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When visiting the Bhakra Nangal Dam site in 1954, Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister, referred to dams as “the temples of modern India.” This declaration highlighted the vital role that electricity plays in the growth of the country and its transmission as the main driver of economic advancement.
Three Components of Power Supply
1. Generation: Power plants, which also include installations for renewable energy, produce electricity.
2. Transmission is the process of distributing power via a network that includes transformers, overhead and subterranean cables, switches, substations, and other components.
3. Distribution: Providing customers with electricity that is suited to their needs and the needs of different devices and applications is the last stage.
Key Principles of Electric Power Transmission
Efficiency and Voltage: Transmission efficiency is improved by greater voltage and lower current. Transformers are essential for manipulating voltage since they may lower it for consumers and step it up before transmission.
Resistance and Cable Thickness: Energy loss results from resistance in transmission cables. Although thicker wires reduce losses, they also cost more.
Distance and Transmission Cost: Lower costs are associated with longer transmission distances.
Alternating Current (AC): AC power transmission is more common than direct current (DC) because it is more flexible and efficient. Higher AC frequencies do, however, cause resistance to rise.
Understanding AC Power
Three-Phase AC: Three-phase AC is a prevalent form of AC power transmission in which the voltage alternates between polarity on a regular basis.
AC phases: Three wires, usually at 120°, 240°, and 360°, transport AC current in separate phases in a three-phase circuit.
Three-phase AC power is supplied to consumers, and this power is utilized in domestic appliances to facilitate easy control.
Transmission Process
Voltage Stepping: Transformers are used in power plants to increase voltage prior to transmission.
Transmission Lines: Long-distance carriers of electricity, transmission lines are suspended from transmission towers.
Safety precautions include grounding, arresters, dampers, circuit breakers, and insulators to guarantee steady and safe transmission.
Switches: They are used to direct current between lines and regulate the availability of current.
Substations: A variety of substation types carry out functions such as frequency modification, power gathering, voltage reduction for distribution, and diagnostics.
Operation of Power Grids
National Grids: Distribution, transmission, and generation are all included in a national grid. It needs to take into account different power sources, production sites, and consumption habits.
Storage Facilities: To control power supply surpluses and deficits, grids incorporate storage systems.
Flexible Sources: Automated systems and gas turbines react to crises or changes in customer demand.
Grid Management: Grids control voltage, regulate demand, preserve synchronized frequencies, and enhance power factor.
Wide-Area Synchronous Grids: These grids are less expensive but necessitate precautions against cascade failures because every generator produces AC at the same frequency.
Key agencies in Power Transmission
India’s power transmission sector relies on key agencies to manage and enhance the electricity grid. These
include:
State Transmission Utilities (STUs): in charge of each state’s intrastate power transmission.
The National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) is responsible for upholding grid security and national power balance.
Grid stability and regional electricity operations are managed by regional load dispatch centers, or RLDCs.
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) is in charge of national electricity transmission and tariff regulation.
State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs): These commissions oversee the transmission of electricity among the states.
Private transmission companies are working with government organizations to update and expand the system.
Conclusion
Electric power transmission is a complex but vital aspect of modern civilization, serving as the backbone of economic development.
