How Do Substations Work?
Untangling the various equipment you might see in an electrical substation.
In many ways, the grid is a one-size-fits-all system - a gigantic machine to which we all connect spinning in perfect synchrony across, in some cases, an entire continent. On the other hand, our electricity needs, including when we need it, how much we need, and how reliably it should be delivered vary widely. Substations play a critical role in controlling and protecting the power grid.
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As a retired electric utility engineer I can say that this is a great video. Much more info than what is usually presented to the layperson but explained well. One other type of equipment in substations is capacitor or inductor banks. These are used to adjust voltage and reactive power requirements. Reactive power is difficult to explain but briefly it is the additional current that flows beyond current needed to transmit power. It affects the voltage on the power line. As you noted, customer loads are different and some, such as motors draw a lot of reactive power (as well as real power) which creates three problems: 1) it drops the voltage, 2) it results in extra current in the lines which steals from the maximum capability of the line to deliver real (actual) power and 3) increases losses in the lines. Nowadays, capacitors (which inject reactive power) and inductors (which do the opposite) are being replaced by solid state semiconductor devices (thyristors) which can do much finer control and at lightning speed.
I'm an electronics engineer who remembers the basics of this stuff from my degree but this explanation and the video were both very informative and fascinating. Thanks for the education!
what about battery packs? if we are gonna start using more wind and solar, we'll need places to store that energy
@@ephimp3189 yes, definitely!
As an electric utility engineer myself, I couldn't agree more with you. Awesome information. Thank you.
Any tips for a freshmen electrical engineer? I’ve got some potential internships but they are with hardware and CE companies which is by no means bad, I just want to explore the total scope of the electronic engineering discipline
Your public works videos are the best!
Nice explanation
His public works are public, they're creative Commons, no copyright
Jake Adams i Agreeee!!!
@@buddingscientist170 civil engineering
harsh savla this is such a stupid comment and ironically you’re just playing blame-game by blaming activism for “lack of knowledge” when all the things you mentioned are already accessible publicly for free for education
In August of 2019 my wife was pregnant with our daughter and had been diagnosed with high blood pressure. We were required to monitor it daily and go to the hospital if it was too high. It's 9:30 or so at night and my wife's pressure cuff reads something borderline... like maybe we should go to the hospital maybe not. We decide to wait 10 minutes and read it again. While we’re waiting I put this video on to kill time and learn something. We take another reading and they are the lowest they’ve been all night! Grady, you saved my wife a trip to the ER. Thank you!
I'm glad that your wife avoided a trip to the ER, but please be aware that if blood pressure is significantly too low that can also be very dangerous and should be taken very seriously
I’m a utility protection engineer and I can tell you that you did an outstanding job. Really enjoy your videos.
T&D SCADA engineer here and I second your praise :nods:.
I work for a leading company in transformer maintenance and this video rocks. (and it's not Doble)
30 years in the electricity supply industry here, and fully agree.
Environmental management head of a powerstation in Vientiane, and have to say that this video is very well done.
How do electricity companies know there is electricity lost? Lets say 10 kW?
Being an electrical engineer who has worked for both electrical distribution and transmission companies, I love that you are covering this topic. Even more so, I love how you are able to keep the technical details while explaining them in ways the lay-person can understand. Thank you!
I have been to a tour through a substation that was under construction. As it was still under construction, it was not connected to the grid yet, so there was no power anywhere in it at the time. It really was a unique chance to see a substation from this close. The guide told us that even when the power is on, there is nothing you can touch that has high voltage (unless you jump with your arms up). They have switches that are designed to disconnect the load, and switches that only are allowed to switch when the power is already off (to connect/disconnect a line to/from the bus). The grid below the ground is also to keep the ground at the same potential, so there is no voltage difference between your legs when making a step. They have concrete walls around the transformers, to suppress fire risk, but also to block noise from reaching the people living near the substation. The one I visited was built in an already existing high voltage power line to split of power to newly developed neighborhoods, and provide redundancy for the lower voltage network, and as a point to connect a future high voltage line.
Your guide was 100% right except the jumping part. If those conductors and insulators are live or near anything live "das machine is nicht fur gefingerpoken." Even If they are not live we have to earth everything due to the posibility of induction. A EHV or HV line can induce a voltage on the line next to it and that induced voltage has claimed many lives.
Talking of step potential there was a couple of horse killed at racing track here in the UK a few years ago because of step potential. A 415v cable under ground had been damageed humnas where fine because there potential between human legs is small but the horse because the they didn't. Have shoes(of the human kind) and the difference between there legs being much greater
@Mister Brookes so which part is untrue?
