What You Should Know About Bus-Bars
What are bus-bars? Bus-bars are simply described as electrical conduits. Unlike regular cables, they arrive in pre-conditioned and standardized pieces which do not bend. However, their flexibility and compact nature make them suitable when saving space given their transportation and distribution needs. Prominent areas you can expect bus-bars are office buildings, industrial manufacturing and workshop system.
Single Bus-Bar Arrangements
This is the simple arrangement which comprises one busbar along with a switch. Other substation equipment such as the transformer generator or the feeder is connected to it The main advantages include the low initial cost, simplicity when operating and low cost of maintenance. The downside of the single bus-bars is the interruption that is witnessed when a single fault interrupt the entire supply.
Main and Transfer Bus Arrangement
There are mainly two types of bus-bar arrangements involved here — the main and the auxiliary. The arrangement comprises of a bus coupler connecting the isolated switches and an accompanying circuit breaker close by The bus coupler transfers the load from one bus to the other in the event of overloading. With this system, a single fault does not interrupt continuity. When one bus is compromised, the load shifts to the other. In that respect, repair and maintenance can be easily performed without tampering with the entire system. This lowers the cost of maintenance. On the downside, the use of multiple bus-bars increases cost.
Double Bus Double Breaker
Comprising of two buses and two circuit breakers, there is no switch or bus coupler. Supply is flexible and reliable as fault-maintenance does not affect continuity. The downside is the increased system and maintenance cost given the improvements. Other types of bus-bars arrangements are the sectionalizes double bus-bar, one and a half breaker, ring main, mesh, among others. Briefly described are some of the benefits of using bus-bars.
Planning
When opting for bus-bars we begin with a simplification of the planning stage. Cables have limits when it comes to their carrying capacity. Alternatively, other factors that count are the installation methods and operating temperature. The model of bus-bar selected depends on their carrying capacity and other reduction factors.
Level of Flexibility
The process of laying out cable strands carries a hefty price tag. That makes the assembly planning of bus-bar trunking systems more feasible. The layout process is faster and easier. Tap off sockets lies at regular intervals. A tap off plug is all that’s required to activate them. This results in adaptations or changes which are less burdensome and inexpensive as the assembly process drags on
Economy
Most modern-day cables are made from copper. When there are rising copper prices globally, buying them gets expensive. Most bus-bars are made of aluminum though there are copper versions. Opting for the fast-tracked bus-bar planning and assembly will drastically cut down unnecessary costs.
Safety
The fire load is greatly reduced in bus-bars, especially in the new buildings. Bus-bars can easily be shielded from smoke and fire since their planning eaves out the unwanted channels when manufacturing concrete elements. This makes it easier to acquire smoke curtains and ensure a close link running from the cellar to the roof.…