Substation Explodes In Ft Lauderdale Florida

Substation Fire Results in Loss of Power

"Power restored in Fort Lauderdale after substation explosion caused blackout for thousands" was headlined by the Miami Herald. This article was published on March 26, 2019.

At approximately 8:00 p.m., Ft Lauderdale police received a report of an explosion at an electrical substation.

An investigation revealed that lightning had struck the substation causing fire. First responders quickly extinguished the fire without any injuries.

The explosion caused a power outage to approximately 33,690 customers in Broward County. Florida Light and Power (FPL) rapidly responded and restored power to 19,690 customers before 11:00 p.m.
FPL tweeted that all customers had power restored at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning, March 27.

The Function of Substations

Power plants supply high-voltage electricity to multiple substations. A combination of high-voltage lines and towers allow transmission of power from the generating plant to the substation. The number of customers served and the type of electrical service determines the size and amount of equipment needed.
 
Substations can be owned and operated by utilities or large industrial/commercial customers. Transmission, distribution, collector, converter, and switching are the different styles of substations. Large substations can support more than one style. Most substations are unmanned and have operations controlled remotely.
Equipment commonly found in a substation is:

• Transformers - Step-down transformers lower input voltage and step-up transformers increase voltage level
• Circuit Protection - Power fuses on distribution transformers and circuit breakers
• Controls & Distribution - These panels route power and can have switching capability to redundant equipment

Each piece of equipment is a link in the chain to receive power from the generating plant and distribute to customers. If any link in the chain breaks, power is lost.

The span of a power outage is related to the number of customers affected. This is largely determined by the function of the substation on the electrical grid. If a primary substation suffers catastrophic damage, all of the secondary substations do not receive power. This affects areas the primary and secondary substations supply.
 
The length of time customers are without power is determined by the type and amount of damage to the equipment. Utility companies have backup equipment that can be transported to the site to speed the repair process. Some things that can add to the outage time are:

• Weather Conditions - Hurricanes and severe thunderstorms with high winds and lightening prohibit electrical crews from working safety.
• Area Conditions - Crews must be able to get to the substation to repair damages. Storm damaged access roads must be cleared, and waters must recede if flooded.
• Damages - Catastrophic damage such as a direct tornado, or hurricane hit can require complete reconstruction.

If a piece of equipment is damaged that is not normally a unit normally in storage, down time is increased with shipping. When a power loss occurs, the primary concern is when will it be restored. Outage time can be a short-term event or be long-term and last for days are longer. Emergency generators offer a solution to the power outage.
 
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Story Summary

What happened in Fort Lauderdale?
A Florida Power & Light (FPL) substation exploded and caught fire, causing a massive power outage.

When did the incident occur?
The substation explosion took place on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at approximately 8:00 p.m.

What caused the explosion?
The explosion and subsequent fire was caused by a lightning strike that hit the FPL substation.

How many people were affected by the power outage?
The power outage affected approximately 33,690 customers in Broward County.

Were there any injuries reported?
No injuries were reported as a result of the substation explosion and fire.

How long did the power outage last?
FPL worked quickly to restore power:
By 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, power was restored to 19,690 customers
All customers had their power restored by 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27

Which substation was affected?
The affected substation was the Sistrunk substation in Fort Lauderdale.

How did authorities respond to the incident?
Fort Lauderdale police received reports of the explosion and responded promptly. First responders quickly extinguished the fire at the substation.

What is the function of an electrical substation?
Electrical substations play a crucial role in power distribution:

• They receive high-voltage electricity from power plants
• Substations use transformers to step down or step up voltage levels
• They distribute power to customers through various equipment and controls

Can similar incidents be prevented in the future?
While lightning strikes are difficult to prevent, utilities can take measures to minimize damage:

• Installing lightning protection systems
• Regularly maintaining and upgrading substation equipment
• Implementing redundancy in power distribution systems to reduce the impact of single-point failures

Diesel Blog Team | 4/4/2019 12:58:37 PM | 0 comments