What is Switchgear?
| Features,
Components and Classification
What is Switchgear?
Related Topics The apparatus used for switching,
controlling and protecting the electrical
What is Switchgear?
circuits and equipment is known as
Components of Switchgear
switchgear.
Circuit Breaker - Working
Arching Phenomenon
Methods of Arc Extinction
Types of Circuit Breakers The term ‘switchgear’ is a generic term
Oil Circuit Breaker encompassing a wide range of products
like circuit breakers, switches, switch fuse
Air Blast Circuit Breaker
units, off-load isolators, HRC fuses,
Air Circuit Breaker contactors, earth leakage circuit breakers
SF6 Circuit Breaker (ELCBs), etc...
Vacuum Circuit Breaker
Miniature Circuit Breaker Components of Switchgear
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker A switchgear essentially consists of
Residual Current Circuit switching and protecting devices such as
Breaker switches, fuses, isolators, circuit
Moulded Case Circuit Breaker breakers, relays, control panels, lightning
Circuit Breaker Ratings arrestors, current transformers, potential
transformers, and various
Circuit Breaker Design Basics
associated equipments.
Some equipments are designed to operate
under both normal and abnormal conditions. Some equipments are meant for
switching and not sensing the fault.
During normal operation, switchgear permits to switch on or off generators,
transmission lines, distributors and other electrical equipment. On the other
hand, when a failure (e.g. short circuit) occurs on any part of power system, a
heavy current flows through the equipment, threatening damage to the
equipment and interruption of service to the customers. However, the
switchgear detects the fault and disconnects the unhealthy section from the
system.
Evolution of Switchgear
The switchgear equipment is essentially concerned with switching and
interrupting currents either under normal or abnormal operating conditions.
The tumbler switch with ordinary fuse is the simplest form of switchgear and
is used to control and protect lights and other equipment in homes, offices etc.
For circuits of higher rating, a high-rupturing capacity (H.R.C.) fuse
in conjunction with a switch may serve the purpose of controlling and
protecting the circuit. However, such a switchgear cannot be used profitably
on high voltage system (33 kV) for two reasons.
o Firstly, when a fuse blows, it takes sometime to replace it and
consequently there is interruption of service to the customers.
o Secondly, the fuse cannot successfully interrupt large fault currents that
result from the faults on high voltage system.
With the advancement of power
system, lines and other equipments operate at high voltages and carry large
currents. When a short circuit occurs on the system, heavy current flowing
through the equipment may cause considerable damage. In order to interrupt
such heavy fault currents, automatic circuit breakers (or simply circuit
breakers) are used.
A circuit breaker is a switchgear which can open or close an electrical circuit
under both normal and abnormal conditions. Even in instances where a fuse
is adequate, as regards to breaking capacity, a circuit breaker may be
preferable.
It is because a circuit breaker can close circuits, as well as break them without
replacement and thus has wider range of use altogether than a fuse.
2
Essential Features of Switchgear
The essential features of switchgear are :
1. Complete reliability: With the continued trend of interconnection and the
increasing capacity of generating stations, the need for a reliable switchgear
has become of paramount importance. This is not surprising because
switchgear is added to the power system to improve the reliabil-ity. When
fault occurs on any part of the power system, the switchgear must operate to
isolate the faulty section from the remainder circuit.
2. Absolutely certain discrimination: When fault occurs on any section of the
power system, the switchgear must be able to discriminate between the faulty
section and the healthy section. It should isolate the faulty section from the
system without affecting the healthy section. This will ensure continuity of
supply.
3. Quick operation: When fault occurs on any part of the power system, the
switchgear must operate quickly so that no damage is done to generators,
transformers and other equipment by the short-circuit currents. If fault is not
cleared by switchgear quickly, it is likely to spread into healthy parts, thus
endangering complete shut down of the system
4. Provision for manual control: A switchgear must have provision for manual
control. In case the electrical (or electronics) control fails, the necessary
operation can be carried out through manual control.
Classification of Switchgear
Switchgear can be classified on the basis of voltage level in to the following
1. Low voltage (LV) Switchgear
2. Medium voltage (MV) Switchgear
3. High voltage (HV) Switchgear
