Guide to Electrical Power Distribution Systems, Sixth Edition

Book excerpt: Written by a highly regarded power industry expert, this comprehensive manual covers in full detail all aspects of electric power distribution systems, both as they exist today and as they are evolving toward the future. A new chapter examines the impact of the emergence of cogeneration and distributed generation on the power distribution network. Topics include an overview of the process of electricity transmission and distribution, a thorough discussion of each component of the system - conductor supports, insulators and conductors, line equipment, substations, distribution circuits and more - as well as both overhead and underground construction considerations. Improvements in both materials and methods of power distribution are also explored, including the trend toward gradual replacement of heavier porcelain insulators with lighter polymer ones. The complex aspects of electric power distribution are explained in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.