Substation Infrastructure What Electrical Switchboards “Really” Do

A lot of people have heard of electric switchboards before, but do not know what they are. For those who do not know an electric switchboard, directs electricity from one source to another. A switchboard is an assembly of panels and it contains switches that direct electricity where to go. Knife switches were the very first tools used for power stations which were mounted on marble panels or asbestos. A switchgear line up was used in the early 20th century. It used oil circuit breakers. And the Siemens Power Duct is a non segregated phase Siemens bus plug designed for 600 V applications.

Medium voltage switchgear is important for numerous people who run electrical switchboards or distribution substations. A non segregated phase bus is one of the best ways to ensure a safe and reliable flow of electricity from one point to another and medium voltage switchgear can strike a good balance between constant flow and safety.

Of course, less people are working around medium voltage switchgear than was previously the case. At one point in time, people were more likely to work around high voltage materials. However, now so much work dealing with electronics has become distant and automated. It is for this reason that fewer and fewer people are working around medium voltage switchgear. It is uncertain whether or not this will continue, but it is the case for now.

It is uncertain whether medium voltage swithgear will be a central part of substation infrastructure in the future, as these substations become updated for security reasons or other purposes which might serve to make them more resilient. However, for the moment, there does not appear to be any fundamental changes in the distribution of power and it is for this reason that, for the time being, medium voltage switchgear will probably continue to be an important part of the distribution substation’s infrastructure.