Description

The invention relates to a maintenance and service system for electrical distribution equipment, like in particular switchgears and data centers, comprising a manipulator device for the operation, maintenance, supervision and service of electrical distribution equipment, like for example switchgears and data centers, in particular low and medium voltage switchgears and data centers, as well as to said manipulator device and to a switchgear, in particular low voltage or medium voltage switchgear, and data center equipped with at least one of said maintenance and service systems for electrical distribution equipment.

The state of the art operation, maintenance and service of switchgears or data cen ters is time consuming and needs cost intensive, well trained personal, in particular with regard to offshore applications. Working in energized switchgears has the risk for a personal injury due to human error or device malfunction. Unexpected shut downs may further be caused by faulty operations or wear out of components. An additional area of application are unmanned production platforms or stations, like for example offshore platforms. For maintenance or service of such isolated installations a time consuming and cost intensive provision of personal is required.

For operation and maintenance of low voltage switchgears, in particular low voltage motor control centers (MCC), well trained on-site personal is necessary to supervise the equipment to obtain high energy availability. Even applying highest industrial safety standards, every work with electrical equipment bears the principal risk for personal injuries caused by a human error or device malfunction. It subsequently can lead to unplanned breakdowns/shut-downs of the entire energy supply for critical loads.

Unplanned shutdowns can also be provoked by faulty operation of the operator. All unplanned shutdowns can be cost intensive resulting in a significant loss of profit of the plant operator. In particular exposed to this risk are industrial applications for crit ical energy load, e.g. in data centers or oil and gas platforms. Further critical applica tion are LV energy installations that are running in a long distance away from a ser vice teams e.g. unmanned platforms or stations.

Accordingly the object of this invention is to enable and provide improved

operation, service, supervision and maintenance activities to electrical distribution equipment and / or devices. A further object of the invention is to develop and provide a switchgear, in particular a low voltage, and/or data center concept, in particular a low voltage switchgear, and/or data center to overcome these above- mentioned limitations. The constraint will be addressed by a maintenance and service system with an integrated manipulator device yielding to an autonomous, or remotely operable switchgear, in particular low voltage switchgear and/or data center solution.

The above mentioned disadvantages will be solved by a maintenance and service system comprising at least one data processing device and at least one manipulator device, in particular a rail guided manipulator device, performing all operation, service, supervision and maintenance tasks, the at least one manipulator device is motor driven movable and/or arrangeable or mountable in a position that the manipulator can reach each component of the electrical distribution equipment and in particular each compartment of a switchgear or datacenter and in particular arrangeable or mountable in front of or in the back of or to the front or to the back of the electrical distribution equipment, like for example a switchgear or datacenter, wherein the at least one wherein the at least one manipulator is movable laterally and vertically, in particular in at least two direction, preferably in three directions or axes, and comprises at least one motor driven gripper arm or grappler with a tooling device at its free distal end, wherein in particular the gripper arm or grappler and/or the tooling device is movable in three-dimensional space and/or in three axes and/or rotatable in an automated and/or controlled way, in order to perform all operation and/or service and/or supervision and/or maintenance tasks.

In particular all operation, service, supervision and maintenance tasks usually done from service people autonomously, like for example lock and/or unlock of

withdrawable parts as well as inserting and extracting said parts. Due to the continuous supervision, inspection and service the downtime and/or shutdown times of the switchgears and/or data center will be reduced.

This solution is in particular applicable for critical energy distribution equipment or devices, in particular low voltage or medium voltage energy distribution equipment or devices, like for example datacenters or oil and gas (O&G) platforms, in particular offshore platforms, but can be applied also to other industries like food and beverage, chemical, minerals and mining, and related applications.

In a further embodiment the tooling device comprises a tool changing system and/or a tool, like for example a gripper.

In a further embodiment a tool magazine is provided, where all of the tools, in particu lar measuring instruments and/or sensor devices and/ or machining tools, at last re quired to perform the operation, service, supervision and maintenance tasks are stored and available.

In a further embodiment a spare part stock is provided, where all of the spare parts, in particular cable, installation means, electrical components, withdrawable modules, at last required for operation and/or proper function of the electrical distribution equipment are stored and available.

In one embodiment of the invention the manipulator device may preferably be a rail mounted device which is adapted to the side of the electrical distribution equipment, in particular of the switchgear or data center, that includes the equipment

compartments and arranged to access the equipment compartments. The equipment compartments may hold or comprise e.g. circuit breakers, withdrawable modules, server racks and/or other electrical equipment or devices.