That and that wall protects the transformer from getting shot at. Not saying anymore what’s vulnerable, but you would be amazed how much money and trouble and months a new transformer takes to build and replace, in most cases of large transmission and distribution transformers.
As a substation electrician that is partially true. Much of the metering and relaying is also "transformed" to a workable ratio of the high voltage. 345,000 volts at the wire and 120/240 volts at the PT or potential transformer to monitor system voltage. Where substation becomes dangerous is when equipment grounds are comprised in the case of breakage or theft. You then have a piece of equipment building a charge waiting for someone or something to complete the circuit to the ground grid. Won't be pretty.
Having worked at several sub stations, the most amazing thing to see is switching, the noise and the power that is involved is incredible. When we were working on a sector area, which was turned off, we could still feel the power from a neighbouring sector area. Imagine having a constant low current constantly pumping true your body. Electricity is a very interesting power.
07:41 "A Transformer is an extremely simple device" Optimus Prime: "u f'ing wot m8?"
You were able to connect a animated cartoon and electricity. Well done.
Optimus Prime responding like a cockney is the best. LMFAO! "u f'ing wot m8?"
Well, Prime IS an extremely simple device. He can't even fly, and he turns into a lame truck. Now ME, I'm a properly complex Transformer. Think of what it takes to get a several-ton, unaerodynamic-looking, metal body to fly better than Superman and then turn into a little gun once I get where I'm going! Now THAT'S engineering!
Electrical grids are unsung heroes of modern world.
Mark Freeman Yet we take both the substations and their workers for granted.
As a highly trained maintenance mechanic, I agree. Every time you flip a switch, thank an electrician. And when you turn a faucet on, you can thank me.😃
It was good that A/C beat D/C
@@briangarrow448 Thanks Brian, I didn't know that you were the man behind my faucet here in Albany, NY? lol
@@briangarrow448 I'll think of you when I flush my toilet. How's that? 😃
I legitimately can't wait to walk past my local substation tomorrow. Another great video explaining something I've always wondered about!
I live right near our substation where power is taken off the high voltage lines. I didn't realize why we didn't get power outages till a few years ago whan it hit me that our wiring run from that substation is only about a mile or two long! Been in this house for 15 years or more and have only lost power for a few momentary 10 minute to 1 minute outages. Pretty neat!
@@volvo09 Ditto. Mine is so close that some nights I can hear the faint buzzing in the distance.
djd829 dat 50hz hum
@@JonnyD3ath 60 here
For two summers while I was in college, I worked for my city electric utility as part of a 4-person crew (3 laborers and 1 truck driver). Our only job was to visit every one of the several dozen substations the utility owned and dump 50-pound bags of salt into concrete lined holes in the ground scattered throughout the substation. Small substations had just a dozen or so of these holes. The big ones had a hundred or more. The newer substations gave us plenty of room to work, the older ones involved crawling underneath some of the power structures to reach the holes. We were told this action provided some benefit to the underground infrastructure of the substation that Grady mentions in this video. It was a great summer job, lots of exercise and it paid well for a laborer position. Years later I worked for another part of the same city government. I remember telling the then director of the electric utility about my great summer job and he told me that they had stopped doing that work just a few years after I had done it because of concerns about contaminating groundwater.
As an electrician and fellow life long learner, I love all your public works videos. Please keep them coming.
its simply stunning how the basic needs of our daily life are ensured and how little we know or care about it... you videos really are easy to understand, easy to follow and give us so much insight about stuff most of us dont really care about in our daily life, but its something that we should appreciate instead of taking for absolutely granted. and thank you Grady for all the work you put into your videos and presentations!
I feel that if more people paid attention to how little they know about the infrastructure and technology that makes modern life possible, they'd be more willing to listen to experts and we wouldn't have to deal with so many overarching bad decisions.
so true!
"its simply stunning how the basic needs of our daily life are ensured and how little we know or care about it..." This also goes to the fact that people don't appreciate the value of educated and dedicated workers getting out early and home late every day, weekends and holidays. They don't realize how badly and quickly life as we know it would end without others who are interested in pursuing these careers.
If your power begins to flickler, start counting. If it goes on and off three times in quick succession it will most probably be out for a while. Automatic resets will reconnect in the hope that the fault was transitory and will clear itself. If the fault doesn't clear then the power line is opened and won't close again until a workman/lineman has been called out and has been able to find and clear the fault. Most power companies don't keep crews on duty 24/7 (excluding on duty power plant workers who aren't lineman) so someone will have to be called from home and then they can begin searching for the problem. That's why when the power goes off it usually stays off for a while. Also there is another type arc suppression breaker which is an Air Blast Breaker. When the electrical contacts separate high pressure air is directed between the two contacts which blows away any ionizing gas and prevents arcing.
