Most of the electrical panels and switchboards don’t need any thermal management for their internal atmosphere. The variation range of their internal temperature remains acceptable through the seasons and stays within the limitations imposed by the incorporated devices. However, some electrical switchboards should deal with extremely cold temperatures (technical rooms in the mountain) or with very warm or humid atmospheres (installations in Africa, in the Far East,…). Without going that far, some electrical switchboards contain a high density of power electronics devices. These electronic devices are more and more compact and generate a high level of heat dissipation. It is particularly true as examples for transformers, and for variable speed drives too. This situation is also frequent in little or big computing rooms. So, what are the solutions for electrical switchboards? Read the rest of this entry »
Warmth, cold, humidity: the proper atmosphere inside the enclosures
October 14th, 2011 | 4 Comments | Posted in Panel BuildingTags: electrical switchboard, enclosure air conditioner, enclosure cooling, heat dissipation
Missed something? Here are September main subjects.
October 7th, 2011 | Make a comment | Posted in Last month main subjectsTags: electrical engineer, electrical safety, Electrical Standards, IEEE1584, nfpa 70e
This month in the community we have launched a survey about MV/LV transformer protection. We also published a blog article, about the US regulations regarding the protection of maintenance people, from the risks of Arc Flash named Arc Flash: are NFPA 70E and IEEE1584 dangerous? In the following article we will evoke some topics which have no answer in the forum and also introduce a member, Manh_hoa09 .
Arc Flash: are NFPA 70E and IEEE1584 dangerous?
September 26th, 2011 | 11 Comments | Posted in Electrical SafetyTags: electrical engineer, electrical safety, Electrical Standards, IEEE1584, nfpa 70e
My name is Günther Müller, I have 20 years of experience in electrical engineering, and I work for a Consultant in Germany. I currently work on the extension of the electrical installation of a site in Europe, owned by a large American industrial group.
In this context, we were asked to evaluate the risk related to Arc Flash, in compliance with NFPA 70E standard and the IEEE1584 calculation methodology. It was the first time I had to do this evaluation, as this is a US standard which I did not know about and which has no equivalent here.
First, we had to make the audit of the existing installation, and the dimensioning of the extension. Then, we had to make the estimation of the Arc Flash risk level for every electrical switchboard, in order then to choose the category of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) which electrical maintenance people should wear when operating on or near these equipments.
But now I really wonder: will this really help to protect the maintenance operators against arc flash risks?
Missed something? Here are August main subjects
September 1st, 2011 | Make a comment | Posted in Last month main subjectsTags: earthing system, electrical earthing, grounding system, system earthing
In August, a
debate about the IT earthing system has been launched, if you haven’t participated yet, why don’t you share your opinion with the other members? In this article we will evoke some forum topics with no answer and introduce a member of the community, Ally Kanyonodo.
IT earthing system: FOR or AGAINST?
August 22nd, 2011 | 9 Comments | Posted in Electrical distributionTags: earthing systems, electrical earthing, electrical protection, grounding system, system earthing
The IT earthing system, when used properly and in the relevant electrical installations, provides numerous advantages, despite the misconceptions held against it. The main advantage is that it increases the availability of the installation. It helps reduce the risk of fires and explosions. It increases the lifespan of the electrical equipment. It also facilitates preventive maintenance and at the same time optimizes the overall maintenance costs, which means that the initial extra-costs are paid back.




