SF6 GAS AND ITS CIRCUIT

BREAKERS
DOCTOR: - Mahmoud Abd Elhamied
Student: - Mohamed Yahya Mohamed

SF6
(Sulfur hexafluoride)
(Features of SF6 gas)
1- An inert and non-flammable gas, non-toxic, colorless and odorless.
Very good insulation of electricity as the efficiency of compressed
gas insulation is up to ten times the air insulation of electricity.
2- Chemically stable, it does not combine with any other material at
room temperature, thus it preserves and protects conductors from
rust and other problems that occur during operation and it also
preserves the life of conductors and electrical machines. This
natural atmospheric gas has an isolation intensity equal to 2.5
times better than air, and the pressure of the gas used is usually 3-5
times the atmospheric pressure, so the insulating properties are ten
times better than the air.
3- The life span of this gas is long. The most important characteristic
of this gas is that the spark in it leads to the ionization of the atoms
of SF6 and these resulting ions combine with the original atoms of
SF6 and produce a new SF6 and therefore the gas will not lose its
insulation. In another way, we say that SF6 gas decomposes at
high temperatures caused by a spark or arc, but sulfur and fluoride
atoms combine again and automatically form sulfur hexafluoride
compounds again.

( Some disadvantages of SF6 gas)

1- SF6 gas is about 6 times heavier than air, which means that it may
accumulate in cable ducts or at the bottom of tanks, although the
gas is not dangerous when inhaled, but if it collects in abundance
there is a risk of suffocation due to lack of oxygen.
2- 2- Despite the great benefits of sulfur hexafluoride in power plants,
it is considered one of the most important greenhouse gases and
the most harmful to the environment.
3- In the Kyoto Environmental Protection Convention, SF6 was listed
as one of six gases whose use should be reduced. Although the
 emission of this gas is relatively low when compared to the rest of
the gases, its long life in the atmosphere, which exceeds 3200
years, makes it at the top of it in terms of danger because it is the
most sustainable of them in the Earth's atmosphere.
There are some precautions to consider when using SF6 gas in CBs
and that SF6 gas is only effective when it falls under high pressure.

(SF6 cutter operating pressures)

1- Normal operation: Gas pressure with key 7.

2- Alarm pressure: 2.6 bar. Bloking pressure at 5 bar. 3- When
the pressure is less than (5) bar.

the gas cannot extinguish the spark inside the Breaker Circuit, so the
circuit breaker becomes automatically blocked and remains so until the
pressure reaches the safe range again.

Pressure drop is often accompanied by a sound alarm.

When the pressure drops, the SF6 gas charging pipes, available in the
yard switch, which are often carried on a wagon, are transported to the
place of malfunction or leakage to fill the cutter with SF6 to the pressure
level required for safe operation.

This type of cutter (like any other cutter) has a panel placed at the
bottom of it showing the position of the key "connected or separate", as
well as the position of the zipper whether it is charged or not.

It is also like all cutters of which there are two types of Tank Dead as in
the previous image, which shows the cutter kV 500 – SF6, and also the
Tank Live.
There are also two types of it: external and internal.

The gas cutters are installed on the outside at AIS stations (as in the
previous image), and there is also an internal cutter that is part of the
Bay at the internal GIS stations .

(Another feature of gas cutters (SF6) that explains

their superiority over the rest of the species)

No need for compressor and reliance on self-propelled gas technology.

The simplicity of the separation rooms that do not need an additional
room unlike the old pneumatic cutters.

Short time to separate holidays from 2 to 5.2 cycles under super voltage
(EHV.).
SF6 controls the Arc spark easily because it has excellent cooling
properties at temperatures (1500-5000 K) at which the Arc is
extinguished.
Security when operating.
Low sounds when playing .

The most commonly used types of CBs at present are the CBs SF6, and
the CBs Vacuum so for the longevity of their contacts relative to the
number of times separated in normal operating conditions or faults,
which makes them not need maintenance continuously like other types
and therefore these types are described as - Maintianance free CB -.