Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

SECTION 5: LOW VOLTAGE SWITCHBOARD CUBICLE

1. GENERAL
1.1. This section of the Specification covers the general requirements for the supply and
installation of all works in association with the switchboard cubicle as detailed in this
Specification and on the Drawings.

1.2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein pertaining to this installation,
it shall be the Sub-Contractor's responsibility to ensure all works are strictly in
accordance with the IEC Regulations, Supply Rules of Power Company and IEC 439-1.

1.3. Switchboards which are assembled or manufactured locally under license from a
manufacturer credited with type test certificates from a third reputable independent
party (such as NEMA and the like) for the category of duty specified shall be
considered provided that all certification is valid for the locally construction units and
the following conditions are observed:

- All drawings, covering the design and construction shall be prepared to the
satisfaction of the Project Director.

- During the construction of the switchboards, a factory engineer from the license’s
works shall be required to visit the local plant on at least two different occasions
and to inspect the quality and workmanship of the locally made equipment. Upon
completion, a final inspection shall be made by the factory engineer to certify that
the completed switchboards is finished in accordance with the approved shop
drawings, and that the standard of materials and manufacture fully complies with
the type test requirements.

2. SWITCHBOARD CONSTRUCTION
2.1. Each switchboard shall be a type-tested assembly (TTA) of switch gear and control gear
as defined in IEC439-1. The switchboards shall be built and assembled to conform with
IEC-439-1 Form 3.

2.2. The switchboards shall be designed and constructed to withstand the thermal and
electro-mechanical stresses set up by short circuit conditions from a source fault level
of 50 kA at 380V for 1.0 second .

2.3. The switchboards shall be designed to offer protection to persons against contact with
live or moving parts inside the enclosure, and also protection against the ingress of solid
foreign bodies and liquid to an IP standard as defined in IEC 144. In any case, the
degree of protection shall not be less than IP 31.

2.4. Protection against direct contact shall be by means of insulation of live parts and/or the
provision of barriers and enclosures which satisfy the requirements of IEC439-1.
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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

2.5. Protection against indirect contact shall be by means of the use of protective circuits as
specified in IEC439- 1.

2.6. If the switchboard assembly contains items of equipment which may retain electrical
charges after they have been switched off, a warning plate or label shall be provided.

2.7. Clearances and creepage distances, and isolating distances shall comply with the
minimum recommendations given in IEC439-1.

2.8. Identification of terminals for connecting conductors shall comply with IEC439-1.

2.9. The bottom of the TTA shall be made vermin proof by means of barriers to a minimum
standard of IP 31. Also, screened ventilating louvres shall be provided on the sides and
rear panels to IP31 of IEC144 to the approval of the Project Director.

2.10. The switchboards shall be suitable for indoor use in the form of free standing,
extensible self-contained cubicles sectionalised as necessary to facilitate easy
transportation and erection. They shall be fixed together to form a flush fronted
continuous board of uniform height, depth and width, and be suitable for floor
mounting. The LV switchboards shall also be provided with an integral channel iron
plinth of not less than 100mm height of adequate strength to support both dynamic/static
load of the switchboard and shall be enamel painted in black.

2.11. Unless otherwise specified in the Specification or Drawings, the switchboards shall be
suitable for front access with a maximum height of 2.3m.

2.12. The cubicle tops side and back panels, and doors shall be made of sheet steel of
minimum thickness 2.0mm. These shall be enamel painted in colour to the
manufacturer's standard as approved by the Project Director.

2.13. The cubicle sections shall be constructed with rigid sectional frames and folded sheet
steel panels. Removable lifting lugs shall be provided with bolts or devices for ensuring
they are correctly aligned when being coupled together. Details of construction shall be
submitted to the Project Director for approval.

2.14. Front access doors shall be provided and the back of the panels shall be provided with
hinges and lockable handles to facilitate inspection and maintenance. Removable gland
plates shall be provided at the top and at the bottom of the switchboard with knockouts
or blanked off openings for incoming and outgoing circuit cables.

