IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 40, NO.
5, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2004
Practical Design Considerations for Application of
GIS MV Switchgear
Chun Ty Lav, Member, IEEE, David B. Staley, Member, IEEE, and T. W. Olsen, Senior Member, IEEE
Abstract—In a recent biotechnology facility project, the de-
cision was made to require arc-resistant medium-voltage (MV)
switchgear for the safety of operating personnel. The available ser-
vice voltage was 26.4 kV, limiting the availability of proven designs
of arc-resistant switchgear. As a result, the owner considered use
of medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) with vacuum
circuit breakers. Once this decision was made, consideration was
given to using the same class of switchgear for the 4.16-kV voltage
equipment in the facilities. This offered advantages of uniformity,
commonality of spares, and simplification of operator training.
This paper focuses on the rationale for selection of GIS
switchgear, and the design considerations that had to be addressed
as the project moved from concept to installation to operation.
Among the issues discussed are the following:
• space requirements for conventional and GIS equipment;
• arc-resistant performance of GIS equipment;
• design commonality between 4.16- and 26.4-kV equipment;
• installation (cable issues, foundations, workspace, etc.);
• environmental considerations;
• total cost of ownership;
• reliability/availability;
• operational experience.
Index Terms—Arc resistant, gas-insulated switchgear (GIS),
vacuum circuit breaker.
I. PROJECT OVERVIEW
A major biopharmaceutical company in the Northwestern
U.S. had grown by about 25% per year for 20 years,
eventually occupying space in nearly a dozen different leased
facilities. To better integrate the corporate staff and support
increased growth, construction of a single research and devel-
opment (R&D) site was planned and executed. As the available
utility service voltage was 26.4 kV, and the estimated ultimate
load could approach 30 MVA, it was decided to distribute
26.4 kV to the site buildings rather than transform it to an
intermediate distribution medium voltage (MV). The research
facility would require high reliability power in order to preserve
critical experiments, and maintain the proper environmental
Paper PID-04-02, presented at the 2003 IEEE Petroleum and Chemical In-
dustry Technical Conference, Houston, TX, September 15–17, and approved
for publication in the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS by the
Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee of the IEEE Industry Applications
Society. Manuscript submitted for review September 18, 2003 and released for
publication June 23, 2004.
C. T. Lav and T. W. Olsen are with Siemens Power Transmission & Dis-
tribution, Inc., Raleigh, NC 27626 USA (e-mail: Shawn.lav@siemens.com;
t.olsen@ieee.org).
D. B. Staley is with Amgen Corporation, Seattle, WA 98119 USA (e-mail:
staleyd@amgen.com).
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TIA.2004.834136
0093-9994/04$20.00 © 2004 IEEE
1427
controls for critical cell banks. In addition, the facility cri-
teria included maintaining operation through and after major
seismic events.
The utility service was arranged to accept two incoming
lines, although the utility was only able to serve the facility
initially with one feeder. Backup power for emergency loads
was provided by battery powered inverters, and for the standby
loads by on-site diesel generators. Due to the high density of
standby loads and the potential need for frequent reconfigura-
tion, it was elected to re-feed the normal power system from
the standby generation system, and implement an automated
load-shedding and load restoration scheme. For reliability
and maintainability, the distribution system was arranged in
dual-radial primary feeder configuration, with both primary
and secondary unit substations being secondary selective.
II. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS
The requirements for the project included a variety of func-
tional and operational elements, including the following.
1) Space constraints: The central utility plant electrical room
incorporated the primary distribution switchgear, the MV
switchgear for the chillers and the backup generation, plus
large secondary unit substations. The room was on the
second floor, adjacent to the generator room, further em-
phasizing the need for compact switchgear.
2) Seismic capability: The facility is in an active seismic
area. The nature of the site activities required equipment
that could remain operational during and after a seismic
event.
3) Local Codes and Regulations: The location is in a city that
requires electrical equipment to be listed by an approved
testing laboratory.
