THEJOURNY OF ELECTRICAL

POWER SUPPLY….
HAVE A THOUGHT…….
So starting with a basic question….What are the basic needs of
humankind….???
So, the answer is food, water and shelter are the three basic needs.
Oh wait, didn’t we miss out something very important..??
Yeah, u guessed it very correctly. It’s nothing else but the ELECTRICITY.
We are so used to this basic need, that we not even bother to think
about the general how’s and what’s of electrical power which we use
24x7.
So, as an engineer as well as a consumer, it’s our responsibility to know
about how does electric power reaches till us?? How are we charged for
it?? What are the energy saving measures one can have??
 Skills at the end of the session…
 Thorough knowledge of the processes of generation
and transmission of electricity.
 Basic understanding of various components used in
power supply system and the ability to choose the
best according to the situation.
 To be able to read the electricity bill and how it is
being calculated.
 To be able to measure the parameters of power
supply on electricity meter.
 To implement energy saving measures so as to
minimize consumption of electricity and reduce the
So, LET’S BEGIN
THE ELECTRICAL
JOURNEY……
Ok, so coming to our first question…
How does electric power supply reaches till
us…??
So, the simple answer is GTDU chain, that is,

GENERATION TRANSMISION DISTRIBUTION UTILITY

THE JOURNEY AT A
GLANCE…….
GENERATION
Electricity generation is
the process of generating
electric power from other
sources of primary energy.
The fundamental
principles of electricity
generation are Faraday’s
law and law of
conservation of energy.
Here, electrical generator
is the heart of generating Remember Faraday’s law…??
To know more, click here
substation.
 TYPES OF GENERATING POWERPLANTS
(for detailed information on topic, click on the respective picture)

THERMAL POWER PLANT HYDRO POWER PLANT

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
 So, the types of power plants we
have seen up to now are the BASE
load plants, that is, usually provides
a continuous supply
of electricity throughout the year
with some minimum power
generation requirement.

Well, there are some PEAK load

plant, that generally run only when
there is a high demand, known
as peak demand for electricity,
especially during summers. The
types of peak load plants are
 TIDAL POWER PLANT
 BIO-GAS POWER PLANT
 PUMPED STORAGE HUDRO
POWER PLANT
 k now !!!
ing s to
Th
Now, the generated electricity has to be transferred
to the consumers via conductors(transmission
lines). Since, the supplied power has to be kept
constant, the power transmission has to be at
higher voltage levels so that the current will be
minimum….which will reduce (I)^2*R losses….

So, to serve the purpose, a step up TRANSFORMER

is used at the generating sub-station which will step
up the voltage level up to desired value. Let’s have a
look at it…..
 ALL ABOUT
TRANSFORMER……
So, this is how your
actual transformer
looks like. Obviously,
the way bigger than
you might have
imagined or from the
one you might have
used in your
practicals….
Now, let’s have a look
and try to identify each
part of a transformer
 Main components of Transformer
(to know in detail about each component, click on the figure)
TRANSMISSIO
N
Electric-power transmission
is the bulk transfer of
electrical energy, from
generating power plants to
electrical substation located
near demand centers.
Major components of
transmission system are :
1. Transmission lines
2. Substations
Transmission tower
Transmission Substation
• Substation is a high-voltage electric system facility.
It is used to switch generators, equipment, and
circuits or lines in and out of a system.
• It is used to change AC voltages from one level to
another, and/or change alternating current to
direct current or direct current to alternating
current.
• Some substations are small with little more than a
transformer and associated switches. Others are
very large with several transformers and dozens of
switches and other equipment.
Now, let us see about the various COMPONENTS used
in power supply system….!!

