Electrical substations regulate voltage, distribute power lines, and isolate parts of the network for repair. There are three main types: transmission, distribution, and collection. They can be above ground, underground or in buildings. Transmission substations have high voltage switches or transformers. Distribution substations have step-down transformers and are complex. Collector substations bundle lower voltage feeders into high voltage outlets and are used in power generation facilities like wind farms.
An electrical substation is a type of installation found in most electrical networks. Each electrical substation can perform a number of different functions, such as increasing or decreasing the transmission voltage. The three main types of substations each address a particular aspect of the grid, such as transmission over large distances, distribution to homes and businesses, and collection from distributed systems such as wind farms. Power substations are often large above ground installations with highly visible equipment and a grounded fence, although they can also be underground or contained within buildings.
In the early days of electricity generation and distribution, each local system was typically isolated from the others. These systems tended to have one or more power plants that had several substations to assist in power distribution. Today the electricity grid tends to be a much less centralized system, although transmission and distribution facilities are still commonly referred to as substations. These substations are responsible for regulating voltages, distributing or collecting power lines, and provide a way to isolate parts of the network for diagnostic or repair purposes.
The simplest type of electrical substation is typically involved in the transmission of electricity over long distances. These transmission substations often consist of only high voltage switches if the lines they connect use the same voltage level. In other cases, the transmission substation includes transformers. A power substation near a power plant will typically have step-up transformers to step up the voltage and step down the current, which is a more efficient way to transmit power over long distances. Multiple transmission substations are often located along long runs to provide isolation in the event of a fault.
Distribution substations are often located near cities and towns. This type of power substation typically includes a number of step-down transformers to step down the transmission voltage and split it between several power lines. These are often among the largest and most complex of substations, as they usually have a number of high-voltage lines entering and even more leaving.
Some types of power generation also use a type of electrical substation known as a collector. These facilities are somewhat the opposite of distribution substations, as they bundle a number of lower voltage feeders into one or more high voltage outlets. Wind farms are a type of power generation facility that can involve a large number of generators distributed over a large area. A collector substation is usually able to collect these output lines together and feed the electricity into the grid.
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