4) Arc Resistance: The owner considered arc-resistant con-
struction an absolute requirement for the solidly grounded
26.4-kV system, and preferred for the resistance grounded
4.16-kV system.
5) Commonality: The owner preferred equipment with
greater commonality between the 26.4- and 4.16-kV
equipment in the facility.
6) Environmental Considerations: The electrical room is
considered a clean environment. However, plant cooling
towers would be located on the roof directly above the
switchgear.
7) Maintenance: Due to the configuration of the standby
power system, maintenance shutdowns would be infre-
quent. Preference would be given to equipment with
a demonstrated record of performance with minimal
maintenance.
1428 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 40, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2004
8) Experience: The experience of the manufacturer would be
considered in the evaluation.
9) Total cost of ownership: Total estimated cost of owner-
ship and operation over the life of the facility would be
evaluated.
III. DESIGN CONCEPT
The project requirements led to a project one line arrange-
ment as shown in Fig. 6. The system configuration includes dual
26.4-kV incoming sources from the utility (although only one is
initially installed), with distribution at the utility voltage to the
various substations in the complex. The major portion of the
load is served at 480 volts from substations located in the re-
spective buildings. The largest individual loads are the chillers,
located in the central utility plant, for which 4.16 kV was the
logical system voltage. Since this voltage level was needed for
the largest loads, it was decided to also use this voltage for the
standby generation system.
Most of the processes used in the complex can tolerate a
short-duration outage. However, the financial cost of extended
outages requires that standby generation be provided. The ini-
tial installation includes 6000 kW of generation, but this can be
expanded to 12 000 kW of standby generation, and provisions
are included for future cogeneration.
The 26.4-kV equipment is configured in a dual-source form
with a normally open tie circuit breaker. The loads are approx-
imately evenly divided between the two sources. In the event
of an outage on one of the utility incoming lines, the respective
main circuit breaker can be opened and the tie circuit breaker
closed to pick up the entire facility load. Upon loss of a utility
incoming source, the control system is arranged to wait for a
normal utility reclosing attempt, which occurs during the first
15 s of an outage. An outage in excess of 15 s is assumed
to be “permanent.” The system then opens the affected main
circuit breaker and closes the tie circuit breaker. Closing of
tie circuit breakers is supervised by a synchronism-check relay
(device 25).
If both 26.4-kV incoming sources experience an outage ex-
ceeding 15 s, the control system automatically disconnects loads
and initiates the starting sequence for the backup generators.
The generator control system is designed to bring the first ma-
chine on line within 10 s. Additional machines are synchronized
and connected so that all machines are on line within 20 s from
the initiation of the start sequence.
As the backup generation supply is established, the control
system automatically reconnects loads according to a defined
sequence. Thus, power can be restored to all critical loads within
1 min following a major outage.
The 4.16-kV system voltage is established in a double-ended
substation, with two 10/15.3-MVA vacuum pressure im-
pregnated dry-type transformers. The transformers are
three-winding type, with solidly grounded wye primary,
resistance grounded wye secondary, and an embedded delta
tertiary winding. The – – transformer connection with
delta tertiary was chosen to provide effective grounding for the
26.4-kV system when the facility is operating from the on-site
generation. This eliminates the potential for undetectable arcing
ground faults on the 26.4-kV system that would exist if the
primary winding of the transformer were ungrounded.
The 4.16-kV switchgear includes two generator buses, sep-
arated from each other and from the main bus sections by tie
circuit breakers. This scheme allows great flexibility in connec-
tion of the generation to the balance of the system, whether for
periodic maintenance and exercise, or for backup supply to the
complex.
Among the design features incorporated in the overall system
are the following.
1) Utility Sources: There are provisions for two separate
sources from the utility (although only one initially is
installed).
2) Automatic Operation: The system includes automatic
transfer to the second utility source in the event of loss
of one source. Initially, with only one utility source,
the standby generation system is activated by loss of
the incoming utility service.
3) Bus Protection: Since there are multiple sources of
power to the complex, bus differential protection is
provided in the switchgear.
