What are the advantages and disadvantages of a box-type substation respectively?
also known as a prefabricated substation, is a compact power distribution device that combines high-voltage
switchgear, transformers, low-voltage switchgear, etc. The following are its advantages and disadvantages:
### Advantages
- **Convenient Installation**: The box-type substation is completely assembled and debugged in the factory.
On-site, only foundation construction and cable connection are required, which greatly shortens the installation
cycle. For example, in some emergency power supply projects or temporary power consumption sites, it can be
put into use quickly.
- **Small Floor Space**: The high-voltage power distribution device, transformer, and low-voltage power distribution
device are compactly combined in one box, with a compact structure. Compared with traditional civil-constructed
substations, the floor space is significantly reduced, especially suitable for areas with tight land resources, such as
city centers and busy commercial areas.
- **High Reliability**: The box-type substation adopts a fully enclosed structure, which can effectively prevent the
influence of external factors such as dust and rain on electrical equipment, reducing the possibility of equipment
failures. At the same time, the internal equipment has undergone strict screening and testing, and has high reliability.
- **Easy Maintenance**: The internal equipment of the box-type substation is reasonably arranged, and each electrical
component has good interchangeability. It is also equipped with a complete maintenance passage and operation
platform, making it convenient for maintenance personnel to carry out daily maintenance and repair work.
- **Strong Environmental Adaptability**: The outer shell of the box has good anti-corrosion and anti-rust performance,
and can adapt to different natural environmental conditions, such as high-temperature, humid, and sandy areas.
In addition, it can be specially designed according to environmental requirements, such as using sound insulation
materials to reduce noise, to meet the requirements of places with strict environmental noise requirements like
residential communities.
- **Aesthetic Appearance**: The outer shell of the box-type substation can be designed in various ways to be
coordinated with the surrounding environment. Unlike traditional substations with a rigid appearance, it will not
affect the urban landscape. In some urban parks, tourist scenic areas and other places, the box-type substation
can be designed to blend with the surrounding landscape, having a certain decorative effect.
### Disadvantages
- **Limited Capacity**: Due to the limited space of the box, the transformer capacity of the box-type substation is
usually small, generally 2500kVA or less, making it difficult to meet the demand for large-capacity electricity of
some large industrial enterprises or large commercial complexes.
- **Heat Dissipation Problem**: The electrical equipment inside the box-type substation is relatively concentrated,
and a large amount of heat is generated during operation. Although heat dissipation devices are equipped, in the
case of high-load operation or high environmental temperatures, heat dissipation may become a problem, affecting
the performance and service life of the equipment.
- **Relatively Narrow Maintenance Space**: Although the box-type substation is designed with a maintenance passage,
compared with traditional large substations, its internal space is still relatively narrow. When carrying out maintenance
of some large equipment or handling of faults, the operation space is limited, which may increase the difficulty and
time of maintenance.
- **High Equipment Replacement Cost**: The internal equipment of the box-type substation has a high degree of
integration. Once a key device fails, the entire equipment module needs to be replaced, and the cost is relatively high.
Moreover, due to the high degree of customization of the equipment, there may be situations where spare parts are not
supplied in a timely manner.
- **High Requirements for the Foundation**: The overall weight of the box-type substation is relatively large, and the
bearing capacity of the foundation is required to be high. In some areas with poor geological conditions, the foundation
needs to be specially treated, increasing the construction cost and construction difficulty.
