3363results about "Switchgear arrangements" patented technology

Lockout tagout assemblies, systems, and methods are disclosed. Exemplary lockout tagout assemblies include a base, an arm moveable with respect to the base, and a member extending at an angle from the arm. The member can engage with a circuit breaker in an off position to retain the circuit breaker in the off position.

An arc-resistant enclosure for electrical switchgear which includes solid front and back walls, a pair of solid side walls joined to the front and back walls, a ventilated roof joined to the side walls and the front and back walls, and a ventilated base joined to the side walls and the front and back walls. Internal partitions divide the space enclosed by the front, back, side, top and bottom walls into multiple compartments for housing different types of components. The ventilated base forms air-intake ports for admitting ambient air into a plurality of the compartments, and the ventilated roof forms air-exhaust ports for allowing air to be exhausted from the compartments. As air inside the enclosure is heated by the switchgear, the hot air rises through the switchgear compartments and is exhausted through the top air-exhaust ports, and replacement ambient air is drawn into the bottoms of the compartments through the air-intake ports.

A method and a door arrangement for a switchgear enclosure, with the enclosure having a top and bottom panel, a back panel and two opposing side panels. The enclosure includes an interior framework supporting a draw-out circuit breaker. The door arrangement comprises a front extension coupled to the enclosure. An exterior door is pivotably mounted in an offset position to the front extension and configured to move from one of a closed position and an open position on one side of the enclosure. The breaker door is pivotably mounted to the interior framework and configured to move from one of a closed position and an open position on another side of the enclosure and move clear of the offset exterior door.

According to various embodiments, a system includes a power center or other electrical system. The system includes an enclosure having a ventilation opening and an isolation assembly. The isolation assembly includes a deformable portion and a blocking portion. The blocking portion is capable of substantially blocking the ventilation opening with a blocking surface. The deformable portion is configured to deform due to a level of pressure being applied to the isolation assembly such that the deformable portion plastically deforms and carries the blocking surface toward the ventilation opening.

A system, in one embodiment, includes a power distribution center having an enclosure with an access door configured to move between a closed position and an open position. The power distribution center includes a non-contact sensor disposed inside the enclosure, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises a non-contact voltage sensor, or a non-contact temperature sensor, or a combination thereof. The power distribution center also includes an indicator viewable outside of the enclosure while the door is in the closed position, wherein the indicator is coupled to the non-contact sensor.

A system, in one embodiment, includes a power distribution center having an enclosure with an access door configured to move between a closed position and an open position. The system also includes a monitoring system configured to monitor operational parameters inside the enclosure. Also, the system includes an entry control system coupled to the monitoring system, wherein the entry control system is configured to lock the access door if the operation parameters are indicative of a potentially hazardous condition inside the enclosure.

An apparatus detects arcing faults at a first wavelength. A light source provides modulated light at a second different wavelength and a first frequency. An optical fiber receives the modulated light and gathers ambient light at both wavelengths. A splitter receives and splits the received light into first and second beams. A first filter extracts from the first beam a first filtered beam including the first wavelength. A first photodetector generates a first electrical signal from the first filtered beam. A second filter extracts from the second beam a second filtered beam excluding the first wavelength. A second photodetector generates a second electrical signal from the second filtered beam. A low pass filter extracts from the second electrical signal a third electrical signal representative of light at the second wavelength excluding the modulated light. A comparator generates an arcing signal when the first electrical signal exceeds the third electrical signal.

The invention relates to an electrical installation, especially a medium-voltage switchgear, comprising at least one encapsulated function module (FM), a decompression channel (DK) which is connected to said function module, and at least one inflow opening (EO . . . ) which connects the function module (FM) to the decompression channel (DK). The covering surface (DF 1,2,3) of the decompression channel (DK), opposite the inflow opening (EO . . . ), comprises at least one partial region which is obliquely oriented in relation to the inflow direction. Hot gases and high pressures produced during an accidental arc can thus be evacuated from the installation, without any risk to humans and buildings. Pressure channels are used, inter alia, in installations used in relation to medium-voltage technique for providing and distributing energy.