4) Synchronism Check: Transfers between the various
sources include synchronism-check supervision to
prevent paralleling of sources that are not synchro-
nized.
5) Multifunction Relays: Protective relays are multifunc-
tion digital-microprocessor-type devices with commu-
nications capabilities.
6) Building Feeders: The bulk load for most buildings is
served from dedicated 26.4-kV feeders in the main dis-
tribution switchgear. These feeders serve double-ended
substations in each building. Buildings with smaller
loads are served with looping feeders from circuit
breakers in the main distribution switchgear.
7) Chillers: The large chiller loads are served at 4.16 kV
from the 10/15.3-MVA transformers.
8) Standby Generation: The generators are connected to
generator buses in the 4.16-kV switchgear, with mul-
tiple bus tie circuit breakers to allow for maximum flex-
ibility in the connections.
9) 26.4-kV Switchgear: This switchgear includes a total of
19 circuit breakers (one main, one bus tie, 12 feeders
for 480-V substations, two feeders for chiller and
standby generation, and two capacitor bank feeders).
It also includes provisions for future connection to
external voltage regulators.
10) 4.16-kV Switchgear: This switchgear includes two
main buses feeding the large chillers. The chillers are
normally supplied from the transformers connected to
the 26.4-kV main distribution system. The switchgear
also includes two generator buses, which can be con-
nected to the chiller main buses by bus tie circuit
breakers. For increased flexibility, a bus tie breaker
is included between the two generator buses. Thus,
the equipment includes a total of 17 circuit breakers
(two main, two bus ties between chiller buses and
generator buses, one bus tie between generator buses,
LAV et al.: PRACTICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR APPLICATION OF GIS MV SWITCHGEAR
five chiller feeders, six generator breakers for 2-MW
diesel generators, and one generator breaker for a
future cogeneration installation).
11) Generation Control System: Each generator is pro-
vided with multifunction microprocessor control and
protection. The control system provides for automatic
synchronism check, synchronizing and matching of
the number of machines to the demand.
IV. CHARACTERISTICS OF EQUIPMENT SELECTED
During preliminary planning, it was learned that conven-
tional switchgear equipment might not meet all of the competing
needs of the project. Accordingly, proposals were requested
for conventional metal-clad (MC) switchgear (conforming to
ANSI/IEEE C37.20.2-1999 [1]) and alternate proposals for
competing gas-insulated switchgear (GIS).
All equipment on the project was required to meet the local
code requirements, which require that the equipment must be
listed and labeled by a third-party testing laboratory acceptable
to the local jurisdiction. The installation is in a region of high
seismic activity (UBC seismic zone 3).
The base bid required the following.
1) 26.4-kV MC indoor switchgear, rated 25-kA interrupting
class, 125-kV BIL, of conventional drawout-type MV
MC switchgear design to the requirements of ANSI/IEEE
C37.20.2-1999 [1] was required. Provisions for utility
revenue metering equipment were specified. In addition,
arc-resistant construction, meeting the requirements of
EEMAC G14-1-1987 [2] was specified. (EEMAC G14-1
is no longer supported, and ANSI/IEEE C37.20.7-2001
[3] is the preferred replacement.) Provisions for attach-
ment of safety grounds were specified at each incoming
or outgoing connection, and on each main bus section.
In addition, an electrically operated fault-making ground
and test device conforming to ANSI/IEEE C37.20.6-1997
[4] was also specified.
2) 4.16 kV MC indoor switchgear, nominal 350-MVA
class (41-kA interrupting at 4.76 kV), 60-kV BIL, using
conventional drawout-type MC switchgear conforming
to ANSI/IEEE C37.20.2-1999 [1] was also required.
Arc-resistant construction was not specified for the
4.16-kV equipment. Except for equipment arrangement,
ratings, omission of utility revenue metering provisions,
and omission of the arc resistant feature, the 4.16-kV
equipment requirements were similar to those of the
26.4-kV switchgear.
The alternative bid required the functional equivalent of the
base bid, with modifications to reflect the unique aspects of GIS.
