K N Srinivasan

What is clearance

Number telling a length

Defined as
minimum distance required
between live parts and earthed material -Earth
Clearance
between live parts - Phase Clearance.

Categories
Electrical Clearance in air
Electrical Clearance in gas/oil

 Lightning Impulse withstand

Network-open to sky
Clouds-300 to 600 MV
1.2 X 50
3 lakh Km/Sec

Typical LI Wave

BIL

-Ve Polarity
1 Km
300 kJ
5 to 20 shots

L I - Experimental Value

Point Plane

a-safe clearance

SUBSTATION
Maximum Clearances Between Bushing Transformer
& Lightning Arresters
System Voltage (kV)

Max distance between LA &

Transformer bushing ( meter)

11

12

33

18

66

24

132

42

220

64

Switching surge
250/2500 micro sec.
Beyond 220kV

C u r v e a : A p p x . S a fe c le a r a n c e v a lu e s
C u r v e b : E x p e r im e n ta l w it h -s t a n d v a lu e s

F ig . 7 .1 .5 b .

S a fe c le a ra n c e fo r 3 5 0 /2 3 0 0 m ic r o -s e c S w itc h in g

S u rg e s

Corona

Blue Halo
16 kV /m
Power loss
Interference

Partial discharge

Imperfect insulation
Voids
Voltage buildup and equalization
Pico q

Environment

Pollution
Sea
City
Pre monsoon showers
Dry band-Flashover

Pollution & Creepage distance

Degree of
contamination

Examples

Predominantly rural areas

without industry and far from
sea air,
II moderate
Areas in which little severe
pollution is expected
III severe
Industrial areas with
relatively severe pollution,
sea air, etc.,
IV very severe Areas with heavy industry
and much dust, fog sea air.

Minimum
creepage
distance
mm/ kV

I) slight

16
20
25
31

Live Maintenance
Ease of maintenance

Measurement
Leakage capacitance
Grading rings

Thumb rule
a.c Power frequency Voltages
(rms)/m

200 kV

D.C.Voltage

275 kV/m

Impulse voltages

500 kV/m

Switching Surges

d= (2V)2

d in meters, V in MV

primary sub transmission voltage

33 kV derived either directly from 220 kV substations or 132 kV
substations except in few states where 66 kV substations are still
existing.

secondary sub transmission voltage is 11 kV derived

from 33 kV
sub stations. This is further stepped down to low tension voltage of
415 V 3 Phase and 230 V Single Phase and reaches consumer end,
either through over head line or under ground cables

SUBSTATION
Components of substation
a) Structures like Incoming - Outgoing gantries
Mounting Structures for Breakers, Isolators, Fuses, Insulator
supports, CTs, PTs and Bus bar structures.
b) Power Transformers.
c) Circuit Breakers.
d) HT fuses only upto 33 kV sub station
e) Isolating Switches
f) Bus bar Arrangement
g) Insulators
h) Earthing Switches

SUBSTATION
Components of substation contd...
p) Batteries
q) Fencing Arrangement.
r) Fire Extinguishers.
s) Earthing Pit.

SUBSTATION
Components of substation contd...
i) Lightning Arresters.
j) Current Transformers.
k) Potential Transformer.
l) Measuring Instruments like, A/ m, V/ m, F, TVM
m) Varieties of protection relays.
n) Control Room.
Power Cables
o) Cables
Controls Cables

T able 7.1.2 - Standard insulation levels for range I

(1 kV < U m 245 kV)
High est voltage
for equipm en t
Um
kV
(r.m.s. value)
3.6

Rated sh ort duration

power frequen cy
with stan d voltage
kV
(r.m.s. value)
10

7.2

20

12

28

17.5

38

24

50

36

70

52
72.5
123

95
140
(185)
230

Rated
lightn ing im pulse
with stand voltage
kV
(peak value)
20
40
40
60
60
75
95
75
95
95
125
145
145
170
250
325
450
550

145

(185)
230
275
(230)
275
325
(275)
(325)
360
395
460

(450)
550
650
(550)
650
750
(650)
(750)
850
950
1050

170

245

Note - If values in brackets are con sidered in sufficien t to prove that the required ph ase to ph ase
with stan d voltages are m et, addition al phase-to-ph ase with stan d tests are n eeded.

