LV MAIN SWITCHBOARD

ELECTRONIC IDMT-CUBICLE TYPE

C/W PERMANENT POWER
SUPPLY INSTALLATION FROM
MSB

MODEL: GOTT-LVMSE-A06

THEORY AND OPERATION MANUAL

 Table of Contents
SAFETY PRECAUTION.............................................................................................................................2
HAZARDS OF HIGH FAULT CURRENT LEVELS......................................................................................2

PLANNING & RISK ASSESSMENT........................................................................................................2

SAFE WORKING PROCEDURES...........................................................................................................2

AUTHORISATION OF PERSONNEL......................................................................................................3

WORKING ON LIVE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT....................................................................................4

HIGH VOLTAGE INSTALLATIONS........................................................................................................5

Operation Of Switch Board Demonstrator Unit At Incoming Section....................................................6

Operation Of Switch Board Demonstrator Unit at Outgoing or Output Section....................................7
Air Circuit Breaker Maintenance Operation..........................................................................................8
Appendix 1...........................................................................................................................................12
Kilowatt-Hour Meter........................................................................................................................14

Function of Kilowatt-Hour Meter.....................................................................................................14

Operation of Kilowatt-Hour Meter..................................................................................................14

Maximum Demand Meter or Indicator............................................................................................15

MCCB (Moulded Case Circuit Breaker)............................................................................................16

Earth Fault Relay..............................................................................................................................18

Overcurrent Protection Relay..........................................................................................................19

Front View of LV Switchboard.........................................................................................................20

Side View of LV Switchboard...........................................................................................................21

Single Line Diagram.........................................................................................................................22

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SAFETY PRECAUTION

HAZARDS OF HIGH FAULT CURRENT LEVELS

HIGH FAULT CURRENTS - Electrical workers should be aware, when working on live
Electrical equipment, that fault current of up 20 times the rated current of the supply
Transformer can flow for short times during fault conditions. Arcs that are produced under
These conditions have the energy to cause an explosion and/or melt metallic switchboard
Cubicles and cause severe burns to the skin and/or cause flash burns to the face and
Eyes. Circuit protection may not operate in such circumstances.

Furthermore, severe damage to the electrical switchboard equipment may occur resulting in
expensive repairs and lost production time.

PLANNING & RISK ASSESSMENT

General - An assessment should be made so work is planned to minimise the risk of

inadvertent contact with live electrical equipment. Where isolation or the use of suitable
insulating barriers is deemed impractical consideration must be given for using a safety
observer when working on or in close proximity to live electrical equipment. All factors
which reflect on safe working procedures should be considered, e.g. proximity to live
electrical equipment, prospective fault levels, site conditions, weather conditions, work
environment, noise, etc.
Consideration should also be given to the consequences of any inadvertent operation whilst
working on live electrical equipment which may affect the safe operation of other
equipment remote from the work site and affecting the safety of others, e.g. the operation
of control devices, standby generators, non-electrical equipment, etc.
Any work being performed in the vicinity of electrical equipment must be organised in such
a way as to eliminate any conceivable risk of any person, either performing work or
accidentally entering work areas, to come in contact with live electrical equipment.
Electrical workers need to plan work in advance, particularly where other services are likely
to be present, e.g. gas, telephone, data communications, water and other electrical circuits.

SAFE WORKING PROCEDURES

Awareness - Electrical workers must be capable of maintaining a physical and mental ability
at all times when in close proximity to, or when working on, electrical equipment.
Personnel, including supervisors, safety observers and those assisting electrical
workers working on electrical equipment must understand the potential hazards involved
in attempting work on electrical equipment if other workers are physically or mentally
impaired, e.g. under the influence of alcohol or drugs or lack of rest.

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Identify - Before electrical equipment is worked on, the switching, isolation,
disconnection procedures and other necessary precautions must be identified by the
person in charge of the work and, where practicable, verified by another experienced
person.

