Complex electrically operated ground and test device using vacuum circuit interrupters and methods of operating the same

A grounding and test device comprising:

• a chassis configured to be removably installed in a drawout switchgear compartment having a plurality of load conductors and a plurality of line conductors therein, the chassis comprising a housing having a vertical front face configured to face outward from the circuit breaker housing when the chassis is installed therein and a vertical rear face on an opposite side of the housing from the first vertical face and configured to face inside the switchgear compartment;
• a horizontal row of spaced apart first vacuum circuit interrupter pole units mounted on the vertical rear face of the housing and extending perpendicularly therefrom, the first vacuum circuit interrupter pole units having respective contacts configured to engage respective ones of the plurality of line conductors;
• a horizontal row of spaced apart second vacuum circuit interrupter pole units mounted on the vertical rear face of the housing and extending perpendicularly therefrom parallel to the row of first vacuum circuit interrupter pole units, the second vacuum circuit interrupter pole units having respective contacts configured to engage respective ones of the plurality of load conductors;
• an elongate interconnection bus bar mounted on the vertical rear face of the housing, extending horizontally between the rows of first and second vacuum circuit interrupter pole units;
• respective flexible conductors extending perpendicularly from the interconnection bus bar and connecting respective ones of the first and second vacuum circuit interrupter pole units to the interconnection bus bar;
• a ground conductor supported by the chassis;
• and
• a third vacuum circuit interrupter pole unit supported by the chassis and coupled between the interconnection bus and the ground conductor.

A method comprising:

• installing a grounding and test device in a drawout switchgear compartment having a load conductor and a line conductor therein, the grounding and test device comprising a first vacuum circuit interrupter configured to coupled between an interconnection bus and the line conductor, a second vacuum circuit interrupter configured to be coupled between the interconnection bus and the load conductor, and a third vacuum circuit interrupter configured to be coupled between the interconnection bus and a ground conductor;
• closing the first third vacuum circuit interrupter and the third vacuum circuit interrupter while maintaining the second vacuum circuit interrupter in an open state to ground the line conductor;
• and
• closing the second vacuum circuit interrupter and the third vacuum circuit interrupter while maintaining the first vacuum circuit interrupter in an open state to ground the load conductor.