Electrical Power System: What is it? (Power System Basics)

An electric power system is defined as a network of electrical components used to supply, transfer, and consume electric power. SkiptocontentMenuDecember6,2020February24,2012byElectrical4UWhatisaPowerSystem?Anelectricpowersystemisdefinedasanetworkofelectricalcomponentsusedtosupply,transfer,andconsumeelectricpower.Thesupplyisdonethroughsomeformofgeneration(e.g.apowerplant),thetransferisdonethroughatransmission(viaatransmissionline)anddistributionsystem,andtheconsumptioncanbethroughresidentialapplicationssuchaspoweringthelightsorairconditioninginyourhome,orviaindustrialapplicationssuchastheoperationoflargemotors.Anexampleofapowersystemistheelectricalgridthatprovidespowertohomesandindustrywithinanextendedarea.Theelectricalgridcanbebroadlydividedintothegeneratorsthatsupplythepower,thetransmissionsystemthatcarriesthepowerfromthegeneratingcenterstotheloadcenters,andthedistributionsystemthatfeedsthepowertonearbyhomesandindustries.Smallerpowersystemsarealsofoundinindustry,hospitals,commercialbuildings,andhomes.Themajorityofthesesystemsrelyuponthree-phaseACpower—thestandardforlarge-scalepowertransmissionanddistributionacrossthemodernworld.Specializedpowersystemsthatdonotalwaysrelyuponthree-phaseACpowerarefoundinaircraft,electricrailsystems,oceanliners,submarines,andautomobiles.Thegenerationplantsproduceelectricalenergyatalowvoltagelevel.Wekeepthegenerationvoltageatalowlevelbecauseithassomespecificadvantages.Lowvoltagegenerationcreatesfewerstressesonthearmatureofthealternator.Henceatlowvoltagegeneration,wecanconstructasmalleralternatorwiththinnerandlighterinsulation.Fromanengineeringanddesignpointofview,smalleralternatorsaremorepractical.Wecannottransmitthislowvoltagepowertotheloadcenters.Lowvoltagetransmissioncausesmorecopperloss,poorvoltageregulations,andmoreinstallationcostsofthetransmissionsystem.Toavoidthesethreedifficultieswehavetostepupthevoltagetoaspecifichighvoltagelevel.Wecannotraisethesystemvoltagebeyondacertainlevelbecausebeyondalimitofvoltagetheinsulationcosttremendouslyincreasesandalsotokeepadequategroundclearancetheexpensesofthelinesupportingstructuresalsoabruptlyincrease.Thetransmissionvoltagedependsonthequantityofpowertobetransmitted.Thesurgeimpedanceloadingisanotherparameterwhichdeterminesthevoltagelevelofthesystemfortransmittinganamountofenergy.Forsteppingupsystemvoltage,weusestep-uptransformersandtheirassociatedprotectionsandoperationsarrangementsatthegeneratingstation.Wecallthisagenerationsubstation.Attheendofthetransmissionline,wehavetostepdownthetransmissionvoltagetoalowerlevelforsecondarytransmissionandordistributionpurposes.Hereweusestepdowntransformersandtheirassociatedprotectionandoperationalarrangements.Thisisatransmissionsubstation.Afterprimarytransmission,theelectricalenergypassesthroughsecondarytransmissionorprimarydistribution.Aftersecondarytransmissionorprimarydistributionagainwestepdownthevoltagetoadesiredlowvoltageleveltodistributeattheconsumerpremises.Thiswasthebasicstructureofanelectricalpowersystem.Although,wehavenotmentionedthedetailsofeachpieceofequipmentusedinanelectricalpowersystem.Inadditiontothreemaincomponentsalternator,transformer,andtransmissionlinethereisanumberofassociatedequipment.Someofthesepiecesofequipmentarecircuitbreaker,lightningarrestor,isolator,currenttransformer,voltagetransformer,capacitorvoltagetransformer,wavetrap,capacitorbank,relayingsystem,controllingarrangement,theearthingarrangementofthelineandsubstationequipment,etc.WhyDoWeNeedAnElectricalPowerSystem?Fromaneconomicpointofview,wealwaysconstructageneratingstationwhereresourcesarereadilyavailable.Consumersconsumeelectricalenergy,buttheymaystayinsuchlocationswheretheresourcesforproducingelectricityarenotavailable.Notonlythat,sometimestherearemanyotherconstraintsduetowhichwecannotconstructageneratingstationnearertothedenseconsumer’slocalitiesorloadcenters.Soinsteadweuseanexternallylocatedgenerationsourceandthentransmitthisgeneratedpowertotheloadcentersthroughalongtransmissionlineandadistributionsystem.Wecalltheentirearrangementfromgeneratingplantstoconsumerendsfordeliveringelectricityefficientlyandreliablyastheelectricpowersystem.WantToLearnFaster?🎓Getelectricalarticlesdeliveredtoyourinboxeveryweek.Nocreditcardrequired—it’s100%free.AboutElectrical4UElectrical4Uisdedicatedtotheteachingandsharingofallthingsrelatedtoelectricalandelectronicsengineering....RelatedArticlesAdvantagesofThreePhaseSystemover…ElectricSupplySystem:WhatAreThey?PerformanceofTransmissionLineElectricalSwitchgearProtectionLeaveaCommentCancelreplyCommentNameEmailΔRecentPostsreportthisadPleasefeelfreetocontactusifyou’dliketorequestaspecifictopic.Clickheretoseeourprivacypolicy.WeareaparticipantintheAmazonServicesLLCAssociatesProgram,anaffiliateadvertisingprogramdesignedtoprovideameansforustoearnfeesbylinkingtoAmazon.comandaffiliatedsites.Fulldisclaimerhere.xx