Comparison of SF6/N2 and SF6/CO2 gas mixtures as alternatives to SF6 gas

The interest in SF₆ gas mixtures has been re-ignited in recent years by the issue of the greenhouse effect of the SF₆ gas, and most research work is now focused on a SF₆/N₂ gas mixture, which is suitable for application in electrical apparatus with slightly non-uniform fields. This paper presents a comparison of SF₆/N₂ and SF₆/CO₂ gas mixtures with a viewpoint of their possible applications to gas-insulated transformers, where both highly non-uniform field problems and partial discharges in gas/film insulation are inevitable. It is shown that in this case the dielectric strength of SF₆/CO₂ is superior to that of SF₆/N ₂ with a minor disadvantage related to the gas decomposition in SF₆/CO₂. However, this may not be a problem for the SF₆/CO₂ gas mixture to be used in gas-insulated transformers, where internal breakdown is not allowed     

Breakdown behavior of SF6 gas-insulated systems at lowtemperature

The controversy surrounding low-temperature SF₆ breakdown is addressed in detail. Earlier relevant studies are reviewed, some of the existing data is analyzed in a new light, and further theoretical considerations are presented. These discussions served to outline an experimental approach aimed at confirming or invalidating breakdown invariance at subnormal temperatures. Low-temperature dc breakdown of an SF₆ gas-insulated system was investigated experimentally for temperatures ranging from -50 to 24°C, using associated pressure values that had been selected carefully to avoid phase transition of the gas-insulating medium. The context allowed experimentation under both uniform and nonuniform field conditions; the nonuniformity was due to the active role of the cathode-gas interface at high fields. The experiment was conducted for molecular densities ranging from 2.596 to 16.43×10¹⁹ cm^-3 (equivalent to pressures of 105 and 624 kPa, respectively, at 24°C) and for gap lengths starting at 0.5 mm and extending to 7 mm. Data sets show consistency, low statistical scattering, and high reproducibility. Data analysis led to several major conclusions. At constant density, the breakdown of the SF₆-insulated system is temperature dependent, which is responsible for a decrease in the electric strength, by ~10%. This decrease occurs for uniform field conditions, the effect being small if not negligible for nonuniform field conditions, and is noted to appear at a threshold temperature (-25 to -30°C), take a constant value, and be fairly independent of density     

Recovery of SF6 from N2/SF6 gasmixtures by using a polymer membrane

The investigation of gas recovery from N₂/SF₆ gas mixtures using a polymer membrane has been reported. It has been shown that the purity of recovered gas, the recovery loss, and the gas handling speed depend on various parameters such as original gas mixing ratio, gas feeding pressure, gas flow rate, and temperature of the membrane. A gas recovering system with two membrane separators connected in cascade has proved to be very efficient in attaining high purity in a recovered gas, with negligibly small recovery loss and high handling speed for practical use. Furthermore, this system could be applied for CO₂/SF₆, He/SF ₆ and even for ternary mixtures such as N₂/CO₂/SF₆ without any modification in the system, where we expect much better performance in comparison with N ₂/SF₆     

Particle-initiated breakdown characteristics on a ribbed spacersurface for SF6 gas insulated switchgear

Cylindrical post spacers were used to investigate the fundamental effect of ribs on particle-initiated breakdown characteristics. Improved breakdown characteristics, obtained by attaching the ribs, changed with the distance between them; the shorter the distance, the higher the breakdown voltage. When the distance was less than 20-30% of the spacer length, the breakdown voltage increased by 20-60%. The rib effectiveness for SF₆ gas insulated switchgear spacers was demonstrated     

Space charge behavior in SF6 gas and sequentialgeneration of PD pulses

We observed time-resolved partial discharge (PD) characteristics under ac and dc conditions in order to demonstrate the effects of space charge behavior and the corona stabilization effect in SF₆ gas. From the experimental results, we found that the charge magnitude of the first PD in the positive half cycle of applied ac voltage depended only on the instantaneous voltage. Under dc conditions we found that the magnitude of the PD charge related closely to the time interval between PD pulses. Space charge behavior and the PD generation mechanism are interpreted diagrammatically, and we describe how positive ions reduce the magnitude of PD charge and activate the corona stabilization effect and that the negative ions shorten the time interval between PD pulses     

