For electrical safety IDGC of Centre improves structural elements of the equipment

Safety provision at electric facilities both for the company’s personnel and third parties — one of the main tasks of the management system of IDGC of Centre. The company performs a large amount of systematic and interdisciplinary work not only with the staff, which provides high qualification and therefore safe working skills in all situations, but also with the population.

One of the priorities of safety provision in IDGC of Centre is also the use of equipment with electrical safety design. This year, while implementing investment projects, using new equipment and technologies, developing and implementing innovative solutions the company intends to pay special attention to this area.

For several years, for reconstruction and new construction IDGC of Centre has been using the insulation technology of busbars and busbar systems with appropriate materials (heat shrinkable tape, heat shrinkable tubing, etc.). Insulation significantly increases the reliability of power facility operation: in many cases it eliminates short circuiting and disconnection of equipment caused by hit of animals, birds and foreign objects (tree branches, etc.), but most important — to avoid traumatizing factors for intentional or accidental abuse of the operation of electrical installations. This year, all branches will continue implementation of insulation between entrance bushings of transformers of 6-10 kV and bushings in switchgear of 6-10 kV, as well as insulation of external busbars of 6-10 kV switchgear.

The use of self-supporting insulated wire (SIW) on 0.4 kV power lines and protected wires for 6-10 kV overhead lines has also proven to be effective: there is a high level of safe maintenance, there is no risk of electric shock when touching the phase conductors under voltage. Also IDGC of Centre has started to use self-supporting cable for 6-10 kV overhead lines.

In the construction of a modern compact substation the company uses innovative equipment, which eliminates the possibility of access to energized electrical parts. Such requirements are met by the 110 kV switchgear, 110 kV gas-insulated monoblocks, which are an effective and safe solution.

Based on this same principle — the impossibility to access the electrical parts located under voltage — in IDGC of Centre for new construction and reconstruction of 35-110 kV with simple diagrams of primary connections (3H, 4H, 5H) it is forbidden to install 35-110 kV line isolating switches on block constructions. Line isolating switches must be placed separately from the frame to prevent the access of staff during the work on the block.

In implementing the “Concept of constructing 0.4-10 kV distribution networks with transfer of transformation points to the electricity consumer” electrical safety is also given close attention to. The concept involves the use of equipment with fully insulated construction. The presence of insulated down taps from 6-10 kV overhead lines to the transformer and the impossibility to access them, insulation of open live parts of transformer bushings, the safety of the pole-mounted transformer substations for electrical personnel and third parties through its structural elements — all this allows to speak about high effectiveness and necessity of the ubiquitous dissemination of the new concept.