Special Edition

HIS An Innovative
Substation Concept

Dr.-Ing. Dirk Helbig,

Dipl.-Ing./Dipl.-Kfm.
Manfred Meinherz

HIS
An Innovative Substation
Concept

Dipl.-Ing. /Dipl.-Kfm. Manfred

Meinherz (50) has since 1988
been in charge of the
Development Department for
Gas-Insulated High-Voltage
Switchgear at Siemens
AG/Berlin.
Dr.-Ing. Dirk Helbig (37) has
worked since 1996 as a
project manager in the
development of Gas-Insulated
High-Voltage Switchgear at
Siemens AG/Berlin.

Siemens has developed a highly

innovative substation solution in close
cooperation with substation operators.
The Highly Integrated Switchgear
or HIS for short combines the advantages of conventional outdoor installations with those of gas-insulated
switchgear technology.

and expense involved in assembly,

commissioning and maintenance. At
the same time, reliability was to be
improved further and consequently the
overall life cycle costs for the substation
operator minimized. We have succeeding in achieving these aims with our
modular HIS.

The starting point

for the development of HIS

Basic design concept of HIS

HV substations are available in various

circuit arrangements and designs suited
to the particular requirements. In conventional outdoor substations the switchgear components are usually erected
individually. Depending on the substation
voltage levels, a relatively large area of
land may be required. In places where
the price of land is high, this can greatly
influence the overall level of investment
needed. To bring about a reduction in
the footprint of a conventional substation,
it is possible to combine several equipment functions into compact switchgear
units, for example, circuit-breakers,
disconnectors and current transformers
in the new switchgear generation,
SIMOVER, or in the compact outdoor,
modular switchgear bay, SIMOBREAKER.
Likewise, in those parts of the world
which apply American switchgear design,
the functions of the circuit-breaker
and current transformer are combined
in what are known as dead-tank circuitbreakers to create a space-saving
equipment combination in which the
device enclosures are connected to earth
potential.
In the case of gas-insulated switchgear
(GIS), each individual module is metalenclosed and earthed so as to be safe
to touch. This 100 % consistent metalenclosure of GIS means increased safety
and reliability with only a fraction of
normal spatial requirements.
The task we set ourselves was to find
an economical concept for outdoor
applications with the aim of reducing the
size of real estate required, the extent
of civil works and the amount of work

The HIS consists of metal-enclosed, gasinsulated modules that can be combined

with air-insulated substation components
and are suitable for outdoor applications.
The main characteristic of the HIS
concept is its horizontally positioned
modules. Described below is the
particularly simple design of the threephase, enclosed Type 8DN8 HIS for
145 kV substations.
The basis for the switchgear bay is the
horizontally arranged circuit-breaker, that
is mounted on a separate frame. The
interrupter units have been coupled to
the operating mechanism in such a way
that this results in connecting possibilities
on either side. These connections can
then be used to combine the circuitbreaker with current transformers, that
with this new design concept offer
further horizontal connection possibilities.
In the simplest case, a splitting enclosure
with SF6/air bushings is mounted at either
end, setting up the functionality of a
three-phase, enclosed dead-tank circuitbreaker. The advantage of this basic
configuration is that it also allows disconnector modules to be interconnected
at one or both ends, as well as an
extension enclosure or busbar modules.
One special feature is the added degree
of personnel protection offered by the
ability to use enclosed earthing switches.
With HIS, these switches can also
be of a make-proof design. Likewise
horizontally, it is also possible to fit
voltage transformers to the free ends of
the splitting or disconnector enclosure(s).
This means that all the elements of the
switchgear are arranged horizontally.
Correspondingly, this also means there

Module overview
8

1 Circuit-breaker
2 Spring-stored-energy operating
mechanism with circuit breaker
control unit
3 Outgoing feeder module with
disconnector and earthing switch
4 Splitting module
5 Current transformer
6 Voltage transformer
7 High-speed earthing switch
8 SF6/air bushing
9 Transformer terminal box
10 Cable sealing end

1
4

5
5

3
9
10

is no longer a need for any type of

diverter enclosure or conducting path
diversion. Indeed, the 145 kV HIS is
characterized by the uniform positioning
of its conductors, so that all HIS modules
can be combined with one another
without any problem.
The modular structure of the HIS offers
yet another advantage. Thanks to the
direct connection of the circuit-breakers,
there is no need for large quantities of
outdoor bushings or other insulators,
nor for the foundations and supporting
structures otherwise required when
putting together complete substations.

