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Reimagining Protection for Electrical Substations

Reliability, resiliency and longevity are essential features of any functioning utilities grid. Much of the equipment that powers our grid infrastructure was built decades ago but it is in large part still performing well.

REIMAGINING THE PROTECTION OF ELECTRICAL SUBSTATIONS

Reliability, resiliency and longevity are essential features of any functioning utilities grid. Much of the equipment that powers our grid infrastructure was built decades ago but it is in large part still performing well. However, the methods utilities operators use to protect this equipment must be constantly evaluated in order to keep critical systems running smoothly.

Additionally, as the world becomes more sustainable and electrified, shifts in where and how we produce energy are necessitating infrastructure changes. For example, wind and solar farms need to be built in areas that meet environmental demands. However, while utilities companies seek sunny and windy areas for energy generation, their customers may need to consume this energy far from where it is produced. This challenge demands a modernized grid that is capable of transporting electricity across long distances.

Transmission lines that span long distances carry electricity at high voltages – much higher than can be safely brought into our homes and businesses. Electrical substations play an important role in grid infrastructure—taking high-voltage transmission lines and transforming that electricity into lower voltages that can be safely used by local power grids.

TRADITIONAL SUBSTATION PROTECTION

Without substations, communities would not have access to usable electric power. It is essential that these facilities are protected from environmental threats. Because of the design of substations—they are built out of relatively tall metal structures and are exposed to the elements—they are particularly vulnerable to lightning strikes. The traditional method of protecting high-voltage transmission lines and substations from lightning has been to run grounded steel wires across the top of transmission towers all the way into substations. These wires can capture lightning strikes and safely ground them without damaging equipment. However, this approach comes with downsides.

First, as the world’s energy transformation continues, requiring expansions in our grid infrastructure, running steel wire over every new substation and transmission line is expensive. Second, under harsh environmental conditions, steel is susceptible to corrosion. When overhead wires corrode and eventually break, they can fall into electrical equipment below, damaging or destroying it, and interrupting service for utilities customers.

ACTIVE PROTECTION IS A MODERN ALTERNATIVE

Utilities companies looking for alternatives lightning protection solutions can use active protection systems like the nVent ERICO Dynasphere. In these systems, a single air terminal strategically placed on a substation can protect a large area, eliminating the need for many steel wires. Active protection uses sophisticated technology to respond dynamically to the presence of lightning downleaders (the first indication of an approaching strike) and create charged electrical fields that attract lightning strikes. This increases the probability that a lightning strike inside the system’s area of protection will strike the system’s air terminal rather than the structure.

Even with the right technology, having a well-designed, comprehensive system is critical. nVent's design assistance—aided by the use of our proprietary software—can help utilities companies design reliable lightning protection systems for substations. At nVent, designers employ our software to build three-dimensional models of lightning protection systems that help us determine exactly where to place lightning protection terminals and down conductors. Once lightning protection designs have been completed, nVent system designers can generate drawings of terminal placement as well as bills of materials for engineers. Engineers can include these details as they produce complete plans for the construction of new substations. In addition, engineers can take advantage of nVent’s expertise in grounding and bonding for safety and protection of substations, including grounding electrodes and Cadweld exothermic connections, which are designed to last for decades.

As welcome advancements in renewable energy make sustainable power a possibility for more people, we will grow to rely even more on grid infrastructure. Utilities companies are faced with the task of making sure old grid infrastructure can stand up to new demands. Substations are too important to trust outdated lightning protection systems. nVent systems can add the reliability and resiliency that the future of the grid demands.

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