Development and practical operation of perfluorocarbon immersed 275kV transformers with compressed SF6 gas insulation

A perfluorocarbon (PFC) immersed 275 kV power transformer with compressed SF₆ gas insulation has been under development. This paper clarifies the AC partial discharge inception voltage and time characteristics of PFC immersed insulation and also clarifies that a prototype 275 kV 100 MVA three-phase transformer could be operated without any trouble during long-term overvoltage tests. This prototype proved that it had AC partial discharge inception strength of higher than 1.5 times the AC test voltage and lightning impulse breakdown strength of 1.5 times the test voltage. A 275 kV, 250 MVA three-phase power transformer was developed and operated at the outdoor substation of the Chubu Electric Power Co., Japan. This transformer has been successfully operated to date and a detailed internal inspection of the transformer was carried out after one year and 9 months of successful practical operation. No significant abnormal condition was recognized     

六氟化硫断路器分析及检修方法

通过对SF6断路器采用SF6气体作为灭孤介质的优缺点进行了分析,论述了SF6气体优良的灭孤性能和其分解副产物的腐蚀性能及解决措施,并对SF6断路器的检修方法进行了阐述.     

SF6/N2 mixtures: basic and HV insulationproperties

The widespread use of SF₆ by the electric power and other industries has led to increased concentrations of SF₆ in the atmosphere. This causes concern as to possible effects on global warming, because SF₆ is a potent greenhouse gas. This paper first touches on this issue and then documents the behavior of high pressure gases such as N₂ and SF₆/N₂ mixtures that can be realistically considered as acceptable intermediate or long-term replacements for pure SF₆ in some HV applications. The possible use of dilute SF₆/N₂ mixtures as an alternative to pure SF₆ for some of industry's insulation needs (albeit at higher pressure) is documented, and existing knowledge on these mixtures and on the individual components (N₂ and SF₆), both basic and applied, is compiled. A guide to existing literature is provided     

Spark decomposition of SF6: chemical and biologicalstudies

Because electric arcs, sparks or corona can decompose SF₆ insulators into byproducts having chemical properties different from SF₆, environmental concerns arise regarding inadvertent human exposures to electrically decomposed SF₆. Biological assays using mammalian cell culture systems have revealed that SF₆ , spark-decomposed under specific experimental conditions, can produce cell death. Chemical analysis of spark-decomposed SF₆ has identified the major decomposition pathways and byproducts. Biological testing of individual byproduct mixtures has indicated that these major decomposition products may not account for the majority of the cell-killing effects seen in the assays. Further experiments have suggested that S₂F₁₀ may be produced and accumulate under the specific decomposition conditions and that this compound may be a major contributor to the observed cell lethality. It is concluded that testing of samples from commercial facilities and assays of decomposed gas after ameliorative treatments would both be appropriate investigations     

UHF detection of leader discharges in SF6

The ultra-high frequency (UHF) technique of partial discharge detection has been used to study the partial discharges produced by electrode protrusions and surface contamination in a gas insulated substation (GIS). The paper describes the stages of discharge development from inception to breakdown. The work has shown that the UHF technique may be used to identify distinct phases of discharge activity corresponding to discharge inception and a prebreakdown condition. The prebreakdown activity is detected as an increase in the UHF signal magnitude which has been attributed to the formation of leader-type discharges. These discharges form an essential part of the breakdown process, and their detection can be used to identify when the system is close to breakdown. The paper describes a filtering technique that may be employed to optimize the sensitivity of UHF leader detection     

Dielectric strength of SF6 insulation in EHVdisconnectors

A new method for the calculation of parameters of SF₆ insulation for extra HV GIS disconnectors is given. This method is based on a new criterion for leader inception, which is connected with the value of the peripheral electric field near the boundary of the streamer zone. The presence of such a critical field is confirmed by analysis of experimental results and physical considerations     