After evaluation, it was determined that the alternate bid, with
GIS, provided the best performance and value for the project.
Among the factors considered in this decision are the
following.
1) Space Constraints: The GIS was significantly smaller in
size than conventional switchgear, freeing space for main-
tenance and additional equipment in the room.
2) Seismic Capability: The particular line of GIS selected
had been previously subjected to seismic testing and
1429
found to remain operational during the test. The standby
system is required to remain operational after a seismic
event.
3) Local Codes and Regulations: The selected GIS equip-
ment was available with third-party (UL) listing, satisfac-
tory to the authority having jurisdiction as required by the
NEC.
4) Arc Resistance: The GIS equipment was the only equip-
ment found that met the requirement for arc resistance on
the 26.4-kV equipment. As a bonus, the 4.16-kV equip-
ment would also be arc resistant. This reduced the need
for certain kinds of personal protective equipment (PPE)
during maintenance and operation.
5) Commonality: It was initially expected that there would
be few similarities between the 26.4- and 4.16-kV equip-
ment, but the selection of the GIS provided a large benefit
in terms of commonality of spare parts.
6) Environmental Considerations: The selected equipment
provides an IP65 degree of protection (equivalent to
NEMA 6) for the high-voltage portion of the equipment.
Isolation of high-voltage conductors from the atmosphere
eliminated the need for space heaters, reducing operating
expenses and reducing maintenance requirements.
7) Maintenance: The GIS offered an extremely long interval
between maintenance. The nature of the activities at the
site makes it difficult to accommodate outages of any sig-
nificant duration.
8) Experience: The manufacturer of the selected GIS equip-
ment had nearly two decades of successful field expe-
rience worldwide, including over five years experience
with installations in the U.S. The global installed base
of the design is quite extensive. The manufacturer also
has a cadre of experienced factory-trained field service
representatives.
9) Total Cost of Ownership: The purchase price of the
4.16-kV GIS equipment was higher than for conventional
MC switchgear. However, the purchase price for the
26.4-kV GIS equipment was significantly lower than the
price of conventional MC switchgear. After consideration
of the other benefits associated with GIS equipment, the
overall evaluation favored the use of the GIS switchgear.
V. GIS
GIS differs greatly from traditional MV MC switchgear
widely used in the U.S. A functional schematic view of one
pole of a typical unit of GIS switchgear is shown in Fig. 1.
As in the familiar MC switchgear, vacuum circuit breakers are
used for interruption.
MV GIS switchgear differs from high-voltage GIS
switchgear in that the SF gas is used for its insulating
properties, not for interruption. Conventional MC switchgear
relies on a combination of air and solid insulating materials,
but GIS switchgear uses bare bus conductors on insulating
supports, immersed in insulating gas. Hence, GIS switchgear is
much smaller than equivalent MC switchgear.
Since SF gas provides the major insulation, it is not fea-
sible to incorporate drawout provisions for the circuit breaker.
1430 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 40, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2004
Fig. 1. Typical circuit breaker unit in GIS switchgear.
Accordingly, the circuit breaker is fixed-mounted, and is con-
nected to the main bus system through a three-position switch.
A benefit of using a fixed-mounted circuit breaker configuration
is that all of the mechanical, thermal, and dielectric complexi-
ties and maintenance associated with drawout provisions and
racking mechanisms are eliminated.
A major benefit of the use of SF gas is that the equipment is
isolated from most environmental effects. This allows for a long
interval (20 years) between maintenance for the high-voltage
elements. In essence, the high voltage portion of the equipment
approaches being maintenance free. The long maintenance
interval on the high-voltage components creates a corresponding
need for a long maintenance interval on the high voltage
components of the circuit breaker, which has been met. The
vacuum circuit breaker in the installed equipment is designed
for 30 000 operations before overhaul is needed. Secondary
and mechanical elements of the switchgear outside of the
gas envelope require more frequent cleaning and lubrication,
typically at intervals of ten years. The very long intervals for
maintenance were a major factor in the decision to purchase
GIS switchgear.
