Assessing the service condition of an electrical panel board

Abstract

Electrical panel boards are used to locate controlling, measuring and metering devices which are used in electrical power distribution. It is a customised product which is used for a specific purpose. The proper functioning of an electrical panel board can be ensured by properly maintaining it. Normally, it will be routine maintenance which will be performed once a year or half a year. But it is essential to know the service condition of an electrical panel board to avoid failures and perform the maintenance activity where it is necessary. This research presents a method to assess the service condition of an electrical panel board. Initially, the importance of the temperature, humidity and number of operations of a circuit breaker is highlighted by referring to the international standards such as IEC 61439-1 and IEC TR 60890. Field measurements of a selected sample space were used to evaluate the condition of panel boards against the above standards by considering the age of the electrical panel board and its maintenance status. These measurements were statistically analysed, and a device called Service Condition Analyser (SCA) was fabricated and tested under laboratory conditions. It was observed that under the stressed conditions, an upward trend of the service status was shown by the SCA.