Air blast breakers are still in use. However, vacuum bottles and SF6 etc are replacing them
Emil Sitka Where I’m from there are lineman all over the place. Longest power shortage I’ve seen, out of the major natural disasters, was a few hours, but that was due to a major fire and the company had cut electricity in the neighbourhood. Other then that, a few minutes to 1 hour.
I have always wondered why the power flickers several times before going off. Now I know! Thanks.
@@matthewhemmings2464 Longest for me personally was 19 hours after transformer blew. Luckily I have a home built RV with solar panels and batteries. Ran an extension cord to the fridge from the RV. Hung out in the RV in front of my house.
Emil Sitka I see, I come from a cold place where electricity is very cheap, so people heat using electric power. So 19 hours with no electricity here during -15 to -40 Celsius would be considered an emergency. So it’s a regional thing that power outage are a big no-no and the power company can bring the system back up anytime within a few minutes to max 1 hour. Plus electric production is such a national pride here, not having electricity is inconceivable and a shame XD. But when I went in Central America I was surprised to see the power out almost every week, sometimes a few times a day.
As a layman, I must say that I found this video so incredibly helpful! I have always had an interest in and fascination with how electricity works. I pass, everyday, a major coal powerplant here in the U.S. and your videos bring a new understanding to the engineering marvel that is witnessed by my eyes. I thank you, sir, for your dedication to explaining how this amazing science works.
Grady, your videos are great!! The public works series you've done can teach somebody a ton about everything they use daily. Keep up the awesome work.
Trained and working in electricity and electronics for many years, I was amazed at the clarity and simplicity (and accuracy!) of your presentation. I've never seen anything else as good; congratulations!
As a substation operator this is an absolutely fantastic and accurate description of how they work. I would like to add just a few things, the interruption mediums for CB’s now include SF-6 sulfur hexa flouride, vacuum breakers are used on lower voltage cb’s and the higher voltage cb’s oil breakers are being replaced by sf-6 gas cb’s, better for the environment and also if there is a catastrophic fault where an oil cb is compromised, you will not get a river of burning mineral oil everywhere, but even sf-6 gas breakers are being replaced by vacuum cb’s. The cb’s trip and recloser algorithm is different for each line, some lines are 100% underground and are difficult to patrol , and others go into high fire areas which require extra scrutiny during hot dry windy days, but for the most part relay coordination are setup for a transient fault, birds tree branches etc and will test on their own after 15-30 seconds, giving the branch time to clear itself, if wires are still down or tangled up it will lock out till crews can access and repair, be patient with port outages folks , they are there for grid and public protection, during a storm whole pole lines or equipment can be damaged and take time to repair safely
In France, they aren't allowed to reclose if linemen are working on the line. They also don't do it if the whole line is cable.
Matthew Maxwell-Burton correct they are called lock out orders or no test orders for when linemen are working on a section of isolated energized lines , we do the same We don’t test fully underground circuits before patrolling because of the likely nature that underground equipment is almost always a hard fault or damaged components that will not just blow itself in the clear , usually a smoking manhole is identified by the public and first responders are called to the scene , sometimes is cable in the middle of the street between structures that is harder to find because the problem is mid duct and not immediately seen
Great video. I’m actually a substation engineer. That’s actually my job title haha. I design and plan out everything inside the fence line, and your video did a good job giving us a basic overview of some of the components. Some things that you didn’t cover were the control house, metering, relays, networks, communications, and capacitor banks. Relays are really the second most important part of a substation because they are the brains behind everything and control all safety aspects inside the substation. These relays can all be programmed differently and actually tell the breaker when to trip, the breaker doesn’t know when to trip itself. The ground grid is the most important part of a substation and is designed to be the last component to fail.
Is it safe to live close to an eletrical substation?
@@karlinemelo941 oh yes of course! Extremely safe. When a substation is built we actually completely excavate about 3ft down and install a "ground grid" this is a mesh if copper wire and 15ft ground rods and is similar to the ground post a normal house has but much much larger. This covers the entire area of the substation just in case if there would be a short circuit anywhere that the electricity can safely go into the ground. Plus we all do soil studies to determine the electrical resistance of the soil on the site and have computer simulation that can determine the safety of the entire site. All substations are built safe enough that you could actually be holding onto the metal fence from the outside and be perfectly safe from electrical shock if a short or fault were to occur
CrazyNickOO7 thank you very much for your explanation. And how about health issues? Like EMF level, radiation etc?