In one embodiment the rail system comprises at least horizontally arranged rails guiding the manipulator laterally, which manipulator as such is movable laterally in one direction and which rails enabling the manipulator to reach every lateral position of electrical distribution equipment and/or the applied stock for spares and/or spare parts and/or tool magazine in relatively short time.

In a further embodiment the rail system comprises horizontally arranged and vertically arranged rails guiding the manipulator, which manipulator device as such is movable in at least two directions and which rails enabling the manipulator device to reach every possible position of electrical equipment within the switchgear/datacenter and the applied stock for spares in relatively short time.

The maintenance and service system and in particular the provided manipulator device resumes all the tasks in the risky area in front of an energized switchgear where personal is traditionally needed, e.g. operation, maintenance, supervision inspection, (long-term) monitoring, cleaning and exchanging of defected parts of the system with working ones from a stock. In case of a switchgear the device is also capable to lock or unlock drawers or circuit breakers or other components, to bring them to insulated position and to exchange them with working ones from a spare part stock when they are faulty.

Advantageously the maintenance and service system and in particular the provided manipulator comprises means to resume all tasks related to operation, maintenance, supervision, inspection, (long-term) monitoring, cleaning and exchanging of defected parts of the electric distribution equipment with working ones from the spare part stock.

In particular in case of a switchgear and/or data center, the manipulator device com prises means to lock or unlock drawers, circuit breakers or other components, to bring them to insulated position and to exchange them with working ones and well operating ones respectively from spare part stock when they are faulty, like for ex ample kind of a gripper.

In a further embodiment of the invention the maintenance and service system comprises a rail guided manipulator that is mounted on the front or rear side of the electrical distribution equipment, in particular the switchgear or data center, wherein a rail system is provided comprising at least two parallel rails being spaced from one another and being arranged and/or placed. in horizontal in a way that the manipulator can reach each component of the electrical distribution equipment and in particular each compartment and drawer of the switchgear or datacenter, including the stock area.

In another embodiment of the invention on the horizontal rails a motor driven movable gadget, in particular comprising a sliding carriage, with vertical rails is provided and/or installed that allows the manipulator device to reach the different levels and/or compartments - provided at various heights - of the electrical distribution equipment, in particular the switchgear or datacenter compartments.

In another embodiment of the invention on the horizontal rails a motor driven movable gadget, which is telescopic in vertical direction is provided and/or installed that allows the manipulator device to reach the different levels and/or compartments - provided at various heights - of the electrical distribution equipment, in particular the switchgear or datacenter compartments.

In a further embodiment on the gadget, in particular the sliding carriage, a gripper arm or grappler is mounted that can be equipped with various tools fixable on the gripper arm or grappler and/or detachably connected to or on the gripper arm or grappler.

In a further embodiment on the gadget, in particular the sliding carriage, a gripper arm or grappler is rotatable or pivotable mounted, in particular that gripper arm or grappler can be rotated by 180° or 360° and can be equipped with various tools fixable on the gripper arm or grappler and/or detachably connected to or on the gripper arm or grappler. Furthermore, this may allow or enable the manipulator and in particular the gripper arm or grappler to access and support electrical distribution equipment arranged on both sides of the manipulator.

In a further embodiment on the gadget itself a gripper arm or grappler is mounted that on its free distal end, in particular by using the tooling device and/or tool changing system, can be equipped with exchangeable tools taken from a tooling or tool magazine.

In another embodiment of the invention the manipulator will in an automated way, in particular automatically, select the required tool from the tool magazine according to the intended task.

In another embodiment the manipulator comprises a tool to exchange complete equipment modules, in particular switchgear or server modules, like for example a gripper and/or module tray or module carrier.

In another embodiment the manipulator and/or tool magazine comprises a tool to lu bricate contacts or movable parts, like for example a lubrication press or grease pis tol.

In another embodiment the manipulator and/or the tool magazine comprises a tool for the cleaning of bus bars, drawers, circuit breakers and other switchgear parts by pressurized air, like for example a compressed air gun, and/or solvents, vacuum and/or mechanical cleaning tools using brushes or towels.

In another embodiment the manipulator device comprises a tool to connect or dis connect cable lugs, like for example a gripper and/or screwdriver and/or wrench.