Use of SF gas can pose environmental questions, but these
are of much less significance in MV GIS equipment than in
high-voltage applications. Since the gas is used only for its
insulating properties, the filling pressure of the equipment is
relatively low. Further, since the gas is not involved in arc
interruption, there are no by-products of the decomposition
of the SF gas by arcing. Early high-voltage GIS products
experienced significant gas leakage, but this is not the case
with modern MV GIS designs. The experience with present
Fig. 2. Use of three-position switch for outgoing circuit grounding.
designs indicates that leakage rate is of the order of 0.1%–0.5%
per year.
While the use of SF gas in this MV application poses fewer
concerns than for a high voltage application, the gas must still
be treated with care. An excellent report is available from the
IEC on the proper handling of SF gas [8].
Since the high-voltage components are enclosed in a gas en-
velope, an alternative method of applying safety grounds for
maintenance is required. This is solved quite conveniently, using
the three-position switch. This switch is located between the
vacuum interrupter of the circuit breaker and the main bus, and
the mechanism of the switch is mechanically interlocked to pre-
vent operation unless the circuit breaker is open. The switch has
three positions, CLOSED, OPEN, and READY-TO-GROUND.
Fig. 2 provides a representation of the use of the three-posi-
tion switch to accomplish the grounding function for the out-
going circuit. With the switch in the CLOSED position, the line
side of the interrupter is connected to the main bus, and when the
circuit breaker is closed, the load is served from the main bus. In
the OPEN position of the switch, the line side of the interrupter
is disconnected from the main bus, effectively serving to isolate
the load from the main bus. In the READY-TO-GROUND po-
sition of the switch, the line side of the interrupter is connected
to a fully rated ground system. The circuit breaker is mechani-
cally interlocked so that it may be closed with the three-position
switch in the READY-TO-GROUND position. When the circuit
breaker is closed in this condition, it acts as a fully rated fault
making device, and connects the outgoing circuit (opposite the
main bus) to a fault-rated ground system. Essentially, each cir-
cuit breaker becomes a fault-making grounding device for the
external power circuit. The circuit breaker thus provides a pos-
itive means to apply safety grounds during maintenance. In the
grounded condition, electrical tripping of the circuit breaker is
blocked, and a padlock provision can be used to prevent me-
chanical opening of the circuit breaker by unauthorized persons.
Most local codes require that the design of equipment in-
corporate a means to visually verify the isolating function of
disconnect devices. In the GIS switchgear, this requires a means
to visually verify the position of the three-position switch. To
meet this requirement, the manufacturer installed miniature
LAV et al.: PRACTICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR APPLICATION OF GIS MV SWITCHGEAR
video cameras, and associated lighting, both mounted external
to the SF gas enclosure. The video leads are brought to the
front panel of the switchgear, and a monitoring device is pro-
vided to view the position of the switch. The system includes a
selector switch so that the position of the three-position switch
can be verified in each phase of the switchgear.
The MV GIS switchgear also includes capacitive voltage in-
dicators on the outgoing circuits to indicate the presence of
voltage on the incoming or outgoing power conductors. This
gives the operator a convenient means to determine if the load
conductors are energized.
A mimic diagram is provided on the front of the switchgear.
This diagram shows the main current carrying circuits, and in-
cludes devices to denote the position of the various operating
components, including the three-position switch and the circuit
breaker. Thus, in addition to indicating lights, the operator has
a single-line-type mimic diagram to indicate whether the circuit
breaker is closed, and the position of the three-position switch.
Since SF gas is used as the main dielectric, the size of
the GIS switchgear can be standardized. SF has a dielectric
strength six times that of air, allowing higher insulation levels
to be achieved by increasing the gas pressure. Therefore, the
physical size does not increase as rated voltage increases.
Thus, the 4.16- and 26.4-kV switchgear are the same physical
size. The internal components (such as the vacuum inter-
rupters) and the operating gas pressure differ according to the
system voltage and interrupting rating required. However, these
changes do not affect the major mechanical features. Hence,
the two different voltage class of GIS share common layout,
stored-energy operating mechanism, construction features,
operating procedures, maintenance requirements, arrangement
of protective and metering devices, etc.
