Switchgear refers to the set of fuses and switches that are required in order to shut down electrical equipment. It is an essential part of any electrical system because in order to have a safe electrical system, you need an effective switchgear setup that allows you to remotely shut down the electrical equipment in the event of an emergency.
Switchgear has been around for some time, and as a result, the current technology is quite advanced compared to the original switchgear systems, which required a manual shutdown. There are some situations in which a manual shutdown is not advisable. In fact, in many situations it is at a minimum inconvenient to manually shut down the switchgear because the switchgear is placed in a remote location for safety.
The switchgear must be insulated in order to perform adequately. In smaller systems, this is achieved by having the switchgear in a fenced in area outdoors. This requires a large open air space and this will only work in small systems. Because this is not feasible for all systems, however, there are several alternative insulation options available.
For some time oil was a common insulator, but the danger presented by an oil spill, especially given the proximity to electrical systems has led to the gradual move away from oil insulation in switchgear technology. Oil insulation works by shooting some vaporized oil through the electric arc to extinguish it. Again, this method is effective but is rarely implemented lately due to the risk of oil spills.
One of the most effective insulating materials is gas, although it is extremely expensive and therefore not suitable for all situations. In this situation, the circuit breaker uses magnetic fields to stretch the electrical arc and then the gas breaks the arc. You must use a specific insulating gas.
Another insulating method is vacuum insulation. In this situation, the vacuum insulation quenches the electric arc. This only works in medium voltage situations because there vacuum insulation is not strong enough or stable enough to handle higher voltage situations. The electric arc is compressed in this system as vacuum insulation requires very little stretching in order to extinguish the current.
Another option is a compressed air insulated system. In this system the air elongates the electrical arc until it is unable to sustain itself and extinguishes itself. This is a simple system and effective in many voltage arrangements. This is obviously not at all the same as the open air system discussed earlier.
Switchgear is an important feature for any electrical system. Without an effective switchgear situation, the electrical system is unsafe and unstable. Now that the switchgear technology is able to operate via remote control, the safety of the situation has been increased dramatically.
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