From the Arctic to the Sahara: switchgear testing goes extreme

A purpose-built climatic test chamber in the Czech Republic will be used to test indoor MV switchgear panels to ensure they are able to maintain continuous power in the harshest of operating environments.

The chamber in Brno is the first of its kind in Europe and has been built at a cost of €700,000 by ABB to test its own equipment.

The chamber will simulate harsh climatic site conditions, from lows of minus 50 °C to highs of up to 80 °C as well as pollution conditions. It will also test for 0-100% humidity and water condensation, all of which can cause switchgear to age faster. 

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The enhanced testing can take from four to eight weeks to complete for each component. ABB says it will improve the quality and reliability of its energized MV indoor switchgear solutions when operating in the most extreme climatic site conditions and polluted environments, to reduce failures and unplanned downtime at customer sites.

Martin Stefanka, ABB’s Global Technology Manager for Distribution Solutions said the chamber "will help us to understand the limits of our switchgear beyond the requirements of current standards".

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