Electrical Substations

Lightning Protection

Lightning Strikes

In Canada, lightning flashes occur about 2.34 million times a year; with the highest levels of concentration during the summer months. While most lightning on earth is ground-to-cloud, recent research has identified that the majority of lightning events to tall structures, such as wind...

Substation Protection

Smart Transformers: Enhancing Grid Efficiency and Reliability

The evolving demands of modern power grids necessitate the adoption of advanced technologies that can provide enhanced efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. Smart transformers are at the forefront of this technological revolution, offering a range of capabilities that significantly improve the...

Physical Security & Monitoring

Animal Outage Prevention

According to the American Public Power Association, squirrels are among the top causes of power outages across the United States. Depending on your geographic region, there may be no “quiet” season - squirrels and other “Critters” can be active all year long.Since...

Breakers & Relays

Extend the Life of Your Circuit Breakers

What to ask to ensure proper circuit breaker testing and maintenance BY ROBERT FOSTER, Megger Protecting a utility’s assets is essential. There are many different apparatus in electrical substations that need to be protected. The circuit breaker (CB) is designed to stop the flow of...

Substation Technologies

Gas Dehydration

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulates medium- and high-voltage switchgears around the world. In its pure form, this non-toxic, inert gas helps the power transmission & distribution (T&D) industry operate more safely by extinguishing high-temperature arcs. With a much higher...

Substation Testing & Maintenance

Distribution Transformer DGA – The Future of Monitoring Distribution Systems

By Leon White and Traci Hopkins, H2scan Corporation As distributed generation, electric vehicle load, and requirements for increased electricity reliability provide real-world challenges for electric utilities, asset managers must innovate to ensure their infrastructure is in good condition to...

Home Transformation Electrical Substations

Wireless Networks and Substation Automation

Fitting wireless networks into substation automation applications

BY ADAM GUGLIELMO, ABB Tropos Wireless Communication Systems

As with all Smart Grid applications, two-way communication is foundational to substation automation. To enable monitoring and control, substation computers, as well as computers located in utility operation centers, must exchange information with intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) throughout the substation yard. For new substations, both wired and wireless communications are options because the incremental cost of trenching to run cabling...