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MAIN FEATURE

CHAPTER I

RESEARCH WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE

Respecting
the environment
Low power losses and a lesser visual impact on the landscape make Gas-Insulated Lines (GIL) a
very environmentally friendly transmission solution compared to overhead lines. Alstom Grids
eco-design makes them even more so. Power electronics also have great environmental
credentials as distributed energy sources become more widespread. Meanwhile, ester oils have
proved their value in distribution transformers; research is now focusing on overcoming the
challenges to their potential for power transformers.

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Alstom Grid///Summer 2010

Encapsulated in a 400 to 600 mm diameter


metallic case, Gas-insulated Lines
bear a resemblance to pipelines.

Gas-Insulated Lines (GIL):


choices today and tomorrow
Thanks to their high transmission capacities and reliability, GIL have been in use

alternative to cables or overhead lines in a growing number of applications.
Gas-Insulated Lines are a transmission
technology developed in the late 1960s for
use in substations, hydro power plants,
underground facilities, and so on. Their high
transmission capacity (up to 3,000 MVA
through one GIL circuit) and multiple

advantages for transmitting bulk electric
power in such complex sites. In substations,
for instance, GIL serve as connections
between GIS switchgear and power transformers or overhead lines, at distances rang-

ing from a few meters to 900-1,000 meters.


Directly laid on the soil or in trenches or tun
widen (and lengthen) to stand-alone installations up to several kilometers for resolving

right-of-way issues. GIL provide an effective
technological answer to the increasing energy
needs of our urban society and to the extension and reinforcement of the present electricity transmission and distribution networks.
Transmitting bulk power over short and long

distances in a safe and environmentally


friendly way represents one of the major
challenges of the coming decades; GIL is a
key to solve this issue.

Electric pipelines
Encapsulated in a 400 to 600 mm diameter metallic case, Gas-Insulated Lines bear
a resemblance to pipelines. Originally developed for GIS connections, GIL have similar
bus sections and busbar arrangements. The
electric pipeline consists mainly

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MAIN FEATURE

CHAPTER I

RESEARCH WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE

The T155 Gas-Insulated Substation installed


at Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, a major Alstom Grid
reference demonstrating that the company can



of a pair of tubular aluminum coaxial conductors, the inner one being at the
high voltage level and the outer one being
earthed. To ensure insulation, the space
between the enclosure and the conductor
6) or a
pressurized gas mixture of nitrogen and
SF6. With their very high conductor crosssection, GIL are designed for high transmission capacities with rated currents typically
reaching 4,000 A at 550 kV, and a shortcircuit current capability up to 63 kA,
explains Mathieu Bernard, GIL Project Manager. This offers multiple advantages: GIL
combine low capacitance (and therefore
very low transmission losses), high reliability, and operational safety thanks to a
robust casing and the fact that they are

long lifetimeup to 50 yearswith virtually
no material ageing. Moreover, thanks to

route capabilities, GIL are adapted to solve

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Alstom Grid///Summer 2010

complex geographic installation issues like


hydroelectric power plants in new or existing underground conditions, Bernard adds.
One drawback, however, is their cost, which
is still relatively high
when compared to

seven times more
expensive). In fact, GIL
are not designed to
compete with overhead
lines everywhere but
rather as a means of
power transmission where OHL cannot or
must not be applied.

72.5 kV and 800 kV (mainly at the 420 kV


level), and demand has significantly
increased over the past few years. At Alstom
Grid alone, over 50 km
of three-phase circuits
have been installed
or ordered since the
beginning of GIS production, including
30 km over the last
12 years, showing
clear acceleration.
Almost maintenancefree and with low
operating costs, GIL are now widely recognized as a well-proven technology with a
long service record and a high level of reliability. Even so, modern digital monitoring
systems help further improve their reliability
and service continuity, says Franois
Biquez, Senior Expert R&D Manager for



transmission enable the real-time monitor-

GIL combine
low capacitance,
high reliability
and operational
safety.

High service continuity



ago, more than 250 km of three-phase GIL
systems have been installed in the world
(750 km of single-phase pipes). They operate at different voltage levels between

sonnel and switchgear is enhanced, as well


as security and quality of power supply,
protection of the environment (against SF6
leakages), asset management (maintenance
and outage planning, integration in a digi
due to energy deregulation requiring more
rapid and accurate data management, and
so on.
On the other hand, todays computerized
design tools offer the ability to adapt GIL
to severe operating conditions. For each
particular installation, calculations can be
made to select the right solution and
ensure optimal working conditions while
adhering to strict regulatory standards.
The dimensioning of a GIL clearly depends
on its dielectric withstand performance and
on its thermal capability to carry the rated
current, explains Biquez. As the thermal
limits of the product are affected by the way
the GIL is installed, computer simulations
are necessary to decide on the appropriate
design. In the case of an underground
hydro power plant, thermal simulations
have enabled Alstom Grids designers to
evaluate the thermal behavior of the GIL
enclosure as a function of the tunnel height,
or to compare the conductor and enclosure
temperature distribution depending on
whether the GIL is placed in a horizontal
tunnel or a vertical shaft.
ing of parameters such as SF6 or gas mixture
density, SF6 leakage trend analysis, temperatures in compartments, partial discharges, internal arc localization and
detection, etc. Abnormal conditions that
could lead to potential failures are therefore
rapidly detected. As a result, safety for per-

