EVALUATION OF LOW-FREQUENCY EMISSIONS OF SWITCHGEAR BY A TYPE PROOF
B W Jäkel, A B Müller
Siemens Automation & Drives / Power Transmission & Distribution, Germany
ABSTRACT
Power frequency magnetic fields of medium volt-
age switchgear installations might interfere with
sensitive equipment such as cathode ray tubes
(CRT) or might even conflict with exposure limits
concerning people living or working near such
installations. In order to prevent possible influ-
ences or adverse health effects the knowledge of
the magnetic field levels produced by the switch-
gear installations is necessary and further these
levels have to be assessed with respect to existing
immunity and exposure limits. The paper describes
a concept which is suitable to derive minimum
distances to be observed between switchgear and
the areas accessible to people or sensitive equip-
ment. This concept avoids that every individual
switchgear installation has to be investigated in
detail. It rather enables to derive the field strength
distribution from the data of the switchgear type
and can therefore be regarded as a type proof.
Keywords - Medium voltage switchgear, Substa-
tion, Power-frequency magnetic field, Electromag-
netic Compatibility, EMC, Human exposure
INTRODUCTION
Medium voltage switchgear installations are caus-
ing power frequency magnetic and electric fields
which basically have to be regarded as a possible
source of interference. In the case of the produced
electric fields the situation can be regarded as non
critical because most of the switchgear installa-
tions are enclosed in an earthed metallic encap-
sulation leading to a drastic reduction of the elec-
tric fields outside of the switchgear enclosure.
Therefore only the magnetic fields will be treated in
the following.
Magnetic fields produced by the main circuit
structures of the switchgear are reduced only
slightly by the metallic enclosure. Thus they
propagate into the environment and adverse ef-
fects on people or sensitive equipment must be
basically taken into account. In order to reduce or
to avoid such effects limits for the magnetic fields
existing at locations under concern were specified.
Several limits were published and used in the past
years. Most of them could be considered as non
critical when applied to the situation in the vicinity
of switchgear installations. But more and more
limits are published not only as guidelines rather
than as laws and ruling which must be observed
[1, 2, 3]. This results in the necessity to consider
magnetic field emissions in detail when installing
switchgear installations.
LOW-FREQUENCY EMISSIONS OF
DISTRIBUTION SWITCHGEAR
The low frequency emissions from switchgear in-
stallations can be determined by two methods:
Measurement of the emissions
This method allows a quick survey of the situation
at the location of the switchgear installation. The
measurement set-up is relatively simple and the
magnetic field levels at the locations under con-
cern, i.e. the locations where the magnetic field
levels are wanted to be known, could be detected
very easily. But nevertheless this method repre-
sents a huge work when for example the entire
magnetic field distribution around an extensive
switchgear has to be known. Further more there
are some disadvantages to be considered:
The measurement results are in principle valid only
for the load conditions that exist during the meas-
urement period. The field strength levels at other
load conditions can normally not be extrapolated
from such special results at least in the case of
extensive switchgear configurations where a large
variety of operation modes is possible. Thus the
measurements have to be performed for different
load conditions which might be a problem to adjust
in practice.
The locations under concern must be accessible.
This might be at least a problem when these loca-
tions do not exist, e. g. in the planning phase of a
project where nevertheless the future exposure to
rooms in the vicinity of the switchgear must be
known.
Calculations of the emissions
This method allows an extensive representation of
the field strength distribution for all the locations
under concern, independent of the fact that these
are accessible or that these even exist. Thus in-
vestigations already in the design phase are pos-
sible. This method also allows to consider all op-
eration modes which might appear during the
switchgear life cycle.
The main feature is that all the current carrying
components of the switchgear have to be modelled
as well as all relevant metallic structures in the
vicinity of the conductors. These metallic structures
modify the direct propagation of the fields pro-
duced by the conducting components for example
by effects such as attenuation. Nevertheless this
method might be considered as the more suitable
one because the work for modelling has only to be
performed once for a switchgear type. Other con-
figurations of this type will base on these models.
SWITCHGEAR CHARCTERISTICS
Normally switchgear installations are composed of
several switchgear panels, a principle which allows
an adoption of the installation to the particular
situation. The panels are arranged in a row con-
nected together by a bus bar. Figure 1 shows as
an example a consumer substation consisting of
four panels. The schematic structure of the trans-
former panel is represented in Figure 2. The cur-
rent flows from the bus bar through the switch dis-
connector and HRC fuses to the power cables.
Current and spatial current path are finally repre-
senting the magnetic field source.