Areas of Reduced Mobility - Particular care must be taken when working in these
areas, due to movement restriction and the inability of being able to readily escape from
the immediate area, e.g. behind switchboards, in roof spaces, under dwellings, up a
ladder, on a scaffold or in a trench.

Note: Identifies the hazards to persons entering and working in confined spaces and sets out
the precautions to be taken to prevent occupational injuries and fatalities associated with
such work environments.

Trafficable Areas - Persons working in close proximity to passing traffic, including

vehicular and pedestrian, should install suitable screens, barriers and/or signage for
personal safeguard and protection. Caution should be exercised when working in a
passageway or narrow access area, e.g. where a door may be inadvertently closed and
propel the electrical worker into a live electrical source.

Illumination - Adequate lighting is essential at all times. Illumination devices should be

of the all insulated type and have no metallic or conductive exterior surfaces when used
in close proximity to electrical equipment. Lamps should be protected against
inadvertent breakage.

AUTHORISATION OF PERSONNEL

General - Personnel working on live electrical equipment must have appropriate training, be
competent and familiar with the equipment and aware of all the potential risks involved.
Personnel must ensure that relevant authorisation has been granted, for the duty to be
performed, before proceeding with the work.

Supervision of Trainees - Trainees must be supervised by a competent person during

carrying out any electrical wiring works and
(a) that the trainee receives the directions, demonstrations and monitoring
appropriate to the tasks assigned to the trainee and the competence of the
trainee so that the trainee can perform the work in a manner that is safe and
without risks to health; and
(b) that should an emergency involving the trainee arise, action to immediately
rectify any dangerous situation can be taken; and
(c) that the trainee is always under direct supervision unless a lesser degree of
supervision would not place the trainee or any other person at risk; and
(d) that the supervisor assumes final responsibility for the wiring work carried out by
the trainee.

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WORKING ON LIVE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

General - Rescheduling the work to a time when power can be isolated must be considered
first. Working on live electrical equipment must only be considered as a last resort and
when an adequate risk process has been undertaken. Suitable safety apparel must be worn
and only tools and equipment appropriate for the work to be carried out must be used.

Assessment - An assessment of the associated risks prior to commencing any work on

live electrical equipment must be made.

Assistance - Where in the judgment of the person doing the work that it cannot be
carried out safely without assistance or a safety observer, then that person must be
provided with that assistance, or the work delayed until isolation can be arranged.

Competency - Any persons undertaking work on live electrical equipment must be

skilled and competent in the work to be carried out.

Precautions - The person responsible for authorising work to be carried out live must
specify any particular precautions to be taken to eliminate hazards and to prevent injury.
When work is to be carried out on or near live low voltage equipment, precautions must
be taken to prevent the likelihood of simultaneous contact with conductors or conducting
objects at different potentials.

Safety Apparel - Electrical workers and their assistants must wear appropriate
protective clothing suitable for the task when working on, or in close proximity to, live
(energised) electrical equipment. Protective clothing worn by personnel must be of
correct fit and in good condition.

Earthing - When working on live electrical equipment having earthed metal, precautions
must be taken to ensure earthing continuity is maintained to any component part of the
equipment at all times. Bonding conductors may be required to be installed when
removing electrical equipment from earthed metal, e.g. live component part separated
from its connected earthing medium. Bonding conductors must be rated to withstand the
‘let through’ energy of the primary protection without failing.

Neutral Connections - Particular care should be taken when removing neutral

connections as tests may have indicated a de-energised situation. However, when these
connections are removed, a voltage may be present between conductors or between
conductors and earth.

Barriers & Insulation Mediums - Only conductors at one potential should be worked
on at any one time and insulated barriers should be utilised in the work area between
conductors of different phases or voltage potentials. Insulating mats or barriers should
be used between electrical workers and conductors and between electrical workers and
earth including building structures such as concrete and steel which may be earthed.
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HIGH VOLTAGE INSTALLATIONS

No work must be done on or in close proximity to high voltage installations unless

appropriate training has been undertaken and an appropriate safe work permit system
used.

