Xiria E switchgear at 1,600 meters above sea level
Beckenried is situated on the south bank of Lake Lucerne in the canton of Nidwalden, Switzerland. The municipal utility is responsible for the supply of electricity and water for the municipal district of Beckenried as well as the Klewenalp area situated at 1,600 meters above sea level. The transformer station located there was renewed and equipped with the new Xiria E medium voltage switchgear from Eaton. The compact design and the SF₆-free solution of the extendable switchboard were key factors in the selection process.
Treating the environment responsibly has a high priority in the corporate philosophy of our utility company. That is why only an SF₆-free solution could be considered for replacing the switchgear.
Challenge
The Alpstubli transformer station is situated in the middle of a hiking and skiing resort. It supplies all the businesses and facilities of the Klewenalp tourist and holiday region, such as the mountain inns and restaurants, the holiday chalets and group hostels, as well as the ski lifts. The new installation therefore had to meet some particular requirements. This not only involved the challenging transportation over narrow mountain paths up to the remote alpine slope: “The installation is located in an underground station that can only be accessed through a very narrow entrance.
The compact design and flexibility of the switchgear was therefore one of the most important criteria in selecting the system.” With a panel width of only 500 mm the Xiria E is one of the most compact representatives of its class, requires only a small mounting footprint and can even be installed in the most confined spaces. “Although we had to extend the power line, the new switchboard in our station enabled us to gain space,” says Peter Feldmann.
Solution
“The station is situated on the mountain side and is therefore covered with snow in winter. Access is therefore difficult in the truest sense of the word,” Peter Feldmann explains, “we therefore placed a great deal of importance on reliability and maintenance requirement when making our decision.” Both the live primary components as well as the drive mechanisms on the Xiria E are sealed for life, thus protecting the entire system from environmental influences and making it maintenance-free. The contact wear of the vacuum circuit-breakers is negligible and is also certified maintenance-free for up to 30,000 operating cycles.
The Xiria E system has a modular design. This means that any combination and order of panels is possible. The number of panels that can be used in a system is unlimited since several panels can be interconnected without any problem. They can also be fitted and connected quickly thus ensuring the rapid commissioning of the switchgear.
Results
The local operator panel of the Xiria E is arranged ergonomically at eye level. However, during normal operation the Alpstubli system is remotely operated from the control center in Beckenried: “The integration in our existing control system was completed without a hitch,” as Peter Feldmann confirmed. Like the protective and control devices, the equipment for the remote control functionality is installed in a fully separated low voltage room.
An expansion of the snow production equipment of the skiing resort is planned in the near future. However, it is still not yet clear what the additional requirements the necessary pumping stations and snow cannons will have: “The fact that additional panels can be added to the Xiria E at any time is very useful here.”
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