Figure 1: Consumer switchgear installation
consisting of four switchgear panels
HRC fuses
Switch
disconnector
Connection to
transformer
GIS enclosure
Bus bar
Figure 2: Schematic structure of a switchgear
panel (transformer panel)
A typical switchgear installation consists of several
types of panels depending on the requirements of
the utility and the actual situation. Different panel
types are for example panels for incoming or out-
going cables provided with a circuit breaker or
panels for measurement purposes only or bus
section panels. These panels differ in their spatial
arrangement of the current carrying components
thus resulting in different magnetic field distribu-
tions around the different panel types. The use of
such different panels, their varying numbers as
well as their differing placement relative to each
other finally leads to the nearly unlimited variety of
switchgear configurations.
The structure of the enclosure of a panel is an
issue also to be considered since the enclosure
consists of metallic sheets leading to an attenua-
tion of the magnetic fields caused by the conduc-
tors. The situation is quite complicated in practice
since the enclosure is not built by a homogeneous
sheet. A typical panel structure is schematically
shown in Figure 3 where seven different enclosure
configurations are indicated. Depending on the
special situation there are switchgear compart-
ments having only a one sheet-enclosure or a two
or more sheet enclosure. Some compartments
need openings for ventilation hence the covering
sheet is provided with several apertures. The dif-
ferent configurations lead finally to varying shield-
ing properties of the enclosure when different di-
rections are looked at. Measurements show that
for the situation given in Figure 3 the resultant
shielding attenuation covers a range from a factor
3 to 20 for magnetic fields at the power frequency
of 50 Hz.

1 each type of switchgear under the point of view
4 2 6 • The magnetic field distribution for this worst-
5 3 7 Only for the situation where such minimum dis-
Figure 3: Structure of circuit-breaker panel with
different enclosure configurations
PROOF BY A GENERAL CONCEPT
The actual arrangement of a switchgear installation
finally depends on the requirements of the user or
on other restrictions such as available space for
the switchgear panels. Therefore a lot of possible
switchgear configurations will result differing from
each other for example in the number of switch-
gear panels, in the nominal operating current am-
plitude or in the spatial arrangement of the different
switchgear panels relative to each other.
The most suitable method to check the magnetic
field emissions of these configurations with respect
to human exposure limits or other limits to be ap-
plied for sensitive apparatus will be in performing
simulations which in addition allow to consider
different operation modes as well as to take into
account the situation at the highest operating cur-
rent. But nevertheless this method results in a
proof to be performed for each actual substation.
More practical and convenient would be a proof
which is independent of the actual substation and
which is valid for example for all possible configu-
rations of a switchgear type. A suitable concept
setting this as a target will consist of the following
steps:
• The large number of different configurations of
switchgear occurring in realistic installations
will be reduced to the number of the switch-
gear types, for example according to a type
spectrum supplied by a manufacturer;
• A worst-case configuration will be derived for
of magnetic field emissions;
case configuration can be used for the evalua-
tion of arbitrary switchgear installations of the
same type of switchgear.
Such a resultant magnetic field distribution allows
for example to derive minimum distances to be
kept between the switchgear and relevant areas.
tances cannot be observed a detailed analysis of
the actual substation has to be performed.
The main procedure in working out this concept
will consist of numerical simulations which allow to
calculate of magnetic field strength distributions of
the several switchgear installations and types. It
also allows a relatively easy detection of a worst
case configuration. However, the validity of this
concept has finally to be checked at realistic in-
stallations. It is therefore not sufficient to work out
the concept on the basis of numerical simulations
only. Corresponding measurements were per-
formed at different substations and the measure-
ment results were used for checking and verifying
the simulation results as well as the ‘concept’itself.
This concept was already applied to some circuit
breaker switchgear installations [4, 5] and in prin-
ciple to substations [6]. But the consideration of
ring main unit and switchgear installations together
with the introduction of more severe limits in some
European countries have shown the need of fur-
ther work.
NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS
The computer program MAGGY was used for the
simulation of the magnetic fields around the
switchgear under consideration [7]. The program
bases on the Biot-Savart law and can be applied to
configurations consisting of conductors of nearly
every arbitrary shape. The phase relationship be-
tween the different conductors can also be taken
into account. The main circuit arrangement is spa-
tially modelled and the magnetic flux density for
specified points near the conductors is calculated.
A typical spatial model for a switchgear consisting
of six active panels connected by bus bars and a
bus sectional panel is shown in Figure 4. The rela-
tive complex arrangement of the current carrying
conductors are modelled by small linear wire ele-
ments.

