Mounting of by-pass disconnect switches on energized 138 kV and 230 kV substation with barehand technique

After the construction of 230 kV Barra do Peixe Substation in 1993, in the site of the future hydroelectric power plant (450 MW), ELETRONORTE has modified and improved its facilities to perform better services to its customers. This paper shows the work developed to install in live line two disconnect switches in 330 kV and 138 kV, using the barehand method, without outage to the power flow. In this way, ELCTRONORTE could continue furnishing electrical energy to several cities in western Brazil while doing the work. Special emphasis is given to the techniques developed for this service, which was done very close to energized busbars. The authors show the training of the crew and the safety of all the service that was carried out. They show the studies realized, the sequence of activities developed along the service and photos of the service that resulted in the successful installation of the disconnect switches without any outages.