Composite groundable barrier for switchgear and grounding apparatus

摘要

A grounding arrangement for a shutter for a high voltage metal clad switchgear arrangement is taught. The shutter is a composite of an electrically insulating material such as polyester and islands of electrically conductive material such as non-magnetic aluminum. The polyester material reduces the chance for flash-over between the high voltage conductors and the grounded metal islands or other conductors, while the grounded metal islands provide a region of zero ground potential in an area associated with the openings of the high voltage terminal assemblies to thus assure that personnel who approach this region will always be exposed to ground potential and not high voltage potential. When the shutter is raised, a dual switching arrangement is automatically actuated to disconnect the islands of the shutter from the ground potential of the metal clad switchgear.