Switchgear is a term used to describe a wide variety of switching devices that are used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment in an electric power system. It is a vital system in industries that experience electrical faults or those that need to regularly de-energize equipment for maintenance, such as industrial environments and electrical utilities. Switchgear contains fuses, switches, and other power conductors, but circuit breakers are the most common component found in switchgear. One of the basic functions of switchgear is protection, which is the interruption of short-circuit and overload fault currents while maintaining service to unaffected circuits. Switchgear also provides isolation of circuits from power supplies and enhances system availability by allowing more than one source to feed a load.
Switchgear can be classified into different types based on voltage levels, such as low voltage (LV), medium voltage (MV), and high voltage (HV) switchgear. The components of switchgear include switches, fuses, isolators, circuit breakers, protective relays, control panels, lightning arrestors, current transformers, potential transformers, auto reclosures, and various associated equipment. The switchgear is used by low and high-voltage power transformers and is made up of relays, circuit breakers, isolators, switches, fuses, current transformers, lightening arresters, and indicating devices.
In summary, switchgear is a system of electrical disconnect switches, fuses, or circuit breakers used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment in an electric power system. It is used to interrupt short-circuit and overload fault currents while maintaining service to unaffected circuits, and it provides isolation of circuits from power supplies. Switchgear is a vital system in industries that experience electrical faults or those that need to regularly de-energize equipment for maintenance.
