Improving substation reliability and availability

Reliable electric power has become a critical operating component requirement for petroleum and chemical plants. As a result, transmission, substation, and distribution systems both inside and outside the fence line have developed into essential elements of the plant processes. This paper presents how available technologies, design philosophies, and good engineering practices can be applied to improve reliability and availability of the electrical power substation for improved plant production. Solutions for both existing and new substations are discussed. Substation documentation, automation, data storage and retrieval, historian, alarm annunciation, critical systems, remote monitoring, and remote operation technologies are also discussed. Practical applications supplement the learning experience.