Developing SF6-free retrofill solution for electricity network
UK: University of Manchester and National Grid have teamed up on a four-year project to develop SF6-free retrofill solution for electricity network.
Image source: National Grid
UK: University of Manchester and National Grid have teamed up on a four-year project to develop SF6-free retrofill solution for electricity network.
SF6 is a gas commonly used in the power industry to provide electrical insulation and arc interruption. However, SF6 is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential that is 25,200 times greater than CO2.
The $2.19 M (£1.9 M) project will see experts at Manchester help determine how National Grid can develop a retrofill solution to replace SF6 with an environmentally friendlier alternative without having to replace or otherwise modify the existing equipment.
This solution – to be demonstrated at National Grid’s test facility the Deeside Centre for Innovation – will mean National Grid can avoid the environmental impact and cost of replacing equipment otherwise fit for many more years’ service.
In a separate pilot project last year National Grid and Hitachi Energy developed and deployed a world-first solution at Richborough substation in Kent to replace SF6 with a greener alternative, marking a key step in National Grid’s ambition to reduce its SF6 emissions by 50 % by 2030. The new demonstrator with Manchester will explore how the retrofill solutions might be applied across more of the network.
This project will bring together the interdisciplinary expertise of Manchester’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering, led by Dr Tony Chen with Professor Philip Martin.
The project builds on Dr Tony Chen’s established expertise in SF6, and it is anticipated its findings will give asset managers the information required for retrofilling significant quantities of SF6-filled equipment across the transmission network, bridging the current gap between established feasibility, and long-term, real-world implementation.
“This project will provide the missing link – taking the success of the research in this area so far, and creating a way to apply retrofilling at scale. By bringing together the expertise of two Manchester departments, we can address every element of this challenge, catalysing the development of real-world solution, which protects the environment while providing significant economical saving,” said Dr Chen, Senior Lecturer in High Voltage Engineering within the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Source: National Grid
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