How Do Substations Work?

Comments · 2.1K

• TE

  @tensevo · 7 years ago

  Electrical grids are unsung heroes of modern world.

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• MI

  @mirskym · 7 years ago

  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.

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• RE

  @rebmcr · 5 years ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q-aVBv7PWM&amp;t=461">07:41</a> &quot;A Transformer is an extremely simple device&quot;<br><br>Optimus Prime: &quot;u f&apos;ing wot m8?&quot;

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• RO

  @robertmartin2867 · 5 years ago

  There was an electrical substation right next to my high school. On the big barbed-wire fences there were signs with scary pictures and messages telling people to keep out - &quot;NO TRESPASSING. DANGER. PENALTIES INCLUDES $200 FINE, INJURY OR DEATH&quot;<br><br>One year, &nbsp;there was a foreign-exchange student in our grade, and when he first saw the sign, he nervously asked &quot;Does it depend on which Judge you get?&quot; &nbsp;;-)

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• RL

  @rlinwa723 · 4 years ago

  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.

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• JA

  @jakeruss331 · 7 years ago

  Your public works videos are the best!

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• TI

  @Tiger351 · 7 years ago

  The aftermath of a 33 KV oil filled circuit breaker failing is something to behold, I&apos;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.

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• MA

  @mattthie9993 · 7 years ago

  Being an electrical engineer who has worked for both electrical distribution and transmission companies, I love that you are covering this topic. &nbsp;Even more so, I love how you are able to keep the technical details while explaining them in ways the lay-person can understand. &nbsp;Thank you!

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• MR

  @Mr44nico44 · 5 years ago

  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.

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• NA

  @Nargleberry · 6 years ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q-aVBv7PWM&amp;t=507">8:27</a> That dial is just so happy to see them!

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• TH

  @TheRealLeeFox · 7 years ago

  @<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q-aVBv7PWM&amp;t=649">10:49</a> Wait a minute, is that a real substation with giant metalwork human figures looking like they&apos;re playing chess with the substation pieces?

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• EM

  @emilsitka7590 · 7 years ago (edited)

  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&apos;t clear then the power line is opened and won&apos;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&apos;t keep crews on duty 24/7 (excluding on duty power plant workers who aren&apos;t lineman) so someone will have to be called from home and then they can begin searching for the problem. That&apos;s why when the power goes off it usually stays off for a while.<br>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 &nbsp;blows away any ionizing gas and prevents arcing.

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