Substation architecture is an indispensable part of the power system. Below, we provide a detailed introduction from definitions, components, types, design principles, construction methods, maintenance requirements, and aspects of automation and intelligence.

1. Definition

Substation structures refer to the main supporting structures for outdoor conductors and equipment in transformer stations and substation facilities. They are determined based on the voltage level, scale, equipment layout, construction and operation conditions, as well as local climatic conditions. These structures are characterized by tall columns with slender cross-sections, belonging to high flexibility structures. They are used for rigid frameworks that suspend conductors, support conductors, or switchgear, as well as other electrical equipment.

2. Components

• One-time equipment: Includes transformers, circuit breakers, and disconnect switches, responsible for voltage transformation and circuit switching.
• Secondary equipment: Includes relay protection devices, automatic equipment, measuring instruments, control signal devices, etc., responsible for monitoring, controlling, and protecting primary equipment.
• Support Structure: The substation architecture serves as a support structure for a rigid framework assembly used to suspend conductors, support conductors or switchgear, as well as other electrical equipment.

3. Type

• By Function Classification:
• Hub Substation: Located at a key point in the power system, used to connect different voltage levels of the power grid.
• Terminal Substation: Located at the end of the power system, it converts high-voltage electricity into low-voltage electricity for direct use by consumers.
• Step-up substation: Used to convert low-voltage electricity into high-voltage electricity for long-distance transmission of power.
• Step-down substation: Converts high-voltage electricity to low-voltage electricity for direct use by consumers.
• Categorized by voltage levels:
• Ultra-high-voltage Substation: Voltage levels of 1000kV and above.
• Extra-high voltage substation: Voltage grades include 330kV, 500kV, 750kV, etc.
• High-voltage Substations: Voltage levels include 220kV, 110kV, etc.
• Medium and low voltage substation: Voltage levels of 35kV, 10kV, 6.3kV, etc.
• By structural form classification:
• Outdoor Substation: Equipment is laid out outdoors, occupying a large area, but with lower construction costs.
• Indoor substation: Equipment is housed indoors, occupying less land area, but with higher construction costs.
• GIS Substation: Utilizes gas-insulated switchgear, with a small footprint, high reliability, but higher construction costs.

4. Design Principles

• Safety Principles: Substation design should prioritize safety considerations, including measures to prevent electric shock, fire, and explosion.
• Reliability Principles: Ensure equipment operates normally under various working conditions and prevent power outages.
• Economic Principle: Consider the overall construction, operational, and maintenance costs to achieve investment returns
• Flexibility Principle: Adaptable to the evolving needs of the power system and future expansion plans.
• Maintainability Principles: Reasonable equipment layout, unobstructed maintenance pathways, and ease of inspection and maintenance.
• Site Selection and Planning: Consider geological conditions, natural environment, surrounding buildings, and future development requirements to ensure adequate space for equipment layout, maintenance, and expansion.
• Electrical Design: Based on power system planning, load forecasting, and power balance analysis, determine voltage levels, capacities, and equipment selection, and rationally arrange primary and secondary equipment.
• Mechanical structure design: Select appropriate materials and structural forms based on local climatic conditions to ensure robustness and durability.
• Architectural Design: Meets functional and aesthetic requirements, considering issues such as ventilation, heat dissipation, lighting, fire protection, and drainage.
• Environmental Protection: Choose energy-saving and environmentally friendly equipment, reduce land occupation, and minimize noise and electromagnetic radiation impact on the surrounding environment.

5. Construction Method

• Construction Process: Includes planning and design stage, site preparation, foundation construction, structural construction, electrical equipment installation, grounding system installation, and power system debugging.
• Equipment Installation: Compliant with standards and manufacturer requirements, the equipment's rotating points operate flexibly and accurately, with good contact and correct indication.
• Busbar Installation: Soft busbars should be free of loose, broken strands, or damage, with natural bending and consistent curvature; conduit busbars have parallel axes and uniform elevation.
• Monitor Cabinet Installation: Flat screen surface, small gaps, firmly secured, and good grounding.
• Grounding installation: The grounding body burial depth meets the requirements, using lap welding, with reliable connection.
• Cable Laying: Cables are not exposed, protective tubes are vertically aligned with the ground, cables lay flat and smoothly, with consistent bending radii at turns.
• Fireproof Sealing: Implement fireproof sealing at cable trenches, entrance of conduits, cable shafts, etc., with standardized fire wall construction.
• Secondary Wiring: Cable ends are tightly and neatly arranged, identification tags are clear and accurate, secondary cores are straight, and connections are securely fastened.

6. Maintenance Requirements

• Operations Staff: Possesses solid electrical expertise, extensive practical experience, and high sense of responsibility; subject to regular training and assessments.
• Equipment Inspection: Daily inspections are conducted according to the specified routes and time intervals, with a focus on checking the appearance, sound, temperature, and pressure of the equipment, among other parameters.
• Equipment Maintenance and Inspection: Includes cleaning, lubrication, and tightening of equipment. Inspections are scheduled based on the age of the equipment, fault conditions, and results of preventive tests.
• Safety Management: Establish comprehensive safety management systems, define the safety responsibilities of personnel at all levels, enhance safety training and education, and set up safety warning signs.
• Operation and Record Management: Detailed records of equipment operating parameters, operation logs, inspection records, fault records, etc., to establish and improve equipment archives.
• Environmental Conditions: Maintain cleanliness and hygiene within the substation, ensure no debris accumulates, pay attention to ventilation and moisture prevention, and guard against external factors affecting the facility.

7. Automation and Intelligence

• Automation: Substation automation is a comprehensive automation system that uses microcomputer technology to reorganize and optimize the functions of secondary equipment in substation, enabling automatic monitoring, control, measurement, and coordination of the substation. It features functions like remote signaling, remote measurement, remote control, and remote adjustment. The structure is divided into centralized and hierarchical distributed configurations.
• Intelligent Substation: An advanced, reliable, integrated, and environmentally friendly intelligent substation that meets the basic requirements of full-station digital information, networked communication platforms, and standardized information sharing. It automatically completes basic functions such as information collection, measurement, control, protection, metering, and testing. Additionally, it is equipped with advanced functions supporting real-time automatic grid control, intelligent adjustment, online analysis and decision-making, and collaborative interaction. The structure is divided into process layer, interval layer, and substation control layer.