The ABB Elastimold 372SOP 35kV 200 Amp Loadbreak Insulated Parking Bushing (also known as a standoff plug) is a specialized accessory used in medium-voltage underground electrical distribution systems.
Unlike a loadbreak bushing insert, which is mounted on equipment (like a transformer) and receives an elbow connector, a parking bushing (or “standoff plug”) is designed to provide a safe, temporary, or permanent storage point for an energized loadbreak elbow connector when it’s disconnected from its primary equipment.
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Key Features:
Purpose and Function:
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Applications:
The ABB Elastimold 372SOP is commonly used by:
- Electric Utilities: For temporary or permanent parking of energized loadbreak elbows in pad-mounted transformers, switchgear, and sectionalizing cabinets.
- Industrial and Commercial Facilities: That utilize underground medium-voltage distribution systems, providing flexibility and safety during maintenance or system reconfigurations.
Key Features:
- Voltage Class: 35 kV (designed for systems with a nominal voltage up to 35,000 volts).
- Current Rating: 200 Amperes loadbreak rated.
- Loadbreak Interface: It features the standard loadbreak interface that mates with 35kV 200 Amp loadbreak elbow connectors conforming to IEEE Std 386.
- Material: Molded from high-quality, peroxide-cured EPDM rubber, providing excellent insulation, durability, and resistance to environmental factors.
- Mounting: Uses an integral cast aluminum bracket with a slotted end, designed to be inserted into a standard parking stand (sometimes called a parking “bushing bracket” or “stinger bracket”) which is typically mounted on the apparatus’s front plate.
- Fully Shielded and Submersible: The EPDM construction ensures a fully shielded, dead-front design that can operate safely in continuously submerged conditions, making it suitable for underground and vault applications.
Purpose and Function:
- Safe Parking for Energized Elbows: Its primary function is to provide a fully insulated, shielded, and grounded location where a hotstick-operated 35kV 200 Amp loadbreak elbow connector (with its attached energized cable) can be safely “parked” when it’s temporarily disconnected from a transformer, switchgear, or other apparatus. This allows linemen to work on or isolate equipment without having to de-energize an entire feeder.
- Isolation and Sectionalization: By providing a safe parking spot, it facilitates the isolation and sectionalization of energized cables in pad-mounted cabinets, underground vaults, and other utility apparatus.
- Prevent Accidental Contact: The design ensures that even an energized elbow parked on the 372SOP remains fully shielded and dead-front, preventing accidental contact with live parts.
- Grounding: The 372SOP includes a cast aluminum bracket with a slotted end that inserts into a standard parking stand. This bracket has provisions for a grounding lug, ensuring the semiconducting shield of the parking bushing (and thus the parked elbow) is properly grounded for safety.
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