@@karlinemelo941 no problem, I'm happy to explain! There are no health issues what so ever to worry about with an electrical substation. The EMF is only dangerous within a few inches of that equipment and that is all blocked off. There is no radiation coming from a substation besides the normal everyday types of ration you find from your WiFi or cell phone. The only dangerous radiation is "ionizing" radiation but that's not in a subtation. You'll find that in a nuclear reactor but not much else on Earth and no where near a substation
@@CrazyNickOO7 thank you for your explanation. could you describe what a 'substation operator' does? i'm looking into a career with DOE or a utility company but i'm having a hard time telling each title such as electrician, engineer, operator, dispatcher, controller, etc. apart based on only the job descriptions because they are all very similarly described.
Great video, Grady.
W we@jonathan argueta w we w we
Woah
man I love your videos too
Great video, Grady! Substations are fascinating. By the way, have you heard about Segway's Portable PowerStation Cube Series? It's perfect for outdoor enthusiasts like us. It has a massive capacity, fast recharging, and even waterproof technology. Check it out if you're interested!
Thank you for the compliment! If you enjoyed learning about substations, you'll love exploring the features of the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series. It's a versatile power solution that's perfect for outdoor adventures and provides reliable backup power for your home. Check it out!
@10:49 Wait a minute, is that a real substation with giant metalwork human figures looking like they're playing chess with the substation pieces?
Most urban substations aren't visible enough to even notice art work from outside.
You may like this one at Romanel / Switzerland - they made it as there was a tennis center nearby and the director of the central was a member: www.google.com/maps/@46.5598515,6.6137498,3a,63.5y,354.46h,123.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQNbqgJwXRhQDqVwmOZ_a2A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
If clown shaped ones exist, then I don’t doubt it. laughingsquid.com/clown-shaped-high-voltage-electrical-towers/
I did a Google lens search and one other picture showed up but I can not find any information other then the pictures saying perm gres substation. Google searched that and nothing came up so I'm at a loss but it sure looks cool.
@@MindlessDude You can see them here near Újhartyán, it took me a few minutes to find the correct line. I thought it was a fake and some 3D overlay !. www.google.com/maps/@47.2358228,19.3888187,3a,41.4y,89.28h,95.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snjGW3DlxDgpXwal7tt_keQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Great vid! Learned a lot, I’ve always looked at substations whenever I pass by them and think about how each equipment works.
@3:48 That was always the best day of switch yard training. Watching the arc and the face of the person cranking the handle. "Don't stop. Keep going" 👍
I am an electrical engineering student and have learned a lot of powerline contraction basics from you ,Thank you and keep on sharing your knowledge with us
Great little overview! The thorough grounding underneath substations is also for protection against lightning strikes. It's connected to lightning rods and conductors that can "catch" lightning strikes so they don't hit the active devices too badly.
Actually, their goal is to prevent strikes by allowing ground charges to dissipate before the potential reaches the critical point and causes a ground-to-cloud discharge, or 'strike'.
@@williamlaudeman7157 Ground grids absolutely don't prevent lightning strikes. The charge build up occurs in the clouds. No matter how much "discharging" you do, there will still be a huge potential difference. The ground grid gives lightning a solid path to ground. The ground grid has multiple purposes. It is used for safety of workers. If the exterior of all equipment and structures are connected to the same ground grid it ensures that workers aren't shocked or electrocuted when touching equipment or structures. The ground grid also provides a solid return path for grounded wye systems. This return to path is important because protective equipment (relays) are more sensitive to ground faults than phase to phase faults. Therefore, for ground faults, relays can react more quickly and reliably with a strong ground grid.
@@laingalion Actually lightning strokes can originate from the clouds or the ground. As far as discharging, though, there is a reason there is a LOT of lightning protection in a substation but most people think it's just part of the power lines.
@@williamlaudeman7157 No, the ground grid is not even close to being there for lightning protection, they are fairly complex, and sometimes well designed, systems in place for that. The difference in path length for the air to hit it's dielectric breakdown between a cloud and a 138kV line versus a cloud and relatively 0V ground is only about 4.6cm shorter, lightning protection is substantially further away from the conductors than 4.6cm to make it far more likely to be hit by a stroke of lightning.