Arrangement with 3 circuit-breakers

16 m

-Z1

-Z1

-QZ1

-QZ1 -Q0 -QZ2

-QZ1

-T1

-T2
M

-QZ1

-Q0

-Q0

-T1

-T1

-QZ9

-T5
-Q8

-QZ9

-T5
-Q8
M

-Z1

-QZ1

-Z1

The HIS modules mean that all circuit

variants can be implemented on a
horizontal plane. They also offer particular
advantages with single feeder bays,
H-circuits with three, four or five circuitbreakers and with air-insulated single
or double busbar arrangements.
The HIS can be adapted to all control
and protection system concepts. Depending on the various requirements
of a particular customer, either conventional or digital and process-data-highway-compatible control and protection
system technology can be employed.
Freedom for planning,
designing and operation
Since HIS is comprised of just a few
modules, it is extremely simple to plan
and design such substations. All modules
fit together at the same height.

Supporting elements, foundations and

dead-end gantry structures are based on
standard solutions. Access to the storedenergy spring mechanisms of the circuit-breaker, to all combined disconnector
and earthing switch operating mechanisms and to the secondary terminals
of the transformer is particularly userfriendly. The height of the HIS modules
is tailored to standard container dimensions, in order to assure low transportation costs, when shipping overseas
too. After undergoing testing at the
factory, the secondary equipment is, like
the primary equipment, shipped in a
container. Once on the construction site,
this container then actually serves as
the local control room. The auxiliaryvoltage and control cables can easily be
connected from there to the standard
interfaces of the bays. Correspondingly
simple and quick to perform are assembly and commissioning of the factorytested units. A complete substation, for

example, an H-circuit with three circuitbreakers, can be assembled and put into
service in one week if the conditions are
right.
The encapsulation of all the modules
means freedom from maintenance for
25 years. All moving contact connections
are well protected, being located inside
the gas-insulated enclosure. Thanks to
the three-phase configuration and direct
coupling of the operating mechanism,
there are no external coupling rods. In
this way, the HIS concept saves on
maintenance costs and considerably
reduces life cycle costs.
Furthermore, the enclosures are made
of weather-proof aluminium. The low
height of the installations means they
are not susceptible to wind or earthquake
damage.

Reduction in spatial requirement

through the use of HIS

2 feeder
HIS

2 feeder
conventional
AIS

HIS is not only suitable for outdoor use;

it can also be used to replace air-insulated
indoor switchgears. This involves retaining the air-insulated busbars, while
the old air-insulated switchgear can be
replaced by metal-enclosed HIS modules.

Renewing indoor switchgear, double busbar arrangement

Busbar A

Applications of conventional
outdoor switchgear and HIS

-QZ1

When new substations are planned,

there is the choice of different designs.
Compact HIS switchgear is advantageous when there is limited space
available, real estate prices are high,
environmental conditions are more
extreme, for example, due to sea air
or industrial pollution, or the costs for
maintenance personnel are high.
Moreover, HIS stand out thanks to the
high degree of reliability offered by
enclosed disconnectors and earthing
switches.
When we consider the costs for primary
and secondary equipment, civil works,
assembly and commissioning, and
maintenance requirements, we find that
the life cycle costs for conventional
outdoor switchgears differ from those
for HIS depending on the parameters
that prevail. When searching for the most
economic switchgear solution, a dialog
should be held with the substation
operator, in which the actual parameters
are analyzed in order to find the best
solution. When the prevailing parameters
are favourable, the investment costs for
HIS can be round about the same as
those for air-insulated switchgear solutions. In addition, the life cycle costs
of HIS solutions are reduced due to
lower expenditure on maintenance.

Busbar B

-QZ2

-Z1

-Q0
-T1

Busbar A

-Z1

-T5

Busbar B

-Z2

-Q0
-Z4

-QZ1-QZ2

-T1-Z3 -T5

Prospects for the future

Substations built using switchgear from

Siemens innovative HIS family are an
attractive supplement to conventional
concepts of outdoor substations. They
can be used both for expanding or
replacing existing substations as well as
building totally new ones. They offer a
number of extra advantages together
with favorable investment and life cycle
costs. The initial orders received confirm

the high level of interest being shown

by customers and demonstrate the new
paths that are opening up in the area
of substation construction thanks to the
HIS concept.

For further information,

please contact:
Tel. +49 91 31/7-3 46 60
Fax +49 91 31/7-3 46 62
E-mail: his@ptd.siemens.de
www.hv-his.com

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Please send me information on the following topics:

HIS Highly Integrated Switchgear up to 145 kV
HIS CD-Rom
Gas-insulated switchgear product range
Gas-insulated switchgear up to 145 kV
Gas-insulated switchgear up to 245 kV
Gas-insulated switchgear up to 550 kV
Container-type switchgear
Digital control and monitoring
for HV switching devices
Further copies of this brochure

Siemens AG
Power Transmission
and Distribution
High Voltage Division
Postfach 32 20
91050 Erlangen
Germany
www.siemens.com/ptd

Subject to change without prior notice

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