SUPPLY
 LOAD
CONDUCTORS
CAPACITORS AND REACTORS
POWER ELECTRONICS
PROTECTIVE DEVICES
SCADA
 SUPPLY- the one which supplies
All power systems have one or
more sources of power. For some
power systems, the source of
power is external to the system but
for others it is part of the system
itself—it is these internal power
sources.
DC power can be supplied by
batteries, fuel cells or photovoltaic
cells.
 AC power is typically supplied by
a rotor that spins in a magnetic field
in a device known as a generator as
we have already seen in generating
substation part.
 LOAD
the one which utilizes
As we all know, power systems deliver energy to LOADS that
perform a function. DC loads expect a certain voltage and,
AC devices, a certain frequency and number of phases.
A final consideration with loads is to do with power quality.
Loads can be adversely affected by a range of temporal
issues.
Deviations from
Overvoltage and standard frequency
under voltage

Phase Poor power

Voltage sags imbalance factor
 Conductors- the one which transfers
As we have seen in the transmission system that electrical
conductors are used to transfer large amount of power from
generating centers to load centers. In a grid, conductors may
be classified as belonging to the transmission system, which
carries large amounts of power at high voltages (typically
more than 69 kV) from the generating centers to the load
centers, or the distribution system, which feeds smaller
amounts of power at lower voltages (typically less than 69
kV) from the load centers to nearby homes and industry.
Choice of conductors is based upon e so me
nam
Can u ctrical
 Cost ele
rs … .??
to
conduc n it……
 Transmission losses h in k u po
T
 Tensile strength
Selection of conductor size
Mechanical requirements Electrical requirements
tensile strength(tension) continuous current rating
strain strength(vibration) short time CCR
voltage drop
power loss
minimum diameter to
avoid corona
charging current
length of line
Stranded conductors-
Instead of solid conductors, stranded
conductors are used because of following
advantages:-
 They are more flexible than solid conductor.
 It is used where higher resistance to metal
fatigue is required.
 It will have more skin area. As ac current tends
to travel towards outer skin of conductor, it will
reduce skin effect
Commonly use conductor material….
(to know about each conductor in detail, click on block)

Aluminium
Copper
Steel cored
aluminium

Galvanized Cadmium
steel copper
Compensators- the one which maintains
Let us first recall the relationship between voltage
and current for different types of loads
For resistive load
Vs
I
For inductive load
Vs

I
For capacitive load
I

Vs

Power factor :-the power factor of an AC electrical power system is

defined as the ratio of the real power flowing to the load to the
apparent power in the circuit.

In an electric power system, a load with a low power factor draws more
current than a load with a high power factor for the same amount of
useful power transferred. The higher currents increase the energy
lost in the distribution system, and require larger wires and other
equipment. Because of which electrical utilities will usually charge a
higher cost to customers where there is a low power factor.
 The majority of the load in a typical AC power system is
inductive; the current lags behind v e t hthe
e voltage. Since the
, t o im pro
Thusare out-of-phase,
voltage and current
a nd a d j u stthis leads to the
r fa c t o r
powe power.t Reactive
emergence reactive
of re a c ti v e
power does no
m o u n
e a is transmitted
measurable work thbut in t he back and forth
p ow er o rs
between the reactive powermsource p e n sa tand load every cycle.
ste m … . .co
This reactive powersycan beaprovidedre used. by the generators
themselves, through the adjustment of generator
excitation, but it is often cheaper to provide it through
capacitors, hence capacitors are often placed near
inductive loads to reduce current demand on the power
system (i.e., increase the power factor)
 Reactors consume reactive power and are used to
regulate voltage on long transmission lines.
 In light load conditions, where the loading on
transmission lines is well below the surge impedance
loading, the efficiency of the power system may actually
be improved by switching in reactors.
 Reactors installed in series in a power system also limit
rushes of current flow, small reactors are therefore
almost always installed in series with capacitors to limit
the current rush associated with switching in a capacitor.
 Series reactors can also be used to limit fault currents.
Power electronics- the one which controls
 Protective devices- the one which protects
Fuses
Circuit breakers
 Judge your power supply system
Suppose that, one Sunday evening you are
watching your favourite reality show on television
and suddenly just when the winner of the
and
competition was tombbe e r, cannounced,
on tin u it y
w o the power
Reme a r e t h et
supply goes off….
consi ste n cy
e n t s of
e q ui re m
asic r ….
Sigh!! You beingbdejected,
w e r s u p switched
p l y off the the
po
main switch of TV and started uttering abusive
words to the electricity suppliers….
But have you ever wondered that why does the
supply goes off??
What are the parameters that decide the continuity
 Parameters of power supply system
• Input voltage type (AC or DC) and range
• Efficiency of power conversion
• The amount of voltage and current it can supply
to its load
• How stable its output voltage or current is under
varying line and load conditions
• How long it can supply energy without refueling
or recharging (applies to power supplies that
employ portable energy sources)
• Operating and storage temperature ranges
 Know your electricity bill
All of our houses are well supplied with electric power
and we are paying money to c r i c i ty
government
t for that.
o f e l e d
e uni t a s u re
Now let us discuss h
T the cost ism e
of supplying the power to
m e d is ,
c onsu .t h at
each house monthly/yearly. h …
in kW f kilowatts
u nto o r supplied to a
uis
The rate at which electrical
am o
e denergy
in 1 h
u m
onstariff.
consumer is known cas Although tariff should
include the total cost of producing and supplying
electrical energy plus the profit, yet it cannot be the
same for all types of consumers .It is because the cost
of producing electrical energy depends to a
considerable extent upon the magnitude of electrical
energy consumed by the user and his load conditions.
 Types of tariff
1) Simple tariff- In this type of tariff, the price charged per unit is
constant i.e., it does not vary with increase or decrease in number of
units consumed.

