New distribution automation switchgear and its contribution to overhead distribution reliability

Overhead distribution automation has been a common trend for most electric companies worldwide for the last decade. The demand for reduced outage rates (both quantity and duration) has led most electric companies to reconfigure their distribution networks from radial to normally opened looped, so that once a faulted section is isolated, power can be restored to the rest of the network from an alternative source. This task is economically achieved by introducing pole mounted distribution automation (DA) switches, which are remotely controlled from a central control room. In this manner, quality and continuity of service to the customer are vastly improved as is user convenience. While many different switches are being used currently, there are limitations due to maintenance requirements, reliability, operating power requirements, size, weight, cost and lack of flexibility in operating with different control schemes. In considering the characteristics of a distribution automation switch designed specifically for this application, a new generation switch was developed. The distribution switch has been designed utilizing modern techniques to provide a switching function compatible with present day-and future-distribution automation systems.