@@dunzerkug It doesn't matter where the lightning "originates" from. What causes lightning is potential difference. A difference which can be a billion volts. The voltage at a substation is peanuts compared to the voltage build up in the clouds. So even if you "discharge" the voltage at the substation, it wouldn't do much to prevent a lightning strike. The ground grid is just there to give a path for lightning to absorb its energy and hopefully prevent equipment damage. If your ground grid is designed poorly, it can even cause more harm than good. A poorly designed ground grid can rise in voltage when hit with lightning and will cause damage to everything connected to it.
This covers everything I learned in 3 months of internship. Awesome job!
8:27 That dial is just so happy to see them!
This is amazing, thank you for this video and all of the wonderful education content on your channel! Many generations will benefit from this readily accessible information!!!
Wonderfully produced, some really beautiful images used as well. Love this series! Keep up the great work. I appreciate you passion sir.
The aftermath of a 33 KV oil filled circuit breaker failing is something to behold, I've seen a 4 x 4 metre hole blown threw a 4 layer thick brick wall from just 1 of them the size of a household washing machine exploding under load.
I'm an apprentice electrician and I've been searching for a video explaining detailed operations of power grids. This presentation is the best one I've seen yet! Thank you for this! It definitely aids in my understanding!
This is a very well explained video. I wished this type of video had been around when I started my career in HV substations nearly 10 years ago.
as a protection and control engineer working on these systems, id have to say you did an amazing job describing the inner workings of the Grid. Congrats and keep up the great work!! Tasmania, australia!
Hydro?
Very nice video. Thanks for the information, didn't know about the ground rods in substations but it makes so much sense!
This video basically showed the equipment that I work on. Well presented and quite thorough to explain everything in just ten minutes!
I worked as an Apprentice Transmission lineman for a couple of years; the job wasn't for me, but it definitely made me appreciate all that goes into getting power to the people.
Where I work transmission voltage is stepped down usually 3 times. When a transmission line enters the first station, its stepped down from 238kv to 34.5kv that's a receiving station or RS. From there it goes to multiple smaller stations called distribution stations or DS's. From there it can go to large transformers on customers properties called industrial stations or IS's which can step it down to what the customer needs, normally 277/480 or it leaves as stepped down voltage from the DS at 7.5kv and will travel around to neighborhoods to the transformers you normally see on poles or underground, the transformers are calls customer stations or CS's at that point its stepped down to usuable voltages for the customer which can be 277/480 wye or 120/208/240 for delta or 120/208 if wye
Don't forget 120/240 for a single phase, split phase system.
I work in the southern California area. Our stuff is old as sin. They have been talking of upping our primary voltage the 7kv to meet the needs of the future and fall in line more with other utilities. It would be an absolutely monumental undertaking though having to switch out the infrastructure to accept that.
@@Indy509 if they leave the existing lines and just start using the new voltage on new sections, it would be more cost effective, wouldn't it? This would mean only upgrade what is required to the new voltage. Here in Ottawa, we use several voltages. The local power company guy said at one job that 4160 isn't a common voltage here anymore, and it considered a legacy system.
@@Indy509 I was a Distribution Operator at a utility that had some equipment at 8kV and some newer stuff at 13.8kV. Each year they would tackle conversion of portions of the 8kV to 13.8kV, but it's a HUGE, time consuming process. Reconductoring is sometimes necessary, replacing all the transformers with dual voltage hogs that can be energized at 8kV until the conversion actually happens, then a switch on or inside the tank needs to be moved so it can be energized at 13.8kV for the rest of it's life. Not to mention every lightning arrestor, cutout and various other pieces of equipment need to be converted. Those upgrades alone take months to complete and in the end you have upgraded maybe 8-10 blocks. Not that it isn't worthwhile, of course, but when I worked there, maybe 10% of the system maybe was 8kV, and it's probably going to be another 50+ years before it's entirely gone.
@@Beezner122 I hear ya. I'll be good and buried before they get this new system up and running.
As a substation commissioning engineer, I gotta say Grady, you did a great job making this seem understandable to the average person. Might have to make my mom watch this so she’ll stop calling me an electrician lol.
It only seems understandable? Now I'm worried about this not being accurate.
@@Anon54387 nah that's what they're saying. He made a complicated subject understandable.
would you be able to describe what a substation operator does?