2.15. In addition to item 14 above, maintenance access shall be provided to all equipment
within the cubicles, by means of suitable doors fitted with Neoprene seals or equivalent
as approved by the Project Director.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

2.16. All doors shall have concealed/exposed hinges and where necessary, shall be
interlocked with the switch mechanism. All doors shall be provided with dust excluding
gasket of neoprene or other material as approved by the Project Director.

2.17. Any exposed hinges to be used shall be made of bright cadmium or nickel plated
chromium.

2.18. Access to busbars and busbar connections shall be galvanised only by the removal of
covers secured by bolts or studs. These covers shall be indicated by externally mounted
mechanically fixed labels with 'BUSBARS' in black lettering (to the approval of the
Project Director) not less than 10mm high, on a white background. All removable
panels shall have self- retaining fixing screws.

2.19. Separate compartments shall be provided for each of the following:

- Incoming circuit breaker

- Incoming and outgoing conductors and connections of the incoming circuit

breaker.

- Each outgoing functional unit.

- Outgoing conductors and connections.

- Protection relays and terminal blocks.

- Current transformer chambers for local power company if required.

- KWh meter

- D.C. battery and battery charger

2.20. On completion of the installation of the switchboard and after connection of incoming
and outgoing cables, the Sub-Contractor shall set each protection relay in accordance
with the details given on the Drawings.

2.21. Voltmeters, ammeters, and the like, together with associated switches and indicating
lamps may be mounted on the front cover of the respective functional unit with which
they are associated, provided that they do not obstruct the operation of the unit and they
are suitably earthed.

3. BUSBARS

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

3.1. Switchboard busbars shall be four poles, air insulated, with fully rated neutral. Busbars
and the connections between busbars and various items of switchgear shall be
manufactured from hard drawn high conductivity solid copper bars with electro-tinned
finish.

3.2. The markings, arrangements and connections of the busbars shall be as specified in
accordance with IEC Requlation.

3.3. Busbars shall be of uniform cross sectional area throughout their length. Main busbars
shall be arranged horizontally through the switchboard sections, with a continuous
rating not less than that indicated on the Drawings.

3.4. The methods and materials used in jointing and supporting busbars shall conform to the
arrangement detailed in the type test reports for the switchboard.

3.5. Busbars shall be mounted on non-hygroscopic, non- tracking insulators of sufficient

strength to withstand without damage, forces set up by any thermal expansion within
the bars under normal operating conditions and electro-mechanical forces created by
prospective fault current up to 50 kA lasting for one second.

3.6. A full complement of busbar links shall be provided for each cubicle section to enable
cubicles to be easily coupled. Facilities shall also be provided for extending the busbars
for future extension of the switchboard cubicle. These facilities shall be provided at
both ends of the switchboards.

3.7. In the incoming ACB compartments, the busbars shall be arranged in such a manner as
to facilitate cables or busducts terminations in accordance with the requirements of
Power Company.

3.8. Busbars installed in switchboards shall be so arranged that all conductors can be
brought onto the bars without undue bending. Busbars shall be coloured at strategic
locations for phase identification to the approval of the Project Director. .

3.9. For rectangular section busbar, connections shall be made with double split cast brass
clamps. On site drilling of the bars are strictly forbidden unless approved in writing by
the Project Director.

3.10. All conductors between the busbars, circuit breakers and fuse switches shall be high
conductivity electro-tinned copper bars, having a current rating of not less than that of
the fuse switches to which they are connected. The conductors shall be coloured to IEC
colour codes for phase identification.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

3.11. Removable bolted links shall be provided for the accommodation of current
transformers for metering and protection facilities without affecting the mechanical and
electrical properties of the busbars as a whole.