2) Flat rate tariff : When different types of consumers are charged

at different uniform per unit rates, it is called a flat rate tariff. For
instance, the flat rate per kWh for lighting load may be 60 paisa,
whereas it may be slightly less(say 55 paisa per kWh) for power load.

3) Block rate tariff : When a given block of energy is charged at a

specified rate and the succeeding blocks of energy are charged at
progressively reduced rates. The price per unit in the first block is the
highest and it is progressively reduced for the succeeding blocks of
energy
4) Two-part tariff : When the rate of electrical energy is charged
on the basis of maximum demand of the consumer and the units
consumed

6. Power factor tariff : The tariff in which power factor of the

consumer’s load is taken into consideration . A low power factor
increases the rating of station equipment and line losses . Therefore, a
consumer having low power factor must be penalized.
7. Three-part tariff : When the total charge to be made
from the consumer is split into three parts viz., fixed charge, semi-
fixed charge and running charge, it is known as a three-part tariff.
i.e.,

io d t h e d e m a nd for
su ally d u rin g day per r e mains
U t h e s u p p ly
high and
power is very a re d isc o u r a g ed to use
sumers
the same. Con k in g t h e cost high.
by m a
excess power g n ig h t ti m e , demand is
at durin
Contrary to th p p ly a n d h ence
to su
less compared a g e d t o u se p ower by
encour
consumers are e r rate.
at c h e a p
providing it
Measurement of power system parameters

A video has to added describing how to measure

voltage, current, power and power factor
 Performance evaluation
Load curves: It gives the variation of load with respect
to time over a specified period in a graphical
manner. It can be done on daily, monthly or on
annual basis.
Load curves for different types of loads:-

You might be
Residential load i ng t h at … .w h y
wonder ? ? ?
i s l i ke t h i s
the curve ost
is b e c a u se m
This
is
of the power
ring
consumed du
ve n i n g , t h e re fore
e
a k o f t h e c u r ve is
pe
g.
during evenin
Commercial load

o m m e rc ia l lo a d s include
C
a d s o f o ffi c e s, institutions
lo
etc…..
load is
Since the uniform
day time,
required during
peak is
almost uniform
day and
there during the
of power
minimal amount
g night
is required durin
Industrial load
 Energy saving measures
As we all know that “Energy conserved is Energy
generated”. Since, electricity is produced by non-
renewable sources, that is, water and coal, which
will definitely exhaust one day or the other….
Since, the amount of energy
consumption cannot be decreased beyond a
minimal level, the technical methods has to be
employed so that maximum power can be
transferred from the supply side to load side
 Demand side management
 PF improvement
 Energy efficient equipment
 Load distribution
 Maximum demand controller
Demand side management
Demand side Management is the modification of
demand for energy through various consumer
methods such as financial incentives and behavioral
change through education. The goal of demand side
management is to encourage the consumer
POWER FACTOR IMPROVEMENT
 Load Distribution

• By proper Location of Transformer preferably

close to the load center so as to minimize losses.
• Maintaining maximum efficiency to occur at 38%
loading (as recommended by REC), the overall
efficiency of transformer can be increased and its
losses can be reduced
• Under fluctuating load condition more than one
transformer is used in Parallel Operation of
Transformers to share the load & can be operated
close to the maximum efficiency