Electrical enclosures are provided that include arc resistant features designed to add structural strength for arc containment, to inhibit arc propagation, and / or to direct the release of pressure within and / or from the enclosure in order to provide arc resistant electrical enclosures. In general, the arc resistant features may be designed to provide enclosures where in the event of an arc fault, the doors and covers remain closed, parts are not ejected from the enclosure, holes are not produced in the enclosure, indicators located in close proximity to the enclosure do not ignite, and / or grounding connections remain effective. Further, the foregoing features may be designed to provide electrical enclosures that comply with industry guides and standards for arc resistant ratings.

An arc resistant switchgear assembly is provided having a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom surface, an upper surface, a first side wall, and a second side wall opposed to the first side wall and spaced a first distance from the first side wall, with each of the first and second side walls having an upper portion and a lower portion, and with each of the first and second side walls having an inner and an outer surface, with at least the lower portion of both the first side wall and the second side wall having at least one blow-off panel detachably secured thereto by fastening means. Each of the panels is detachably secured to the outer surface of the side wall to which each is secured. The assembly has a vertical plenum formed directly adjacent both the first and the second side walls, with the outer surface of each of the first and second side walls defining an inner side wall of each of the vertical plenums. The outer surface of the first side wall defines the inner side wall of one of the vertical plenums and the outer surface of the second side wall defines the inner side wall of an adjacent vertical plenum.

The invention discloses an on-line intelligent monitoring module for intelligent transformer substation GISs, which comprises an SF6 monitoring function module, a circuit beaker monitoring function module, a capacitive equipment monitoring function modules for mutual inductors and the like, a lightning arrester monitoring function module, a station level communication function module and a human-machine interface function module. By means of the function modules, the on-line intelligent monitoring module for intelligent transformer substation GISs can monitor the gas insulation condition in a gas insulated metal-enclosed switchgear (GIS) and the operating condition of the primary equipment of each power system on line, consequently, power system operation maintainers can fully know the operating state of the GIS in real time and accordingly arrange the operation and maintenance time of the equipment, the safety of the operation of the GIS is enhanced, the safe operation of a power grid is effectively guaranteed, moreover, the maintenance method for the GIS is changed from the conventional scheduled maintenance to state maintenance, the equipment maintenance cost is effectively reduced, and the benefit of a power grid operation maintenance enterprise is increased.

An electrical enclosure assembly is provided including a first enclosure and a second enclosure disposed within the first enclosure. The first enclosure having a plurality of walls defining an interior and an exterior with one of the walls including a first number of one way vents. The interior being substantially sealed from the exterior except at the first number of one way vents. The second enclosure having a plurality of walls defining an interior separate from the interior of the first enclosure. One of the plurality of walls of the second enclosure including a second number of one way vents. The interior of the second enclosure being substantially sealed from the interior of the first enclosure except at the second number of one way vents.

A system for connecting motor drives to each other is disclosed that does not require the use of wire or tools. The system includes an adapter plug and bus bar modules that connect to each other at a conductive receptacle of the adapter plug to define a splice joint at the point of connect of the bus bar modules. The bus bar modules may include insulating covers and insulating clips may overlie the splice joints so that the system is substantially devoid of exposed surfaces of its conductive materials.

A medium voltage controller for electrical equipment, such as motors, transformers, reactors, and capacitors, having an arc resistant cabinet, swaged internal electrical connections, a one-piece self-aligning withdrawable finger cluster, a pull-out instrument compartment, a load discharge device, cast fuse holders, disconnect switch, a switch illuminator, low power current transformers, and an optical temperature measuring system. The arc resistant cabinet relies on the pressure generated by an arc fault to provide the sealing action to contain the fault forces. The cabinet's rear panels are inside the cabinet and the panel lips mate to edges of the cabinet opening. The front doors each have a series of latching tabs along one side and a hinge along the opposing side. A dimple-in-a-dimple joint provides shear strength for panel joints. At the top of the cabinet is an exhaust vent.

A system, in one embodiment, includes a power distribution center having an enclosure with an access door configured to move between a closed position and an open position. The system also includes a monitoring system configured to monitor operational parameters inside the enclosure. Also, the system includes an entry control system coupled to the monitoring system, wherein the entry control system is configured to lock the access door if the operation parameters are indicative of a potentially hazardous condition inside the enclosure.

