Hybrid Gas-Insulation System

Background
SF6 has been identified as a greenhouse gas with a long atmospheric lifetime. Therefore,
recycling guidelines for SF6 in electric power apparatus have been studied, and the reduction in the
amount of SF6 released into the atmosphere has progressed. In the long term, it is preferable to
reduce the amount of SF6 used. Therefore, it may be important to discuss the possibility of using
environmentally friendly gases as an alternative insulation gas for practical gas-insulated apparatus.

Principal results
In the selection of an alternative gas, high-pressure natural gases, such as air, nitrogen (N2), and
carbon dioxide (CO2) are promising environmentally friendly candidates. However, some strategies
for enhancing insulation performance are necessary for their practical applications to apparatus
because the dielectric strengths of these gases are about 1/3 that of SF6.
In this study, we investigated the possibility of gas-insulated apparatus using a hybrid gas
insulation system. By applying the hybrid gas insulation system, a conventional SF6-gas-insulated
apparatus may be replaced with a natural-gas-insulated one without a considerable increase in
cross-sectional size.

Future Developments
We are carrying on research on practical insulation performance of basic models for conductor
joint to develop an environmentally-compatible gas-insulated apparatus using the hybrid gas-
insulation system, and we aim at the proposition of the basic specification.
Conventional GIB Hybrid gas-insulation system
Single-core type Triple-core type

Basic structure of hybrid gas-insulation system (schematic illustration): The hybrid gas-insulation system has a
structure which the high-electric-field part is insulated using a solid insulator. The triple-core type conductor structure is
also supposed for the viewpoint of such as flexibility of the subconductors.

Basic research equipment (photo) High voltage

Model electrodes for conductor joint, etc. are installed in the basic
research equipment. We are carrying out high voltage insulation tests
for obtaining data for insulation design of hybrid gas-insulation system.

# Model electrode is installed.

# Compressed N2 or CO2 is enclosed.
SF6 is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic gas. It has been applied to
gas-insulated power apparatus owing to its excellent insulation and
interruption performance. Moreover, it has been used by the magnesium
industry, etc. other than electric power equipment. However, it has been
identified as a greenhouse gas with a long atmospheric lifetime. Therefore,
the amount of SF6 released into the atmosphere has been reduced by
each industry.
 2.5 Search
Search of
of SF
SF66 substitute
substitute
CCl4 (toxicity)
: SF6gas
: Natural gas
Figure
Figure 11 shows shows dielectric
dielectric strengths
strengths inin different
different gases
gases
C2F5CN (toxicity)
2.0
: PFC (Greenhouse gas) normalized
normalized by by that
that inin SF
SF66 as
as functions
functions of of boiling
boiling temperature.
temperature.
Dielectric strength (normalized by SF6)

: HFC (Greenhouse gas)

: Ozone-depleting gas CCl3F In
In the
the selection
selection of of an
an alternative
alternative gas,
gas, itit should
should be be noted
noted that
that
: Cyanic gas (toxic gas)
an
an artificial
artificial gas
gas inin which
which aa high
high dielectric
dielectric strength
strength isis achieved
achieved
1.5 CF3CN (toxicity) often
often hashas some
some environmental
environmental restriction.
restriction. Therefore,
Therefore, itit isis
c-C4F8
thought
thought that that high-pressure
high-pressure naturalnatural gases,
gases, suchsuch as as air,
air,
Candidate of
SF6 CCl2F2 nitrogen
nitrogen (N (N22),), and
and carbon
carbon dioxide
dioxide (CO (CO22),), are
are promising
promising
1.0
"SF6 substitute"
C3F8
CF3I
environmentally
environmentally friendlyfriendly candidates.
candidates.
C2F6 In
In this study, we assume the
this study, we assume the complete
complete substitution
substitution of of SF
SF66
C2F3H3
0.5
N2
by
by aa pure
pure environmentally
environmentally friendly
friendly gas
gas (natural
(natural gas),
gas), although
although
Air C2F4H2
H2 CF4 CO2 we
we also
also assume
assume the the useuse of
of aa gas
gas mixture
mixture as as the
the target
target gas
gas
or gas mixture from
from thethe viewpoint
viewpoint of of the
the reduction
reduction inin the the amount
amount of of SF
SF66
0.0 containing SF6
He Ne Ar used.
used.
-300 -200 -100 0 100
Figure 1 Boiling temperature [deg]

