Tie-Wrap Saves The Day At Candlestick Park

[ATSman]

Customer called and said his park electrician needed help in closing one of their tower lighting breakers before the 49ers season opening home game on Sunday.
The elec distribution equipment at this park is the original stuff when the park opened in 1960. The quality of the Westinghouse gear built back then was the reason it is still operating today, although components do fail due to age.
The breaker is a 1600A West. DB-50 fixed mount air circuit breaker. The breaker had an intermittent problem in closing from the Honeywell BMS system and eventually it would not close at all. The breaker has an undervoltage device (right side in pic) that is connected to the trip bar and will not allow closing of the breaker if line voltage is not present. In this case the UV device had failed, preventing breaker closing. A tie-wrap was used to hold the device in the operated position thereby allowing the breaker to be closed. Several tests were performed, manual handle, local and remote electrically and the breaker operated without a problem. Needless to say the customer was very happy and asked for a quote to make repairs to the UV device.
I am sure this one can ring a bell with Gar and Zog
see attached pics
pics will come later I am having trouble sending

 

[ATSman]

pic

pic

Customer called and said his park electrician needed help in closing one of their tower lighting breakers before the 49ers season opening home game on Sunday.
The elec distribution equipment at this park is the original stuff when the park opened in 1960. The quality of the Westinghouse gear built back then was the reason it is still operating today, although components do fail due to age.
The breaker is a 1600A West. DB-50 fixed mount air circuit breaker. The breaker had an intermittent problem in closing from the Honeywell BMS system and eventually it would not close at all. The breaker has an undervoltage device (right side in pic) that is connected to the trip bar and will not allow closing of the breaker if line voltage is not present. In this case the UV device had failed, preventing breaker closing. A tie-wrap was used to hold the device in the operated position thereby allowing the breaker to be closed. Several tests were performed, manual handle, local and remote electrically and the breaker operated without a problem. Needless to say the customer was very happy and asked for a quote to make repairs to the UV device.
I am sure this one can ring a bell with Gar and Zog

see attached pics
pics will come later I am having trouble sending

see attached

 

[ATSman]

Candlestick Park

Candlestick Park

see attached

 

[zbang]

Nice, but don't try this at home .

(dmn, a 49er's game already, remind me to stay away from SF tomorrow.)

 

[Besoeker]

Useful things these cable ties are............for all manner of things
My missus uses them in the garden to tie plants to stakes.

 

[K8MHZ]

The OP wouldn't like working with me.

Even if I ever would cobble something like that, I sure wouldn't admit to it, be proud of it and I would certainly not post pictures of it with my name on it.

If, ironically enough, Candlestick Park catches fire and these pics are found floating around the Internet, guess who will have a lot of explaining to do.

 

[K8MHZ]

The breaker had an intermittent problem in closing

Would that not also indicate an intermittent problem in opening?

 

[Speedskater]

Are all the power transformers in good condition? Or will we have another Sunday night display on SNF?

 

[Hv&Lv]

Are all the power transformers in good condition? Or will we have another Sunday night display on SNF?

Was that the same park? I remember the video or pictures...was it last year?

 

[K8MHZ]

Was that the same park? I remember the video or pictures...was it last year?

Yep.

Here is the vid. Watch for the flying tie-wraps just after the explosion.

 

[SG-1]

Would that not also indicate an intermittent problem in opening?

Not usually, the UV Trip is more problematic on Closing, there is a lot of vibration & the control voltage takes a dip. Once sealed in, it will usually stay. This breaker uses a solenoid to propel the contacts closed.

 

[templdl]

Not usually, the UV Trip is more problematic on Closing, there is a lot of vibration & the control voltage takes a dip. Once sealed in, it will usually stay. This breaker uses a solenoid to propel the contacts closed.

That's nteresting. And all along I thought is was a spring release solenoid that relected a spring the was charged, the spring actual propels the contacts closed which as I have always understood could be done by simply pushing a closed mechanical operated push button which mechanically releases the spring .
The spring release solenoid was for closing the breaker from a remore close as I was lead to believe.

