SITUATION
A global manufacturer of high-voltage switchgear was looking for a way to stop the rupture discs on their units bursting prematurely. They wanted the discs to be ready when needed and only burst in a real emergency. They were hampered by not being able to identify the root cause of the problem and therefore specify a disc that would burst as required every time.
ACTION
By pooling knowledge with our Design Engineers, the manufacturer realized that the mating surface on the switchgear was not lining up 100% with the rupture disc support ring. The resulting strain on the disc was causing the premature failures. To solve this:
- The manufacturer revised their housing design process to ensure the mating surface design matched the rupture disc’s interface requirements perfectly;
- Our Design Engineers modified the rupture disc’s support ring design to offer more robust support;
- Together, we developed a comprehensive test program that included burst tests with the discs installed on the new housings.
RESULT
The new designs and test program confirmed the compatibility and robustness of the housing and disc interface. Since using the new designs, the manufacturer has improved safety and equipment longevity. They have been successfully manufacturing safe switchgear units, free from premature burst failures in outdoor conditions, for over a decade.