In another embodiment for inspection of the electrical distribution equipment, in par ticular the switchgear or datacenter, the manipulator device is equipped with one or more sensors, like for example an ambient temperature sensor and/or an IR thermal camera and/or an ambient pressure sensor and/or an humidity sensor and/or a visual camera , in particular for image recognition and/or image processing purposes, and/or olfactory cell and/or a microphone and/or a torque sensor and/or any combi- nation thereof to observe and/or monitor every necessary parameter for inspection, supervision and maintenance.

In a further embodiment the ambient conditions were monitored by ambient tempera ture, pressure and humidity sensors installed in and/or through the whole arrange ment of electrical distribution equipment and/or on the manipulator and/or grappler or gripper arm itself.

In a further embodiment an IR thermal sensor is provided and/or mounted on a moveable part, in particular the grappler or gripper arm, of the manipulator so the manipulator and/or sensor is capable to do thermal imaging of almost every part of the electrical distribution equipment arrangement.

In a further embodiment taken pictures are stored in a local database or cloud data base with executable program code and/or algorithm provided to detect abnormalities due to aging or loosen contacts or overheating due to increased electrical load of in stalled equipment or devices.

In a further embodiment a visual camera is provided and arranged on a movable part, in particular on the grappler or gripper arm of the manipulator, wherein the visu al camera is used to detect pollution or corrosion by collecting and/or processing pic tures that are stored in a local database or cloud database, in particular for image recognition and /or image processing purposes.

Furthermore, the analysis of the pictures may be performed manually or automatical ly or in an automated manner by applying executable program code means, in par ticular performing a comparison algorithm provided to detect the degree of pollution.

In a further embodiment at least one acoustical sensor, in particular at least one mi crophone, is provided and/or installed on or at the manipulator to detect noise(s), wherein a change of the noise(s) due to for example a defect or aging of compo nents, may be detected.

Furthermore, the acoustical sensor, in particular the microphones can also be used to detect partial discharge. In an advantageous embodiment both the visual camera and the microphone are combined to execute and/or perform an audiovisual inspection of any component of the equipment.

In a further embodiment at least one olfactory cell is provided and used to“smell” faulty conditions, like for example ionized gas, cable burn and the like.

In a further embodiment a torque sensor is provided to ensure to use the right mo mentum when tightening screws or turning spindle.

Furthermore, the torque sensor may be integrated in the screwdriver or may be part of the manipulator and/or gripper arm or grappler.

In a further embodiment the torque data is recorded and stored in a database for fur ther analysis, in particular to be compare to newer parameters.

In a further embodiment a GPS device is provided to enable localization and to de termine the exact position and /or to execute or perform exact positioning of the ma nipulator and/or tooling device sensor according to the available GPS information.

In another embodiment measuring means or instruments are provided for measuring voltage and/or current and/or frequency and derived measurement, in particular a tool comprising such means or instruments and/or applicable to the tooling device.

According to a further aspect of the invention the proposed maintenance and service system may comprise a testing tray providing all the needed electrical contact means to electrical connect with most of the electrical devices and/or components of the electrical distribution equipment for testing functionality and operational readiness of specific device before inserting it in the respective compartment of the distribution equipment or after removing it from the respective compartment of the distribution equipment.

In a further embodiment the testing tray is equipped to apply all necessary testing current and/or voltages and/or signals but also to detect and/or determine the behav- ior and/or reaction of the respective component or device or module on said testing current and/or voltages and/or signals, in particular under real conditions and not in a specific test mode of the respective component or device or module

The testing tray may be arranged at or may be a part of the manipulator, in particular may be combined with or integrated in the module tray or carrier or may be provided as a separated device or cabinet or compartment.

Furthermore, instruments and/or means may be provided to inject related test voltag es or currents or signals to enable and/or apply various test scenarios to a specific component, in particular a tool comprising said instruments or means and/or applica ble to the tooling device.

In a further embodiment of the invention the testing, in particular a short test of the function and/or functionality, of the component can be done and/or performed during transportation of the respective component by the manipulator device, in particular on its way to or from the spare part stock during movement of the manipulator device.

In a further embodiment at least one database and/or storage device is provided where all data of the sensors will be stored and combined to get better or improved analysis and failure detection.

In a further embodiment the maintenance and service system and in particular the related data processing device is always running or executing an inspection routine if no operation task exists (no rest time).

In a further embodiment the maintenance and service system for continuous monitor ing of the electrical distribution equipment a data processing device cooperating with at least one data storage or database is provided which will record and store all the measured data and/or sensor data and/or maintenance data and /or inspection data and/or supervision data. Furthermore, the data processing device will analyze and combine and/or correlate the recorded and stored data to detect different behavior or deviations from normal state of the equipment.

