Structural and Performance Characteristics of GCS Low-voltage Switchgear Cabinet
The GCS low-voltage draw-out switchgear cabinet is a high-performance, modular low-voltage power distribution
device, which is widely used in scenarios such as power plants, petrochemical industries, and high-rise buildings
that require high reliability and automated control. The following details are presented from two aspects: **
structural characteristics** and **performance characteristics**:
### I. Structural Characteristics
#### 1. Cabinet Body and Frame
- **Material and Process**: The main frame is made of **8MF steel**, formed by assembly or partial welding,
with anti-corrosion treatment on the surface, featuring high strength and good rigidity.
- **Modular Design**: The cabinet body is equipped with **modular holes E = 20mm**, supporting the flexible
installation of various electrical components to meet different functional requirements.
- **Protection Level**: Optional **IP30 or IP40**, which is dust-proof and splash-proof, adapting to different
environmental conditions.
#### 2. Compartment Division
- **Functional Unit Chamber**: Installs components such as draw-out circuit breakers and contactors. The
drawer height is **160mm**, divided into five specifications: **1/2 unit, 1 unit, 1.5 units, 2 units, and 3 units**,
supporting hot swapping and interchangeability.
- **Busbar Chamber**:
- **Horizontal Busbar**: Arranged horizontally at the back of the cabinet, with a rated current ≤ 4000A,
and strong dynamic and thermal stability (short-time withstand current 50/80kA, peak value 105/176kA).
- **Vertical Busbar**: Located inside the flame-retardant plastic functional board, with a rated current of
1000A, ensuring high safety.
- **Cable Chamber**: An independent space, supporting **top and bottom cable outlets**, equipped with
a zero-sequence current transformer, facilitating cable installation and maintenance. The width can be
selected as 240mm or 440mm.
#### 3. Drawer Design
- **Drawer Types**: Supports **from 1/2 unit to 3 units**. A single MCC cabinet can hold up to **22 1/2-unit
drawers** or **11 1-unit drawers**.
- **Mechanical Interlock**: The drawer is equipped with a four-position mechanical interlock of **open, close,
test, and withdraw** to prevent misoperation.
- **Connectors**: Adopts blade-type or rod-type connectors, with clear current grading. Drawers of 1 unit and
above are equipped with **32 pairs of secondary connectors**, supporting multi-signal transmission.
### II. Performance Characteristics
#### 1. High Reliability and Safety
- **Fault Isolation**: Each compartment is independently sealed. A single-unit fault will not affect other circuits.
The busbar chamber and the cable chamber are isolated by a metal plate to prevent the spread of arcs.
- **Short-circuit Withstand**: The horizontal arrangement design of the busbar improves dynamic and thermal
stability, and it can withstand the impact of **80kA short-circuit current**, making it suitable for large-capacity
power distribution systems.
#### 2. Flexible Expandability
- **Modular Combination**: The drawer units can be mixedly configured (a combination of draw-out and fixed types),
supporting three-phase four-wire or five-wire systems, and adapting to different power distribution schemes.
- **Automation Adaptability**: A large number of secondary connectors (20 pairs for 1/2 unit) support direct
interfacing with computer systems, meeting the requirements of remote monitoring and automated control.
#### 3. Environmental Adaptability
- **Operating Conditions**:
- Temperature: -5°C ~ +40°C (average within 24 hours ≤ +35°C), and capacity derating is required for high
altitudes (≤ 2000m).
- Humidity: When the temperature is 40°C, the humidity ≤ 50%, and higher humidity is allowed at low
temperatures (without condensation).
- **Scene Adaptability**: Suitable for complex environments such as power plants, petrochemical industries,
and data centers, and can be directly connected to dry-type or oil-immersed transformers.
#### 4. Convenient Maintenance
- **Drawer Interchangeability**: Drawers of the same specification can be quickly replaced, reducing the
power outage time.
- **Cable Chamber Design**: The independent space is convenient for cable maintenance. The zero-sequence
current transformer is built-in, eliminating the need to disassemble the main circuit.
### III. Comparison with Other Models (Briefly)
- **GCS vs GCK**:
- GCS has more drawer positions (four positions), stronger interchangeability, and higher busbar safety,
making it suitable for highly automated scenarios.
- GCK has a lower cost and fewer circuits, making it suitable for scenarios with simple functional
requirements.
- **GCS vs MNS**:
- The module of MNS is 25mm, the drawer height is 200mm, and it has more circuits (36 circuits),
but GCS has a more compact structure and higher cost-effectiveness.
### Conclusion
The GCS switchgear cabinet takes **modular structure**, **high short-circuit withstand capacity**,
and **automation adaptability** as its core advantages. It is an ideal choice that balances reliability and
flexibility in the low-voltage power distribution system, especially suitable for industrial and civil scenarios
with high requirements for power supply stability and intelligence.