A switching device including a switching unit having one or more electric poles and including, for each electric pole, a first power contact and a second power contact along which a line current can circulate and one or more solid-state switches; and a supporting frame adapted to be fixed to a supporting structure and including, for each electric pole, a third power contact and a fourth power contact along which said line current can circulate. The switching unit is reversibly movable, with respect to said supporting frame, between an insertion position and a withdrawn position. The switching unit includes, for each electric pole, at least a hydraulic circuit along which a cooling fluid can circulate to remove heat generated by said solid-state switches. The hydraulic circuit includes a first hydraulic connector and a second hydraulic connector that are coupled with or separated from a corresponding third hydraulic connector and a corresponding fourth hydraulic connector of said supporting frame, when said switching unit is in said insertion position or in said withdrawn position.

An apparatus includes a housing having a gas-insulated compartment and a non-gas-insulated receptacle therein. The receptacle is disposed adjacent to the gas-insulated compartment and configured for removable insertion of a circuit interrupter assembly therein. A bus is disposed in the gas-insulated compartment, and a contact is disposed in the receptacle, electrically coupled to the bus in the gas-insulated compartment and configured to mate with a terminal of the circuit interrupter assembly when the circuit interrupter assembly is installed in the receptacle. The receptacle may be configured for insertion of an insulation-encapsulated circuit interrupter pole unit and the apparatus may include at least one flexible insulation member attached to a side wall of the receptacle and configured to engage a sidewall of the pole unit.

An apparatus includes a housing having a gas-insulated compartment and a non-gas-insulated receptacle therein. The receptacle is disposed adjacent to the gas-insulated compartment and configured for removable insertion of a circuit interrupter assembly therein. A bus is disposed in the gas-insulated compartment, and a contact is disposed in the receptacle, electrically coupled to the bus in the gas-insulated compartment and configured to mate with a terminal of the circuit interrupter assembly when the circuit interrupter assembly is installed in the receptacle. The receptacle may be configured for insertion of an insulation-encapsulated circuit interrupter pole unit and the apparatus may include at least one flexible insulation member attached to a side wall of the receptacle and configured to engage a sidewall of the pole unit.

A method for loose joint detection in medium voltage switchgears with busbar joints, circuit breaker upper and lower spouts, and cable connection joints, arranged in an air insulated housing, and medium voltage switchgear itself, in order to create an effective loose joint detection with lower operating expense, but with high performance and accuracy, involves measuring actual temperatures at a first phase as a first temperature (T1), at a second phase as a second temperature (T2), at a third phase as a third temperature (T3), at predefined critical points, such as at the busbar joints, and/or at the circuit breaker upper spouts, and/or at the circuit breaker lower spouts, and/or the cable connection; and comparing temperatures in a logical dependency Ti>(Tj+dT), with ij, permuted with i from 1, 2, 3, and j from 1, 2, 3, and setting the alarm if the logical dependency is fulfilled.

A closed door operation racking device is provided for racking a circuit breaker to and from a power bus from outside of a housing of a motor control center unit. The racking device includes a racking operator assembly and a push-button interlock assembly. The racking operator is configured to rack-in the electrical device and connect the stabs to a power bus in a connected position and to rack-out the electrical device and disconnect the stabs from the power bus in a disconnected position. The push-button interlock assembly prevents the operation of the racking operator under certain conditions, and includes a spring-loaded locker assembly and a spring-loaded push-button operator assembly. A push-button operator of the push-button operator assembly is depressed to disengage the locker assembly from the racking operator to allow operation of the racking operator.

A closed door operation racking device is provided for racking a circuit breaker to and from a power bus from outside of a housing of a motor control center unit. The racking device includes a racking operator assembly and a push-button interlock assembly. The racking operator is configured to rack-in the electrical device and connect the stabs to a power bus in a connected position and to rack-out the electrical device and disconnect the stabs from the power bus in a disconnected position. The push-button interlock assembly prevents the operation of the racking operator under certain conditions, and includes a spring-loaded locker assembly and a spring-loaded push-button operator assembly. A push-button operator of the push-button operator assembly is depressed to disengage the locker assembly from the racking operator to allow operation of the racking operator.

A substation for medium or high voltage includes: switchgear or controlgear with unmanned operation and maintenance; an inner room in which the switchgear or controlgear are located, the inner room being hermetically enclosed by an outer housing, the inner room being locked against the outer housing by an inner, automatically operated door; and a robot system, the robot system being implemented such that an acting area of the robot system is extended from the inner room, partly in an area outside the inner room, but inside the outer housing, where spare parts are stored in a spare parts hand over area, for maintenance.

A substation contains a switchgear or controlgear, in particular at least one low voltage switchgear or controlgear configured for unmanned operation and maintenance. An inner room, where the switchgear or controlgear are located in, is hermetically enclosed by an outer housing. The inner room is locked against the outer housing by an inner, automatically operated door. A robot system is implemented such that the robot system'ss acting area is extended from the inner room, partly in the area outside the inner room, but inside the outer housing, where spare parts are stored in a spare parts hand over area, for maintenance.

A substation containing a switch-gear or control-gear system, in particular a switch-gear or control-gear system includes at least one low voltage switch-gear or control-gear, with unmanned operation and maintenance. The inner room, where the switch-gear or control-gear are located in, is hermetically enclosed by an outer housing, the switch-gear or control-gear system is provided for unmanned operation and maintenance with a robotic system or manipulator, and/or the robotic system or manipulator is provided with a camera system, and/or an image recognition system and/or the inner room is locked against the outer housing by an inner, automatically operated door, and/or the robot system is implemented in such, that the robot systems acting area is extended from the inner room, partly in the area outside the inner room, but inside the outer housing, where spare parts are stored in a spare parts hand over area.

A substation containing a switch-gear or control-gear system, in particular a switch-gear or control-gear system includes at least one low voltage switch-gear or control-gear, with unmanned operation and maintenance. The inner room, where the switch-gear or control-gear are located in, is hermetically enclosed by an outer housing, the switch-gear or control-gear system is provided for unmanned operation and maintenance with a robotic system or manipulator, and/or the robotic system or manipulator is provided with a camera system, and/or an image recognition system and/or the inner room is locked against the outer housing by an inner, automatically operated door, and/or the robot system is implemented in such, that the robot systems acting area is extended from the inner room, partly in the area outside the inner room, but inside the outer housing, where spare parts are stored in a spare parts hand over area.