Battery-powered system for remote circuit breaker racking

Remote Solutions has introduced the Safe-T-Rack® (STR®) SR-U Battery-powered Remote Racking System. This lightweight and portable system helps ensure compliance with evolving arc flash mitigation regulations and bring operation of low and medium voltage electrical circuit breakers, motor starters, loadbreak switches, vault switches, network switches and Load Tap Changers (LTCs) to a new level of safety.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognises hazards associated with arc flash incidents as defined in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E standard. An arc flash is part of an arc fault, a type of electrical explosion that results from a low-impedance connection to ground or another voltage phase in an electrical system. Experience has shown that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has limited effectiveness in safeguarding workers from arc flashes during operation and racking of switchgear equipment commonly used at power plants, electrical transmission & distribution facilities, mining operations, refineries and petrochemical plants, and other industrial and commercial sites.

Application of an effective remote racking system increases distance from the source of the arc fault to the operator and eliminates manual contact while breakers are being inserted or removed.

Safe-T-Rack® is a fully automated, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-tested tool that has redefined techniques for circuit breaker remote racking and control. The latest addition to the STR® line, the SR-U Battery-powered Remote Racking System, is a lightweight and portable solution employing a Mil-Spec design and robust self-diagnostic capabilities. The system offers best-in-class features such as: rechargeable 28V battery powered for international use, universal handheld controller and drive unit, quick-change tool coupling, smart drive bracket design, and an endlessly expandable data-bus design. The unit includes a standard 50-foot cable with optional extensions.

According to Remote Solutions President Bob Stevenson, the portable SR-U Battery-powered Remote Racking System is a reliable and cost-effective alternative to "land-based" remote racking systems, which are prone to malfunction when racking an improperly positioned device. Alignment issues can result in physical damage to the circuit breaker, rendering it unserviceable.

"Our SR-U system is designed to increase operator distance from the breaker, allow racking in and out of a cubicle, minimise damage from mechanical racking failures, and integrate remote operation of breaker open/close functions, Users no longer have to worry about de-coupling or jamming the breaker into its cubicle, requiring that the bus be de-energised to safely remove and repair the equipment."

Remote Solutions specifically developed the Safe-T-Rack® product family to provide users of low and medium voltage circuit breakers, including GE vertical lift (MagneBlast) designs and a variety of horizontally racked breakers, a comprehensive alternative to arc flash protection garments. Safe-T-Rack® systems are engineered to easily integrate with original equipment switchgear and allow equipment operators to distance themselves from an arc flash incident. This patented technology revolutionises the way circuit breakers, motor starters, loadbreak switches, vault switches, network switches and LTCs are racked in/out of service and charged, closed and opened.