Calculation of pressure

It doesn’t work without pressure!

Releasing pressure in an uncontrolled manner can be fun when you have something to celebrate!
However, it’s better if you know the pressure situation in your switchgear. After all, it would be no reason to celebrate if something went ‘pop’ in your switchgear …


Calculation of pressure situations for DRIESCHER switchgear in medium voltage rooms

An arcing fault cannot be fully ruled out when operating electrical systems. This type of fault represents a considerable load for the switchgear and switchgear building, and can also be a hazard for persons who are present.

What must be taken into account for new systems?

When installing a new system, the pressure situation should be calculated in advance so that it can be taken into account in the construction work.

What should be taken into account when replacing and renewing a switchgear?

If an existing, old switchgear is replaced by a new one, the pressure situation will also change as the new switchgear generally has a higher installed power. In this case, it is particularly recommended that a new pressure calculation be carried out to ensure personal safety.

As per DIN VDE 0101 Item 6.5.3.1, the internal pressure caused by a short-circuit arc is to be taken into account when constructing buildings. The overpressure in a building can only be determined by carrying out a pressure calculation.

Pressure limitation in a building can be achieved using pressure relief devices. The effect of pressure relief openings in the case of an arcing fault in a medium-voltage switchgear can be calculated as part of a pressure calculation.

By applying the analogy between the electrical field and the flow field, pressure distribution processes can be modelled using known grid data for the electrical technology. The non-linearities that occur in pressure networks require a computer-aided, interactive solution method.

Our program has been configured for the calculation of arcing power and pressure distribution processes. Pressure waves, i.e. runtime effects due to transformer waves in a gas and reflections at building walls, are taken into account with the aid of transformer wave elements in the pressure network – it then becomes possible to determine the pressure as a function of both position and time.