Wind farms are power stations and so need high voltage electrical equipment to manage the many megawatts they feed into grids. Some of the electrical equipment built by G&W Electric Co. for such tasks and other renewable-energy applications includes
- Wind-tower load and fault interrupting renewable energy switches that fit within the access door of the tower. Learn more here: Wind Tower Switchgear
- Padmount load and fault interrupting switchgear for applications at the utility grid. Learn more here: Padmount Switchgear
- Padmount Sectionalizing Cabinets for applications at the utility grid.
Junction Bars - Reclosers that provide overcurrent protection at the utility grid permitting an economical alternative to circuit breakers. Learn more here:Reclosers
- Current limiting protectors that protect the utility grid from excessive wind farm fault contributions and the wind farm from massive utility grid fault currents. Learn more here: Current Limiters
The TNI fault interrupters provide electronically controlled, resettable over current protection in a totally sealed, dead front device.
One particular piece of equipment, the G&W model TNI padmount switches, warrants a closer look. The unit includes load break and fault interrupting capability with visible break and integral ground position on each way. This eliminates the need to handle any high voltage connections to ground the cable. The high voltage connections are positioned on the opposite side of the switch operators to further isolate the operator from high voltage. The fault interrupters provide electronically controlled, resettable over current protection in a totally sealed, dead front device. The switches are for use on 3-phase systems with voltages up to 38 kV, 630A load break and continuous current, with 12.5, 20, and 25 kA symmetrical fault interrupting ratings.
The switches are designed to IEEE C37.72, C37.74, and C37.60 for load break and fault interrupting capability. Padmount enclosures are designed and tested to IEEE C57.12.28 and C57.12.29.
Features include:
- Padmount installation
- High voltage connections (bushings) mounted on the opposite of the switch operators to increase safety
- Integral ground position on all ways to eliminate the need to handle high voltage components to ground the cable
- Visible break on all ways
- Fault interrupting ratings up to 25kA symmetrical and fully tested to IEEE C37.60
For an application guide for automatic fault isolation, pick here: www.gwelec.com/documents/pdfs/ag20.pdf
G&W Electric Co.
www.gwelec.com
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