advanced search

Small Footprint Takes Big Step

Mar 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Ellen Parson, Managing Editor

As territory manager for Pittsburgh-based Alternative Power Sources, delivering turnkey design solutions for end-users is par for the course for Scott Gagliardi. His company provides sales, service, repair, and maintenance of standby power equipment for industrial and commercial clients — so customization is the name of the game. But recently Gagliardi found himself in a tight spot, facing a formidable challenge with one of his industrial end-users when it came to designing some additional switchgear.

In this particular application — a heavy industrial mill — space constraints left limited options for expansion as the existing electrical room was already pretty full. In addition to the small footprint requirement, the customer insisted that the new switchgear offer draw-out capabilities and meet a specific cable configuration request: one conduit entry from the top and two from the bottom.

Not seeing a solution with his current product offering, Gagliardi turned to Eaton Corp., Pittsburgh, for help. Recommending its Cutler-Hammer Metal-Enclosed Front (MEF) Accessible Switchgear, Eaton's new product (main-tie-main arrangement requiring only 120 square feet of floor space) promised space savings of more than 50% over a traditional metal-clad medium-voltage switchgear arrangement, which requires 266 square feet of floor space.

“In this application, the product saved our customer from extending his electrical room to accommodate the additional space requirements necessary for traditional switchgear,” Gagliardi says. “That easily saved the owner between $100,000 and $150,000. It also allowed us to meet a scheduled shutdown deadline that just wouldn't have been possible otherwise.”

In addition to the obvious reduced footprint advantage, the MEF switchgear enables complete front accessibility to cabling and components, allowing the unit to be installed directly against a wall. This makes both cable connections (incoming and outgoing power) as well as all circuit breakers and transformers accessible from the front instead of traditional switchgear's rear entry.

The MEF's self-powering trip unit eliminates the need for an external power source. The switchgear also easily fits in a freight elevator, can ship in a standard freight container, and can be transported using a fork truck or pallet jack, eliminating the need for overhead cranes and additional construction equipment in retrofit applications. The MEF also features maintenance-free hardware that prevents loosening, a unique pull section for cabling that is only 19 inches wide, and standard drawing packages.

Another unique feature is the product's special current transformer that fits over all three phases of the customer cabling compartment. Using vacuum breakers with drawout capability for easy testing and expansion, the integral trip unit eliminates the need for additional current transformers and door-mounted relays.

“We use a special innovative breaker that's about half the weight and size of the traditional vacuum interrupting circuit breaker,” says David Pisano, product manager, medium-voltage distribution at Eaton Corp., Power Distribution and Assemblies Division, Greenwood, S.C. “The integral trip unit is one of the biggest technological innovations the product offers.”

Maintaining that the MEF is the first product of its kind in the marketplace, created out of a unique need to satisfy a certain customer class, Pisano shares part of the product's development strategy. The incoming utility feed to an industrial facility typically features a medium-voltage equipment line, rated from 5kV to 38kV, he explains. This gives end-users two choices. They can use a switch — an economical reduced feature option — or opt for the larger higher performance of a medium-voltage assembly of circuit breakers, voltage transformers, auxiliary equipment, and other accessories to meet their needs. The MEF provides both a cost-effective, high-performance alternative to these two traditional approaches.

“In attempting to achieve space savings, but also wanting higher performance, we ended up having to either meet their needs with a metal-clad assembly or reduce features to obtain the smaller footprint with a switch,” Pisano says, stressing the fact that this model was designed as a gap filler in the company's good, better, best value proposition. “The MEF offers both.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the MEF's features and capabilities can request a copy of an interactive CD-ROM via the company's Web site at www.eatonelectrical.com.

Product Specs

• Front-accessible design

• Integral self-powering trip units

• Maintenance-free bus connections

• Up to 55% footprint reduction

• Up to 15kV; up to 40kA; up to 2,000A

Want to use this article? Click here for options!

© 2012 Penton Business Media, Inc.

---

Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus

Browse Back Issues Select an Issue November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 1, 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 1, 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 1, 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 1, 2006 May 1, 2006 April 2006 March 1, 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 1, 2004 January 1, 2004 December 1, 2003 November 1, 2003 October 1, 2003 September 1, 2003 August 1, 2003 July 1, 2003 June 1, 2003 May 1, 2003 April 1, 2003 March 1, 2003 February 1, 2003 January 1, 2003 December 1, 2002 November 1, 2002 October 1, 2002 September 1, 2002 August 1, 2002 July 1, 2002 June 1, 2002 May 1, 2002 April 1, 2002 March 1, 2002 February 1, 2002 January 1, 2002 December 1, 2001 November 1, 2001 October 1, 2001 September 1, 2001 August 1, 2001 July 1, 2001 June 1, 2001 May 1, 2001 April 1, 2001 March 1, 2001 February 1, 2001 February 1, 1995 January 1, 2001 December 1, 2000 November 1, 2000 October 1, 2000 September 1, 2000 August 1, 2000 July 1, 2000 June 1, 2000 May 1, 2000 April 1, 2000 March 1, 2000 February 1, 2000 January 1, 2000 December 1, 1999 November 1, 1999 October 1, 1999 September 1, 1999 August 1, 1999 July 1, 1999 June 1, 1999 May 1, 1999 April 1, 1999 March 1, 1999 February 1, 1999 January 1, 1999 December 1, 1998 November 1, 1998 October 1, 1998 September 1, 1998 August 1, 1998 July 1, 1998 June 1, 1998 May 1, 1998 April 1, 1998 March 1, 1998 February 1, 1998 January 1, 1998 December 1, 1997 November 1, 1997 December 1, 1996 November 1, 1996 October 1, 1996 September 1, 1996 August 1, 1996 July 1, 1996 June 1, 1996 May 1, 1996 April 1, 1996 March 1, 1996 February 1, 1996 January 1, 1996 December 1, 1995 November 30, 1995 November 1, 1995 October 1, 1995 September 1, 1995 August 1, 1995 July 1, 1995 June 1, 1995 May 1, 1995 April 1, 1995 March 1, 1995

browse e-newsletters