4. PROTECTIVE CONDUCTORS

4.1. Sectionalized cubicle switchboards shall have minimum 25 x 3mm tinned copper bar
protective conductors running continuously all along the entire length of the
switchboards. This protective conductor shall be securely fixed to withstand the
mechanical forces associated with the fault level. The framework of all modular
sections of the switchboards, earth terminals of functional units, and earth terminals
fitted on the external end surfaces of the switchboard shall be bonded to the protective
conductors. Test link on the protective conductor shall be provided in an accessible
position.

4.2. An earth bond connection shall be made to each cable gland and/or armour clamp
where cables terminate at the switchboards. .

5. AIR CIRCUIT BREAKERS

5.1. Air circuit breakers shall be of triple poles or four poles as specified on the Drawings.
The circuit breakers shall be rated at 415V and certified by IEC type tests in having 50
kA short circuit breaking capacity. The rated short circuit current withstanding duration
shall also be certified to be 1 second minimum.

5.2. The circuit breakers shall be of metal clad, flush mounted, air break and comply with
IEC157-1, 157-1A, 157-1B. The circuit breakers shall be of horizontal draw out type or
fixed type as specified on the Drawings.

5.3. The design shall be such that the main contact pressure increases with the magnitude of
through-fault currents. Auxiliary arcing contacts shall be provided to protect the main
contacts from burning during the switching operations. All contact parts shall be readily
replaceable.

5.4. A mechanically operated visual ON / OFF / ISOLATED indicating device shall be

provided to indicate the circuit breaker position. A local push button shall be provided
for manual tripping. Provision shall be made in such a way that it shall be possible to
padlock the ACB in the OFF position.

5.5. With hand charged spring mechanism, the springs shall not be discharged until the
spring has been fully charged and the means of charging has been removed or
disconnected.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

5.6. The operating mechanism of ACB closing shall be trip- free. The speed of operation
shall be dependent on the stored spring energy and not on the operation speed of the
charging device.

5.7. Mechanical interlocks shall be provided for the following functions:

- The circuit breaker cannot be inserted or withdrawn when in the closed position.
Any attempted withdrawal shall trip a closed circuit breaker.

- The circuit breaker cannot be closed until it is fully engaged or completely

isolated and withdrawn.

- Covers or doors giving access to the circuit breaker cannot be removed or opened
unless the circuit breaker is fully isolated and withdrawn.

5.8. Each incoming air circuit breaker shall be equipped with the following as a minimum
provision:

- Ammeters, voltmeters and power factor meters as specified on the Drawings.

- One 3 element extremely inverse I.D.M.T.L. type relay -three elements for
overcurrent protection, with 50% to 200% plug settings in accordance with
IEC255-12 where specified on the Drawings.

- Built-in overload element with overload and short- circuit protection devices
where specified on Drawings. The built-in protection devices shall have
continuous adjustable settings from 80% to 100% of the breaker rating. All
overload elements shall be suitable for use in motor starting applications.

- One single element I.D.M.T.L. type relay for unrestricted earth fault protection
with 10% to 40% plug settings to IEC255-12 as specified on Drawings.

- One 3 element high-set instantaneous trip overcurrent relays, with 200% to 800%
plug setting in steps of 50% (for incomer ACBs only) .

- 'Tripped', 'Breaker close' and 'Breaker open' indications.

- Phase indication lamps, where indicated on the drawings.

- Setting levels of all adjustable tripping devices shall be clearly indicated and
marked up on equipment.

- Where breakers are withdrawn, all live parts and exposed busbar terminals shall
be protected by lockable shutters.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

- Where a 4 pole breaker is specified, full neutral shall be provided.

- Local breaker control.

- Castell keys interlocks, where shown on drawings.

- Two sets each of spare auxiliary "normally close" and "normally open" contacts .

5.9. The tripping mechanism shall be stable and its operation shall not be influenced by any
mechanical vibration. The design of the trip plunger shall be such that its action is
instantaneous upon operation of the trip circuit. A separate D.C. power pack complete
with 30V nickel cadmium cells batteries and booster trickle charger unit shall be used
for shunt trip coils. The batteries under fully charged condition shall operate all devices
for a minimum of 20 consecutive times. The battery shall be fully charged within 8
hours after fully discharged.

