Siemens Industry, Inc.

Rahul Rajvanshi

Harry W Josten

Thomas W Hawkins

Keith Flowers

Jason Parkerson

James Keith Flowers

A mounting base or a riser base for a switchgear is provided with side interior openings to provide an internal arc pathway through which arc gasses or plasma are safely discharged to an outside air. The mounting base includes a front wall having a first end and a second end, a rear wall having a first end and a second end, a first side channel connecting the first end of the front wall to the first end of the rear wall, a second side channel connecting the second end of the front wall to the second end of the rear wall, and forming the mounting base having a central open area in a first section of a switchgear that is adjacent a second section of the switchgear. The mounting base further includes at least one opening in the first side channel for the passage of an arc from the first section of the switchgear to the second section of the switchgear, and thereby forming the mounting base with the internal arc pathway.

Switchgear having a mounting base with an internal arc pathway

A switchgear assembly is provided with an integrated arc flash venting system. The switchgear assembly comprises a circuit breaker section including an arc flash vent stack having blow open flaps disposed on a switchgear roof to exhaust arc flash gases and contaminants away from a front of the circuit breaker section, towards a rear of the circuit breaker section and a top of the circuit breaker section. The circuit breaker section includes a circuit breaker compartment having a back wall with a back vent opening for the passage of all the arc flash gases and contaminants. The circuit breaker section further includes a bus compartment. All of the arc flash gases and contaminants pass through the back vent opening in the circuit breaker compartment and into the bus compartment which forms a single pathway for channeling all of the arc flash gases and contaminants to the arc flash vent stack.

Front connected switchgear assembly having an integrated arc flash venting system

A modular bucket assembly of a low voltage switchgear includes a box shaped bucket having an interior bucket side wall, an exterior bucket side wall with vents in a first periphery, a bucket rear wall, a bucket top wall and a bucket bottom wall. All of the bucket walls define an auxiliary compartment of a switchgear cabinet. The vents in the exterior bucket side wall define an arc gas venting passage in communication with an interior of the auxiliary compartment for exhausting arc gasses to an exterior of the cabinet. The modular bucket assembly further comprises a metal enclosure mounted on the bucket bottom wall. The metal enclosure has a side opening with a second periphery such that the second periphery overlaps the first periphery of the exterior bucket side wall. The metal enclosure is configured to house direct power connected devices and protective fuses and withstand arc fault pressures.

Enhancing an auxiliary compartment of a modular bucket assembly in an arc resistant switchgear

A cabinet structure for a switchgear assembly. The cabinet structure includes a cabinet having upper and lower vents and a breaker cradle for holding a circuit breaker having primary disconnects for connecting the circuit breaker to bus bars. The cabinet further includes an air passageway located between the upper and lower vents, wherein the air passageway extends vertically through the primary disconnects and the cabinet. Further, the cabinet includes a fan module having at least one fan for drawing outside air through the lower vent, the air passageway and the primary disconnects for cooling the primary disconnects.

Modular draw out fan module with chimney design for cooling components in low voltage switchgear

Modular bucket assemblies enable selective configuration of switchgear compartments for conformance with selective levels of personnel accessibility to energized switchgear. The bucket assemblies can be configured to enable personnel access to energized compartments while service doors are open, such as for instrumentation compartments. Interiors and the front face of instrumentation compartment bucket assemblies are isolated from potential infiltration of hot arc gasses in the switchgear cabinet. Other compartments can be configured to enable personnel access to the front face of a fully closed door energized circuit breaker compartment by isolating the compartment door exterior and venting any hot arc gasses out of the compartment interior in a direction away from the front and other peripheral sides of the switchgear cabinet.

Arc resistant switchgear modular compartment for instrumentation and circuit breakers

A master electrical insulation barrier panel for use in a switchgear arrangement. The master electrical insulation barrier panel includes a plurality of optionally removable knock-out features, wherein each of the knock-out features has a peripheral edge. The peripheral edge includes a plurality of snapable tabs, wherein each snapable tab is separated by an opening configured to create a breakable weak link in a non-electrically conductive brittle material used for fabricating the master electrical insulation barrier wherein a weak link is associated with each of the optionally removable knock-out features. In addition, each of the optionally removable knock-out features corresponds to an optional opening for at least one possible electrical connection, such that at least one knock-out feature can be optionally removed from the master electrical insulation barrier panel during installation of the master electrical insulation barrier panel to create the optional opening for at least one electrical connection.

Method and apparatus for knock out feature in brittle material

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.

Circuit breaker compartment arc flash venting system

The present invention relates generally to a switchgear apparatus. More particularly, the invention encompasses a mounting base with arc plenum 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 switchgear mounting base with internal arc plenum can be an integral part of an arc resistant switchgear assembly and is preferably located under the switchgear. The switchgear mounting base works in conjunction with a ventilation system in the switchgear apparatus to channel hot arc gasses (plasma) from the lower breaker compartments in the front of the switchgear in the event of an internal arcing fault in one of the breaker compartments. The hot arc gasses exit downward from the bottom of the switchgear and into the plenum. The gasses then are channeled to travel backward through the plenum and then up again into the switchgear rear compartment where they can be routed to and safely discharged from the roof of the switchgear apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Irving, TX, United States of America

Rahul Rajvanshi