@@bjornegan6421 “substation operator” isn’t really a thing anymore as it’s mostly automated or remotely controlled. Used to be that they would have a sub operator stay at certain large subs all day and if something tripped and needed to be reset or if the grid controller called to turn something off they would go operate the breakers. Also they would take certain voltage/current/temperature measurements. That’s all done remotely now. Down a rung would be a utility switchman or HV lineman which actually goes to the sub and opens air switches manually (some things can’t be operated remotely) and do periodic inspections or troubleshooting after a fault. But it isn’t a 24/7 gig inside the sub like it used to be prior to the automation boom utilities had in the 90’s. Linemen have a fairly hands on, physical job. Up a rung would be the grid controller, who sits at a desk in an office somewhere and clicks buttons on a computer to open and close breakers, schedule maintenance, monitor power flow from production sources to customers, looks for abnormalities, and dispatches a crew of linemen if something is wrong.
@@toastymotors thank you very much for the quick and detailed response. the reason i ask is i am looking at a "substation operator apprentice" job posting from the DOE a few days ago. the description of the responsibilities are: 1 Operates energized high and low voltage electrical power transmission system substations following strict procedures and safety requirements. 2 Checks and reviews station conditions. Responsible for station security and safety of others in the station. 3 Performs inspections on all high and low voltage equipment in substations and keeps records. Periodically inspects station, including all components in the switchyard, outlying buildings, and the perimeter of the property. 4 Monitors and operates various communications systems. All processes require clear oral communication. 5 Completes associated documentation required of the above listed tasks. 6 Drives 15-20% of the time in all weather conditions. this sounds like a mix of a lot of the individual positions you mentioned.
My father was a lineman. He constructed high lines and substations. Thank you for the detailed info on how a substation really works.
Thank you so much! I am an EE student that is currently talking to a company that makes grid protection products. They wanted me to watch some of their online seminars, but I didnt understand much of the material. This definitely helped to fill my knowledge gaps.
I'm really diggin' these public works videos, enjoy all your videos!
Awesome video Grady! I will be passing this along to future interns in the Substation Engineering department I work in.
Until I found your videos, I had to rely on videos that were far too detailed for a layman like myself. I find modern infrastructure fascinating, and you're providing all the answers to all my questions; one video at a time. Thank you!
This is so awesome! I love how Grady explains things clearly. I learned a lot from this video.
I love your videos. Short, to the point, and easy to understand. It is easy to tell that you actually understand the topics you are presenting on, thank you! Topic suggestion: The types of renewable energy generation and the challenges of converting to them.
Great video, will the next one go into protective relaying al all? ie transformer differential, overcurrent, line relaying, etc. I work in substations every day and it’s great how you break complex concepts down so they’re easy to understand
I truly appreciate all you lineman and engineers and everyone else it takes to get us electricity!!!! Thank you all!
As someone who has been using electricity for many, many years, great video! Actually, love ALL your videos. Keep it up.
I always take time to admire the hum of the transformers and the buzz of the transmission lines as I bike past my local substation. Now I'll enjoy it even more!
The timing of this new series is really weird and convenient.n I'm a Civil Engineer and started my career four years ago in bridges (lots of coordination with hydraulics/soils) and now I moved over to working for an electric utility. Thanks for the quality content! :)
Thanking you these are great places to see what goes into engineering outdoors dealing with the environment we lived close to the substation long ago not know they are really neat as we utilize 3-phase power for our machinery, we are still within only a few thousand yards from a local substation. The sub-stations here in the California high-desert are not as big as many you shared those are well really large we bet you love visiting them. We get lightening strikes as there are no other structures here in the desert near these. Thank you so much for making this learning easier for us that want to know but are not electrical engineers. Lance & Patrick.
I think this is one of the most interesting videos youve produced! I love power and electrical engineering!
Cool video. I'm a electrical engineer for a power company and that was a great and informative video to help people understand our types of systems. I'd say they only thing I can say is a bit off is the breaker on the right side of the transformer is the one that would operate before the one on the left since that would have fewer people out of power and also protects the investment of the transformer by no allowing dangerous amounts of current to flow into it ( I know for a general population isn't going to know the difference and it is a minor thing ). Thanks for the video and I look forward to more of your videos. Have a great day!
Please entertain a wild question from someone who is not an engineer. Given the fact that there are finite raw materials on earth to make raw steel for electrical equipment (transformers, etc), can said electrical equipment that drives the power grid be "recycled" to repurpose the raw materials?
@@marknewsome987 they do recycle some of that depending on what it is. Most transformers, wire, and things like that are usually recycled or repaired and used again. If it is damaged to the point you can't recycle the equipment it is discarded, ceramic bells, plastic insulators that have failed and the like. That isn't a wild question at all, so if you have anymore I'll try to answer them to the best of my knowledge. Have a good one.
I find this kind of topic to be fascinating. I often walk around my neighborhood and look at all the overhead wiring, transformers, single or 3 phase circuits. There's a substation nearby that I love to walk past as well. Would love more technical details.