5.10. Individual arc chutes shall be provided on each pole of the breaker. They shall be so
designed that any arc caused by the opening of the breaker under maximum fault
condition shall be contained in the arc chute to eliminate any possibility of a
“flashover” between phases or between phase and neutral or phase and earth.

6. MOULDED CASE CIRCUIT BREAKERS

6.1. MCCBs to be used in the main switchboards shall be rated for uninterrupted duty, shall
comply with IEC157- 1, 157-1A, 157-1B and with any additional requirements
described in this Specification. Current ratings and trip settings shall be clearly
displayed on the front of each circuit breaker. The MCCB's shall have a breaking
capacity of 50 kA at 380V for a withstanding duration of 1 second minimum.

6.2. Switching mechanisms shall be quick-make, quick-break type having independent

manual operation.

6.3. Handles shall be toggle or rotary action type, mechanically trip free so that contacts
cannot be held against overload and short circuit currents.

6.4. Clear indication of the 'ON', 'OFF' and 'TRIPPED' conditions shall be provided. It shall
not be possible to place the handle in the tripped position manually.

6.5. Each pole shall be provided with overload and/or short circuit tripping characteristics
appropriate to the application. MCCB overload tripping characteristics shall satisfy the
criteria laid down in the IEC Wiring Regulations. MCCBs with adjustable tripping
characteristics shall be adjusted to the settings appropriate to the application. In the
event a fault condition is detected on one pole, all poles shall trip simultaneously.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

6.6. Protection mechanisms shall be thermal magnetic.

6.7. MCCBs which are specified for back-up protection to motor starters (e.g. for air
handling units, sump pumps, cooling towers, and the like) shall be of motor type
capable in handling motor starting current and shall incorporate adjustable magnetic
short circuit protection in which the instantaneous tripping point is adjustable as a
function of the breaker rated load current.

6.8. Shunt trips, and adaptable motor mechanism for remote operation shall be provided as
required. These accessories shall all be factory assembled and tested. In each case, a
local push-to-test/trip button shall be provided to test the operation and tripping of the
breaker.

6.9. The adaptable motor mechanism shall possess the following minimum features:

- Operating voltage of the mechanism shall be rated at 220V AC ~15%. The

maximum operating time for opening the breaker shall not exceed 500
milliseconds whilst that for closing shall not exceed 200 milliseconds.

- Life time of the motor mechanism shall be designed to be not less than 10,000
close and open cycles. It shall be suitable for use as daily closing and opening of
the controlled circuits.

- The mechanism shall be equipped with a padlockable toggle with indication

showing the circuit breaker positions and facilities enabling manual reset of the
circuit breaker. If the circuit breaker is tripped either by built-in overcurrent
device or external shunt trip, the circuit breaker shall not be able to be reclosed
unless it is manually reset.

6.10. Auxiliary contacts shall be provided for electrical signaling or relaying as required.
Auxiliary contacts shall be internally mounted and shall operate simultaneously with
the breaker's main contacts. Auxiliary contacts for a trip signal shall operate only when
the breaker trips.

6.11. Any mechanical interlocks amongst MCCBS shall be of the mechanical shaft linkage
type which permits only one breaker to operate at any one time.

6.12. Any MCCBs with rating less than 200A shall be provided with current limiting facilities
to protect the downstream MCBs which will have a low breaking capacity of 6kA. The
downstream MCBs to be used shall preferably be the same manufacturer make as the
upstream MCCBs to ensure the compability in achieving the current limiting
characteristics.