Advantageous, the analysis may be made for all conditions, like for example store data for starting, booting or stopping of devices and/or that occur during operation.

In a further embodiment the maintenance and service system monitors the actual conditions of components like On/Off position of handles” or trip release positions of breakers and compare it to the required positions, wherein in case of deviations re lated alarms will be generated and appropriate actions can be initiated and/or per formed.

In another embodiment the manipulator device and in particular the gripper arm or grappler is equipped with at least one sensor to perform inspection tasks, wherein the respective sensor may be integrated or part of a tool applicable to the tooling device or may be separately mounted or arranged at or on the manipulator device.

Furthermore, the above mentioned sensor setup that the respective sensor may be integrated or part of a tool applicable to the tooling device or may be separately mounted or arranged at or on the manipulator device may be applied to all the mentioned sensors.

In a further embodiment the at least one sensor comprises a thermocouple too perform thermal inspection tasks.

In a further embodiment the manipulator device and in particular the gripper arm or grappler is equipped with at least one camera for optical inspection tasks and to monitor and/or record operation, service or maintenance activities, in particular to perform realtime or subsequent image recognition and/or image processing.

In particular a tool comprising said camera and applicable to the tooling device may be provided. In a further embodiment the manipulator device and in particular the gripper arm or grappler is equipped with at least one thermographic camera for thermographic inspection tasks of the electrical distribution equipment and/or its components or devices or parts, in particular to perform realtime or subsequent image recognition and/or image processing. In particular a tool comprising said thermographic camera and applicable to the tooling device may be provided.

In a further embodiment the at least one sensor comprises a current and/or voltage sensing device to perform current or voltage measurements at the electrical distribution equipment and/or its components or devices or parts. In particular a tool comprising said current or voltage sensing device and applicable to the tooling device may be provided.

In an advantageous embodiment the gripper arm comprises at least one rotation or pivot axe and/or has pin-joints to allow movements in space or three-dimensional movements.

Furthermore, the manipulator, in particular the gadget or sliding carrier, may additionally be equipped with a supporting device, like a module tray or module carrier, where the drawers, circuit breakers or other components can be placed while exchange and transportation from stock.

In an advantageous embodiment maintenance and service system further comprises a computing or data processing device with local and /or cloud-based data storage and communication devices to be connected with an operator station and/or a process control system.

Furthermore, a web server may be integrated in the maintenance and service system, which will allow and/or allows easy data and/or information access to internal or external network and/or databases, in particular of a plant operator and/or plant management system. In a further embodiment of the maintenance and service system the data communication and/or transmission can be wired or wireless, in particular using Ethernet, Bluetooth, TCP/IP; HART,.WirelessHART, OPC UA, Fieldbus and the like.

In a further embodiment the computing device contains executable program code means and/or program code elements for the operation of the maintenance and service system and in particular the manipulator and/or gripper arm and/or grappler and/or tools.

In a further embodiment executable program code means are provided comprising a statistical or machine learning model based algorithm, which when executed will calculate the expected number and/or type of spares, in particular taking into account the monitoring history and/or providing a prediction for the wear-out or fatigue of components can be done and accordingly the related spares can be provided in advance, wherein in case of defects, immediate actions can be executed before they lead to bigger problems and off times or shut down times respectively.

Furthermore, the executable program code means may be installed locally and /or downloaded from and configured or executed on one or more remote servers.

In another embodiment the maintenance and service system and in particular the manipulator comprises recognition means to identify the drawers, circuit breakers and other components by tags attached on the drawers, circuit breakers and/or components of the electrical distribution system. Furthermore, the respective recognition means may be integrated or part of a tool applicable to the tooling device or may be separately mounted or arranged at or on the manipulator device.

Advantageously the tag can be an electronic device, like a Near Field

Communication (NFC) tag or a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for wireless reading or optical tags like matrix codes, in particular DataMatrix-code.

Furthermore, the electronic tag may be battery powered or powered by induction from manipulator. The invention also relates to a manipulator for a maintenance and service system for electrical distribution equipment, and electrical distribution equipment, like in particular a switchgear and/ or datacenter, comprising such a maintenance and service system.

According to a further aspect of the invention an electrical distribution equipment installation, in particular comprising a switchgear and/or datacenter, as well a switchgear or datacenter is proposed comprising at least one of said maintenance and service systems as described above.