The use of gas insulation allows for a large reduction in the
floor space occupied by the equipment. With a basic unit width
of just 600 mm (24 in) and a depth of 1950 mm (60 in), the floor
space requirements are reduced to only about 60% of conven-
tional MC equipment. This assumes the front aisle space shown
in NEC for the voltage class of the equipment, and ignores rear
aisle space. While rear aisle space is required with MC equip-
ment, GIS equipment can often be located directly adjacent to a
wall. The floor space savings are even greater if the aisle space
in front of the GIS switchgear can be reduced to 1000 mm (40
in) to reflect the fact that no high voltage components require
maintenance from the front of the equipment. Depending on the
configuration of the switchgear, the space savings can be even
more dramatic. Fig. 3 shows a side-by-side comparison of a unit
of 38-kV indoor MC switchgear and its functional equivalent in
GIS switchgear.
The GIS switchgear selected utilizes segregated-phase con-
struction, with each phase of the switchgear enclosed in a
separate gas enclosure. Since the phases are separated by the
grounded enclosure, it is not possible to have a three-phase fault
inside the switchgear. Another benefit of the segregated-phase
construction relates to arcing faults. Since the insulation is pro-
vided by a gas, arcing faults are rare. If an arcing fault should
occur of a low current level, the arc will often be self-extin-
guishing due the presence of the SF gas. If a high-level arcing
fault does occur, the equipment has the ability to withstand the
1431
Fig. 3. Side-by-side size comparison: 38-kV MC switchgear (on left) and GIS
(on right).
internal arcing fault, meeting the requirements of IEC 60298,
Annex AA [5], and the functionally similar EEMAC G14-1 [2]
and ANSI/IEEE C37.20.7 [3].
MV GIS switchgear was introduced in Europe over 20
years ago. It was designed to IEC standards and ratings. For
introduction in the U.S., the design was tested to ANSI/IEEE
standards. The equipment was also investigated by a third-party
safety organization to the requirements of the standards devel-
oped for conformance testing of conventional MC switchgear,
ANSI C37.54 [6] (circuit breakers) and C37.55 [7] (switchgear
assemblies). These standards apply as UL does not have a
standard for MC switchgear. Based on these investigations,
the equipment is qualified for application of the UL listing
mark (UL label). The equipment meets the requirements of the
applicable MC standards, with due allowance for the inherent
differences associated with nondrawout construction.
The installation of the GIS required some changes as com-
pared with compartmentalized switchgear. Due to the compact
GIS construction, the switchgear is normally installed over a
cable gallery or cable room. As the project had only second
floor space available, a platform was designed and fabricated to
provide additional space for cable handling, terminal-connected
voltage transformers, and zero-sequence current transformers.
The platform was arranged to include an elevated common aisle
space, with the 26.4- and 4.16-kV switchgear assemblies facing
each other. The GIS was welded to the platform, and the plat-
form anchored and grouted to the floor to maintain the seismic
rating of the equipment. Fig. 4 shows the 26.4- and 4.16-kV
switchgear lineups installed on the raised platform.
The primary cable connections were of the plug-in inner
cone type, which provide a hermetically sealed maintenance
free connection. The raised platform accommodated the worst
case cable connection (four 1000 kcmil cables per phase, plus
a plug-in surge arrester) involved in the installation.
A second issue involved the connection of the 10-MVA
transformer to the 4.16-kV switchgear. The transformer height
was restricted to 3300 mm (130 in), and the transformer was
1432 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 40, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2004
Fig. 4. 26.4-kV (right) and 4.16-kV (left) GIS switchgear installed on raised
platform.
to be directly connected to the adjacent switchgear. Since the
switchgear was located on the raised platform, the connection
between the transformer and the switchgear was made with
short lengths of capacitive-graded epoxy-insulated conductors,
which simply plugged into the switchgear and bolted to the
transformer bus bars. Fig. 5 shows the short “throat” that was
used to enclose the conductors between the transformer and
the switchgear. The lower portion of Fig. 6 shows the one
line diagram of the 4.16-kV switchgear and the close-coupled
10-MVA transformers at each end.