7. FUSE-SWITCHES, SWITCHFUSES AND ISOLATING SWITCHES

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

7.1. All fuse-switches and isolating switches to be used in the main switchboard if necessary
shall conform with the requirements of IEC408 and IEC439-1. All contacts shall be
fully shrouded and have a breaking capacity on manual operation as required by the
relevant IEC. Switchfuses/fuse-switches shall be designed for use with HRC fuses to
IEC269.

7.2. Isolating switches and fuse switch gears shall have mechanical interlocks between the
panel doors. The switch operating mechanisms shall be so arranged that the panel doors
cannot be opened with the switches in the 'ON' position. Similarly, it shall not be
possible to close the switches with the cubicle door being opened. Provision with
padlocking facilities shall be made within the cubicle for authorised persons to defeat
the mechanical interlock and close the switch with the door in the open position for test
purposes.

7.3. All switch gear shall be flush mounting and be fitted with mechanical ON/OFF
indicators with operating handles of the rotary semi-flush or telescopic arrangement.

7.4. In all switchgear units, bolted neutral links shall be fitted.

7.5. The moving contact assembly shall be easily removable for inspection and
maintenance. Phase barriers shall be provided to prevent flashovers between phases or
between phase and neutral or phase and earth. All contact surfaces of the moving and
fixed contact assemblies shall be silver plates.

8. FUSES
8.1. HRC cartridge fuses to IEC269 shall be supplied, ASTA certified.

8.2. The voltage rating shall be 415V 50Hz. The rated breaking capacity of fuses shall be 80
kA at 415V 50Hz.

8.3. All live terminals and contacts shall be effectively shrouded and it shall be possible,to
change fuses with the circuit alive, without danger of contact with the live part.

9. CURRENT TRANSFORMERS
9.1. Current transformers shall comply with IEC185 of the 'straight through' type and a
primary voltage of 600V.

9.2. Current transformers shall be of the epoxy resin encapsulated type and shall be capable
of providing the necessary output to operate all the VA burdens of connected protection
devices or measuring instruments.

9.3. Current transformers shall have fixed primary turns and solid ferrite cores enclosed in
cast resin enclosure.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

9.4. The secondary circuit of each set (R-Y-B-N) of current transformers shall be earthed at
one point only. Means shall be provided for these earth connections to be disconnected
at accessible positions for testing.

9.5. Measurement current transformers shall be connected to test terminal blocks. The test
blocks shall be provided with easily removable links and designed to facilitate
connection of the current transformers.

9.6. Current transformers shall have an accuracy not less than Class 1 for measurement
purpose and Class IP15 for protection purpose.

9.7. Current transformers shall be capable of operation, without damage, with open circuited
secondary and full load current flowing in the primary.

9.8. Current transformers shall be firmly supported and installed so as to permit easy access
and to be readily replaceable, if necessary, without the dismantling of adjacent
equipment.

10. PROTECTION RELAYS

10.1. Except where otherwise specified, protection relays shall comply with IEC255.

10.2. Plug selection design shall be such that the plug setting can be changed on load without
open-circuiting the current transformers and the highest current tapping point shall
automatically be selected when the plug is removed.

10.3. Draw-out cases finished in phenolic black shall be provided for flush mounting of the
relays. A contact shall be fitted which shall short circuit the respective current
transformers on withdrawal of the relay.

10.4. For I.D.M.T. overload protection relays, three single phase units shall be arranged in
one horizontal plane and accommodated in a common casing. Earth fault relay shall be
separately accommodated.

10.5. Overload protection relays shall have adjustable current multiplier settings between
50% to 200% in seven equal steps and time multiplier setting of 0.1 to 1.0 in ten equal
steps. The over-current relays shall possess the following features:

- Pick up current ranging from 100-130% of plug setting.

- Reset current not less than 90% of the plug setting.

- Operating time when the overcurrent is 130% of the current plug setting shall not
be less than 9.0 seconds with time setting at 0.2 and not less than 16.0 seconds
with time setting at 0.3.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

10.6. Overload relays shall have time-current characteristics to meet the requirement of
Power Company.

10.7. I.D.M.T.L. earth fault protection relay shall have adjustable current multiplier setting
between 10% to 40% in seven equal steps and time multiplier setting of 0.1 to 1.0 in ten
equal steps.

