10/28/2019 Assemblies of switchgear and control panels | EEP

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Low Voltage / Medium Voltage / Power Substation

Assemblies of switchgear and control panels

Home / Technical Articles / Assemblies of switchgear and control panels

Where are these assemblies used?

Switchgear and control panels are found in power generating stations, transformer
stations, distribution substations, commercial and institutional buildings, industrial plants
and factories, refineries, paper mills, metal smelters and any other place where electric
energy is utilized or electric power is distributed to any number of zones.c

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Assemblies of switchgear and control panels (on photo SKEMA LV Switchgears)

There are a few common types of assemblies that cover almost any application. A broad
classification according to the location of the switchgear assemblies is whether the gear
is installed indoor or outdoor.

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A further classification for the indoor gear is standard ventilated indoor, indoor with drip
hood, indoor for location in sprinklers area, indoor in hazardous location, arcproof (type
a, b or c) and indoor in corrosive environment. Outdoor switchgear can also be further
classified as whether it has an isle or not (walk in vs. nonwalk in types) with or without a
working area.

Another method of classifying the switchgear is whether it is a bottom or top entry , the
power and control cables are entering from the bottom or the top of the gear.
Devices in Switchgear

The switchgear can contain as switching/interrupting device(s): a circuit breaker

(c.b.), a switch/fuse combination, a contactor/fuse combination (for motor switching), for
low v oltage (l.v.) assemblies: a switch or breaker in series with a contactor (for motor
switching).

Certain configurations come only as nondraw out construction, others as drawout. If

special requirements for the gear are needed, the special property can be used as a
criteria for defining the gear , for example, if dust tight enclosure is required due to the
presence of dust (fine or course) in the atmosphere this gear is designated as dust tight.

For switchgear assemblies, as heat is generated from the high current flowing, a dust

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tight enclosure is almost impossible thus a dust proof one is used, instead. The major
standards that govern the design, manufacture and testing of these assemblies are: CSA,
ANSI, IEC, EEMAC, NEMA.

Switchgear assemblies and motor control centers (starters) lineups can be classified
according to their voltage classes. The l.v. equipment is rated in the range of 120/208V
single or three phase to 750V AC. The medium voltage ones are 2400/4160V to 44KV .
The enclosures for all low voltage construction are metal enclosed. Some constructions
include partitions and barriers to give a safer operation over and above the standard
construction.

For medium voltage switchgear both construction types, metal clad and metal enclosed,
are common. In this section the major components of the switchgear assemblies, motor
starters and associated ancillaries will be given.

Major components
Low voltage switchgear assemblies

The main components are:

Molded case (MCB) or power (air magnetic) circuit breakers (drawout or fixed)
complete with or without integral overcurrent protection device (thermal magnetic,
Solid state or microprocessor based) with or without zone interlocking provision
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Cradle (for drawout versions only)

Fixed potential and control power transformers
Current transformers
Interframe and back barriers
Main bus bars, run backs, bus risers and cable lugs (compression or mechanical)
Protective fuses for breaker control circuits, instrument compartments
Circuit breaker accessories, breaker lifting devices (integral with gear)
Fused or unfused interrupter switches
Protective and monitoring auxiliary relays
Metering devices (ammeters, voltmeters, watthourmeters, wattmeters and
digital metering packages D.M.P.)
Control switches and indicating lights

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Low voltage components

Medium Voltage switchgear

The main components are:

Drawout circuit breakers (oil, air, SF6, vacuum)

Switching device (load break or disconnect) with or w/o fuses (power current limiting
or power expulsion type) with or w/o blown fuse indicator/actuator
Instrument transformers
Capacitor tripping device
Relays
Meters & instruments
Main bus
Control & indicating devices, jumpers, cable lugs, cable supports and potheads

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Barriers and shutters

Instrument compartments
Test switches and breaker accessories

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Medium voltage switchgear components

Low voltage motor control centers

For LV motor control centers the components are:

Combination motor starters

Instrument transformers
Motor protection devices
Main bus, cable entry compartments, vertical bus, control cables
Push buttons, pilot lights
Breaker or switch handle
Mounting pans
Programmable logic controllers PLC (processor module, I/O, network interface and
other associated modules)

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Low voltage motor control center components

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Medium voltage starters

For MV starters the main components are:

Contactors (vacuum and air)

Fused control transformer
Overload protection
Current transformers
Instrument compartments
Meters
Auxilliary relays
Timers
Control devices
Multifunction motor protection relays
Indicating lights
Power fuses
Surge arresters

Switchgear Cubicle Types

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There are a few distinct types of switchgear cubicles and are listed hereafter:

Incoming (main) cubicles

Transformer feeders
Bus tie (sectionalization)
Generator exciter control
Generator neutral cubicles
Induction motor control cubicle
Synchronous motor switching board
Potential transformer cubicles (used in conjunction with isolated phase bus in
generating stations).

Other components that could be seen attached or connected to switchgear lineups either
or not to form a unit substation are: power transformers, low voltage bus duct/medium
voltage bus or cable duct runs.

If the transformers are close coupled and installed indoor , then dry type transformers are
used. If they are located outdoor and connected to the switchgear by nonsegregated bus
duct or cable duct or by a throat (with o/d switchgear) than they are of the oil filled type.

Another type of transformers that can be found indoors is the cast resin coil type.

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To be continued…

Resource: Unknown

Edvard Csanyi

Electrical engineer, programmer and founder of EEP. Highly specialized for design of
LV/MV switchgears and LV high power busbar trunking (<6300A) in power substations,
commercial buildings and industry facilities. Professional in AutoCAD programming.

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