Before Purchasing New Reclosers, Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative (Bastrop, Texas, U.S.) carefully considered all the options. At the time, oil-filled reclosers were installed on its system, which includes more than 11,000 miles (17,703 km) of distribution lines within 14 Texas counties. After a thorough review, the utility chose the Versa-Tech oil-free reclosers from Hubbell Inc. (Orange, Connecticut, U.S.) for their versatility and easy programming, as well as several other features.

LIMITED MAINTENANCE

With the addition of a vacuum interrupter, Versa-Tech reclosers require limited routine maintenance. The manufacturer recommends a battery changeout every eight years. This met Bluebonnet's desire for a maintenance-free recloser.

Limited maintenance was important to the utility because of the industry shortage of linemen and field personnel, which leads to the obvious challenge of having to do more with less.

Bluebonnet's member base is growing, and some areas of its service territory are becoming more urban than rural — with members who are accustomed to and expect a high level of reliability. The utility's response is to strive for greater efficiency by maximizing productivity. Versa-Tech reclosers support this effort through design and functionality. The reduction in installation and maintenance man-hours allows field personnel to allocate a greater portion of their workday to completing other tasks.

Safety is important in all aspects of a utility's operation, and the Versa-Tech recloser had one safety issue. The recloser has a skirted polymer-insulated support that houses the vacuum interrupter. All components are energized to system potential, and a polymer post-insulator electrically isolates the "live tank" unit from ground. Bluebonnet concluded that if it loses a ground on a traditional recloser, its tank can become energized, as well. Furthermore, Versa-Tech's live tank increases the life expectancy and reduces the maintenance and weight of the recloser.

The utility is making an effort to minimize the safety concern through general awareness and training, just as it does with any other product. Hubbell also has been proactive in providing "Energized Equipment" signs with the purchase of the recloser to warn linemen of the energized tank.

PROGRAMMING AND INSTALLATION

The Versa-Tech recloser is easy to program. To date, Bluebonnet's linemen have not had any problems with programming, because it is simple and straight to the point.

The scratch pad feature within the programming allows the utility to keep notes on each recloser and access those notes when communicating with a device. Bluebonnet stores its map references, pole locations, settings, feeder names and special notes there. With the embedded RF radio and scratch pad feature, the utility can identify a specific recloser at a location where multiple reclosers are installed. Each recloser also stores data on up to 40 overcurrent operations, making it easier for Bluebonnet to maintain its system.

The recloser's design allows for a clean, uncongested pole top in both single- and three-phase applications. The recloser can be mounted on a pole through an insulated standoff or underneath a crossarm with a polymer insulator. The unit's light weight reduces lineman fatigue and construction time.

An additional advantage that this recloser provides is the potential for inventory reduction. As Bluebonnet moves toward installing more Versa-Tech reclosers on its system, the utility will not have to stock as many sizes and types of reclosers. The 30-A to 800-A minimum trip gives the utility adequate versatility to use the device in almost any application on its system.