Switchgear Basics
• The system used for switching, controlling, isolating, measuring and
protecting the electrical circuits and regulating equipment is known
as Switchgear. The Switchgear carries out the functions of carrying,
making, and breaking the normal load current like a switch. Switchgear is
not a single object, predominantly consists of switching and protecting
devices.
• The term ‘switchgear’ is a generic term that includes a wide range of
switching devices like circuit breakers, switches, switch fuse units, off-load
isolators, HRC fuses, contactors, miniature circuit breaker,
ELCBs, GFCIs etc.
• It also includes the combination of these switching devices with associated
control, measuring, protecting and regulating equipment. The switchgear
devices and their assemblies are used in connection with the generation,
transmission, distribution, and conversion of electrical energy.
The switchgear can be classified into three categories:
Components of Switchgear
Switchgear essentially consists of switching and protecting devices
such as switches, fuses, isolators, circuit breakers, protective
relays, control panels, lightning arrestors, current transformers,
potential transformers, auto re-closures, and various
associated equipment.
1. Switches- is a device which is used to open or close an
electrical circuit in a convenient way. It can be used under full-
load or no-load conditions but it cannot interrupt the fault
currents. The switches may be classified into-
o Air switches
o Oil switches
The contacts of the former are opened in the air and that of the
latter is opened in oil.
2. Fuses-is a short piece of wire or thin strip which melts when excessive current
flows through it for sufficient time. It is inserted in series with the circuit to be
protected.
When a short circuit or overload occurs, the current through the fuse element
increases beyond its rated capacity. This raises the temperature and the fuse element
melts (or blows out), disconnecting the circuit protected by it.
3. Circuit breaker- is an equipment which can open or close a circuit under all
conditions (no-load, full load and fault conditions). It is so designed that it can
be operated manually (or by remote control) under normal conditions and
automatically under fault conditions. For the latter operation, a relay circuit is
used with a circuit breaker.
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4. Protective relay -is a device which detects the fault and supplies information to
the breaker for circuit interruption and they are vital parts of the switchgear
equipment.
When a fault occurs the relay contacts are closed and the trip coil of the circuit
breaker is energized to open the contacts of the circuit breaker.
5. Instrument Transformer-are used in switchgear installations for the
measurement of electrical parameters for protection and metering purposes. The
instrument transformers are two types namely-
A. Voltage transformer-is used for metering & protection of the voltage
B. Current Transformer-is used for metering & protection of the current
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6. Surge Arrester-are very important components of switchgear and substation
installations. These are used to protect the substation equipment from temporary
over-voltages, switching impulses, and lightning impulses, and to a certain extent,
very fast transient over-voltages.
7. Disconnector Switch (Isolator)-are devices which are generally operated off-
load to provide isolation of main plant items for maintenance, on to isolate faulted
equipment from other live equipment.
8. Auto Re-closures & Sectionalisers- are used in the distribution networks
of medium voltage switchgear up to 33 kV class. These equipment are useful
for the fast automatic restoration of supply following transient faults in the
system. The faults may be due to frequent lightning surges and in areas
where power lines run through forests and trees.
9. Control and Protection Panel
Control systems comprise control panels, transformers such as potential and current
protective relays, and the connected circuitry that monitor, control, and protect the
various components of power conduction.
The objective of a protection scheme is to keep the power system stable by isolating
only the components that are under fault.
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