Tag Archives: transmission

Inside an IPSL Station

Inside an IPSL Station

Recent repair work in IPSL (Interconnected Power Systems Laboratory) made it possible to take a look inside an IPSL Station.  The image below shows the front panel of an IPSL Station and the back of the station with the cover removed. Each station contains the connection terminals for:

  • AC  and DC sources
  • Field and armature circuits of the rotating machines
  • Connections to the main transfer panel, where power can be routed to the loads (light bulb banks, inductor carts, and capacitor boxes)
  • Transmission lines and transformers

The actual rotating machines and their protection systems are located behind each IPSL station (not pictured here). Signal conditioning boxes, used to measure sending end and receiving end voltages and currents, sit on top of each IPSL station. Visit the IPSL Lab Page to learn more.

IPSL Station Diagram

 

IEEE Milestone: Virginia Smith HVDC Converter Station

IEEE Milestone Honors the First Interconnection Between Two U.S. Power Grids

IEEE has recently honored the Virginia Smith High-Voltage Direct-Current Converter Station, completed in 1988, as an IEEE Milestone. The station was the first of eight HVDC stations that connect the eastern and western AC grids in the United States. These interconnections allow power to flow east and west through the county, increasing the flexibility and reliability of both grids.

The Virginia Smith station, named after Nebraska’s first woman in the House of Representatives, can transfer up to 200 megawatts of power. The full article is available online here.