E le c tric a l c le a ra n c e s fo r o p e n - ty p e o u td o o r s w itc h g e a r o f
2 2 k V to 8 8 k V R a te d V o lta g e a n d fo r N o n - e f fe c tiv e ly
E a rth e d S y s te m o f 1 1 0 k V a n d a b o v e
Im p u ls e
v o lta g e
w ith s ta n d
le v e l (p e a k
v a lu e s )

R a te d
v o lta g
e

M in im u m
c le a ra n c e to
e a rth

150
200
250
350
450
550
650
750
1050

22
33
44
66
88
110
132
165
220

in
11
15
19
27
34
42
50
58
82

m m
279
381
482
685
863
1068
1270
1473
2082

M in im u m c le a ra n c e
b e tw e e n p h a s e s in a ir o r
b e tw e e n c o n n e c tio n s o f
th e s a m e p h a s e
s e p a ra b le e le c tric a lly
fro m e a c h o th e r
4
in
m m
13
330
17
432
22
558
31
786
39
989
48
1219
58
1473
67
1702
94
2388

N o te : W h e re th e m e th o d o f m o u n tin g in su la to rs is n o t s u c h
a s to p r e v e n t lo d g e m e n t o f b ir d s o r v e r m in , it m a y b e
n ecessary
to
e m p lo y
c le a ra n c e s
in
excess
o f th e
m in im a g iv e n fo r ra te d v o lta g e s o f 2 2 k V a n d 3 3 k V .

SUBSTATION
Clearances in Air for Indoor Switchgear
Rated Voltage

Minimum Clearance Between Phases or

Between Connections of the same phase
separable Electrically from each other
Distance (mm)

415 V
600 V
3.3 kV
6.6 kV

19.0
19.0
50.8
88.9

11.0 kV

127.0

15.0 kV

165.1

22.0 kV

241.3

33.0 kV

355.6

SUBSTATION
Post Insulator Minimum Creepage Distances
Power Frequency
Withstand Voltage (kV)
27
35
55
75
140
185
230
275
395

Minimum Creepage Distance ( mm)

130
230
380
580
1100
1600
1850

460

2250
3400
3800

680

6400

Bus bar clearances in Oil or compound

Rated voltage
Minimum
between phases of clearance to earth
poles kV
inches
Up to and
including

0.6

3.3

6.6
1
11
1
22
2

Minimum
clearance between
phases inches

1
1
2
3

ELECTRICAL CLEARANCES IN AIR

for assemblies of outdoor switchgears upto 800 kV class as well as
Indoor switchgears upto 33kV class in India
i) Safety Clearance to Conductors (Section Clearance)
minimum distance required between an unscreened live
conductor and the limits of a work section
ii) Safety Clearance to Insulation (Ground Clearance)
minimum distance required between any exposed
insulator which supports or contains live conductor and the limits of
a work section

GROUND CLEARANCES
1) No conductor of over head line erected across a street shall be at
any part there of be at a height less than
a) For LT

: 5.791 mtr

b) For HT upto 33 kV : 6.096 mtr

Clearance from Building Structure etc.,
a) The vertical clearance from the heighest point of the building
on the basis of maximum slag shall not be less than 2.439 (8 ft)
meter for LT lines upto 650 V and 3.64 (12ft) meter for 11 kV &
33 kV lines.
b) The horizontal clearance is to be 4 ft (1.219 m) upto 11 kV &
6 ft (1.820 m) upto 33 kV line.

