Eaton Electric supplies complete electrical installation package to Welbeck College

(09/10/2006)

Welbeck College in Leicestershire has provided the armed forces with many of its future Technical Officers for more than fifty years. The College, known as the Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC), has new purpose-built premises at Woodhouse near Loughborough.

Eaton Electric has supplied a complete electrical installation package, from the incoming 11kV circuit-breakers to socket-outlets. This includes two 11kV/433V packaged substations, 25 sub-distribution boards, final distribution boards and wiring accessories. The factory-built distribution boards were pre-wired with terminals at the top for speed of installation.

The DSFC is a £300 million private finance initiative (PFI) designed, built, financed and operated for the Ministry of Defence by the Minerva Consortium, which comprises Interserve, TQ Education & Training and HSBC. It provides state of the art educational, training and recreational facilities for 270 16-18 year-olds who will eventually move on to technical or scientific positions in the armed services or Ministry of Defence Civil Service. Electrical and Mechanical services were installed by Interserve Engineering Services and ongoing maintenance services are provided by Interserve FM.

The incoming 11kV supply feeds into an Eaton Xiria ring main unit used as a splitter. This comprises three vacuum circuit-breakers, one on the incoming supply and the other two feeding the two substations. Xiria is compact, environmentally-friendly switchgear using proven vacuum interruptor technology and dry-type insulation. Unlike the alternative GIS switchgear, it is completely free of greenhouse gases.

The two packaged substations comprise cast resin transformers and Form 4 Type 6 cubicle switchboards built by Eaton. They have air circuit-breaker incomers and fused combination switches on outgoing circuits and incorporate transient voltage surge suppression, power factor correction and metering linked back to a BMS system. There is 20% spare capacity.

Ten switchrooms provide sub-distribution to the kitchen and medical facilities, administration and learning resources centre, education block, swimming pool, pavilion and five residential blocks. They include Eaton MPS (Modular Panelboard System) panelboards with fused combination switch incomers and outgoing circuits. MPS units can be supplied as factory-built assemblies or in modular form for on-site assembly; in this case they were factory-built in Eaton’s Birmingham factory. Each outgoing circuit is metered to comply with the energy monitoring requirements of UK Building Regulations Approved Document L2.

A feature of the project was the provision of fully assembled distribution boards with the various protective devices pre-wired to terminals in an extension box at the top of each board to reduce the amount of on-site work. Final circuits feeding socket-outlets have individual residual current protection by RCBOs so that there is minimal disruption to supplies if a device trips.

Electrical wiring accessories throughout the site are from Eaton’s MEM ranges. These include surface metalclad units in many areas and flush moulded or metal plate accessories in other areas. Emergency lighting test switches are generally grouped into grid switch plates mounted alongside the associated distribution board. Every socket-outlet and spur unit has a label bearing a unique code so that maintenance staff can immediately identify the corresponding distribution board and the MCB or RCBO protecting that circuit.

The DSFC is an example of Eaton’s ability to provide a complete installation package including medium voltage switchgear, packaged substations, switchboards, panelboards, final distribution boards and wiring accessories. Special requirements, such as the provision of pre-wired distribution boards can be satisfied and Eaton’s own engineering staff will work closely with the client’s M&E engineers to achieve a satisfactory solution.

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