Fulton Hogan - Installation of 630A Circuit Breaker

Upgrade to the onsite mill motor was required to increase production of bitumen product quantities. The motor was to be upgraded from 110Kw to 160Kw. To facilitate with this upgrade a new circuit breaker would be required.

Do we add a new circuit breaker or remove and replace the old circuit breaker?

The existing stainless steel switchboard was IP65, 2100 Amp and rated for Form4B.

There were two choices with the installation of the new circuit breaker:

Option 1

Install new 630A Circuit Breaker in a spare location in the existing switchboard

Option 2

Remove existing 400A Circuit Breaker and replace with 630A Circuit Breaker

Option 2 was selected as there was limited availability of a suitable location on the existing switchboard for a new circuit breaker. If the existing circuit breaker was upgraded the existing cables could also be reused.

To minimise any disruption to production shutdown and isolation were carried out on a Saturday. The switchboard was shut down. Test and lock-out procedures were implemented. A generator was provided by Electro Systems during the shutdown period.

The existing cell was dismantled and switchboard modified for the larger size cell. The modular design of the existing switchboard allowed for a simple modification. The new 630A cell was installed ensuring a clear, safe connection to the busbars at the rear of the switchboard. A series of tests were performed to ensure everything was electrically correct.

The existing motor was reconnected and the circuit breaker was adjusted for the correct current rating. The switchboard was repowered and voltage checks were undertaken.

The system was fully operational ready for production on Monday morning.

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