Flameproof switchgear for system protection
April 2021
Electrical Power & Protection
Becker Mining South Africa’s Energy Distribution division manufactures customised switchgear, designed for the efficient distribution of electrical power.
“These systems are certified for safe and dependable use in hazardous and non-hazardous applications in surface and underground mining, as well as chemical and petrochemical plants,” says Nico de Lange, vice president: Operations and Systems, Becker Mining South Africa. “Becker’s compact flameproof KE 1008 1,1 kV switchgear units comprise power bus technology and plug connections that ensure a high level of operator safety and system protection.”
KE1008 switchgear units have seven module slots, one earth leakage monitor and a lighting module. Parameters for the slide-in modules can be set at the closed, compact station during operation, or via various fieldbus systems.
Notable characteristics of this system include Modbus and Profibus communication, temperature and power factor monitoring, maximum voltage recording, kilowatt-hour monitoring, an operational hour meter and individual phase current and voltage display. Machine selection with pre-set safety settings is available for ease of operation.
Safety protections comprise short circuit, loss of vacuum, earth leakage, earth fault lockout and pilot relay. Added to these are over- and under-current, thermal curve, over- and under-voltage, loss of phase and phase imbalance occurrence protections. For enhanced safety, this unit has an interlocking system and can only be powered up on closing of the main door. All external electronics are rated as intrinsically safe (IS).
Other features include modular mounting on a skid or trailer and a quick opening door, which cannot be opened until all slide-in modules of a housing have been disconnected. This compact station has separate compartments for a contactor unit, the display and relay module.
KE1008 switchgear also comprises Becker’s HPC 450 V5 contactor unit, which is a 1,1 kV unit rated to 450 A, with IECEX certification. These contactor modules are fitted with fully integrated electronics for control, monitoring and protection functions, and comprise proven technology that has been successfully used in the global mining sector for over twenty years.
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