 

[templdl]

That's nteresting.

I dropped this reply and didn't proof read it. Here is the tweeked reply:

That's interesting. And all along I thought is was a spring release solenoid that released a spring the was charged, the spring actualy propels the contacts closed and not the solenoid itself which as I have always understood could be done by simply pushing a closed mechanical operated push button which mechanically releases the spring .
The spring release solenoid was for closing the breaker from a remote location as I was lead to believe.

 

[SG-1]

I dropped this reply and didn't proof read it. Here is the tweeked reply:

That's interesting. And all along I thought is was a spring release solenoid that released a spring the was charged, the spring actualy propels the contacts closed and not the solenoid itself which as I have always understood could be done by simply pushing a closed mechanical operated push button which mechanically releases the spring .
The spring release solenoid was for closing the breaker from a remote location as I was lead to believe.[/QUOTE

The DB predates the spring charged mechanisms. If my memory is correct one would close the "X-coil" to energize a 30lb solenoid. There is an opening spring. I think the DH breakers may have used this technology as well. Modern breakers charge a spring to drive the contacts as you thought. With the exception of the Eaton TL which charges capacitors to energize a big solenoid.

 

[Jraef]

One of my customers bid on replacing the breakers and some of the gear out there a few years ago when the City of SF was still trying to keep the 49ers here. It would have been temporary while they built a new stadium down the street, but the new gear would have been moved once they were ready for it. Once the 49ers started construction of the new stadium in Santa Clara, the City cancelled all contract activity for anything but basic MRO at Candlestick. What's the point? It only needs to last one more year after this. It will go the way of the King Dome in Seattle, probably in 2015 when they accept that there will be no other interest in renting that death trap. That'll probably be one helluva party though, more places to watch the explosion from a safe distance than there was in Seattle.

 

[jaggedben]

One of my customers bid on replacing the breakers and some of the gear out there a few years ago when the City of SF was still trying to keep the 49ers here. It would have been temporary while they built a new stadium down the street, but the new gear would have been moved once they were ready for it. Once the 49ers started construction of the new stadium in Santa Clara, the City cancelled all contract activity for anything but basic MRO at Candlestick. What's the point? It only needs to last one more year after this. It will go the way of the King Dome in Seattle, probably in 2015 when they accept that there will be no other interest in renting that death trap. That'll probably be one helluva party though, more places to watch the explosion from a safe distance than there was in Seattle.

Damn that makes me sad. Seen a lot of games there.

 

[templdl]

[The DB predates the spring charged mechanisms. If my memory is correct one would close the "X-coil" to energize a 30lb solenoid. There is an opening spring. I think the DH breakers may have used this technology as well. Modern breakers charge a spring to drive the contacts as you thought. With the exception of the Eaton TL which charges capacitors to energize a big solenoid.[/QUOTE]

So if I'm to inderstand you correctly the Db breaker doesn't employ a closing spring that is charged but a large solenoid closes the contacts. If the solenoid drives the contacts closed does the solenoid also hold the contacts closed?

 

[jumper]

One of my customers bid on replacing the breakers and some of the gear out there a few years ago when the City of SF was still trying to keep the 49ers here. It would have been temporary while they built a new stadium down the street, but the new gear would have been moved once they were ready for it. Once the 49ers started construction of the new stadium in Santa Clara, the City cancelled all contract activity for anything but basic MRO at Candlestick. What's the point? It only needs to last one more year after this. It will go the way of the King Dome in Seattle, probably in 2015 when they accept that there will be no other interest in renting that death trap. That'll probably be one helluva party though, more places to watch the explosion from a safe distance than there was in Seattle.

There goes another piece of my childhood, I grew up going to games at Candlestick-parents had season tickets.

 

[ggunn]

There goes another piece of my childhood, I grew up going to games at Candlestick-parents had season tickets.

I never saw it except from the outside and on TV, but I'll miss it as well.

 

[JoeStillman]

It makes me wonder why the breaker had undervoltage trip to begin with?