Operation Of Switch Board Demonstrator Unit At Incoming Section

1. Supply 3 phase 415VAC voltage to the incoming CEE socket of the Switch board
demonstrator unit by using the provided 3-phase cable.
2. To power on the mains power of the Switch board demonstrator unit, you have to
manually charged through a front charge lever ( refer to Fig.1 ) a few times with full

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 strokes until the closing spring is completely charge. In the situation when the
springs is charged, the charging indicator shows “CHARGED”. At this time, the air
circuit breaker can be operated locally using the ON and OFF buttons. When the
“ON” pressed, the indicator on the front panel is showing the status of the product:
“ON”.

Fig.1

3. The “Supply On Indicator Lamp” light up to indicate the 3 phase mains power has
been switching on.
4. The “frequency meter” shows the AC lines frequency in Hz when the mains power is
switched on.
5. The “power factor meter” shows the power factor value when the mains power is
switched on.
6. The “voltmeter “ show
i. the 3 phase voltage reading of RY if the selector switch to select RY.
ii. the 3 phase voltage reading of YB if the selector switch to select YB.
iii. the 3 phase voltage reading of BR if the selector switch to select BR.
iv. the single phase voltage reading of RN if the selector switch to select RN.
v. the single phase voltage reading of YN if the selector switch to select YN.
vi. the single phase voltage reading of BN if the selector switch to select BN.
7. The “Ammeter” shows the current drawn by the related load which is connect to the
switchboard demonstrator unit. The red indicator acts as the maximum demand
indicator. It shows the maximum current demand during the unit is operating. The
black indicator shows the current drawn by the load.
8. In normal operating condition, the “Earth Fault Relay” will not activate. It will be
activated when the leakage current to earth is exceed the rated leakage current of
the relay or when the “Test” button is pressed. Once it activated, the whole system
power will be cut off. To turn on back the mains power of the switchboard
demonstrator unit, you have to press the “Reset” button to deactivate the relay.
Then repeat step 1.

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 9. In normal operating condition, the “Overcurrent Relay” will not activate. It will be
activated when the current is exceed the rated current of the overcurrent relay or
when the “Test” button is pressed. Once it activated, the whole system power will be
cut off. To turn on back the mains power of the switchboard demonstrator unit, you
have to press the “Reset” button to deactivate the relay. Then repeat step 1
10. The aluminium disc of a mains 3 phase kilowatt-hour meter will start moving or the
mains 3 phase kilowatt-hour meter will start calculating the electrical energy
consumption in billing cycles, which are measured in kilowatt-hours, or units of
energy equivalent to 1,000 watt-hours when the output of the switch board
demonstrator unit is connected to the external load which is consuming the current
from the unit.
11. The 6A per phase MCB is to act as a protection to the unit. The relative MCB will trip
if the incoming current for the particular phase is exceed the rated current of the
MCB.

Operation Of Switch Board Demonstrator Unit at Outgoing or Output Section

1. To switch on the output of the 3 phase 415VAC, the both 30A TPN MCCB at 2 nd & 3rd
compartment must be switch on. Once both 30A TPN MCCB are switching on the
415VAC shall be appear at CEE output socket.
2. The aluminum disc of a output 3 phase power kilowatt-hour meter will start moving
or the output 3 phase power kilowatt-hour meter will start calculating the electrical
energy consumption in billing cycles, which are measured in kilowatt-hours, or units
of energy equivalent to 1,000 watt-hours when the 3 phase 415VAC output is
connected to the external load.
3. To switch on the output of the 240VAC 15A , the both 20A 2P MCCB at 2 nd & 3rd
compartment must be switch on. Once both 20A 2P MCCB are switching on the
240VAC shall be appear at 15A S/S/O 3 pin output socket.
4. The aluminum disc of a output single phase power kilowatt-hour meter will start
moving or the output single phase power kilowatt-hour meter will start calculating
the electrical energy consumption in billing cycles, which are measured in kilowatt-
hours, or units of energy equivalent to 1,000 watt-hours when the single phase
240VAC 15A output is connected to the external load.
5. To switch on the output of the 240VAC 13A , the 20A 2P MCCB at 2 nd compartment
must be switch on. Once 20A 2P MCCB are switching on the 240VAC shall be appear
at 13A S/S/O 3 pin output socket.