Advantageously, according to the proposed maintenance and service system the availability of the electrical distribution equipment and of its installation may be in creased and the downtime or shutdown times of the equipment may be reduced.

In particular the downtime related to walking or travel time for operator or service en gineers is omitted as the maintenance and service system and the related manipula tor can perform directly operator control actions. Furthermore, the work permission process is omitted as the system can be controlled from remote. There is no need for time consuming additional unlocking or shutdown of the life parts of the electrical dis tribution equipment and in particular the switchgear or data center. The replacement of broken drawers, circuit breakers or components can be instantly executed with the associated stock material in an automated way. Lead times are avoided as the asso ciated stock is kept up to date from the system.

Based on the monitoring history a prediction for the wear-out or fatigue of compo nents can be done and the related spares can be ordered in advance, wherein in case of defects, immediate actions can be executed before they lead to bigger prob lems and off times or shut down times respectively.

Furthermore, based on the monitoring history a better root cause analysis can be executed or done that allows deduction for better availability of the electrical equip ment, in particular the switchgear or data center, in future. Moreover, service or maintenance task can be performed on demand or within off times or shutdown times for single drawers or other components, in particular also for server racks and other electrical devices or apparatuses. By this periodical inspection cycles can be omitted or reduced.

According to the fact that maintenance and service system as well as the manipulator is operating autonomously the number of specialized on site personal can be re duced and related efforts as well as costs can be reduced and saved.

For remotely operated sites as unmanned platforms, in particular off-shore platforms, or afield switchgear stations extensive and/or cost sensitive service assignments can be reduced.

As a further advantage safety related parts for human protection can be removed from electrical distribution equipment and in particular the switchgear or data center design.

Advantageously, the maintenance and service system and in particular the manipula tor device will eliminate typical human errors that lead to safety risk in operation of the electrical distribution equipment and related installation, in particular the switch- gear or data center, like for example wrong addressing and operating of drawers, circuit breakers or other components by mistake in name reading and/or monitoring and inspection of wrong devices

Furthermore, no human personal is needed any longer in the risky zone when the plant is powered on or energized to provide maintenance actions and service.

Accordingly, the risk for health and safety of site personal by arcs when inserting or removing drawers and breakers is omitted.

Furthermore, according to the fact that no further safety activities have to be taken a relatively fast exchange time is achievable which can make improve the downtime or reduce the shutdown times of plants with critical processes to a minimum. The invention as well as further advantageous embodiments are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing

Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a switchgear comprising a maintenance and service system according to a first embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2a, b are two schematic front views of a switchgear comprising a maintenance and service system according to a second embodiment the invention.

As it is shown in Fig. 1 the maintenance and service system for electrical distribution equipment according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein in Fig. 1 the electrical distribution equipment is a low voltage switchgear 1 comprising several switchboards 2,3,4 each switchboard 2,3,4 comprising electrical components 6,7 and/or slide-in modules and/or withdrawable units 8,9, like for example a MCC, com prises a motor driven manipulator movable in at least two directions and in accord ance with the embodiment of Fig. 1 rail guided and positioned in front and/or adjacent to the front end of the electrical distribution equipment capable to access all the re lated equipment components and/or equipment compartments from the front. In gen eral the manipulator may be rail mounted and adapted to the side of the switchgear that includes the equipment compartments or may be mounted on a vehicle.

The equipment compartments may receive or hold or comprise circuit breakers, with drawable modules, server racks and/or other electrical equipment.

The provided rail system enables the manipulator to reach every possible position of electrical equipment within the switchgear or datacenter and the applied stock for spares in relatively short time and at very precise location.

The rail system is arranged in a frame-like structure comprising horizontally 20 and vertically 24 rails arranged parallel in pairs being spaced from one another.

The rails are placed in horizontal in a way that the manipulator can reach each com partment and drawer of the switchgear / datacenter including the stock area. On the horizontal rails 20 a motorized and/or driven gadget 26, in particular compris ing a motorized and/or driven sliding carriage 28, with at least one pair of vertically arranged rails 24 comprising rollers 30, in particular with a concave surface, guided by and/or between at least one pair of horizontally arranged rails 20 is installed or positioned or arranged oppositely to the front end of the switchgear 1 that allows to reach the different levels of the switchgear compartment.

On the gadget and in particular the sliding carriage a gripper arm 34 or grappler is mounted that can be equipped with tools 36 fixed or fixable on and at the gripper arm 34 or grappler respectively, in particular on its free end and/or distal end, or ex changeable tools taken from a tool magazine.

