Remote Controlled - Mains Service Disconnect

[justinjja]

I'm looking for something that can remotely switch off a 200 amp electric service.
like this: https://www.amazon.com/SIEMENS-GF224N-240-Volt-General-Indoor/dp/B005G92XMI/ref=sr_1_8?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1508991517&sr=1-8&keywords=2+pole+200+amp
but remote controlled.

Does something like that exist?

I hope to tie it into my smoke/temperature/water alarms.

Another option is to just install all remote controlled breakers:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Square-D-QO230PLILC-Circuit-Breaker-30-Amp-Remote-Control-NEW/311436798786?epid=1041882471&hash=item4883146b42:g:I4UAAOSwHnFV5gSz

I considered a motor/string tied to the breaker, but that doesn't really seem very reliable, lol

This is for a shed that I will be filling with bitcoin mining equipment.

Thanks for any ideas.

[ajb]

Well, you could use a massive contactor, but I don't know if that would be acceptable per code for disconnecting a distribution panel (certainly you'd still need a more conventional disconnecting means upstream of it).  Where are you located?

Union Connector do remote controlled company switches*, but those are not really off-the-shelf items.

There are probably solutions in the backup power market, but I expect those would be more complicated since they would have to deal with interlocks to prevent crossfeeding and other loud and unpleasant mishaps.  Also they're probably sold as packages to installers, so may be hard to buy a single standalone switch.

There are 'electrically operated circuit breakers' from the likes of Eaton et al.  Something like these may be what Union Connector use, I don't know, but they're really designed for big switchgear situations, not so much residential/light commercial setups.

If you have that much money tied up in the shed, you might be better off just insuring it against mishaps.  Just make sure that there's absolutely nothing dodgy or homebrew-looking that the insurance company can use to get out from under a claim.

* Possibly not a common term outside the entertainment production industry, company switches are where you temporarily tie your equipment into building power, hundreds of amps at a time.  They're found throughout arenas, convention centers, theaters, etc, and usually sport a set of 400A "camlock" connectors.

[Jeroen3]

You will have to ask you local electronics distributor, but you can get circuit breakers from Schneider Electric, Siemens, ABB or Eaton.
These will have a toggle operated switch to which you can mount a motor operator module.

They are not cheap though. If I take a quick look at our distributor, a Schneider Electric COMPACT NSX250N sets you back €700 euro. And then you only have the electric switch part. Not the motor part, not an trip coil and no auxiliary contacts.

But if you only want to turn it off you could do with a trip coil or undervoltage release, should save a few 100.

Perhaps if you go on eBay you can find used ones. They often still work fine for experiments.

Note that if you buy regular DIN rail Miniature circuit breakers they often also offer trip coils and undervoltage releases to click to the side. Much, much cheaper.

[Old Don]

Try:      https://www.socomec.com/remote-transfer-switches_en.html

This one works up to 160 amps:   https://www.socomec.com/range-motorised-changeover-switches_en.html?product=/atys-d-m_en.html

[Assafl]

It sounds like there is more than one consumer of the 160A. Since these are bitcoin mining blades - I am certain none of which consume 160A by themselves - wouldn't it make sense to wire them in clusters that consume say 15A or 18A each, protected by a contactor and their own GFCI etc?

That way if one cluster trips not all clusters have to go down? (you could also have a toggle for all contactors should a catastrophe happen). And you can be in code....

Better yet, split them between 3 phases so that if the utility loses a phase you are still in business....

[justinjja]

I think I found what I'm looking for, just needed the right search term
"Shunt Trip"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GE-TFJ226200-CIRCUIT-BREAKER-200-AMP-600-VOLT-2-POLE-WITH-SHUNT/121779451838?epid=1148134827&hash=item1c5a9ef7be:g:v78AAOSwdvpWEr1I

Thanks everyone.

[Jeroen3]

Note that with some trip coils you can't keep them energized for too long. You might want to research that, possibly power it from downstream.

[rstofer]

The power for the shunt trip comes from downstream of the breaker.
There is also an 'undervoltage release' trip mechanism that dumps the breaker if the control voltage drops out.  These can be used with a 3 phase monitor relay if that is required.

Undervoltage release has the advantage that power is not restored after a utility failure.  You can come up with a similar arrangement for shunt trip but there will be a spike between the time the utility is restored and the trip logic and mechanism operate.

In real computer facilities, we tended to use shunt trip and didn't worry about the utility restoring power because we had other undervoltage trips downstream.

I would definitely use the undervoltage approach and I would wire the control circuit in series with a normally close panic button at the exit door(s).

I haven't read it in years but Article 645 of the US National Electric Code addresses computer rooms (now called Information Technology Rooms).  Note that there is a clear definition of this room.  An office with a bunch of servers in the same space doesn't comply.  If the room doesn't comply, Article 645 doesn't apply but other sections do.

https://www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarchive/NEC-HTML/HTML/Article645CodeBasics~20030102.htm

645.10 talks about the panic button in terms of shunt trip.

[james_s]

I think I would probably just use an RC servo with a control rod connected to the breaker lever. Since you only need to trip and not reset, a solenoid would work too. That way you don't have to mess around with the live side of anything and the chance of interfering with the normal operation is minimized.