Switchgear exhaust assembly

A switchgear exhaust assembly for controlling flow of exhaust from one or more exhaust ports of a switchgear, the assembly comprising:

• an enclosure having a plurality of walls having a top wall, the enclosure being couplable to the switchgear to substantially enclose the one or more exhaust ports of the switchgear, the enclosure defining a primary exhaust chamber for receiving exhaust flowing through the exhaust ports and allowing gases of the exhaust to expand and cool down,
• the top wall having a top layer and a bottom layer defining at least one secondary exhaust chamber therebetween,
• the bottom layer of the top wall comprising first openings providing fluid communication between the primary exhaust chamber and the secondary exhaust chamber,
• the top layer and the bottom layer of the top wall defining one or more side openings therebetween, the side openings providing fluid communication between the secondary exhaust chamber and a space surrounding the enclosure, allowing exhaust to be expelled into said space;
• wherein the plurality of walls of the enclosure comprises opposing lateral sidewalls and opposing end sidewalls;
• and
• wherein the enclosure comprises at least one U-shaped element having opposing first and second sidewall members and a panel assembly extending therebetween, the first and second sidewall members corresponding to portions of the lateral sidewalls of the enclosure and the panel assembly corresponding to a portion of the top wall;
• wherein the panel assembly comprises a top panel having at least one first rim extending downwardly and a bottom panel having at least one second rim extending upwardly and facing said at least one first rim, the one or more side openings of the top wall being defined between said at least one first and second rims.

A switchgear exhaust assembly for controlling flow of exhaust from one or more exhaust ports of a switchgear, the assembly comprising:

• an enclosure having a plurality of walls having a top wall, the enclosure being couplable to the switchgear to substantially enclose the one or more exhaust ports of the switchgear, the enclosure defining a primary exhaust chamber for receiving exhaust flowing through the exhaust ports and allowing gases of the exhaust to expand and cool down,
• the top wall having a top layer and a bottom layer defining at least one secondary exhaust chamber therebetween,
• the bottom layer of the top wall comprising first openings providing fluid communication between the primary exhaust chamber and the secondary exhaust chamber,
• the top layer and the bottom layer of the top wall defining one or more side openings therebetween, the side openings providing fluid communication between the secondary exhaust chamber and a space surrounding the enclosure, allowing exhaust to be expelled into said space;
• wherein the plurality of walls of the enclosure comprises opposing lateral sidewalls and opposing end sidewalls, and
• wherein the enclosure comprises a plurality of U-shaped elements each having opposing first and second sidewall members and a panel assembly extending therebetween, the first and second sidewall members corresponding to portions of the lateral sidewalls of the enclosure and the panel assembly corresponding to a portion of the top wall;
• wherein the U-shaped elements are aligned, the first sidewall members forming a first of the lateral sidewalls and the second sidewall members forming a second of the lateral sidewalls.

A switchgear exhaust assembly mountable to a switchgear having one or more exhaust ports, for controlling flow of exhaust from the one or more exhaust ports of the switchgear, the assembly comprising:

• a plurality of U-shaped elements each having opposing first and second sidewall members and a panel assembly extending therebetween, the plurality of U-shaped elements being aligned whereby the first sidewall members form a first lateral sidewall, the second sidewall members form a second lateral sidewall, and the panel assemblies form a top wall;
• a pair of opposing end sidewalls defining with the first lateral sidewall, the second lateral sidewall and the top wall, a primary exhaust chamber for receiving exhaust flowing through the exhaust ports and allowing gases of the exhaust to expand and cool down,
• the panel assembly of one or more of the plurality of the U-shaped elements each having a top layer and a bottom layer defining a respective secondary exhaust chamber therebetween, the bottom layer of the panel assembly comprising first openings providing fluid communication between the primary exhaust chamber and the respective secondary exhaust chambers, and the top layer and the bottom layer of the panel assembly defining one or more side openings therebetween, for providing fluid communication between the respective secondary exhaust chamber and a space surrounding the switchgear exhaust assembly, allowing gases to be expelled into said space;
• and
• at least one framing element each being positioned between a pair of adjacent U-shaped members, for reinforcing the pair of adjacent U-shaped members;
• and
• wherein the end sidewalls comprise at least one end wall reinforcing element, for reinforcing the end sidewalls.

A method for controlling flow of exhaust from one or more exhaust ports of a switchgear, the method comprising:

• in an occurrence of an arc fault, capturing exhaust flowing from the switchgear through the exhaust ports within a primary exhaust chamber of an enclosure mounted to the switchgear and being located downstream of the exhaust ports, gases of the exhaust expanding and being cooled in the primary exhaust chamber, the enclosure having a plurality of U-shaped elements each having opposing first and second sidewall members and a panel assembly extending therebetween, the plurality of U-shaped elements being aligned whereby the first sidewall members form a first lateral sidewall of the enclosure, the second sidewall members form a second lateral sidewall of the enclosure and the panel assemblies form a top wall of the enclosure, and the enclosure further having a pair of opposing end sidewalls defining with the first lateral sidewall, the second lateral sidewall and the top wall, the primary exhaust chamber;
• channeling a portion of the gases of the exhaust to a secondary exhaust chamber of the enclosure, the secondary exhaust chamber being positioned above the primary exhaust chamber and being in fluid communication and downstream therewith, the portion of the gases further being cooled down, the panel assembly of one or more of the U-shaped elements having a top layer and a bottom layer defining the secondary exhaust chamber;
• and
• expelling the portion of the exhaust via side openings of the secondary exhaust chamber to a space surrounding the enclosure, the enclosure being substantially closed whereby the gases exit the enclosure only through the side openings in a substantially sideways direction.