The installation required listing by a third-party organization
acceptable to the local jurisdiction. The high-voltage portion
of the GIS was manufactured in one location, while the sec-
ondary control and relaying compartments were manufactured
at a second location. This made it necessary for the third-party
listing agency (UL) to inspect the assembled equipment at the
installation site before the listing mark (labels) could be applied.
This also provided the opportunity for the inspector for the local
jurisdiction to observe the process. The state agency responsible
for electrical worker’s safety reviewed the camera system used
to provide visual evidence of isolation, and approved the system.
VI. ASSESSMENT AND CONCLUSIONS
The installation was performed by contractors who had no
previous experience with GIS switchgear. Supervision was pro-
vided by factory-trained field engineers. The most significant
installation issues involved the need for proper alignment. The
foundation must be level and in a single plane to allow for proper
assembly of the shipping sections. The foundation height could
only vary by 1 mm per meter, with a maximum deviation of
2 mm over the full length of the assembly. The platform was
constructed using standard structural shapes, and was verified
Fig. 5. Throat connection between 10-MVA transformer and 4.16-kV
secondary switchgear.
flat to within 1.6 mm for the full length using laser level mea-
surements.
To provide a clean environment for the equipment, the as-
sembly area was isolated with plastic sheets, as much of the
building siding and windows had not been installed. Attention to
cleanliness during the assembly of the gas enclosures was also
necessary, to avoid contamination of the gas enclosure and the
risk of reduced dielectric capability.
Another major difference involves cable terminations. GIS
switchgear uses plug-in inner-cone-type primary connections,
instead of bolted cable lugs and preformed stress-relief termina-
tions. The installing contractor had no experience with this type
of termination, but after learning to use the kits, they found they
could install them as fast as the conventional cold or heat shrink
termination kits. One significant difference in the kits that was
discovered was the plug-in inner cone kits were closely sized
to the cable insulation diameter, so eleven (11) different sizes
were available, whereas the same span of sizes is accomplished
with three sizes of conventional stress relief terminations. This
makes it advisable to have an exact sample of the cable that will
be used when ordering these terminations.
The equipment has been in operation for approximately two
years, initially providing construction power, and subsequently
in regular service. In that time, the equipment has operated
without incident. The electrical workers have become proficient
with using the video cameras and monitor to view the position
of the three-position switch.
The operators have come to appreciate the differences in the
lockout and tagout procedures for the GIS equipment compared
to those used with conventional MC switchgear. In contrast to
conventional switchgear where the breaker is withdrawn and re-
placed with a ground and test (G&T) device, each unit of the GIS
switchgear includes the three-position switch that can be placed
in the READY TO GROUND position. With the switch in this
LAV et al.: PRACTICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR APPLICATION OF GIS MV SWITCHGEAR 1433

Fig. 6. Overall system one-line diagram.

1434 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 40, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2004
position, when the circuit breaker is closed, the outgoing circuit
is positively grounded, and can be padlocked in the grounded
position.
The use of GIS switchgear was received very differently by
the various entities involved. The operations staff, consulting
engineers, and utility engineers were split between being satis-
fied with the equipment, and being apprehensive about their lack
of familiarity with the product. The contractors were enthusi-
astic about installing different equipment, and the electrical in-
spectors were pleased with the equipment, especially as it was
third-party labeled. The owner is pleased with the decision to
use the equipment, and now that the installation is complete,
the real benefits of minimum maintenance, enhanced reliability,
and operational simplicity will be realized.
