Safety and reliability of medium voltage switchgear with solid insulation of present day and future design

The authors give a review of the design philosophy of insulation-enclosed switchgear. Attention is paid to specific requirements for the insulation enclosure as laid down in IEC standards, in order to guarantee safety and reliability during its life time. Experience with this system, acquired over many years of service, is described. The authors then give a short description of the use of epoxy resin for a future RMU design, equipped with an integrated earthing system, full range fuses, vacuum load-break switches or alternatively vacuum circuit-breakers. The maintenance requirements and the area of application are specified. They also make some remarks concerning the Dutch cable network and its reliability, as well as some general comments on switchgear and the environment.<>