Insulating Plate for Medium-Voltage Switchgear Busbar Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-insulated medium-voltage switchgear designs are costly due to the need for complex and expensive components to isolate busbar conductors from metal walls and provide sufficient tracking resistance, often requiring intricate supports and bushings.
Innovation Solution
The use of an insulating plate with parallel phase-separating walls that extend into both the busbar and functional compartments, eliminating the need for complex bushings and supports by forming through-openings and providing tracking resistance through a z-like shape and receiving slots, which also reduces the overall space requirement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex bushings and supports are used to isolate busbar conductors from metal walls, then tracking resistance is ensured, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating plate combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides tracking resistance to ensure reliability, isolates busbar conductors from metal walls, supports busbar conductors without additional supports, and separates phases. This merging eliminates the need for separate complex bushings and supports while maintaining all required functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating plate serves as a multi-functional element that simultaneously provides electrical insulation, mechanical support, phase separation, and tracking resistance. This universal component replaces multiple specialized components (bushings, supports, barriers) with a single integrated solution.
2Reliability
If traditional insulation structures are used, then tracking resistance is provided, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating plate merges insulation, support, and phase separation functions into one compact component, eliminating the need for additional space-consuming elements like separate bushings, supports, and barriers, thereby reducing overall switchgear volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating plate utilizes the wall area between compartments as a three-dimensional space for providing tracking resistance and phase separation, rather than adding extra components that would increase volume in any dimension.
3Reliability
If complex bushings and supports are used, then busbar conductor isolation is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating plate combines isolation, support, and phase separation functions into a single manufacturable component, reducing the number of parts, assembly steps, and associated costs while maintaining reliable conductor isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-functional insulating plate reduces manufacturing complexity by replacing multiple specialized components with a single universal element that can be manufactured and installed more efficiently.
4Reliability
If multiple separate components are used for insulation and support, then reliability is ensured, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating plate merges insulation, support, and phase separation functions into one integrated component, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining the reliability benefits of multiple functions through a single robust design.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal insulating plate performs multiple critical functions simultaneously, reducing component count and simplifying the overall device structure while ensuring reliable insulation and support.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design results in a cost-effective switchgear with reduced space requirements and guaranteed tracking resistance, achieved through simplified insulation and attachment methods, such as gluing phase separation walls into slots, and conductive connections via bolts, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a wall in the form of an insulating plate (12) with through-openings (13, 14, 15) for busbar conductors (9, 10, 11) is used. In this way, complex and therefore expensive components for isolating the busbar conductors (9, 10, 11) from a metal wall can be dispensed with
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of mutually parallel phase separating walls (32, 33, 34, 35) are held on the insulating plate (12), which extend into the busbar space (2) and the further functional space (3)
Implementation Method 3
conducting bolts extend through the respective passage opening from the busbar space into the further functional space, the busbar conductors being fastened to the ends of these bolts pointing into the busbar space
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
In order to design an air-insulated medium-voltage switchgear assembly with a busbar area and at least one further functional area, which is separated from the busbar area by means of a wall, with a switch module, wherein busbar conductors extend out of the busbar area through the wall into the further functional area, which switchgear assembly has a cost-effective design, the invention proposes that the wall is formed from an insulating plate with through-openings for each busbar conductor and the busbar conductors are fixed at the through-openings.