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Equipment Description
PowlVac® Electrically Operated 5kV & 15kV G&T Device
per ConEd Specification EO-2022-15 for ConEd CUSTOMER
01.4IB.50026A
Ch 3 Equipment Description
A. G
enerAl
The PowlVac® Electrically Operated Ground &
Test Device is a drawout element that can be
inserted into the circuit breaker compartment
in the same manner as a PowlVac circuit
breaker.
The PowlVac Electrically Operated Ground &
Test Device provides a means for obtaining
access to the primary disconnecting devices of
the switchgear compartment for purposes of
grounding the primary circuits or conducting
certain high voltage test procedures such as
conducting high voltage withstand (hipot)
tests.
The grounding switch is operated by a stored
energy mechanism. It is capable of applying
the ground against a live circuit if operational
errors have not cleared the circuit. However, in
such a case, the relaying at the source of power
is expected to cause the source interrupter to
clear the circuit.
B. r
AtInG
The ground and test device has ratings similar
to a power circuit breaker, with two very
important exceptions: it has no continuous
current rating, and it has no interrupting
rating. This device has no continuous current
rating because it cannot be used to carry a
continuous current. It has no interrupting
rating (or any of the ratings associated with the
interrupting rating, such as interrupting time,
etc.) because it is not designed to interrupt
current.
In general, the ratings applied to any ground
and test device are the same as those applied
to the power circuit breaker it is designed to
temporarily replace for grounding and testing
purposes. The rating nameplate (Figure 1, i)
on the front of the device will give the ratings
applicable to any individual device.
c. p
rImAry
d
ISconnect
S
tABS
The ground and test device has three (3)
primary disconnect stabs consisting of
an upper or lower device (Figure 2a, f &
Figure 2b, a) similar in design to those on
the PowlVac circuit breaker. These three
disconnects will connect the three stationary
primary disconnect stabs in the switchgear
compartment when the ground and test device
is racked into the connected position. They
are mounted on the rear of a heavy insulated
barrier near the rear of the ground and test
device.
d. G
round
m
AkInG
S
WItch
A three-pole, single-throw ground making
switch is mounted on the front of the insulating
barrier on which the selector switch hinges are
mounted. The three stationary contacts of the
grounding switch (Figure 3, a) are connected to
the three primary disconnect stabs so that the
ground making switch can be connected to the
primary disconnect stabs, allowing the selected
circuit of the switchgear compartment to be
grounded.
The moving contacts and blades of the ground
making switch (Figure 3, b) are operated by
a high-speed stored energy mechanism. The
ground making switch contact structure is
specially designed for the close-and-latch
and short-time current carrying duties to
which it can be subjected. These contacts
are not designed for continuous current
carrying duty or for interrupting duty. The
position of the ground making contacts can be
observed when the device is in the switchgear
compartment through transparent viewing
panels (Figure 1, f) in front of the contacts.