Inevitably, one question occurs. Would we do it again? Fol-
lowing the selection of GIS for the R&D facility project, a major
expansion of the company’s manufacturing facility on the East
coast was undertaken. The electrical system configuration and
concerns were similar to those of the R&D facility, so it was
elected to apply the GIS switchgear for this project as well, in-
cluding the 34.5-, 12.47-, and 4.16-kV system equipment. In
addition, the commonality between sites would allow for stan-
dardization of training and spare parts.
REFERENCES
[1] IEEE Standard for Metal-Clad Switchgear, ANSI/IEEE C37.20.2-1999.
[2] Procedure for Testing the Resistance of Metal Enclosed and Metalclad
Switchgear Under Conditions of Arcing due to an Internal Fault,
EEMAC G14-1-1987.
[3] IEEE Guide for Testing Medium Voltage Metal-Enclosed Switchgear for
Internal Arcing Faults, ANSI/IEEE C37.20.7-2001.
[4] IEEE Standard for 4.76 kV to 38 kV Rated Grounding and Testing De-
vices Used in Enclosures, ANSI/IEEE C37.20.6-1997.
[5] A.C. Metal-Enclosed Switchgear and Controlgear for Rated Voltages
Above 1 kV and Up to and Including 52 kV, IEC 60298-1990.
[6] Conformance Test Procedures for Indoor Alternating Current Medium-
Voltage Circuit Breakers Applied as Removable Elements in Metal-En-
closed Switchgear, ANSI C37.54-1996.
[7] Metal-Clad Switchgear Assemblies—Conformance Test Procedures,
ANSI C37.55-1989.
[8] High-Voltage Switchgear and Controlgear—Use and Handling of Sulfur
Hexafluoride (SF ) in High-Voltage Switchgear and Controlgear, IEC
61 634-1995.
Chun Ty (Shawn) Lav (S’92–M’94) received the
B.S.E.E. degree from North Carolina State Univer-
sity, Raleigh, in 1994.
He joined Cutler-Hammer in 1994. In 1995, he
moved to Siemens Power Transmission & Distribu-
tion, Inc., Raleigh, NC. He has held several positions
within Siemens, including a two-year expatriate
assignment in Germany involving gas-insulated
switchgear. He is currently the Business Unit Man-
ager for medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear
for North America and the Caribbean.
David B. Staley (S’80–M’92) received the B.S. de-
gree in physics, the B.S.C. degree in chemistry, and
the B.S.E.E. degree in 1981, and the M.B.A. degree
in 1992 from Seattle University, Seattle, WA.
From 1981 to 1988, he was with Westinghouse
Electric Corporation, where he was engaged in
equipment testing, power system studies, and project
management. From 1988 to 1997, he was with
Boeing Company, where he was the Lead Electrical
Engineer in the Central Engineering Group. From
1997 to 2000, he was with Raytheon Engineers
and Constructors, where he was responsible for power system distribution
and analysis projects. Since 2000, he has been with the Amgen/Immunex
Corporation, Seattle, WA, where he is presently an Electrical Engineer in the
Corporate Engineering Group.
Mr. Staley is a Registered Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of
Washington.
T. W. (Ted) Olsen (S’64–M’68–SM’02) received the
B.S.E.E. degree from Bradley University, Peoria, IL,
in 1968, and the M.B.A. degree from the University
of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in 1976.
In 1968, he joined the Allis-Chalmers (now
Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, Inc.)
Graduate Training Program in West Allis, WI.
After several training assignments, he accepted a
permanent position in the Switchgear Application
Engineering Department. Over the years since,
he has held a variety of positions in Application
Engineering, Marketing, Design Engineering, Materials, and Product Man-
agement. Currently, he is Manager of Technology in Raleigh, NC, responsible
for providing consulting assistance to other disciplines and to customers. In
addition, he is heavily involved with standards activities.
Mr. Olsen is a Member of the IEEE PES Switchgear Committee and Secre-
tary of the Switchgear Assemblies Subcommittee. He is Chair of the NEMA
Switchgear Section and of the NEMA HV Circuit Breaker Technical Com-
mittee. He is Chair of the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee C37, for
Power Switchgear. He is a member of the IEEE Standards Association Stan-
dards Board.