10.8. Instantaneous high set overcurrent protection shall consist of three single phase units
having continuously adjustable current ratings between 200% to 800% of the rated
secondary current of current transformers.

10.9. Relays shall be housed in dust and vermin-proof accessible cases with viewing glass.

10.10. Operation indicators shall be provided for each protective element and installed
within the same relay. The relay shall have a common hand-reset device openable
without opening the relay case.

10.11. Dust filters shall be provided in metal case attached to the relays by screws and
supplied with removable filter elements.

10.12. The relay contacts shall be capable of making and breaking the maximum current
which may occur under fault conditions in the circuit in which they are connected.

11. AMMETERS
11.1. Ammeters shall be of moving iron type class 1.0 accuracy to IEC51 and be capable of
carrying their full load current without undue heating and shall not be damaged by the
maximum fault levels of the switchgear.

11.2. All ammeters shall have a continuous overload capability of 120% of the upper limit of
the scale for two hours. All ammeters are to be 100mm dial square flush pattern with
quadrant scales.

11.3. Mechanical zero adjustment shall be provided and accessible from the front without
dismantling.

11.4. The ammeters shall give direct readings without application of any multiplication
factors.

11.5. For the ammeter combining with record of maximum demand current, a separate
calibrated reading scale shall be provided in one case.

12. VOLTMETERS
12.1. Voltmeters shall be of accuracy Class 1.5 and have expanded scales.
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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

12.2. Voltmeters shall be complete with mechanical zero adjustment.

12.3. Other requirements shall be as per the clauses specified herein for the ammeters.

13. POWER FACTOR METERS

Power factor meters shall be of accuracy Class 1.5 having bezel dimensions 115 x
115mm. They shall give direct readings without the use of multiplication factors. The
arrangement, scale deflection shall be approved by the Project Director prior to
assembly of the switchboard.

14. AMMETER SELECTOR SWITCHES

14.1. The ammeter selector switches shall be mounted on the front of the panel and shall be
of the rotary type with make-before-break contacts for selection to read phase to phase
and phase to neutral currents with R-Y, Y-B, R-B, R-N, Y-N, B-N and OFF marked
clearly on the switches.

14.2. Contacts of the selector switches shall be rated for a thermal current of 6 amperes,
220V, 50Hz.

15. VOLTMETER SELECTOR SWITCHES

15.1. The voltmeter selector switches shall be mounted on the front of the panel and shall be
of the rotary type with break-before-make contacts for selection to measure red-yellow,
yellow-blue, blue-red and red, yellow and blue phase voltages with R-Y, Y-B, B-R, R-
N, Y-N, B-N and OFF marked clearly on the switches.

15.2. Contacts shall be rated for a thermal current of 6 amperes, 220V, 50Hz.

16. BATTERIES
16.1. DC supply shall be used for tripping of circuit breakers and to effect the operational
sequence of the switchboard described elsewhere in the Specification herein.

16.2. Where a DC supply is required, the batteries shall be housed in a separate and
ventilated compartment in the switchboard. The batteries shall be Nickel Cadmium type
and rated voltage as 30V DC or as recommended by the switchboard manufacturer, and
shall have sufficient capacity to operate all devices for a minimum of 20 consecutive
times.

16.3. The battery compartment shall also house a 3 stage trickle charging unit which shall
constantly maintain the batteries in fully charged conditions.

16.4. The following provision shall be made at the front panels of the switchboard:

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

- Supply healthy lamp

- Ammeter

- DC voltmeter c/w test button

- Battery discharge lamp

17. CONTROL WIRING

17.1. All instruments and equipment shall be securely mounted and all internal wiring runs
shall be secured and so positioned as to ensure complete accessibility for servicing
purposes.

