When ABB launched the world’s first gas insulated switchgear in 1965, it slashed the size of substations by almost unbelievable 90 percent. The convincing compactness of the technology opened up new possibilities for better and more efficient power networks, and it reduced the environmental impact of substations significantly.
Until 1965 there was only one type of switchgear technology, so when ABB developed and launched the first gas insulated alternative, the impact was truly revolutionary.
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| Substations were downsized: From the size of a soccer pitch to a kitchen garden. |
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| Now a GIS can be located in a department store. |
So, were are the benefits? SF6-Gas has a much higher insulating capacity than air and it mostly allows to put all three phases of the system close together in one common enclosure.
Distances between conductors can be drastically reduced compared to distances outside. This was a major achievement because it allowed substations to be built in downtown areas, where space is at a premium.
It is now possible, for instance, to transmit energy at voltages as high as 400 kV via underground cables into a station, located in a tower block or department store in the heart of a city. There is an environmental aspect as well.
The compact size of gas insulated substations significantly reduces their visible impact and enables them to be landscaped or esthetically designed so that they well blend in with nature or their urban surroundings.
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Various types, all individual engineered.
Once in a millennium
In the years following the GIS breakthrough ABB focused extensive R&D resources on enhancing availability and setting new benchmarks in quality standards such as mean time between failures (MTBF).
Design was simplified, the number of parts minimized and innovations such as the auto-puffer, the self-blast circuit breaker, reduce mechanical stresses and extend service life time.
After decades of fine-tuning and improving the original concept, ABB gas insulated switchgear has an MTBF up to 1,000 bay-years, five times more than the world-wide average of all suppliers.
Smart, self-supervising switchgear
Automation also played a key role in improving performance and availability. In 1997 ABB launched a digital control and monitoring system, that gave advance warning of under-performing parts or components and made possible – for the first time – condition-based maintenance.
Whereas other suppliers offered only periodic maintenance at fixed intervals, ABB’s SMART-GIS enabled the status of essential components and systems to be continuously monitored, and the first signs of a fault to be picked up and communicated.
A new speed record
In the past 15 years ABB has reduced delivery times by more than 60 percent, setting one new industry benchmark after another in the delivery process. The average GIS order now takes about six months from design to commissioning, although in 2003 ABB achieved a record of only 14 weeks, from quotation to shipping.