Air Circuit Breaker Maintenance Operation

1. Caution: Before opening or closing the breaker equipped with an under voltage
tripping device, control voltage should applied.
2. Manual operation: Charge the handle 7-8 times with full strokes. When the closing
spring is completely charge, the charging indicator shows “CHARGED”. Push ON
button and the breaker will be closed. The ON/OFF indicator shows “ON” and the

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 charging indicators shows “DISCHARGED” and when you push the OFF button the
breaker will tripped which the ON/OFF indicator shows “OFF”.

3. Electrical operation: Closing operation is done by charging the closing spring from
remote control. If pushing trip button, closing spring is automatically charged by a
geared motor and a circuit breaker is closed by button. Remote closing can be made
by energizing the closing coil (CC). Apply the rated voltage to the control terminals
A1 and A2 and close the breaker. Remote opening can be made by energizing the
shunt trip device under voltage trip device. In the case of SHT, apply the rated
voltage to the terminal C1 and C2. In the case of UVT, remote opening is also
possible by applying a short-circuit across terminals D1 and D2 of the UVT controller.

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4. Draw-in operation: Pull the extension rails of cradle forward and put the breaker on
the rail by using lifting device. Please check if the circuit breaker fits well to the
cradle and slowly push the circuit breaker by moving the rail handle until it stops.
Keep pushing the OFF button when the circuit breaker in a trip condition and insert a
handle to the body of the circuit breaker. Check the draw-out handle properly
inserted and then push the lock plate and turn the draw-out handle clockwise in
order to insert the breaker. When the breaker reaches the TEST position, the lock
plate automatically projects and the draw-out handle is locked. Push in the lock plate
and turn the draw-out handle again clockwise until the lock plate projects, the
inserting operation is finished. At this time, the draw- out position indicator shoes
CONEECTED position.

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10
5. Draw-out operation: Keep pushing the OFF button when the circuit breaker in a trip
condition, and insert a handle to the body of the circuit breaker. Check the draw-out
handle properly inserted and then push the lock plate and turn the draw-out handle
counterclockwise in order to insert the breaker. When the breaker reaches the TEST
position, the lock plate automatically projects and the draw-out handle is locked.
Push in the lock plate and turn the draw-out handle again counterclockwise until the
lock plate projects, At this time, the draw-out operation is finished with indicator
which shows DISCONNECTED position. The circuit breaker indicated with
‘DISCONNECTED” can be separated safely from the cradle by removing a draw in/out
handle and releasing right and the left locks. Use a lifting hook to separate a circuit
breaker from a cradle.

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Appendix 1

1. What is the function of Air Circuit Breaker

Air circuit breaker is designed to overcome the defects and safeguard the machine before it
breakdowns.

2. The main function of air circuit breaker is to:

a. Open and close a 3 phase circuit, manually or automatically.

b. Open the circuit automatically when a fault occurs. Faults can be of various types – under
or over voltage, under or over frequency, short circuit, reverse power, earth fault etc.

- The main feature of ACB is that it dampens or quenches the arcing during overloading.

3. Air Circuit Breaker (ACB) Construction & Working

ACB has two sets of contacts i.e. main and auxiliary contacts. Each set of contact consists of
a fixed contact and a moving contact. The main contact normally carries most of the load
current. All the contacts are made of cadmium-silver alloy which has very good resistance to
damage by arcing.