SF6新气痕量杂质对SF6电气设备寿命的影响

为了给电气设备中的SF6新气质量控制提供参考,研究了SF6新气中痕量杂质对电气设备运行寿命的影响。通过一个与电流互感器共气室的直线隔离开关装置,模拟了中心导杆上金属尖端放电内部缺陷。在220kV单电压和220kV、3 150A同步升流升压2种方式下,分别充入不同品质的SF6新气进行约100h的试验。并采用SF6气相色谱质谱分析技术、加拿大SF6杂质分析仪DPD,跟踪检测SF6气体痕量杂质各组分体积分数变化情况。结果表明,设备中充入低品质SF6新气(含有较高浓度的全氟烷烃、氟化硫酰、及碳硫氟化物等多种杂质),在放电末期产生较多的SO2F2、SOF2和SO2。而酸性的SO2对设备具有腐蚀作用,因此,当SF6新气中痕量杂质过高时,其充入电气设备后,将减少SF6电气设备运行寿命,尤其是开断设备。     

Breakdown mechanism of a gap with a small arc current in SF6 gas

Using an experimental apparatus modeled for a gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), the influence of the arc duration on the breakdown voltage between the contact and the grounded tank of the GIS was investigated in the case that the arc was kept ignited in the contact area. From the result, characteristics of the breakdown voltage vs. the arc duration were found to be divided into six stages and the characteristics in each stage were estimated     

通过检测SO2发现SF6电气设备故障

通过几例SF6电气设备故障的分析和检出,说明检测SO2能够诊断SF6电气设备故障。SO2是SF6主要分解物SOF2的水解产物,是稳定气体,在分解物中一般含量较高,当故障涉及到固体绝缘材料时,SO2含量更高,检测SO2方法很多,用检测管简易方便,有足够的灵敏度。     

Variation of surface flashover voltage in SF6 withpressure

Surface flashover characteristics of solid spacers in a rod-plane configuration have been investigated in SF₆, at pressures to 400 kPa, for switching impulse voltages to determine the effect of spacer, spacer materials and polarity of applied impulses. The effect of spacer material on the flashover voltage is not significant. For negative polarity impulses, the influence of the spacer is also insignificant. But for positive polarity impulses, at pressures <200 kPa, the spacer efficiency becomes >1.0. On the other hand, at pressures >200 kPa, the presence of the spacer drastically reduces the flashover voltage of the system. At about atmospheric pressure also, the spacer efficiency in air has been found to be >1.0, with the same electrode geometry     

Prediction of breakdown in SF6 under impulse conditions

Prediction of fast transient voltage-induced breakdown in quasi-homogeneous field geometries requires compounding the breakdown probability over time, while taking into account the field-dependent probability of electron detachment. In this paper, a breakdown probability model has been developed to predict the impulse breakdown under quasi-uniform fields, as this is the fundamental condition, the knowledge of which facilitates computation of breakdown probability under more complex conditions. The model will facilitate computation of breakdown probability under more complex conditions. It accounts for the effect of the streamer formation length on the critical volume and the probability of initial electron production by electron detachment from negative ions. The proposed model has been verified through comparison with the measured impulse breakdown probabilities. The predicted breakdown probabilities are in good agreement (±10%) with those measured     

探讨SF6气体变压器的应用

介绍了香港电灯公司使用SF6气体变压器的情况，比较了气体变压器与油变压器的优缺点，提出了使用气体变压器的必要性和可能性。     

Partial discharge and breakdown mechanisms in ultra-dilute SF6/N2 gas mixtures

With the goal of reducing SF₆ gas usage, we investigated partial discharge (PD) and breakdown (BD) mechanisms in ultra-dilute (0 to 1%) SF₆/N₂ gas mixtures. The experimental results and discussions are given in this paper. In particular, we focused our research on the transition characteristics of the electrical insulation performance with an extremely small amount of SF₆ content, the PD behavior on the applied voltage, and the relation among prebreakdown streamer, return stroke and BD. Moreover, we discussed the PD and so mechanisms with reference of space charge behavior. From these results, the transition threshold at which the influence of SF₆ gas on the discharge characteristics began to appear, was clarified to be SF₆ content k=10 ppm for a total pressure of 0.1 MPa