17.2. All internal wiring shall be PVC insulated, neatly bunched, run on supporting cleats or
insulators and shall be coloured. and adequately labeled or sleeved for identification.
All control wiring shall be 1.5mm2 min. copper cable and shall terminate on approved
terminal blocks by the Project Director and shall incorporate loops to permit the
opening of doors and removal of components for inspection without disconnecting the
cables.

17.3. Where control necessitates the use of a battery supply, DC wiring shall be totally
segregated in a separate enclosure from the mains system.

17.4. All terminals shall be shrouded and adequately labeled with cautionary signs. All
circuits shall be provided with removable links/fuses to facilitate isolation, checking and
maintenance.

18. POWER COMPANYS C.T. CHAMBERS AND ENERGY METERS

Provision shall be made for accommodation of the supply metering equipment in the
switchboards as shown on the Drawings. The Sub-Contractor is responsible for
obtaining the space requirements from the Power Company. The Sub-Contractor is
also responsible to ensure such provision and arrangement shall be acceptable to the
Power Company.

19. POWER FACTOR CORRECTION EQUIPMENT

19.1. The capacitor bank may be wall mounted in the switchrooms but with all the control
circuits/accessories to be housed in the main switchboards adjacent to the capacitor
banks control switch gear.

19.2. The equipment shall comply with IEC70 and the ambient temperature shall range from
00C to 400C.

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

19.3. The capacitor shall be dry type capacitor with metal film electrodes. The residual
voltage shall be reduced to 50V or less within one minute by means of resistors
automatically connected across the capacitor terminals after the capacitor is
disconnected from the source. The dielectric shall be made of plastic film
(polypropylene) impregnated with a NON-PCB agent and shall be inflammable and
non-toxic.

19.4. The capacitor losses shall be less than 0.5 Watt/kVAr.

19.5. The reactive power control relay shall be fully electronic and automatically generate
switching impulse to the contactors for increasing or decreasing the capacitance to the
circuit. An automatic discharge to earth mechanism shall be incorporated.

19.6. The installation shall include a series of capacitors with automatic step control and
power factor sensing relay so that automatic power factor regulation can be achieved.

19.7. The capacitor shall be installed and secured on rigid steel support. Capacitor case shall
be solidly earthed.

19.8. All live parts shall be completely shielded by G.I. trunking.

19.9. The Sub-contractor shall be responsible for applying to the power companies for the
necessary testing and acceptance of capacitor installation on completion.

19.10. All switch gear, capacitor banks shall be properly labeled.

19.11. HRC fuses of adequate rating shall be used to protect each step of the capacitor bank
in the circuit.

20. DISCRIMINATION
20.1. Full discrimination is required between switchboard ACBs and other sub-main switch
gears in ensuring that short circuits or overloads on sub-circuits shall not trip the
switchboard circuits breakers. The faulty circuit shall be effectively isolated and the
healthy circuits shall be unaffected. The Sub-Contractor shall be responsible for
ensuring discrimination is maintained at all times.

20.2. Where earth fault detection is provided, discrimination shall be ensured as for
overloads above. Sufficient adjustment shall be provided ensuring that spurious tripping
due to the inherent earth leakage of long cable runs and other equipment, shall not
occur, but with discrimination still maintained.

20.3. Where circuit protection devices are not provided with earth leakage detection, they
shall be arranged to trip on earth leakage by means of the over current protection. A
sufficiently low earth fault loop impedance shall be achieved by the Sub-Contractor.
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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

21. INSULATED POWER SYSTEM

21.1. Furnish and install IPC Isolated Power Center in the locations shown on the
architectural / electrical drawings. The IPC shall be UL Listed and labeled as an
assembly. The Type IPC shall consist of the following:

21.2. Backbox
Shall be flush or surface mounted as required, and shall be fabricated from 14GA
galvanized steel. Surface mounted enclosures shall be finished with a coat of hospital
ivory, epoxy enamel.

