An
electric switchboard is a device that directs
electricityElectricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge...
from one source to another. It is an assembly of panels, each of which contain
switchIn electronics, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most familiar form of switch is a manually operated electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts...
es that allow electricity to be redirected. The operator is protected from
electrocutionAn electric shock can occur upon contact of a human body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current through the muscles or hair. The minimum current a human can feel is thought to be about 1 milliampere ....
by safety switches and
fusesIn electronics and electrical engineering a fuse is a type of sacrificial overcurrent protection device. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows, which interrupts the circuit in which it is connected...
.
There can also be controls for the supply of electricity to the switchboard, coming from a generator or bank of
electrical generatorIn electricity generation, an electrical generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor; motors and generators have many similarities...
s, especially
frequencyFrequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency....
control of
AC powerPower is defined as the rate of flow of energy past a given point. In alternating current circuits, energy storage elements such as inductance and capacitance may result in periodic reversals of the direction of energy flow. The portion of power flow that, averaged over a complete cycle of the AC...
and load sharing controls, plus gauges showing frequency and perhaps a
synchroscopeIn AC electrical power systems, a synchroscope is a device that indicates the degree to which two systems are synchronized with each other....
.
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An
electric switchboard is a device that directs
electricityElectricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge...
from one source to another. It is an assembly of panels, each of which contain
switchIn electronics, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most familiar form of switch is a manually operated electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts...
es that allow electricity to be redirected. The operator is protected from
electrocutionAn electric shock can occur upon contact of a human body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current through the muscles or hair. The minimum current a human can feel is thought to be about 1 milliampere ....
by safety switches and
fusesIn electronics and electrical engineering a fuse is a type of sacrificial overcurrent protection device. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows, which interrupts the circuit in which it is connected...
.
There can also be controls for the supply of electricity to the switchboard, coming from a generator or bank of
electrical generatorIn electricity generation, an electrical generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor; motors and generators have many similarities...
s, especially
frequencyFrequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency....
control of
AC powerPower is defined as the rate of flow of energy past a given point. In alternating current circuits, energy storage elements such as inductance and capacitance may result in periodic reversals of the direction of energy flow. The portion of power flow that, averaged over a complete cycle of the AC...
and load sharing controls, plus gauges showing frequency and perhaps a
synchroscopeIn AC electrical power systems, a synchroscope is a device that indicates the degree to which two systems are synchronized with each other....
. The amount of power going into a switchboard must always equal to the power going out to the loads.
Inside the switchboard there is a bank of
busbarA busbar in electrical power distribution refers to thick strips of copper or aluminium that conduct electricity within a switchboard, distribution board, substation, or other electrical apparatus....
s - generally wide strips of
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
to which the switchgear is connected. These act to allow the flow of large currents through the switchboard, and are generally bare and supported by insulators. Power to a switchboard should first be isolated before a switchboard is opened for maintenance, as the bare busbars represent a severe electrocution hazard. Working on a live switchboard is rarely necessary, and if it is done then precautions should be taken, such as standing on a thick rubber mat, the use of gloves etc.