Insulation
Insulation performance
performance of of compressed
compressed natural
natural gases
gases
(N & CO ) compared with SF
(N22 & CO22) compared with SF66
50 Negative
CO2
Figure
Figure 22 shows
shows breakdown
breakdown strengths
strengths of of NN22,, CO
CO22 andand SF SF66
Breakdown strength [kV/mm]

as functions of gas pressure. In general,

as functions of gas pressure. In general, the breakdown the breakdown
40
SF6 N2 strength
strength of of gases
gases increase
increase with with the the gas
gas pressure.
pressure. The The
Sphere-to-plane breakdown
breakdown strength
strength inin CO
CO22 ofof approximately
approximately 1.5MPa
1.5MPa or or inin NN22
30
ofof approximately
approximately 2.0MPa
2.0MPa isis nearly
nearly equalequal to
to that
that inin SF
SF66 of of
0.5MPa
0.5MPa (practical
(practical use).
use). However,
However, gas gas insulated
insulated equipment
equipment at at
20
aa gas
gas pressure
pressure of of 33 or
or 44 times
times higher
higher thanthan conventional
conventional one one
N2 (coaxial cylinder; Reference data) isis not
not practical.
practical.
10
Therefore,
Therefore, somesome strategies
strategies for for enhancing
enhancing insulation
insulation
0
performance
performance are necessary for the practical applications
are necessary for the practical applications of of
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 these
these gases.
gases. By
By applying
applying thethe hybrid
hybrid gasgas insulation
insulation system,
system, aa
Gas pressure [MPa(abs)] conventional
conventional SF SF66-gas-insulated
-gas-insulated apparatus
apparatus may may be be replaced
replaced
Figure 2 with
with aa natural-gas-insulated
natural-gas-insulated one one without
without aa considerable
considerable
increase
increase inin cross-sectional
cross-sectional size. size. InIn the
the case
case of of applying
applying
gases
gases such
such asas NN22 and
and CO CO22,, the
the useuse ofof the
the hybrid
hybrid gas gas
insulation
insulation system
system maymay bebe effective
effective as as aa method
method of of achieving
achieving
aa higher
higher insulation
insulation performance.
performance.

Feature
Feature of
of hybrid
hybrid gas-insulation
gas-insulation system
system
Hybrid
Hybrid gas-insulation
gas-insulation system
system has
has many
many advantages
advantages for
for electrical
electrical insulation
insulation such
such as
as electric
electric field
field distribution,
distribution, insulation
insulation
performance
performance with
with presence
presence of
of metallic
metallic particles.
particles.

Single-core type Triple-core type

○Reduction of maximum electric field strength in gas ●Maximum electric field is higher than that of single-core.
Electric field distribution
○Uniformity of electric field distribution ○Reduction of highly stressed part (area) of conductor
○Improvement of breakdown strength under clean condition (increase of allowable electric field)
Insulation
○Little influence of degradation of solid insulator by electric field stress
characteristics under
○Improvement of insulation reliability by avoiding the attachment of metallic particle on conductor
clean condition & with
○The harmful effect of a conducting particle may be reduced because discharge in the gas does not cause sudden breakdown
metallic foreign object
(short-circuit or earth fault).
● It is necessary to consider triple junction like the ○The support points do not constitute weak points in the
Spacer
conventional apparatus insulation.
Conductor joint ●It is necessary to consider insulation performance for the interface of solid insulator.
Construction ○Flexibility of subconductor
（○: advantage，●: Problem）

Future
Future development
development of
of hybrid
hybrid gas-insulation
gas-insulation system
system
By
By applying
applying the
the hybrid
hybrid gas
gas insulation
insulation system,
system, aa conventional
conventional SFSF66-gas-insulated
-gas-insulated apparatus
apparatus may
may be be replaced
replaced with
with aa natural-
natural-
gas-insulated
gas-insulated one one without
without aa considerable
considerable increase
increase inin cross-sectional
cross-sectional size.
size. To
To develop
develop an
an environmentally-compatible
environmentally-compatible gas- gas-
insulated
insulated apparatus
apparatus using
using the
the hybrid
hybrid gas-insulation
gas-insulation system,
system, we
we are
are carrying
carrying on
on research
research on
on the
the following
following problems,
problems, and
and we
we
aim
aim atat the
the proposition
proposition of of the
the basic
basic specification.
specification.
(1)
(1) Insulation
Insulation design
design
(2)
(2) Thermal
Thermal design
design
(3)
(3) Technology
Technology of of conductor
conductor joint
joint and
and conductor
conductor support
support
(4) Estimation of basic specification
(4) Estimation of basic specification
(5)
(5) Estimation
Estimation ofof life
life cycle
cycle cost
cost and
and life
life cycle
cycle assessment
assessment