Pics from the network

[efiste2]

This happened on Saturday at a LOW VOLTAGE Substation, (no Transformer), not sure why at this time.....but looks like a leaking cable termination box decided to take early retirement....

it should look very similar to this.....


but after the incident it now looks like this.....





Check out the how the fault has burnt away the 1/4 inch thick framework of the board....., the termination boxes should be filled with bitumen, all that was left inside was pools of molten brass where the heat of the fault had melted the connections, and the bitumen vapourised.....




These were the 315A fuses

 

[westie101]

Nice mess

Yes it looks like the flashover instigated in the box (Way 4 we would call it)to the left of the hole in the frame, looking at the damage I would suggest it went on for some time before operating remote protection (if it ever did).

Can't help but wonder if that way was a feed in from a remote transformer

 

[Aragorn84]

So what are we looking at? Essentially a big junction box? Connecting one incoming supply to three outgoing ones?

What does the panel to the left with the guages etc do?

 

[Spark123]

Why are they so open with live bits? Does engineer will have to be fully suited to go anywhere near it, even before it went pop?

At a guess the panel to the left is some sort of air circuit breaker (ACB) with directional fault detection?

 

[Lectrician]

It looks like one supply coming in from above, into an ACB with current monitoring installed (far left). Then busbars feeding 5 TP outgoing circuits.

Way four does seem to be the culpret.

 

[westie101]

Why are they so open with live bits? Does engineer will have to be fully suited to go anywhere near it, even before it went pop?

Age, this basic design goes back to pre WW2! It's only in the last few years that fully insulated versions have been in use.
Though access to DNO substations is and always has been strictly controlled to suitably trained and authorised persons. Accidents involving these LV boards are very, vary rare!

Yes in these days we are required to wear arc resistant clothing, insulated gloves and face visors when operating on them. just being in the substations requires the clothing. The stuff we have is little different to a pair of overalls in looks

 

[kai]

I bet a vast amount of customers lost their supply!

 

[viewer]

Why are they so open with live bits? Does engineer will have to be fully suited to go anywhere near it, even before it went pop?

Age, this basic design goes back to pre WW2! It's only in the last few years that fully insulated versions have been in use.
Though access to DNO substations is and always has been strictly controlled to suitably trained and authorised persons. Accidents involving these LV boards are very, vary rare!

Yes in these days we are required to wear arc resistant clothing, insulated gloves and face visors when operating on them. just being in the substations requires the clothing. The stuff we have is little different to a pair of overalls in looks

My grandfather worked for YEB before WW2 and I remember him telling me about a colleague who kept saying that he felt an urge to get hold of the live cable. He was glad to move to work with somebody else, but he always thought that the day would come when the guy gave into temptation.

 

[ekmdgrf]

Good job there's that broom in there...

 

[westie101]

I remember him telling me about a colleague who kept saying that he felt an urge to get hold of the live cable.

In the right conditions, there is no reason why not! I have and it was quite common for jointers to joint live at LV, bare handed (it was and still is permitted)_

 

[Gasguru]

So I guess we are looking at the 3 phase and a neutral busbar (lowest one) and the 5 underground cables are hooked up to it?

And it looks like we have 15 feeds, just for an idea how many houses would an individual phase feed? How do they work out diversity for a street?

 

[Aragorn84]

Where do you see 15 feeds?

Assuming your talking about the top non-burnt image (theres one less cable in the burnt one) There are 5 cables at the bottom connected to the bus bar, then presumably a further connection top left on top of what was said to be a circuit breaker.

That could suggest 5 outgoing "feeds"?

I see 15 fuse carriers? Is that what you meant?

 

[Gasguru]

Yes the unburnt 5 outgoing cables, each one a 3 phase and neutral supply.

 

[JohnW2]

Where do you see 15 feeds?

I assume he meant 15 single-phase feeds to domestic services - i.e. the five 3-phase outgoing cables you can see at the bottom.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ekmdgrf]

Where do you see 15 feeds?

I assume he meant 15 single-phase feeds to domestic services - i.e. the five 3-phase outgoing cables you can see at the bottom.

Kind Regards, John

Or maybe it all runs a 15 phase motor?