Breaking new ground for dead tank circuit breakers
Germany, Munich: Siemens Energy has completed type approval test of F-gas-free 123 kV dead tank circuit breaker.
Image source: Siemens Energy
Germany, Munich: Siemens Energy has completed type approval test of F-gas-free 123 kV dead tank circuit breaker.
The company has successfully completed world’s first type approval test according to IEEE/ANSI standards of a completely fluorinated-gas-free (F-gas-free) dead tank circuit breaker for up to 123 kV. Instead of commonly used climate-harming insulation gases like sulfur hexafluorid (SF6) or F-gas-mixes, the dead tank circuit breaker from the Siemens Energy’s environmentally friendly Blue portfolio combines clean air insulation and vacuum switching technology and has a global warming potential of zero. Blue products’ operational lifetime is expected to be more than 40 years, which is a great contribution to saving the natural resources. The technology is available for gas-insulated switchgear, circuit breakers and instrument transformers all with absolutely zero CO2 equivalent emissions over the lifetime of the equipment.
The now fully type approved Blue dead tank circuit breaker is destined for California’s 115 kV high-voltage grid. Recently, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has set proposals in the State of California to phase out SF6. Since SF6 has a potential for global warming around 23,500 times greater than carbon dioxide and a life span of 3,200 years in the Earth’s atmosphere, regulations are strengthened to restrict the use and the demand for alternative technologies are rising.
Source: Siemens Energy