WHAT IS A BUSWAY? Also called Bus duct To simplify, it is a modern and economical method of distributing energy within a building. It is defined by National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) as a prefabricated electrical distribution system consisting of BUS BARS in a protective enclosure ADDITIONAL INFO FOR AN ELECTRICAL BUSBAR: Defined as a conductor or a GROUP of conductors used for collecting electric power from the incoming feeders and distributing them to the outgoing feeders o ADDITIONAL INFO: A feeder is a power line through which electricity is passed in a power system. Transmits power from a substation to different points. Normally housed inside panel boards, switchgears and busways enclosures Power distribution carrying HIGH CURRENT Used to connect high voltage equipment to low voltage equipment in batter banks or electrical switch yards There are three types of busbar (WAG MAG FOCUS DITO, PASADAHAN LANG) o Single busbar arrangement o Single busbar arrangement with bus sectionalized o Main and transfer bus arrangement Transports electricity and connects to a electrical gear such as switch gear, panelboards, and transformers Major advantage of busway: o Is the ease in which by busway sections are connected together and thus electrical power can be supplied to any area of a building o Fewer man-hours to install or change than a cable and conduit assemblies (The excess hour that is not consumed in installing a busway can be put to a more productive work) o Less complex to configure o Less expensive to install and easier to replace. Especially in applications where load are constantly changed. For ANALOGY. It is like train track where it is sectioned to go in different paths which goes to different places. The TRAIN is the ELECTRICITY and the TRACK is the BUSWAY WHAT ARE COMPONENTS OF A BUSWAY? Busbar Housing Aluminum or Steel enclosure to contain the busbar - Prohibits the entry of dirt and moisture via a rugged two-piece aluminum or steel housing Insulating system Made of a combination of air, epoxy and mylar; it separates the conductor from each other to prevent electrical faults. Epoxy and mylar are both good insulators Fittings Elbows, offsets, and tees helps to properly route busways from electrical connection or termination Offsets ensures long term connection and stability for the busbar WHERE IS IT USED? So busways are used as an alternative to cables and conduits It is commonly found on: Mission Critical Facilities - operations that if interrupted can cause negative impact on business activities and extreme cases loss of life. Good example ay yung mga power distribution facilities. Data centers - buildings used to house computer systems and associated components such as telecommunication and storage system Industrial facilities Large residential complexes Petrochemical facilities - All oil refineries and other petroleum processing facilities Electrical Facilities WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF BUSWAYS? (EATONS BUSWAYS) Non-segregated busway (MEDIUM VOLTAGE BUSWAY) Has a copper phase bars located in one closure separated by air and epoxy insulation Environmental ratings include indoor, outdoor and dust tight. Enclosure can vary from aluminum, steel, or stainless steel Capable of providing both medium and low voltage solutions Well suited for harsh environments Greater reliability than power cables provide Used in applications up to 38kV and 6000A Commonly used in: o Electrical facilities o Petrochemical sites o Heavy industry (Steel, Chemical, Machinery Manufacturing plants) Sandwich-style busway (LOW VOLTAGE BUSWAY) Also called Plug-in busway Lightweight and compact design for easy installation Phase bars are stacked together inside a non-ventilated aluminum or steel enclosure Environmental ratings include indoor and sprinkler proof or outdoor rated Additionally, tap-off locations can be provided on the busway itself o Tap-off boxes are used to draw power from the busway or bus duct Typically used in a power equipment below the busway Capable of providing high ampacity with equally high short-circuit withstand rating o Ampacity is the maximum amount of current a conductor can carry continuously under conditions of used without exceeding its temperature rating. Cost-efficient The installation speed of this busway provides efficient solution even the most challenging layout requirements compared to traditional cabling conduit solutions Voltage drop is much lower than the equivalent cable conduit allowing a more efficient use of energy Used in applications up to 600V and up to 5000A Commonly used in: o Commercial construction o General and heavy industry o Data centers Track busway Continuous rail design where tap-off boxes can be installed or removed nearly anywhere along the busway system Capable of providing low voltage and ampacity solution with simple onsite reconfiguration Easy to expand, reconfigure and to relocate Environmental rating only includes indoor rated Used in applications up to 1000A to 600V Commonly used in: (Light industry) o Data centers o Laboratories o Warehouse Air-insulated busway Either copper or aluminum phase bars held in place with polymer supports contained in an aluminum enclosure Aluminum housing provides lightweight durability It has plastics clips that keep the conductors isolated and spaced providing air insulation Indoor rated Available in plug-in pieces Capable of providing medium ampacity and low voltage solutions with robust safety ratings Used in applications up to 600A and 600V Commonly used in: o Data centers o Machine shops o laboratories WHAT IS A BUS PLUG? Bus plugs are also components of a busway Its main purpose is to provide local power distribution to electronic devices and also to provide power and circuit protection to the machines Can either be fusible or circuit breaker type Fusible o Device that interrupts excessive current flow o Current is interrupted by the melting of an electrical wire or strip. o rating (30 A to 1200 A and up to 600V) Circuit breaker o Device that interrupts excessive current flow o Multiple trip unit types that detect the overflow such as thermal, magnetic, or electronic o rating (15A to 1600A and up to 600V) Bus plugs may come into multiple configurations for different styles of busway: Standard o Mechanical lugs included for cabling to equipment; bolt-on or plug-in Receptables o Typically available in a single, double, or quad plug-in arrangement o Two types: Fixed mounted - Receptable is mounted to the base of the plug-in unit Cord mounted - Cord drop is mounted to the bottom of the unit with a receptable attached WHY CHOOSE BUSWAYS OVER CABLES Safe and versatile UL, NEMA, and CSA qualified Conductors are enclosed in a non-ventilated housing which provides the highest short circuit ratings in the industry Reusable, Expandable, Flexible Lower installed cost Easy installation can save up time and labor cost compared to a cable and conduit Compact size LINKS BUSWAYS https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/products/low-voltage-power-distribution-control-systems/busway/busway-fundamentals-of-low-and-medium-voltage-busway.html https://myengineerings.com/what-is-busway/ http://www.electricalaxis.com/2020/11/what-is-busway-and-its-purpose.html https://chintglobal.com/blog/what-is-busway-and-busway-exposure/ BUSBAR https://harborenergysolutions.com/a-busbar-vs-a-feeder/ https://circuitglobe.com/electrical-bus-bar-and-its-types.html FEEDER
