Distribution boards

Distribution boards
• A Distribution Board is described in the ETCI Rules for Electrical Installations (ET101: 2000)
as an assembly of protective devices, including two or more fuses or circuit breakers,
arranged for the distribution of electrical energy to final circuits or to other distribution
boards.
• Distribution board is a safe system designed for house or building that included Protective
devices such as isolator switches, circuit breaker and fuses to connect safely the cables and
wires to the sub circuits and final sub circuits including their associated Live (Phase) Neutral
and Earth conductors. Distribution board is also known as “Fuse Board“, “Panel Board” or
“Consumer Unit“. Following are the types of Distribution boards.
• A distribution board will consist of a suitable enclosure containing suitable facilities for
mounting fuses and/or circuit breakers and other protective devices (such as residual
current circuit breakers/devices which may, or may not, provide integral overcurrent
protection) and other switching and control devices. A distribution board will also contain
‘busbars’ for interconnecting the circuit breakers or fuses along with neutral and earth bars
for connecting the incoming and outgoing neutral conductors and protective conductors.
This enclosure may be either of metal clad or all insulated type of construction.
Distribution boards
 Location of Distribution boards
• Shall be protected against dust, moisture, corrosive or polluting substances, excessive
temperatures, impact, vibration and other mechanical stresses.
• Shall be readily accessible and not located over cooking or heating appliances, in bathrooms,
washrooms or WC’s, in storage or airing cupboards, under staircases or where it might be
covered by garments.
• Shall not be located in an escape route such as a stairway or corridor unless supplementary
fire precaution measures are provided. This does not apply to single occupancy buildings.
• Shall not be located above or below, or within 400mm horizontally from a gas meter or a gas
appliance in the same space.
• Shall be protected against damage arising from a fault in other services achieved by the use
of barriers or by separation.
• The Ingress Protection (IP) rating scheme is an
• internationally recognized system of denoting the degree of protection afforded by various
products against
1. Access to hazardous parts and
2. Harmful ingress of water.
Components of Distribution boards
• Circuit Breakers
• Bus Bars
 Circuit breakers
• A circuit breaker generally protects the circuit (the wiring from supply
to load). The wires in a house will heat up and could start a fire if
more than 15 Amps are drawn in the circuit (depending on the gauge
of the thinnest wire in the circuit); the circuit breaker prevents this. A
fuse generally protects an electronic device. An electronic device
might be fine under nominal voltage but could be damaged by over-
voltage. The fuse is designed to prevent high current in the protected
device.
• Breakers are relatively large and expensive compared to fuses but can
be reset so they are best used in fixed installations where they may
trip multiple times during their useful life. A fuse is light and compact
and so is good for small electronics but is only good for one
“incident”.
 Bus Bars
• An electrical bus bar is defined as a conductor or a group of
conductor used for collecting electric power from the incoming
feeders and distributes them to the outgoing feeders. In other
words, it is a type of electrical junction in which all the
incoming and outgoing electrical current meets. Thus, the
electrical bus bar collects the electric power at one location.
The bus bar system consists the isolator and the circuit breaker.
On the occurrence of a fault, the circuit breaker is tripped off
and the faulty section of the busbar is easily disconnected from
the circuit.
• The electrical bus bar is available in rectangular, cross-sectional,
round and many other shapes. The rectangular bus bar is
mostly used in the power system. The copper and aluminium
are used for the manufacturing of the electrical bus bar.
 Advantages
• Reduced Facility Costs: The installation of busbars is
comparatively less expensive and there are no outside labor
costs for electrical specialists. They don’t require routine
maintenance and are less costly for remodeling or expansion.
• Easy and Faster Installation: Busbars are installed easily and
quickly with no downtime.
• Environmentally Friendly: Depending upon the type, the
busbars require only a few installation materials and plug-in
outlets are reusable and re-locatable.
• Secure & Reliable: It replaces the cable distribution system
which has its own complication for fire hazard.
 Applications
• Some of the basic applications of Busbars include:
1. Industries
2. Hospitals
3. Power Plants
4. Data centers
5. Laboratories
6. Apartments
7. Retail facilities
8. Institutions
9. Metros
10.Railways
11.Technology settings
Types of Electrical Busbar Arrangement
• Busbar is available in round, rectangular, cross-sectional and many other shapes. In
the power system, the rectangular bus bar is mostly used.
• Typically composed of copper, aluminum and brass, a wide range of busbar
arrangement is used for power distribution.
• The choice of busbar arrangement completely depends on different factors including
but not limited to flexibility, reliability, usage, cost, etc. The various busbar types are:
1. Sandwich
2. Compact Air Insulated
3. Lighting
4. Cast Resin System
5. Isolated Phase Busducts
6. Segregated Phase Busducts
7. Non- Segregated Phase Busducts
8. Trolley Busbars
 Busbar calculations
• THUMB Rule for Busbar :
• For Aluminium : 0.7 Amps / 1 Sq.mm of Aluminium.
• For Copper : 1.2 Amps / 1 Sq.mm of Copper.
• Busbar Temperature details: -
• Busbar material = Copper
• Operating Temperature of Bus bar (θ)=85°C.
• Final Temperature of Bus bar during Fault(θ1)=185°C.
• Temperature rise of Bus Bar Bar during Fault (θt=θ1-θ)=100°C.
• Ambient Temperature (θn) =50°C.
• Maximum Bus Bar Temperature Rise=55°C.