An electrical enclosure assembly is provided including a first enclosure and a second enclosure disposed within the first enclosure. The first enclosure having a plurality of walls defining an interior and an exterior with one of the walls including a first number of one way vents. The interior being substantially sealed from the exterior except at the first number of one way vents. The second enclosure having a plurality of walls defining an interior separate from the interior of the first enclosure. One of the plurality of walls of the second enclosure including a second number of one way vents. The interior of the second enclosure being substantially sealed from the interior of the first enclosure except at the second number of one way vents.

A power distribution system having a plurality of individually isolatable functional nodes each connected via an isolating device to a power distribution bus that is connected via an isolating device to a power input node which is connectable to a power source, wherein the power distribution bus and the isolating devices are housed in a power distribution compartment, and wherein the power input node and the functional nodes are housed separately from one another and the power distribution compartment in functional compartments adjacent thereto.

The present invention relates generally to a switchgear apparatus. More particularly, the invention encompasses a circuit breaker compartment arc flash venting system for a switchgear apparatus. The present invention also relates to enclosures for switchgear, panel boards, circuit breakers, and more particularly to an enclosure for low voltage switchgear and switchboard assemblies. The enclosure can be a walk-in type enclosure or a non-walk-in type enclosure. This invention further provides a method and apparatus for channeling plasma (hot arc gasses) that are generated from an arc. The circuit breaker compartment arc flash venting system is an integral part of an arc resistant switchgear assembly. The arc flash venting system works in conjunction with the bus insulation and ventilation systems in the switchgear apparatus to channel hot arc gasses (plasma) from a breaker compartment in the event of an internal arcing fault in the breaker compartment. The gasses are channeled to exit the upper rear of the breaker compartment and into the insulated section bus compartment. The hot arc gasses and other particulates then travel upward through the section bus compartment where they are routed to and safely discharged from the vent structure on the roof of the switchgear apparatus.

The present invention provides a gas-insulated electric apparatus which includes: a vertically-arranged gas insulation main tank; a first gas insulation branch pipe connected to and making right angle with the gas insulation main tank; a second gas insulation branch pipe connected to and making right angle with the gas insulation main tank; a breaker manipulator which is arranged on an upper side of the main tank, a feeder-side current transformer which is incorporated in the first gas insulation branch pipe; a voltage transformer arranged on the first gas insulation branch pipe; and an arrestor arranged on the first gas insulation branch pipe and connected with the feeder.

An electronic module for a trip device has been optimised so as to integrate the known functionalities, in particular threshold parameter setting, current measurements, voltage taps, read-out display and communication. An electromagnetic actuator is further present in the electronic module to optimise breaking of the associated circuit breaker. The space occupation constraints inherent to location of the trip device in existing switchgear units have been respected.

A vacuum insulated switchgear comprising a vacuum container accommodating at least a pair of movable contacts and a pair of fixed contacts, wherein the movable contacts are capable of taking three positions, the switchgear being a double-break three-position type switch having breaking and disconnecting functions.

A power control system includes a base having a housing configured for releasably receiving a control unit and a cavity within the housing for receiving a solid state relay having a hockey puck configuration. The base includes an input power terminal for coupling to an input power source, an output power terminal for coupling to a power receiving load, and coupling fixtures for fixedly and electrically coupling to input and output power terminals and control terminals of the received solid state relay. A control unit is configured to control the solid state relay for selectively providing, at least a portion of, the power received at the input power terminal to the output power terminal. The control unit has a housing adapted to be releasably coupled to the base housing. The control unit and base each configured to electrically couple the control unit to the control terminals of the received solid state relay as a function of the control unit being coupled to the base.

A density sensor for monitoring a rate of leakage from the case of electrical switchgear filled with dielectric gas under pressure, the sensor comprising a fixing support mounted from the outside in the thickness of the case and communicating with the dielectric gas. A radiator is placed around the fixing support of the density sensor, thereby enabling a measurement artifact that is due to the exposure of the case and of the sensor to solar radiation to be transformed in such a manner that any risk of untimely crossing of a low density threshold is eliminated.

This invention is in the field of gas detection for sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas decomposition products, particularly for the detection of thionyl fluoride (SOF2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). The invention relates to a novel portable handheld instrument that can readily detect SOF2, SF4 and SO2 in SF6 gas filled electrical equipment and in air. An apparatus for detecting SF6 decomposition products comprising: (a) an inlet for receiving SF6 gas containing SOF2 or SF4; (b) A chamber connected to the inlet and containing a catalyst which converts SOF2 or SF4 into SO2; and (c) an SO2 detector connected downstream of the chamber.

