Substation Engineering Case Studies: Design, Protection & System Studies

Below are four flagship projects where Keentel Engineering delivered end-to-end substation design (primary, secondary) and comprehensive power system studies to ensure safe, reliable, and standards-compliant installations.

345 kV EHV Greenfield Substation

Project Scope

Design and build of a new 345 kV / 138 kV transmission substation to integrate 400 MW of wind generation into the regional grid.

Primary Design Services

• Full primary layout (GA) drawings with major equipment placement and conductor routing
• Transformer, breaker, disconnect switch, CT/VT, and wave-trap specifications
• 4 000 A tubular aluminum rigid bus design
• IEEE Std 80™ grounding grid analysis using CDEGS

Secondary Design Services

• Protection & control single-line diagrams and wiring schematics
• AC/DC auxiliary systems with IEEE Std 485™ battery sizing
• RTU/SCADA integration: point mapping and telemetry configuration

Power System Studies

• Short-circuit (IEEE C37.010)
• Load flow & reactive power planning
• Protection coordination (SEL-411L, SEL-351, SEL-487E)
• Arc-flash hazard analysis (IEEE 1584-2018)
• Ground grid step/touch voltage assessment

Key Deliverables & Impact

• 150+ IFC drawing sets & equipment BOM
• PE-sealed engineering certification in multiple states
• Successful substation energization with zero safety incidents
• “Proactive RFI responses” earned ongoing preferred-partner status

230 kV GIS Substation Expansion

Project Scope

Expansion and modernization of an existing 230 kV gas-insulated substation, adding two new feeders and upgrading legacy protection.

Primary Design Services

• 3D CAD-based GIS bay layout modifications
• New feeder bay and duct-bank routing
• Civil coordination for control building enlargement

Secondary Design Services

• IEC 61850 digital protection scheme design
• Microprocessor relay replacements (SEL/GE)
• Digital fault recorder (DFR) installation and disturbance monitoring

Power System Studies

• Breaker duty analysis
• Relay coordination & selectivity for transmission line protection
• Transient stability (NERC TPL)
• EMTP modeling for breaker TRV assessment

Key Deliverables & Impact

• Updated one-line, three-line, and P&C schematics
• Comprehensive settings database
• Arc-flash labeling across new and retrofitted equipment
• Expansion completed without any substation outage, earning additional retrofit work

115 kV / 34.5 kV Collector Substation (BESS)

Project Scope

EPC-level design for a 100 MW / 400 MWh battery energy storage collector substation tying into a 115 kV network.

Primary Design Services

• Space-optimized layout under site constraints
• Single-bus configuration with future breaker-and-a-half provision
• 75–125 MVA transformer with on-load tap changer

Secondary Design Services

• Transformer differential (87T) and bus protection (87B) schemes
• BMS integration for trip signaling
• Dual-fiber protection & redundant SCADA architecture

Power System Studies

• Load flow for capacitor bank optimization
• Fault analysis including BESS short-circuit contribution
• Harmonic study for IBR interactions
• EMT switching transient analysis for inverter protection

Key Deliverables & Impact

• IFC drawings & FAT support docs
• Detailed commissioning & relay-setting plans
• First large-scale BESS substation for the client, delivered in under 12 months
• Performance exceeded interconnection guarantees

500 kV Bulk Power Substation

Project Scope

Greenfield design of a 500 kV / 230 kV bulk substation on a major interregional corridor, enhancing transfer capability by 1 200 MW.

Primary Design Services

• Breaker-and-a-half arrangement
• 500 kV gas circuit breaker & disconnect switch specifications
• High-ampacity rigid/strain bus with seismic considerations

Secondary Design Services

• High-speed fiber-based bus differential protection
• Line differential & distance protection coordination
• N-1/N-2 redundant protection zoning

Power System Studies

• Interconnection SIS modeling
• EMT study for breaker restrike/TRV risks
• GIC impact assessment (NERC TPL-007)
• NERC TPL reliability assessment

Key Deliverables & Impact

• 400+ page Engineering Study Report & IFC drawings
• FAT/SAT checklists, commissioning manuals, and staff training
• Early energization ahead of compliance deadlines, securing client recognition

Why Clients Choose Keentel Engineering

• Integrated Primary & Secondary Design under one roof
• Advanced Modeling & Studies: PSSE, PSCAD, EMTP, CDEGS
• NERC & IEEE Expertise: PRC, TPL, 1584, 80, 485, 2800 compliance
• First-Time ISO Acceptance with minimal RFIs
• Repeat Business driven by reliability, responsiveness, and precision

Ready for Your Next Substation Project?

Explore our Electrical Substation Design Services and partner with Keentel Engineering to deliver turnkey, standards-compliant substations—on time and on budget.