Constellation, le dépôt institutionnel de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Résumé

Introduction With the growth of the world’s population and faster-developing industries, larger amounts of electric energy are needed [1–6]. To reduce Joule losses at longer distances, voltages delivered by generators are increased with step-up power transformers, and electric energy is transported at large voltages [7,8]. Consequently, many ultra/extra AC/DC high-voltage transmission projects have been commissioned or are under construction in many countries: Canada (735 kV), Venezuela (800 kV), China (1100 kV), Japan (1100 kV), and India (1200 kV) [9–18]. For the power to be delivered to end-users, transmission grids, including towers, conductors, insulators, as well as substations, are essential [19–22]. The main equipment in substations includes, but is not limited to: power transformers, circuit breakers, surge arrestors, relays, insulators, disconnector switches, busbars, capacitor banks, batteries, wave trapper, switchyard, as well as protection, control, and metering instruments, etc. When the equipment is installed outside, it is refereed as an “outdoor substation” and an “indoor substation” when set inside a building. One of the main advantages of an indoor substation over an outdoor substation is the independence from meteorological impacts [23–25]. Nowadays, indoor substations are commonly gas-insulated substations (GIS), as they require a much smaller footprint [23].