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Electrical improvements are on the way for Neosho.
Progress is ongoing at the Empire District Electric Company substation at Harmony and the Neosho Boulevard. On Tuesday morning, a new transformer was set in place, replacing the three transformers that used to sit there.
The new transformer will increase capacity by 50 percent, said David Oswald, manager of substation maintenance Empire Electric west. In addition to increasing capacity, the substation is being rebuilt from the ground up.
“We’re improving every part of this substation,” Oswald said. “Every part of it is getting an upgrade.
“We wrecked out the entire distribution structure and are putting in a new compact structure in its place.”
Even the fence is up for improvements, although with the amount of heavy equipment on site it will be last on the list.
The new upgraded system installed this year will be a computerized micro precision relay instead of the old electro mechanical. An uninterrupted power supply battery system provides backup. The new technology allows the substation to operate more efficiently, Oswald said.
The transformer unit installed Tuesday weighs some 75,000 pounds and some 120,000 pounds after oil and other additions. The project represents a $2 million investment by Empire District Electric.
Crews are drilling down to the bedrock so they can pour concrete piers for a new control building. Next week they will begin re-wiring the transmission structure, installing new wires, insulators and switches. The size of the towering structure has been cut in half as improvements in technology and the reduction from three to one transformer has cut the unit’s footprint. Without the three transformers wired together, there will be reduced clutter inside the substation itself.
Although the project started with a week-long lane closure, Oswald said no long-term lane closures are planned for the duration of the project. There will be some 5- to 10-minute lane closures as they move trucks in and out of the enclosure.
Up to 20 contractors and crew members are working on the project each day and it will be complete sometime in June.
The improvements will offer fewer points of failure, Oswald said, making it more stable.
Some of the equipment was nearly 50 years old, Oswald said. The new transformer should last for 40 years.
High voltage lines transport electricity long distances and the transformer converts that high power electricity to a lower, usable voltage. The improvements will strengthen the electrical delivery system and provide for growth, said Julie Maus, senior communication specialist with Empire Electric.
Electrical improvements are on the way for Neosho.
Progress is ongoing at the Empire District Electric Company substation at Harmony and the Neosho Boulevard. On Tuesday morning, a new transformer was set in place, replacing the three transformers that used to sit there.
The new transformer will increase capacity by 50 percent, said David Oswald, manager of substation maintenance Empire Electric west. In addition to increasing capacity, the substation is being rebuilt from the ground up.
“We’re improving every part of this substation,” Oswald said. “Every part of it is getting an upgrade.
“We wrecked out the entire distribution structure and are putting in a new compact structure in its place.”
Even the fence is up for improvements, although with the amount of heavy equipment on site it will be last on the list.
The new upgraded system installed this year will be a computerized micro precision relay instead of the old electro mechanical. An uninterrupted power supply battery system provides backup. The new technology allows the substation to operate more efficiently, Oswald said.
The transformer unit installed Tuesday weighs some 75,000 pounds and some 120,000 pounds after oil and other additions. The project represents a $2 million investment by Empire District Electric.
Crews are drilling down to the bedrock so they can pour concrete piers for a new control building. Next week they will begin re-wiring the transmission structure, installing new wires, insulators and switches. The size of the towering structure has been cut in half as improvements in technology and the reduction from three to one transformer has cut the unit’s footprint. Without the three transformers wired together, there will be reduced clutter inside the substation itself.
Although the project started with a week-long lane closure, Oswald said no long-term lane closures are planned for the duration of the project. There will be some 5- to 10-minute lane closures as they move trucks in and out of the enclosure.
Up to 20 contractors and crew members are working on the project each day and it will be complete sometime in June.
The improvements will offer fewer points of failure, Oswald said, making it more stable.
Some of the equipment was nearly 50 years old, Oswald said. The new transformer should last for 40 years.
High voltage lines transport electricity long distances and the transformer converts that high power electricity to a lower, usable voltage. The improvements will strengthen the electrical delivery system and provide for growth, said Julie Maus, senior communication specialist with Empire Electric.
In the next couple years, Empire will be adding breakers and greater sectionalizing in the Neosho area. Breaking up the electrical grid can be an expensive improvement, but offers better service.
“If there’s a fault in the line it will not affect as many customers,” Maus said.
Once the project is finished they will transition to it as soon as possible, freeing up the temporary substation for other operations. No outages are anticipated during the switch as power will be rerouted so customers will not see an interruption.
“We’re trying to minimize any interruption to our customers and in the end provide enhanced reliability for them with this project,” Maus said.