An exhaust system for exhausting gases and molten debris caused by an electric arc within a switchgear. The exhaust system includes a switchgear having lower and upper compartments and an exhaust unit externally mounted to the switchgear. A wall panel of the switchgear includes blow out panels coinciding with openings in the lower compartment and corresponding ventilation flaps in a top surface of the exhaust unit to exhaust gas from the lower compartment out the blow out panels in a vertical direction, exiting through the flaps. The upper compartment includes ventilation flaps for exhausting gas in a vertical direction directly through the flaps and optionally through side-mounted blow out panels that communicate with the vertical vent path to the flaps in the top of the exhaust unit. A bus compartment in the exhaust unit includes a vent path to flaps in the top of the exhaust unit for exhausting gas produced by bus arcing.

A high-speed arc terminator for an electrical power distribution system includes a sealed, evacuated housing, and a controllable mechanical switch having first and second electrically conductive contacts enclosed within the housing and adapted to be coupled to the power distribution system outside the housing. A trigger conductor extends into the housing and has an exposed end near the gap between the contacts when the contacts are in the open position. At least one of the contacts is movable between an open position in which the contacts are separated by a gap, and a closed position in which the contacts engage each other, and an operating mechanism is provided for moving the at least one contact between the open and closed positions. A high voltage source is controllably coupled to the trigger conductor for supplying a high-voltage pulse to the trigger conductor in response to the detection of an arcing fault. The high-voltage pulse produces an arc within the gap between the contacts, to shunt fault current from the power distribution system across the gap, from one of the contacts to the other, before the contacts engage each other.

The invention discloses a novel inflatable switch cabinet which comprises a cabinet body. A gas tank is arranged on the rear side of the cabinet body, a control chamber is arranged on the upper portion of the front side of the cabinet body, a cable chamber is arranged on the lower portion of the front side of the cabinet body, a vacuum breaker is arranged on the upper portion of the gas tank, an isolating switch is arranged in the middle of the gas tank, a main loop is arranged on the lower portion of the gas tank, and an isolating switch operating mechanism and a vacuum breaker operating mechanism are arranged in the control chamber. The isolating switch operating mechanism achieves switch-on, switch-off and ground connection of a disconnecting link by operating a first operating shaft and a second operating shaft, and power-driven operation can be achieved. The vacuum breaker comprises an insulation support, a vacuum bubble and an operating main shaft, the vacuum bubble is arranged in the insulation support in the mode with an upward dynamic contact, a conductive contact and a conductive piece are fixedly arranged on the lower portion of the insulation support and are fixedly connected with a static contact at the lower end of the vacuum bubble, the conductive contact and the disconnecting link are matched for switch-on, and the operating main shaft drives the dynamic contact at the upper end of the vacuum bubble to vertically move to achieve switch-on and switch-off of the vacuum breaker. The novel inflatable switch cabinet is compact in structure, reliable in motion, safe in use and convenient to maintain.

A shielded encapsulated vacuum interrupter with a ceramic vacuum chamber and opposing conductive end caps is provided. One end cap is electrically connected to a fixed contact, while an opposing end cap is connected to a moving contact. The moving contact is actuatable with the fixed contact for opening or closing an electric circuit. A floating shield inside the vacuum chamber connected to the vacuum chamber ceramic wall and spaced from the fixed and moving contacts is isolated and has a floating voltage potential. A portion of the vacuum chamber exterior ceramic wall is coated with a semi-conductive material and conductive voltage screens enclose a portion of the vacuum chamber exterior and are electrically connected to each conductive end cap of the vacuum chamber. The chamber and connected screens are encapsulated in a molded dielectric housing.

In an electrical distribution cabinet a mechanism providing quick, reliable, passive arc blast control has a flue chamber surrounding the likely arc site such as an electrical connection point. The flue chamber provides a flue channel which lengthens the arc and attenuates the current and temperature until the arc is extinguished. Preferably, the flue chamber and channel are formed of opposable open-faced polyhedral structures, one fitting inside the other. The mechanism is particularly suited for draw-out circuit breaker connections in a switch gear cabinet.