CLEARANCE BETWEEN POWER AND

TELECOM LINES
Minimum clearances between, lines of various voltages
LT lines (400 / 230 V) - 4 feet - 1.22 meter
11 kV lines

- 6 feet - 1.83 meter

33 / 66 kV lines

- 8 feet - 2.44 meter

132 kV lines

- 10 feet - 3.05 meter

220 kV lines

- 15 feet 4.88 meter

Note:Guard rings are to be provided at crossings of telecom lines with

power lines upto 33 kV

110kV Substation Layout

a) Line trap suspended. Capacitor Standing

b) Line trap and capacitor suspended

in portal structure

c) Line trap mounted on capacitive Voltage transformer

1. Circuit Breaker 2. Feeder Isolator 3 Current Transformer 4. Inductive voltage

Transformer
5. Capacitive Voltage Transformer 6. Capacitor 7. Line Trap

110kV Load Centre

Station

1. Bus bars 2. Bus bar Isolator 3. Circuit Breaker 4. Current Transformer

5. Voltage Transformer 6. Feeder Isolator 7. Lightning Arrester.

220 kV Outdoor switchyard with double bus bars of tubular type

1. Bus bar system I 2. Bus bar System II 3. Bus bar Isolator 4. Circuit Breaker
5. Current Transformer 6. Feeder Isolator 7. Line Trap 8 Capacitive Voltage
Transformer

110kV Outdoor switchyard with double bus bar low rise layout
1. Bus bar system I 2. Bus bar system II 3.Bus bar Isolator 4. Circuit Breaker
5. Current Transformer 6. Voltage Transformer 7. feeder Isolator 8. Lightning
Arrestor

M in im u m E le c tric a l C le a ra n c e fo r O u td o o r
V o lta g e Im p u ls e
M in im u m
M in im u m
ra tin g
w ith s ta n c le a ra n c e to c le a ra n c e
e a rth
b e tw e e n
d le v e l
phases

1
k V (rm s )
36
7 2 .5
123
145
245

*420

2
kV
(P e a k )
170
200
325
350
450
550
550
650
825
900
1050
1300
1425
1550

3
mm

4
mm

320
375
630
675
920
1150
1150
1380
1800
1960
2300
2550
3070
3640

400
480
750
810
1065
1350
1350
1600
2000
2300
2700
3400
3200
5200

s w itc h g e a r
M in . c le a ra n c e fro m
a n y p o in t w h e re th e
m an m aybe
re q u ire d to s ta n d to
th e n e a re s t
u n s c re e n e d
c o n d u c to r in a ir
(S e c tio n a l
c le a ra n c e )
5
mm
2920
2970
3230
3270
3520
3750
3750
3980
4400
4550
4900

M in im u m E le c tric a l C le a ra n c e fo r O u td o o r S w itc h g e a r
V o lta g e
ra tin g

Im p u ls e
w ith s ta n d
le v e l

M in im u m
c le a ra n c e
to e a rth

M in im u m
c le a ra n c e
b e tw e e n
ph ases

1
kV
(rm s)
36

2
k V (P e a k )

3
m m

4
m m

170
200
325
350
450
550
550
650
825
900
1050
1300
1425
1550

320
375
630
675
920
1150
1150
1380
1800
1960
2300
2550
3070
3640

400
480
750
810
1065
1350
1350
1600
2000
2300
2700
3400
3200
5200

7 2 .5
123
145
245

*420

M in im u m c le a ra n c e
fro m a n y p o in t
w h e re th e m a n
m a y b e re q u ire d to
s ta n d to th e n e a re s t
u n se c re a n e d
c o n d u c to r in a ir
(S e c tio n a l
c le a ra n c e )
5
m m
2920
2970
3230
3270
3520
3750
3750
3980
4400
4550
4900

R e p ro d u c e d fro m IS :3 0 7 2 -1 9 7 5 c o d e o f p ra c tic e fo r in s ta lla tio n

a n d m a in te n a n c e o f s w itc h g e a r .
* R e p ro d u c e d fro m
m a n u a l o n la y o u t o f s u b s ta tio n s C B IP
te c h n ic a l R e p o rt N o . 3 .