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When the ACB is closed, the powerful spring is energized and the ACB is than latched shut
against spring pressure. The auxiliary contact makes first & breaks last i.e. when ACB is
closed, the auxiliary contact closes first then the main contact follows.

When the ACB is open, the main contact open firsts and then auxiliary contact opens. Thus
the auxiliary contacts are subjected to arcing during the opening of ACB and can easily be
replaced.

The main contact closing pressure is kept high so that the temperature rise in the contacts
while carrying current remains within limit. Closing coil operating on D.C voltage from a
rectifier is provided to close the circuit breaker by operating a push button.

4. How Arc Quenching is Achieved?

Quenching of arc is achieved by:

a. Using arcing contacts made of resistance alloy and silver tips for the main contacts. Arcing
contacts close earlier and opens later than the main contacts.

b. When opening contacts have long travelled at high speed to stretch the resultant arc,
which is transferred to the arcing contact.

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c. Cooling and splitting of the arc is done by arc chutes which draw the arc through splitters
by magnetic action and quickly cool and split the arc until it snaps. The circuit breaker opens
when the arc is quenched.

Kilowatt-Hour Meter

A kilowatt-hour meter contains an aluminium disc, which is supported by a spindle with a

worm gear. The worm gear drives the register, or series of dials used to record how much
energy is used. The kilowatt-hour meter also contains coils, which work in conjunction with
the disc, and a permanent magnet.

Function of Kilowatt-Hour Meter

Kilowatt-hour meters calculate electrical energy consumption in billing cycles, which are
measured in kilowatt-hours, or units of energy equivalent to 1,000 watt-hours. Periodic
readings taken by kilowatt-hour meters establish billing cycles utilized by utility companies.

Operation of Kilowatt-Hour Meter

One coil connects to the disc and creates a magnetic flux in proportion to the voltage
received. The other coil generates a magnetic flux proportional to the current. The voltage
coil's magnetic field is delayed via a lag coil, which results in eddy currents flowing through
the disc. These currents exert force on the disc proportional to the coil's current and
voltage. A permanent magnet exerts an opposing force on the disc. These forces result in a
disc-speed rotation proportional to the power generated. The disc activates a register
device, which counts disc revolutions in order to calculate energy consumption.

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Maximum Demand Meter or Indicator

Maximum Demand meter is used for monitoring thermal loading in Power Distribution
systems, Networks, Machines etc. It indicates maximum loading current over a period.
Short-period current peaks are not registered but long overloads are registered.
In the Maximum Demand meter the measuring current flows through the bimetal spiral
which is temperature sensitive. The free end of the spiral is connected to a black measuring
pointer. The moving system is activated by heat generated by the current flowing through
the spiral. The instrument is provided with an additional red slave pointer with a higher
friction, which makes it to remain at its maximum position, which determines the maximum
average loading current. The high torque of metallic movement drags the red pointer along
with the black pointer. The red pointer remains stationary at the maximum value reached.
This can be reset by rotating the knob provided on front facia. To prevent false indication
due to fluctuations in ambient temperature, an additional bimetallic spiral is wound in
opposite direction, which is mounted on the same spindle to compensate variation in
temperature from -10 to + 55 degrees Centigrade.
Frequently there is a need to measure instantaneous current simultaneously & hence
moving iron movement having the same range is incorporated in the same meter.

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MCCB (Moulded Case Circuit Breaker)