21.3. Front Trim

Shall be fabricated from 14GA Type 304 Stainless Steel with #4 brushed finish. The
circuit breaker section shall be accessible from a door, with hidden hinges, that is flush
with the front trim. The door shall contain a flush lock that can be opened without a key
when unlocked; all IPCs shall be keyed alike. The front trim shall contain a cut out for
the Line Isolation Monitor (LIM) which shall remain visible at all times. The front trim
for flush mounted units extends 1" on all sides of the backbox. For surface mounted
units, the front trim shall exactly match the dimensions of the backbox. The front trim
shall be attached to the backbox by a minimum of ten (10) #10-32 x 1" Stainless Steel
Oval Head Phillips machine screws and ten (10) #10 Stainless Steel finishing washers.

21.4. Isolation Transformer

Shall be single phase, 50Hz , with primary and secondary voltages as indicated on the
drawings. The transformer shall be manufactured using class H-rated insulation. It shall
have an electrostatic shield between the primary and secondary windings which shall
be grounded to the enclosure. The transformer core shall be a stacked design, securely
clamped. Core and coil shall be vacuum impregnated, with a final wrap of insulating
material. The core and coils shall be isolated from the enclosure by means of isolation
mounts. The weight of the transformer shall not be supported by shear connections.
Total leakage current to ground from transformer secondary winding shall be in
compliance with UL1047, Tables 30.1 and 30.2. Maximum sound level of transformer:
25dB for 5kVA units or less, 30dB for 7.5kVA units, and 35dB for 10kVA units.
Temperature rise limited 115 degees C above ambient under full load conditions.
Transformer shall be UL Listed or Recognized as a component, for the voltages,
amperage, and kVA rating required.

21.5. Line Isolation Monitor

Shall be solid state modular assembly utilizing the dynamic principle of constantly
monitoring the impedance between each circuit conductor and ground and shall provide
visual and audible indications of a first fault condition.
The LIM shall be capable of detecting all combinations of capacitive and resistive
faults, including balanced, unbalanced and hybrid faults. The total hazard current shall

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Project: Yen Bai General Hospital Specification of Electrical system – Low Voltage Switchboard

be set at the factory to either 2 mA or 5 mA, and shall be field adjustable to either
milliampere.
The LIM shall contain a continuous display (digital / analog), an audible alarm device
which shall sound in the event of a hazard condition, and a visual indication of the
system status. A green LED shall indicate "SAFE" status, a red LED shall indicate
"HAZARD" status, and an amber LED shall indicate that the audible alarm feature is in
the "MUTE" mode. A "TEST" button shall be provided so the functions of the LIM can
be tested by hospital personnel. The digital display, indicating LEDs, and "TEST"
button shall all be flush with the face of the LIM. Remote indicator connections shall be
provided.
The LIM shall contain overload protection with an automatic reset feature. It shall be
possible to order the LIM with an optional RS485 communication port and load
monitoring. The LIM shall be UL Recognized as a component.

21.6. Primary Circuit Breaker

Shall be two-pole sized in accordance with NFPA 70 (NEC) based on the transformer
primary voltage and kVA rating as shown on the contract documents, and shall be full
size, thermal magnetic type, minimum 10kAIC.

21.7. Secondary Branch Breakers

Shall be two-pole, ampacities, and quantities based on the contract drawings. Sized in
accordance with NFPA 70 (NEC) and UL1047 Standards. Shall be full size and thermal
magnetic type with a minimum 10kAIC.

21.8. Reference Ground Bus

Shall contain a minimum of one (1) #4-2/0 main lug and nineteen (19) #14-4 grounding
lugs.

21.9. Power Receptacles

Shall be UL Listed for hospital application as well as green in color and provide in
quantities in accordance with the contract drawings.

21.10. Ground Jacks

Shall be UL Listed/Recognized Hospital Grade specification and/or NEMA
configuration with ampacity, voltage, color and quantities in accordance with contract
drawings.

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