127. Low Voltage Switchgear Design

Indian power scenario is undergoing a significant change with the implimentation of Accelerated Power Development & Reforms (APDRP) programme and the enactment of New Electricity Act. Besides reduction in project execution cycle, fast-track projects demand both competitiveness and application of latest technology. This is naturally making an impact on selection and application of Low Voltage (LV) switchgear for power plant & industries. The use of digital technology has already brought in a revolutionary change in the plant controls & instrumentation in the last decade. However, corresponding upgradation in LV switchgear and its interface with station control has not been very significant so far. There has also been a considerable reduction in the project execution period forcing the user to look for flexible designs in LV Switchgear to cut down the engineering and procurement cycle. Steep increase in the cost of real estate and the construction material is compelling the purchaser to look for compact designs in Low Voltage Switchgear as this is vast and spread out. Another aspect which has found increased demand from the user is about safety features and protection against fire hazards. There is also a trend for adopting faster and more selective protection systems to minimize the cost incurred on avoidable downtimes. This paper presents current trends in respect of application of microprocessors in Low Voltage Switchgear, Fuse Free Switchgear using MCCB's, protection systems, compactness of layout, flexibility in switchgear design and application of arcing fault detectors.