A complex topic explained in an easy to follow and entertaining way - great job!! 👏🏼
Really appreciate the effort and time taken for you to come out with this incredible video
Awesome video, as always. Would love if you would go one step deeper. A full video of how different switches work or a whole video of transforms would be really cool. People will miss/forget things so going a little more in depth will help them retain at least the important stuff. I love the production quality of these videos, it shows how much effort you put into them, but occasionally just having a 5 min video of you talking to an EE pointing out the parts of a high voltage switch and how it works would be cool to get more information out to the public with less effort.
Great video, a few minor comments (yea, I'm going to be that guy) 1. The purpose of the Switch at the substation is often not for breaking load and faults. Most switches in the US are used simply as a "visible break". A worker can look at a switch and visually tell that downstream conductors and equipment won't be energized. This is important because often you can't tell if a breaker is open at a glance because the breaking mechanism is internal. The breaker's job is to stop the power flow. The switch's job (most of the time) is to visually show that the line is dead. Open breaker first, then the switch. 2. Instrument transformers often don't energize the monitoring equipment anymore. Microprocessor relays are powered by a giant substation battery bank. All intelligence and monitoring in modern substations are powered by the substations batteries. The batteries are powered by the distribution side of the substation via a service transformer. 3. "Recloser" is mostly a distribution term and a distribution equipment. Substation breakers can be set to reclose but are not often referred to as a recloser. 4. Substations are already "smart". "Smart Grid" (a terrible term) often refers to adding intelligence and flexibility to the distribution system.
I worked for GE for many years as a switchgear test and inspect tech. We also performed Doble testing on substation transformers. It was a very satisfying career and I enjoyed it. I've been retired for about 11 years now, but I think about that line of work every time I pass a substation or power station
Studying for NERC exam. Your videos are so much easier to watch and understand compared to the “prep” course.
Couldn’t explain it better myself. I worked in substations and power systems for over forty years. There are two other type of stations that look very similar to substations. They are called switching stations and capacitor stations.
Good video capture of an arcing disconnect switch. I retired from power engineering and substations kept my mortgage payments going. I salute those who work in this very challenging but rewarding industry. High voltage disconnect switches are not designed to interrupt load current, but they can interrupt charging current. Some high voltage switches have vacuum/gas bottles that provide interrupting contacts that allow interruption of some load current. I have attempted to switch line switches where the bottles were faulty and the resulting arc and heat generation made me almost evacuate my bowels. Very unpleasant. When a breaker is tripped and when one switches the isolating disconnect switches, at times the charging current can be very intimidating. Rookies will try and drop the switch blades back closed because they panic, while veterans will keep cranking to open the switch while enduring the arcing and sparking. With the breaker open, it's only charging current, but it's noisy and scary. Your video was a very good summary of substations. P.S. I noticed some personnel at a substation wearing high heels and others wearing low profile shoes. We would prohibit that as it could lead to tripping and injury. The power industry's safety practices have been developed and "written in blood' so to speak. We have adapted out safety practices based on previous accidents and fatalities. Very dangerous industry, but the danger is very manageable. I like you section on the buried conductor ground grid. We have had many injuries and some fatalities based on improper bonding and grounding practices. Great video.
So interesting. I enjoy learning about the things we use on a daily basis, great video!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge - It's very wonderful how substations and switchgears work to power everyone's homes. Please do more!
Just a note on CB dielectric. There are several types of dielectric. From oil, sf6, and vacuum to name a few all of which are used in voltages ranging from 10kv upwards to 400kv+. Most high voltage CB are sf6 but that varies depending on the country
Hello your videos are really well done although I do not speak English I still manage to understand the concepts and theories thanks to your schemas very well explained ... thank you
I'm an electrical engineer and I approve this video.
Are you from india
Thanks for breaking this stuff down for us Grady. I'm no electrical engineer but I like your videos.
I wish I could give this more than a thumbs up. It is terrific! I learned so much. Thank you!
Just really like this video after Great Java Blackout in few weeks ago Keep great job!
Fascinating stuff for all us folks who always wonder what the gray boxes behind the fence are for! Thanks!!
Thank you, having worked for several years as power system electrician this saves me a great deal of trying to explain what the job was. I do miss the work I did it all from 4160 up to 240kv; breakers switches xformers grounding metering and communication testing and commissioning. the dangers are real I have seen a p/u truck cut in half by flying glass/ ceramics when a breaker blew.
Please do a video on the different types of water treatment plants!