Figure 4: Simulation model of a switchgear (con-
sumer substation configuration)
The proposed concept provides that for each
switchgear type a worst-case configuration will be
determined. Such a determination might be per-
formed relatively easily by simulations taking into
account the spatial arrangement of the current
carrying components in the different panels. The
determination leads to nearly the same worst-case
switchgear configuration for every type of switch-
gear and can be described by the following fea-
tures:
• The power flowing into or leaving the switch-
gear is concentrated on one panel for each
case. A distribution for example of the outgoing
power across several panels means lower cur-
rents per panel and therefore also lower mag-
netic fields near the panels compared to the
situation with the whole current in one panel.
• Incoming and outgoing panels are connected
by several other panels via a bus-bar; this re-
sults in a kind of loop for the operating currents
• Incoming and outgoing panels are arranged
each at one end of the entire switchgear.
Figure 5: Schematic representation of a worst case
circuit-breaker switchgear configuration
Such a configuration, consisting of an incoming
and outgoing panel, connected by a bus bar is
schematically shown in Figure 5. The magnetic
field distribution around the switchgear represents
the worst-case with respect to the amplitudes of
the magnetic fields.
RESULTS
The calculated magnetic field distributions for such
worst-case configurations can be represented in
diagrams which show curves of constant magnetic
flux density levels around the switchgear.
An example - evaluated for an application in Swit-
zerland, where a law on low-frequency emissions
(3) requires a limit of only 1 µT for certain public
areas in the vicinity of substations - is shown in
Figure 6. The results are for a gas-insulated con-
sumer switchgear consisting of seven panels and
having a current amplitude of 250 A on each of the
bus bar sections. The used configuration corre-
sponds to that shown in Figure 4. The diagram
describes the distribution around the switchgear
seen from the top view. The scale is chosen to
show the 1-, 10- and 100-µT-curve.
Magnetic flux density [ µT ] log B: -1-0 0-1 1-2 2-3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Figure 6: Distribution of the magnetic flux density
around a switchgear; the logarithmic
scale shows the 1-, 10- and 100-µT-line.
Top view representation of a consumer
substation.
The dimensions of the grid shown in the diagram
are 20 cm x 20 cm. When using for example a
value of 1 µT for the magnetic flux density as a
reference value, one can see that at least a dis-
tance of 1.9 m away from the switchgear is re-
quired for areas to observe this limit.
It must, however, be stated that the results of the
diagram given above represent the situation where
the magnetic field is expected to be caused only by
the switchgear. This is not valid in practice since
there are some power cables entering the switch-
gear and the currents in those cables are produc-
ing also magnetic fields. These contributions could
be neglected in the case of voluminous circuit
breaker type switchgear installations since their
components produce relatively high magnetic
fields compared to those of the power cables. But
this is not longer true in the case of the smaller
disconnector type switchgear installations. This is
demonstrated in Figure 7 which shows the mag-
netic field distribution of the same arrangement as
for Figure 6 when the magnetic field contributions
of the power cables are considered. The cables
are laid about 0.4 m below the floor level. At least
for regions where only relatively small magnetic
flux density levels are occurring there is a clear
influence due to the power cables.
Magnetic flux density [ µT ] log B: -1-0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Figure 7: Distribution of the magnetic flux density
(unit µT) around the switchgear acc. to
Fig. 6 when power cables are considered
– top view representation; the logarithmic
scale shows the 1-, 10- and 100-µT-line
CONCLUSION
The large number of different switchgear configu-
rations - with circuit-breakers, switch-disconnectors
as well as RMU and consumer substations - can
be reduced to few worst-case configurations, each
for a type of switchgear. The magnetic field distri-
butions achieved for such a worst-case configura-
tion represent the worst-case distributions and can
be used as a basis for determining minimum dis-
tances between the switchgear and those areas
which are used by people - depending on the ac-
tual limit to be applied. The suggested procedure
or concept has the advantage that not every indi-
vidual substation has to be considered and proofed
in detail. The concept provides a proof for a type of
switchgear thus representing a type certificate.
This proof and its results such as the minimum
distances can be applied to every substation of the
corresponding type when observing the boundary
conditions of the proof. Only in special cases,
where there are conflicts between the minimum
distances and the situation at the actual site, a
proof has to be performed specific for the individ-
ual substation.
The application of the concept is limited when
other field sources close to the switchgear exist
which produce magnetic field levels comparable to
those produced by the switchgear. In that case all
the sources have to be considered in order to get
the actual and realistic field distribution. However,
following the trend of using - almost - only stan-
dardised components for installations, the concept
can also be transferred to complete substations for
energy distribution.
0-1 1-2 2-3
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