An electrical substation is responsible for distributing electrical energy from power plants to people’s homes. It is at the substation that energy arrives from the plants, at a very high and unsuitable level for distribution, and is then transformed and lowered to a standard that can be used by the consumer.
Importance of maintenance
As it is an environment that involves a lot of electrical tension and is essential for the daily life of industries, businesses, schools, hospitals, residences, and establishments in general, electrical substation maintenance is a job of great responsibility and must be executed perfectly, with no room for mistakes. The degree of difficulty should also be considered whenever a company is going to perform electrical substation maintenance. This is because, in many cases, the equipment that makes up the substations does not clearly indicate that there is a problem. In these cases, the experience of the professionals involved and the use of modern techniques and tools are fundamental.
Main maintenance procedures
Check out some steps:
- Preventive maintenance of all substation devices, up to 230 KV
- Electrical testing of the internal scenario of each installed equipment
- Verification of all devices, performing any repairs and renovations when necessary
- Thermovacuum testing and vacuum and nitrogen drying
- Verification of cracks in the structure of the insulators
- Verification of all connections, one by one
Cleaning and conservation
It is also necessary to perform a general cleaning of the substation, observing the general conservation of the equipment and the presence of dust in electrical connections and contacts. Simple measures like those mentioned can delay their wear and also prevent insulation problems, common when there is no effective maintenance. Another point to be analyzed carefully is the effect caused by humidity, urban pollutants, and atmospheric gases on the electrical connection, which can lead to deterioration over time.
Temperature monitoring
A good electrical substation maintenance job should periodically measure the temperature of the equipment on site. Using a laser sight thermometer, it is possible to accurately identify any increases or decreases in the substation’s temperature. The procedure is indicated to find electrical failures and avoid unplanned shutdowns, which always end up generating a high cost to the energy generator.
