water lines in MCC

[fred bartoli]

We are replacing an MCC in a pumping station. The existing MCC contains two transducers that are connected to water lines that are brough into the MCC that provide system pressure. The engineers drawings contain a note that says to relocated transducers to new MCC and re-connect. The person that is overseeing the project for the village told me he does not want water lines in the new MCC. I can't find anything in the NEC that addresses this. Is this a code violation.

 

[mdshunk]

Those transducers probably are "electrical equipment" and seem like they could stay, but I sure wouldn't want them in the MCC. Seems like a common sense issue, to me. I even remotely locate pneumatic transducers now, because an air leak at a pneumatic transducer in a VFD cabinet once caused lots of fine oil and water mist inside the VFD, causing days and days of downtime. Remotely locating water, hyrdaulic, and other process fluid transducers seems like a no-brainer, to me. I'm not sure what the objection could possibly be, on your part, towards relocating them outside the MCC cabinet and working space.

 

[Rockyd]

Sometimes one has wonder where the industry is going at times...See 430.126(B). I worked on water cooled gear this summer for VFD's - input 7200 dropped down to 6600 for 6500 HP. hate to be within a 100' of the equipment if there is a hose failure (PS #9 can get down to -50F below in the winter time)!

Here is a link to disasterous consequences when wqter cooled goes bad!

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Rocky,
That video is not of a water cooled transformer. It is a standard oil coolled transformer that failed. In the video, you can see a big white cloud just before the huge flash fire. That is the hot oil spraying out of the transformer and then ingniting.
Don

 

[petersonra]

Sometimes one has wonder where the industry is going at times...See 430.126(B). I worked on water cooled gear this summer for VFD's - input 7200 dropped down to 6600 for 6500 HP. hate to be within a 100' of the equipment if there is a hose failure (PS #9 can get down to -50F below in the winter time)!

The problem with this kind of install is not that it is inherently bad but that it is not properly instrumented to allow for a safe and quick shutdown if something goes wrong.

 

[Rockyd]

Thanks for the correct information on the transformer. Thought that was a steam cloud just prior to an explosion. Didn't think transformer oil would go like that, with water coming as a cooling agent, makes me just a little nervous at times.