Melksham Substation as it was in 1980's
Mar 20, 2015 14:23:43 GMT -5
yv47r, caldridge, and 1 more like this
Post by CEGB on Mar 20, 2015 14:23:43 GMT -5
Hi I am new to this site so offer my apologies if I post this incorrectly. I have a few photos not directly of towers but they may be of interest. I will post a couple first for an experiment. All comments are welcome.
I started this thread in the "Off Topic" category but decided this place was the best for it to be,
Melksham 400 kv Bus bars taken by myself in 1980 or there about.
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Melksham%20400KV%20Bars_zpswro4abd8.jpg
Melksham 400kv air blast breaker without air silencers fitted think these were made by GEC but I cannot remember the type
number. Later on they were fitted with silencers as the noise made if one tripped was quite incredible. My ears rang for 10 minutes after one tripped on a fault while I was near to it !
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Circuit%20Breaker%20400kv_zpsx3biyyn9.jpg
Here is a photo of the same vintage. It was as you can see taken when a storm was brewing. I looked at the dramatic sky so took this snap.
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Dark%20Skye%20at%20Melksham%20_zpslhhulssd.jpg
This is a pic of what was known as a wave trap. If the protection near a substation detects a fault near to it, it causes the local circuit breaker to trip but equipment called inter-tripping sends an electronic signal to the far end substation to cause the breaker there to also trip to clear the fault as quickly as possible. This is mostly done now over a comms circuit but before this it was done by sending the trip signal over the power lines themselves using a system called “Power line carrier”
The wave trap stops this signal from going further than the substation the signal was intended for.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Wave%20Trap%20400kv%20colour_zpsvu2wc4qc.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
Here are a line of voltage transformers
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/400kn%20Voltage%20Transformers%20colour_zpsdwiqwrma.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
The next couple of pictures show one phase of an 400kv air blast circuit breaker the first one. The second one was taken when I was on a hoist quite near to the device.
I hasten to add it was isolated and earthed at the time. 400kv can jump quite a long way.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/One%20Phase%20of%20400kv%20circuit%20braker%20Melksham%20colour%20_zpsqi2ntxrl.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Melksham%20Interupter%20heads%20colour_zpslkzxlfcs.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
The next picture is of a SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride) on-load isolator. This isolator at brake full load current down a over the towers but cannot brake fault current. Only the circuit breakers have capacity for this.
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Early%20FS6%20onload%20Isolator%20Melksham%20colour%20_zpsyhlxtnpi.jpg
Here is another close up of one phase of a 400kv air blast breaker.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Close%20up%20of%20400kn%20Brakers%20colour_zpsix4p4won.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
Helicopters are still used these days to look for problems on power lines. If a connections becomes loose or oxidized it becomes an electrical resistance and hence becomes hot. Line patrol helicopters look for these hot spots and if it is needed the line will be taken out for maintenance. This one landed at Melksham for the pilot take a break.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Line%20Patrol%20Chopper%20colour%20_zpst3s2o61m.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
This (I believe if I remember correctly)is a line from Melksham to Iron Acton) I took it on the way to Melksham while ploughing through a very high wind which can be seen from the angle of the insulators and the tower.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Melksham%20Ironacton%20line%20on%20windy%20day%20colour%20_zpspkeng7am.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
I started this thread in the "Off Topic" category but decided this place was the best for it to be,
Melksham 400 kv Bus bars taken by myself in 1980 or there about.
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Melksham%20400KV%20Bars_zpswro4abd8.jpg
Melksham 400kv air blast breaker without air silencers fitted think these were made by GEC but I cannot remember the type
number. Later on they were fitted with silencers as the noise made if one tripped was quite incredible. My ears rang for 10 minutes after one tripped on a fault while I was near to it !
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Circuit%20Breaker%20400kv_zpsx3biyyn9.jpg
Here is a photo of the same vintage. It was as you can see taken when a storm was brewing. I looked at the dramatic sky so took this snap.
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Dark%20Skye%20at%20Melksham%20_zpslhhulssd.jpg
This is a pic of what was known as a wave trap. If the protection near a substation detects a fault near to it, it causes the local circuit breaker to trip but equipment called inter-tripping sends an electronic signal to the far end substation to cause the breaker there to also trip to clear the fault as quickly as possible. This is mostly done now over a comms circuit but before this it was done by sending the trip signal over the power lines themselves using a system called “Power line carrier”
The wave trap stops this signal from going further than the substation the signal was intended for.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Wave%20Trap%20400kv%20colour_zpsvu2wc4qc.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
Here are a line of voltage transformers
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/400kn%20Voltage%20Transformers%20colour_zpsdwiqwrma.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
The next couple of pictures show one phase of an 400kv air blast circuit breaker the first one. The second one was taken when I was on a hoist quite near to the device.
I hasten to add it was isolated and earthed at the time. 400kv can jump quite a long way.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/One%20Phase%20of%20400kv%20circuit%20braker%20Melksham%20colour%20_zpsqi2ntxrl.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Melksham%20Interupter%20heads%20colour_zpslkzxlfcs.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
The next picture is of a SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride) on-load isolator. This isolator at brake full load current down a over the towers but cannot brake fault current. Only the circuit breakers have capacity for this.
i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q573/richarn66293/Early%20FS6%20onload%20Isolator%20Melksham%20colour%20_zpsyhlxtnpi.jpg
Here is another close up of one phase of a 400kv air blast breaker.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Close%20up%20of%20400kn%20Brakers%20colour_zpsix4p4won.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
Helicopters are still used these days to look for problems on power lines. If a connections becomes loose or oxidized it becomes an electrical resistance and hence becomes hot. Line patrol helicopters look for these hot spots and if it is needed the line will be taken out for maintenance. This one landed at Melksham for the pilot take a break.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Line%20Patrol%20Chopper%20colour%20_zpst3s2o61m.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
This (I believe if I remember correctly)is a line from Melksham to Iron Acton) I took it on the way to Melksham while ploughing through a very high wind which can be seen from the angle of the insulators and the tower.
s1164.photobucket.com/user/richarn66293/media/Melksham%20Ironacton%20line%20on%20windy%20day%20colour%20_zpspkeng7am.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
