Medium-Voltage Switchgear Doesn’t Require SF6 as Insulating Gas
May 22, 2018
The system uses clean air consisting only of the natural constituents of ambient air as the insulating gas
Siemens has introduced another medium-voltage switchgear that doesn’t require sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as the insulating gas: the 8DAB 12. The system uses clean air consisting only of the natural constituents of ambient air as the insulating gas.
The switchgear is a new addition to the 8DA and 8DB product family and also works with the proven vacuum switching technology. A vacuum-interrupter unit handles switching and arc extinguishing, while the natural gas insulates the current-carrying conductors inside the housing of the metal-encapsulated, gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). This type-tested system is used to switch high currents at the primary distribution level. The single-pole encapsulated 8DAB 12 is a SF6-free medium-voltage switchgear in the Siemens blue GIS portfolio.
The gas contained in the 8DAB 12 medium-voltage switchgear consists exclusively of natural constituents of the ambient air without any chemical additives. These constituents are, for example, nitrogen and oxygen. The 8DAB 12 is a gas-insulated medium-voltage switchgear that works with the proven vacuum switching technology, so the operator benefits from the all the advantages of this technology: no maintenance, compact design, high operating and personal safety, and high availability. Clean air provides the added benefits of easier handling during installation and recycling. In addition, it’s not necessary to report the quantity of gas used.
