed to carry a load of 1-2 MVA ,so the number of
feeders originates from a secondary substation of 33/11 kV is 3-4.
 For load requirement of the order of 8 MVA secondary transmission line is
carried out at 66 kV and the number of feeders originates from a secondary
substation of 66/11 kV is 6-8.
 The main trunk is routed around the
feeder service territory and may be
connected to other feeders through
normally-open tie points. Underground
main trunks are possible-even common in
urban areas, but cost much more than
overhead construction
 The simplest primary distribution system
consists of independent feeders with each
customer connected to a single feeder.
Since there are no feeder
interconnections, a fault will interrupt all
downstream customers until it is repaired
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 TYPES OF PRIMARY DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM

 RADIAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

PARALLEL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
 LOOP/RING DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
 Radial Distribution System
 A radial power distribution system is used for substations or generating
stations located at the center of the customer’s location. For a radial
Primary Distribution System (PDS) In this system, the feeders push
electricity from one end to the distributors located at the other end.
Radial Figure:
 Parallel Feeders Distribution System
  In this case the capital cost is double that of a radial feeder but there is a
greater reliability factor for the line. This may be justified if the load is
higher, more customers are being supplied, or there are loads such as
hospitals which require high levels of reliability.
Parallel Figure:
 Advantage
 Simple design and setup
 Low initial cos
Disadvantage
 Not as reliable as other system
 A fault in one feeder cuts off power to the
distributer and doesn’t provide any backup
feeder
LOOP/RING DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

 The loop, or ring, system of distribution

starts at the substation and is connected
to or encircles an area serving one or
more distribution transformers or load
centers..
 The loop system is more expensive to build than the radial type, but it is
more reliable. It may be justified in an area where continuity of service is of
considerable importance.
 A fault in the primary loop is cleared by the breakers in the loop nearest the
fault, and power is supplied the other way around the loop without
interruption to must of the connected loads.
 Secondary Distribution System
 A low-voltage network or secondary network is a part of electric power
distribution which carries electric energy from distribution transformers to
electricity meters of end customers.
 Secondary networks are operated at a low voltage level, which is typically
equal to the mains voltage of electric appliances. Most modern secondary
networks are operated at AC rated voltage of 100–120 or 230–240 volts, at
the frequency of 50 or 60 hertz.
 Secondary distribution system: It is that part of AC Distribution System which
includes the range of voltages at which the ultimate consumer utilises the electrical
energy delivered to him. The secondary distribution employs 400/230 V, 3-phase,
4-wire system.
 Operating voltage, required number of phases (three-phase or single-
phase) and required reliability dictate topology and configuration of the
network.
 Distribution transformers or secondary transformers, placed along feeders,
convert the voltage from the medium to a low voltage level, suitable for
direct consumption by end customers (mains voltage).
 Typically, a rural primary feeder supplies up to 50 distribution
transformers, spread over a wide region but the figure significantly varies
depending on configuration. They are sited on pole tops, cellars or
designated small plots.
 From these transformers, low voltage or secondary network branches off to
the customer connections at customer premises, equipped with 
electricity meters.
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