Have the same issue

Just finished the Walthers substation and have the power plant on the way.  Hope someone has an answer.

John C

I worked at a power generating station

Actually there are a couple of ways the power from the generators inside the building could get to the substation, either overhead or underground. Overhead, you could run three conductors from about center high on building to the substation. Underground the lines would go inside conduits underground and then up at the substation. There would be a breaker or disconnect to isolate the transformer.

question 2: yes that would be ok

question 3: haven't seen the Atlas. however, basically for a substation at a generating station, you would have a transformer that steps the generation voltage (1200 to 2400 volts) up to the transmission voltage (100000 volts) and the lines from the transformer would go to various lines via large breakers(switches).

question 4: Keep in mind electric power is generated as three phase plus a neutral, so four lines from the plant to substation although the neutral may not be as evident. each transmission line would therefore consist of four lines. Look at transmission lines near you, you will see three lines(phases) plus a fourth wire usually above the other three.

If you can visit a power plant or drive by one you could check the arrangement.

Hope this helps

Bill Michael

Wires and Substation

Thanks for the answers Bill.  Of course it brings up two additional questions.  Excuse my ignorance, I don't know very much about power stations.

1. I would like to choose the option of having the power lines coming out of the building to the substation simply for more visual evidence that it is a power station.  How would the power lines enter the side of the building?  Would they simply just pass through the wall or would there be some kind of connection plate on the surface of the wall? 

2. You stated that a substation at a generating station would step the voltage up.  I had in my mind that the substation would step the voltage down.  I was planning on having power lines coming out of the substation and going to consumers (houses and businesses).  I don't have room for high voltage power lines to continue further to another substation.  Is it unreasonable to have the substation next to the generating plant step the voltage down for consumer use?  I am sorry if what I am suggesting makes no sense to real world power generation.

Thanks again for any help,

Michael

I just reread your answers

I just reread your answers and I realize you said to have 3 conductors on the side of the building.  So the conductors would just be glued directly to the side of the brick building?

Insulators

I was thinking insulators, not conductors.  Would there be insulators attached to the side of the building?  Sorry, I am fumbling here.

Michael

Where the power leaves the plant

Michael:

Here is a link to a good photo of the exact point at which the power leaves a power plant in Indiana.  Note the three leads previously described.  You could model this transformer on the ground next to the plant and put the towers next to it as shown (tailored to you space, of course).  The wires could run above your tracks to similar towers at your substation.  I don't know what area you are modeling, but it would probably be a good idea to include the lightning rods mounted everywhere! (I would use straight pins mounted vertically at the highest points, but that's just me)!  If you have a few minutes for research, you should click through the photo stream at this link - there are many good detail shots of a gas-fired power plant and its related substation.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wvpa_spk/4327952123/in/set-72157623344591398/lightbox/

Good luck!  Please post photos of your progress; I model a paper mill, and if I have the space, I will use a similar installation to model power coming in to the mill.

Rog, So instead of the

Rog,

So instead of the power lines coming out of the side of the building I believe you are suggesting having a transformer right next to the building.  The power lines would be assumed to be coming from the building underground.  Is that what you are suggesting?  Then power lines would go from that transformer to a tower, across the tracks to a full substation (with a tower if not high enough to clear the tracks overhead), then out to consumers.  The first transformer would step the voltage up, the second one in the substation would step the voltage down for consumers. Let me know if this makes sense.

If that makes sense this would work out nice.  I live in the middle of the Colorado Mountains 2 hours from a big city, but there is a person near me who models.  He has a brand new Walthers Transformer Kit still in the box that he would sell me for $10, but I didn't take it because I needed a full substation.  But this could work for the transformer next to the power plant.

I am going to order the substation tomorrow (I already have the power building).  It will be a couple of weeks before I get anything set up.on the layout.  I will post photos when I do.

Thanks,

Michael

I'm no power expert - but why wouldn't that work?

Bill (above, who DOES know about power plants)  noted that the power could come out of the plant through underground conduits - and the photos show pipes leading to the transformer, so why not?  I don't know which device pushes power what way, but that would seem to be a realistic approach.  Good luck on the project - it will give you something to do when the snow gets deep there (if it isn't already)!

Thanks for the feedback

Thanks for all the feedback.  I will post a couple of photos in a few weeks when I have some of it done.

Lines out of power plant

Hi guys

Sorry I missed so many posts but right after the initial post we went to Florida for a few days to see our youngest play soccer and also see the grandkids.

First let me note that the Walthers Northern Power and Light plant is best considered a small municipal plant or older small plant. The plant I worked at was built in 1950 and had brick building that housed both the boilers and turbine-generators and associated equipment.

Somewhere on your plant you should have at least one or two pipes probably from the roof to represent steam blowdown and vents.

The actual generation voltage depends on the plant but usually generates at about 4160V for a older smaller plant (about 40MW or less) up to about 26000 volts for newer and larger generators.

Most large utilities transmit at 60kv, 100kv  250KV and 500KV so the voltage is stepped up at the plant substation for this transmission. it is more efficient to transmit at these voltages. There are substations that are mostly switching for different transmission lines and then ones that step the transmission voltage down to the distribution voltage of about 26000V, some older distribution systems use 13000V. The transformers you see on poles behind your house step the distribution voltage down to the 220V for your house, keep in mind that for large commercial or industrial customers they will receive 3 phase 4160V or higher. All of these are relative and can vary by utility company and/or era. Hope this helps.Bill Michael

coal delivery

On our club layout we have a Northern power and light building (but named after a deceased member).

I did a rough calculation to determine coal delivery.Here are the rough calculations assuming a generating capacity of 40MW.

Bill Michael

Good answers Bill! I worked