The relation of railway sub-station design to its operation

This paper is limited to a consideration of sub-stations in which high-tension alternating current is received and converted into low-tension direct current. In the operation of a modern railway converter sub-station, reliability of service is of paramount importance, being more important than considerations of first cost, of depreciation, and of maintenance; and in turn the reliability of service is affected to a marked degree by the length of time required to manipulate the various combinations of sub-station apparatus. The following factors will be noticed in this connection: 1. The best method of starting converters. 2. The protection of converters; 3. The use of oil-switches when synchronizing; 4. The regulation of load; 5. The best arrangement of switch-gear; 6. The operation of re verse-current relays; 7. The adjustment of load between the sub-stations which feed the same circuit; 8. The noiseless operation of synchronous converters.