Very nice video! I know it won't be a priority, since it is not that common today, but can you make a video about the different types of mass energy storage? Like Flywheels, Pumped Hydro, Batteries and more? Would love to see that.
K1ngjulien_ synchronous condensers are making a come back. Flywheels are common in microgrids
Stumbled onto channel and it's great. Well crafted and clear explanations.
Great video! I'm a relay and controls designer for substations - your video is a good explanation of how substations work.....great job!
I am a Final year electrical engineering student and I have done my training at 400kv Grid Sub Station
Air is a dielectric too, hence the clip of contact arcing at the substation. The good thing though is that air has a relatively high dielectric constant.
This video came out the night before my job interview with a power distribution company... Just heard back today that I got the job. Thanks for the help!
How's the new job?
Fascinating education. Thank you very much for putting this together!
A big thank you to all the electric grid workers out there! ❤️
As an engineer that is frequently asked to repair older insulators and bushings, your videos are extremely informative and well presented. Please keep up this important work.
Please entertain a wild question from someone who is not an engineer. Given the fact that there are finite raw materials on earth to make raw steel for electrical equipment (transformers, etc), can said electrical equipment that drives the power grid be "recycled" to repurpose the raw materials?
I'm very thankful for this very nice explanation. It's not easy to find a good explanation, but this gives a good overview.
Thanks, awhile back I was trying to figure out the components and this really helps.
I first read the title as "How Substances Work." I was expecting a *much* longer video.
When I first watched this, I was working at McDonalds, now a year later I work in a sub station. They are pretty similar here in New Zealand. Its fascinating to learn how the grid works. Thanks for making the video! :)
1st year apprentice here, I had the opportunity to help work on a substation for couple weeks this last year. And this is fascinating. I was more so just tasked with simple assignment with no opportunity to learn (in depth) a ton of what was going on, although I was briefed on much of it. I really hope I get to work on more of this kind of stuff in my career. If I can declare what I'd like to specialize in it is gonna be splicing, medium voltage, and substations. I would love to know all there is to know about this aspect of electrical.
Could not have been explained better in such a short and precise way.
Great vid! But Grady, you forgot the cool tune at the beginning!
Awesome. I'm going to share this with my son in law. He is considering a career in civil engineering.
Love these vids, Grady. I always like to know about how our modern infrastructure works and how it can be affected. Like with the power grid. Our area is much more susceptible, as the village we live in is in a forest. We also live near a few mountains, so if we have heavy rainfall, we often get a power outage due to a bit of a landslide. Luckily we have a generator which comes on about a minute after power is lost. It's automated and the automation circuit is powered by batteries which are charged by the sun. So we often get outages, but are resolved quickly by backup power until someone comes out.
Thanks for explaining the complex engineering in the easiest way.
Need one on natural gas. Come visit WV and I'll shown you around from well head to burner tip and everything in between.
substations and Transformers: more than meets the eye
Interesting video! I built substation transformers at my job so it was interesting to see where the piece of equipment I build fits into the puzzle
Very interesting segment. As always, thanks for sharing. Steve
They're pretty obsessive with substation maintenance, in general. They called me out to check a T1 connection in one today that they'd already confirmed was a LEC problem, "just to be sure."
Kire Du'Hai how hard is it to get a job at the substation??
Please point out that all elevated electrical lines are not insulated due to weight issues, so be careful if you see one down. Great video!
@@dizzy2020 That's not quite what step potential means. If there is a short circuit to ground, the current doesn't just disappear as soon as it touches the earth. It propagates into a (more or less) circle around the spot where it reached ground, creating a sort of voltage field. When you put one foot significantly closer to the source than the other, there will be a voltage across your feet. Depending on how high the current, how far away from the entry point and how far apart the feet, this can lead to a nasty shock or even death as part of the current flows up one leg and down the other. The linesman shuffle prevents that from happening, saving you from a potential lethal shock when standing close to a downed conductor.
Also due to the recloser it may be dead for 30 seconds or so then suddenly become liev again
I enjoy watching these types of videos. And anyone who may work these will know what I'm saying. I do the high voltage testing on LLS 1's and 2's where I work. Also known as load and line switches. And I also build sectionalizers ( reclosers) with arresters and PT's. Pretty neat how all of this keeps the power going in different situations
Very interesting! I recently stumbled across a railroad map that had some incredibly detailed information about high tension wire routes. That led to a few more searches and I found some even more detailed maps from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The amount of infrastructure, preparation and maintenance that goes into the power grid is awesome, just so we can all watch KZhead TV videos and keep our beer ice-cold all summer long!