Types of Electrical Busbar Arrangement
 Types of Distribution boards
• Main Distribution Board (MDB)
• Sub main Distribution Board (SMDB)
• Final Distribution Board (FDB)
• Motor Control Center Panels
 Main Distribution Board (MDB)
• A distribution board unit installed in the buildings which firstly receive the incoming single
phase electric supply (AC low voltage (LV) (230V AC or 120V AC in US) from transformer
secondary through electric pole and energy meter or the distribution company’s electric service
provider outlets is known as Main Distribution Board.
• Main Distribution Board (MDB) is also known as Fuse board or consumer unit where the main
protective and isolation devices are installed to provide electricity in a safe range to the
connected
• Main Distribution Boards
• Power Distribution is a system, consisting of a Main Distribution Board (MDB), Sub Main
Distribution Boards (SMDBs) and Final Distribution Boards, by whic h the electrical energy is
transmitted via branches to reach the exact end user.
• An MDB is a panel or enclosure that houses the fuses, circuit breakers and ground leakage
protection units where the electrical energy, which is used to distribute electrical power to
numerous individual circuits or consumer points, is taken in from the transformer or an
upstream panel.
• An MDB typically has a single or multiple incoming power sources and includes main circuit
breakers and residual current or earth leakage protection devices. A MDB is comprised of a free
standing enclosure, a bus bar system, MCCB's, metering and support equipments and required
current transformers. Panels are assembled in a systematic manner such as incomer section
and outgoing section.
 Key features of Main Distribution Boards 
• Fully type tested assemblies as per IEC 61439-1
• Rated upto 6000A
• Rated operating voltage upto 690V
• Manufactured to Form 2, Form 3 & Form 4 construction
• Type tested for 85kA/1 sec, 50kA/3 sec
• Designed for both withdrawable & fixed versions
• Ample cabling space for easy connections
• Top and bottom cable entry.
• Panels for front or rear access to suit application
• Index of protection : IP 31 & IP 54
• Floor mounting
• Maximum safety & reliability
• Modular system with Customized design to meet end user requirements.
Main Distribution Board
 Sub main Distribution Board (SMDB)
• The Distribution Board which is used to distribute electrical wiring
and circuits within a selected area in a building or house, i.e. floor
in a multi storey building. The Sub distribution board is connected
and supplied from the Main Distribution Board through different
wires and cables rated according to the load requirement
• The MDB then feeds SMDBs, which is installed generally at the
point where a large distribution cable terminates and several
smaller sub-circuits start. These are the switchboards that
although similar construction, are larger than a final distribution
board circuit. The boards are installed midway through the power
distribution system, at the point in a large distribution cable ends,
and several smaller starting sub-circuits.
 Key features of Sub Main Distribution
Boards
• Fully type tested assemblies as per IEC 61439-1
• Rated upto 1250A
• Rated operating voltage upto 690V
• Manufactured to Form 2 & Form 4 construction
• Type tested for 50kA/1 sec
• Ample cabling space for easy connections
• Top and bottom cable entry.
• Panels for front or rear access to suit application
• Index of protection : IP 31 & IP 54
• wall mounting or free standing to suit application
Sub main Distribution Board
 Final Distribution Board (FDB)
• The Distribution Board which provide electric
supply to the Final and Sub Final Circuits is
known as Final Distribution Board.
• FDB (Final Distribution Board) directly
connected through SDB (Sub Distribution
Board) and the final switches are used to
control the connected electrical devices and
appliances such as light, air-conditioner, fan
etc.
Key features of Final Distribution Board
• Compliant with IEC 61439-3
• Current rating upto 250A
• Index of protection : IP 41 & IP 55 as per IEC 60529
• Available in Row type distribution, pan assembly
(single or multi split arrangement) in flush or
surface versions
• Short circuit withstand : 17kA for 200ms
• Adopted range to local regulations, quality makes
and easy installation
Final Distribution Board
 Motor Control Center Panels
• Motor control centers are simply physical groupings of combination
starters in one assembly. A combination starter is a single enclosure
containing the motor starter, fuses or circuit breaker, and a device
for disconnecting power. Other devices associated with the motor,
such as pushbuttons and indicator lights may also be included.
• These usually comprise of incoming Air Circuit Breakers, main
horizontal and vertical bus bars, outgoing starter modules with
MCCB / Switch Fuse Unit, overload relays, contractors, etc. with
adequate space for connection of cable and are easily extendable
on either side and have excellent short circuit withstand
performance of Bus Bars comprised of bolted / riveted modular
construction.
Motor Control Center Panels
Key features of Motor Control Center Panels
• Fully type tested assemblies as per IEC 61439-1
• Rated upto 6000A
• Rated operating voltage upto 690V
• Manufactured to Form 2 & Form 4 construction
• Type tested for 85kA/1 sec, 50kA/3 sec
• Designed for both withdrawable & fixed versions
• Tailored control using VFD, Soft starter & DOL
• Ample cabling space for easy connections
• Top and bottom cable entry.
• Panels for front or rear access to suit application
• Index of protection : IP 31 & IP 54
• Floor mounting
• Maximum safety & reliability
• Modular system with Customized design to meet end user requirements.
Arrangement of Distribution boards
 Video representations
• Distribution boards:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-vghMQgQRk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JtWoWuvN3s
• main Distribution board:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxaIGhnFtWk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqkocZhlTxM
• Sub main Distribution board:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxSW92STqi4&t=7s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuIq10jRuYk&t=49s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99ks73aatcE&t=1s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6FhURkTJNc
• Final Distribution board:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GWv-NIFT2M&t=2s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO_MxUj2Z7U
• Motor Control Center Panel:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHsSRbf7-ak