Method for tapping a high voltage transmission line and substation using the same

1. A method of tapping a high voltage transmission line for input into a power distribution substation, the high voltage transmission line being suspended by a suspension tower, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing the high voltage transmission line into a first conducting line and a second conducting line by removing a bypass loop to sever the transmission line at the suspension tower such that said first conducting line is terminated at a first side of said suspension tower and said second conducting line is terminated at a second side of said suspension tower, wherein said first conducting line is insulated from said second conducting line;

(b) providing at least two transformer bays at the substation, each transformer bay having a primary input connected to the primary of a power transformer, wherein said primary input comprises a series connected first disconnect switch, second disconnect switch and circuit breaker, wherein a bus interconnects said first disconnect switch and said second disconnect switch and wherein an output of said circuit breaker is attached to the primary of said power transformer;

(c) interconnecting the bus of said first transformer bay to the bus of said second transformer bay using a circuit breaker; and

(d) connecting the first conducting line to the primary input of said first transformer bay using a first high voltage conductor and connecting the second conducting line to the primary input of said second transformer bay using a second high voltage conductor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the high voltage transmission line is a three phase transmission line having at least one conductor for each phase, said dividing step further comprising severing each conductor of each phase and inserting an insulating medium between the severed ends of each conductor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said insulating medium is air.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said insulating medium is selected from the group consisting of porcelain, glass and epoxy.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein said first and said second conducting lines and said first and said second high voltage conductors each comprise three conductive cables, one of said cables for each phase.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voltage of the high voltage transmission line is between 65 kV and 765 kV.

7. A system for the conversion of high voltage electricity on a transmission line to medium voltage electricity comprising:

(a) an insulator dividing the high voltage transmission line into a first conducting line and a second conducting line;

(b) a substation comprising two transformer bays, each transformer bay comprising a primary input, switching equipment, and a power transformer, wherein said primary input is connected to the primaries of said power transformer through said switching equipment, wherein said switching equipment comprises a series connected first disconnect switch, second disconnect switch and circuit breaker, wherein a bus interconnects said first disconnect switch and said second disconnect switch and wherein the secondaries of said power transformer output the medium voltage electricity;

(c) a circuit breaker interconnecting the bus of said first transformer bay to the bus of said second transformer bay;

(d) first and second high voltage conductors for tapping the high voltage transmission line at one location on the high voltage transmission line, said first high voltage conductor connecting said first conducting line to said primary input of said first transformer bay and said second high voltage conductor connecting said second conducting line to said primary input of said second transformer bay; and

(e) a suspension tower at said location, said suspension tower suspending the high voltage transmission line and having a bypass loop removed to provide first and second connection points, said first conducting line for joining to said first high voltage conductor at said first connection point on a first side of said tower, and said second conducting line for joining to said second high voltage conductor at said second connection point on a second side of said tower.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of said transformer bays further comprises a lightening arrester connected to each primary of said power transformer.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein said switching equipment further comprises a capacitor voltage transformer with wave trap series connected with said first disconnect switch, said second disconnect switch and said circuit breaker.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising metering equipment operationally connected to said capacitor voltage transformer.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein said insulator is air.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein said insulator is selected from the group consisting of porcelain, glass and epoxy.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the high voltage electricity is between 65 kV and 765 kV and the medium voltage electricity is between 4 kV and 46 kV.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the high voltage transmission line is a three phase transmission line having at least one conductor for each phase.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said first and second conducting lines and said first and second high voltage conductors each comprise three conductive cables, one of said cables for each phase.