The manipulator can select the required tool from a magazine according the intended task in an automated manner and/or automatically. The gripper arm 34 is equipped with at least one sensor to perform required inspection tasks. Furthermore, for this purpose, the gripper arm or grappler has pin-joints and/or rotary axes to allow movements in space and/or all three dimensions and directions respectively.

The gadget is additionally equipped with a supporting module tray or carrier where the drawers, circuit breakers or other components can be placed while exchange and transportation from a stock of spares.

The maintenance and service system furthermore comprises at least one data pro cessing device with local and /or cloud-based data storage and communication de vices to be connected with an operator station and the related the process control system.

Furthermore, an integrated web server may be provided allowing easy access to in ternal or external network of the plant operator. The data communication can be wired or wireless.

The at least one data processing device comprises executable program code ele ments to control and operate the maintenance and service system and in particular the manipulator and gadget 26 including the gripper arm and/or grappler. The respective program code means or element may be installed locally and /or downloaded and configured from remote servers.

The manipulator resumes all the tasks in the risky area in front of an energized switchgear where personal is traditionally needed, e.g. operation, maintenance, su pervision, inspection, (long-term) monitoring, cleaning and exchanging of defected parts of the system with working ones from a stock. In accordance to Fig. 1 in case of a switchgear the device is also capable to lock or unlock drawers, circuit breakers or other components, to bring them to insulated position and to exchange them with working ones from the stock when they are faulty.

The maintenance and service system may comprise assisting devices and vessels and/or vehicles, like for example one or more drones equipped with sensors, in par ticular for further inspection of electrical components, and/or equipped with hauling means to provide tools for the manipulator needed to perform a specific task or and/or to supply and/or deliver electrical components to be exchanged according to one or more tasks to be performed, and/or to fill-up the stock for spares and/or the tooling magazine.

According to a second embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 2a, b an inte grated maintenance and service system comprising at least one manipulator yielding to an autonomous, or remotely operable electric energy distribution equipment or in stallation, in particular low voltage switchgear installation is proposed.

The manipulator according to Fig. 2a, b is rail mounted device which is adapted to the side of the switchgear 52 that includes the equipment compartments 54. The equip ment compartments 54 may hold e.g. circuit breakers, withdrawable modules, server racks and/or other electrical equipment. The rail system comprising four pairs of hori zontally 55,56,57 and one pair of vertically 58 rails arranged parallel, wherein the rails in a pair being spaced from one another.

The rails are placed in horizontal in a way that the manipulator can laterally moved in two directions and can reach each compartment 54 and drawer of the switchgear / datacenter including the stock area. On the horizontal rails 56, which are arranged at and/or directly fixed at the switch- gear a motorized and/or driven gadget 60, in particular comprising a motorized and/or driven sliding carriage 62, with at least one pair of vertically arranged rails 58 and in particular two pairs of horizontally arranged rails 55,57 comprising guiding means 66, guided by at least one pair of horizontally arranged rails 56 is installed or positioned or arranged oppositely to the front end of the switchgear 52 that allows to reach the different levels of the switchgear compartment.

The provided rail system 56, 58 enables the manipulator to reach every possible po sition of electrical equipment within the switchgear/datacenter and the applied stock for spares. The manipulator resumes all the tasks in the risky area in front of an en ergized switchgear where personal is traditionally needed, e.g. operation, mainte nance, supervision, inspection, (long-term) monitoring, cleaning and exchanging of defected parts of the system with working ones from a stock.

In case of a switchgear the device is also capable to lock or unlock drawers, circuit breakers or other components, to bring them to insulated position and to exchange them with working ones from the stock when they are faulty

When a failure occurs, the device can instantly react because it is adapted to the sys tem. Here it can bring the system into a safe state (operate). Further the manipulator can exchange the defective part in the shortest possible time. There is no need of operational personal that is alarmed but maybe far away from the system. To support the manipulator in performing its tasks several sensors, as described before may be provided.

The manipulator may be equipped with one or more sensors, like for example an ambient temperature sensor and/or an IR thermal camera and/or an ambient pres sure sensor and/or an humidity sensor and/or a visual camera, in particular for image recognition and/or image processing purposes, and/or olfactory cell and/or a micro phone and/or a torque sensor and/or any combination thereof to observe and/or monitor every necessary parameter for operation, inspection or supervision and maintenance and/or service.