The traditional molded-case circuit breaker uses electromechanical (thermal magnetic) trip
units that may be fixed or interchangeable. An MCCB provides protection by combining a
temperature sensitive device with a current sensitive electromagnetic device. Both these
devices act mechanically on the trip mechanism.
Depending upon the application and required protection, an MCCB will use one or a
combination of different trip elements that protect against the following conditions:
Thermal overloads; Short circuits; and Ground faults.
Thermal overload. In an overload condition, there's a temperature buildup between the
insulation and conductor. If left unchecked, the insulation's life will drastically reduce,
ultimately resulting in a short circuit. This heat is a function of the square of the rms current
(F), the resistance in the conductor (R), and the amount of time the current flows (t).
Short-circuit condition. Usually, a short circuit occurs when abnormally high currents flow
as a result of the failure of an insulation system. This high current flow, termed short-circuit
current, is limited only by the capabilities of the distribution system. To stop this current
flow quickly so that major damage can be prevented, the short circuit or instantaneous
element of an MCCB is used.
Ground fault condition. A ground fault actually is a type of short circuit, only it's phase-to-
ground, which probably is the most common type of fault on low-voltage systems (600V or
less).
Usually, arcing ground-fault currents are not large enough to be detected by the standard
MCCB protective device. But, if left undetected, they can increase sufficiently to trip the

16
standard protective device. When this happens, it usually is too late, and the damage is
already done. An example of this is a motor having an internal insulation failure. While the
current flow may be small, it must be detected and eliminated before major motor damage
takes place.
Prior to the introduction of electronic CBs, separate ground fault protection devices were
used to provide this additional level of protection. Today's modern electronic CB has the
ground fault protection as an integral part of the trip unit.

Overload trip action

Overload, or thermal trip action uses a piece of bimetal heated by the load current. This
bimetal is actually two strips of metal bonded together, with each having a different thermal
rate of heat expansion. They are factory-calibrated and not field-adjustable.
That part of the bimetal having the greater rate of expansion (shown in red) is on the
outside of the bend curve. To trip the CB, this bimetal must deflect enough to physically
push the trip bar and unlatch the contacts.

Short-circuit trip action

Short-circuit trip action uses an electromagnet having a winding that's in series with the load
current. When a short circuit occurs, the current flowing through the circuit conductor
causes the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet to increase rapidly and attract the
armature. When this happens, the armature rotates the trip bar, causing the CB to trip.
The only time delay factor involves the time it takes for the contacts to physically open and
extinguish the arc; this usually is less than one cycle.
Magnetic elements are either fixed or adjustable, depending upon the type of CB and frame
size. For example, most thermal magnetic breakers above the 150A frame size have
adjustable magnetic trips.
Thermal magnetic trip action
As the name implies, a thermal magnetic trip unit combines the features of a thermal unit
and a magnetic unit. As a result, the time current curve, combines the performance
characteristics. A thermal magnetic trip unit is best suited to most general-purpose
applications as it's temperature sensitive and automatically will follow safe cable and
equipment loadings. These loadings will vary with ambient temperatures. Thermal magnetic
units don't trip if the overload isn't dangerous, but will trip instantly with heavy short-circuit
currents.
Electronic trip units
Electronic trip units typically consist of a current transformer (CT) for each phase, a printed
circuit board, and a shunt trip. The CTs monitor current and reduce it to the required ratio
for direct input into the printed circuit board, the brains of the electronic trip unit. The

17
circuit board then interprets current flow information, makes trip decisions based on
predetermined parameters, and tells the shunt trip unit to trip the breaker.

Earth Fault Relay

Earth fault ("ground fault" in the United States) – Earth fault protection again requires
current transformers and senses an imbalance in a three-phase circuit. Normally the three
phase currents are in balance, i.e. roughly equal in magnitude. If one or two phases become
connected to earth via a low impedance path, their magnitudes will increase dramatically,
as will current imbalance. If this imbalance exceeds a pre-determined value, the relay
operates, one or more contacts will operate and energize to trip (open) a circuit breaker.

18
Overcurrent Protection Relay

A analog or digital over current relay is a type of protective relay which operates when the
load current exceeds a preset value. In a typical application the over current relay is
connected to a current transformer and calibrated to operate at or above a specific current
level. When the relay operates, one or more contacts will operate and energize to trip
(open) a circuit breaker.

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Front View of LV Switchboard

20
Side View of LV Switchboard

21
Single Line Diagram

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