M O R E

Alain Girodet

TECHNICAL BENEFITS
OF GIL COMPARED WITH
CABLES AT HAMS HALL
The 420 kV Hams Hall substation in
the West Midlands, England, required
a new connection to reinforce the
network. However, existing overhead
lines and buried cables and pipes
demanded that the connection be in
trenches at the one end and above
ground at the other end. Both GIL and
cables offered suitable solutions.
However, for both technical and
economic reasons, the British utility
National Grid adopted the Alstom Grid
GIL solution. A continuous current
rating of 3,190 A would have required
two cables with two outdoor
terminations per phase compared with
one GIL, says Alain Girodet, Senior
Expert, Alstom Grid High Voltage
Technology and Materials Manager.
Cable junctions would also have been
more of an issue from a dielectric
perspective, he adds. To minimize
environmental risks with GIL, an
insulating gas mixture made of 20
percent SF6 and 80 percent N2 was
chosen, as well as a totally welded
pipe design (which required special
care in the assembly process to avoid
weld slags seeping inside the GIL).
Another advantage is that the N2/SF6
mixture can be easily separated and
recycled after use.

}
Opting for a GIL solution brings major envi
to a very low capacitance, the electrical resistance and power losses of GIL are extremely
reducedup to 70 percent lower than

HIGH SERVICE CONTINUITY

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MAIN FEATURE

CHAPTER I

RESEARCH WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE

those of overhead lines (OHL). This


means less waste of energy, and no need for
reactive compensation for lengthy GIL, contrary to long cable connections. Another
advantage is a lower visual impact on the
landscape, suggesting that GIL may be a
realistic solution in sites where OHL would
be banned. A costly solution, indeedbut
the expense may be worth it, one chief
executive of a U.S. transmission company
 nitely expensive if their construction is
resolutely opposed by local communities.
To minimize the environmental impact of
its GIL solutions, Alstom Grid has implemented an eco-design approach, as for a
number of its products. The latest designs
are nowadays completely optimized in a
sustainable development perspective. The
whole life of the product is considered, from
cradle to grave. It starts with a life cycle
 

encountered when manufacturing and
using the GIL, from raw material extraction
and transportation to the disposal of the
product at the end of its life. Up to 16 indicators are used, showing the impact of the
various steps of the product life cycle on
features such as global warming, ozone


toxicity, hazardous waste, amount of slag/


ashes, etc. Each component of a GIL may
then be optimally designed to achieve

contributing to a moderate and responsible
use of the needed resources, and ensuring
a high recyclability rate. The latest developments have led, for instance, to a more
environmentally friendly insulation
medium: the amount of greenhouse effect
SF6 gas produced has been dramatically
reduced through the use of a g as mixture
based on 80-90 percent of nitrogen and
the rest of SF6, says Biquez. Alstom Grid
was also able to optimize the section of the
conductors, enabling the GIL to exhibit
lower heat losses compared with OHL and
HV cables.

Ensuring safety for people


As high voltage power transmission lines

even in crowded public areas, the safety of
the surroundings is essential. Thanks to the
design of their aluminum enclosures, GIL
completely exclude the risk of explosion.

materials (such as oil) makes the GIL abso
even in the case of an electrical fault; the
GIL will even play the role of a buffer or


and a GIS, thus preventing the fire from
spreading and allowing the rest of the system

explosion-proof characteristics, GIL can be
installed in shared infrastructure like road
and rail tunnels, open public areas, etc. An
illustration of an in-public area installation
of a GIL is the Hams Hall project in the U.K.,
which was energized in 2004 (see sidebar).



radiation emission. Cross-bonding of singlephase enclosures allows the return current
to pass through the enclosures. This creates
a screen effect that provides the GIL with a
lower magnetic field radiation compared
with alternative solutions such as cables and
OHL. Computer calculations show that mag
phase GIL system (operating at 550 kV and
4,000 A) are lower than 250 T, half the
exposure limit for workers set by the European Union directive. At a distance of 1 meter
to the enclosure, the value drops to 10 T,
less than one-tenth the emission of buried
XLPE cables 1 meter above ground level,
and less than a quarter of overhead lines
(below the lines at 1 meter above ground
level). In fact, GIL enclosures can even be
safely touched.

M O R E

Gerhard Seyrling

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Alstom Grid///Summer 2010

INTERVIEW WITH
GERHARD SEYRLING,
SENIOR
VICE-PRESIDENT
INNOVATION
& STRATEGY

~~
or welded connections and
various insulating gas
mixtures to optimize cost,
performance, reliability and
environmental protection.

What is Alstom Grids


experience with GIL?
Alstom Grid has long
experience with GIL design
and installation, especially for
large power sites. One of our
major references is the PP9
project in Saudi Arabia: with
total circuit lengths of
approximately 5.6 km, more
than 17 km of single-phase
enclosures were necessary
}.
Alstom Grid has developed
and masters a whole range of

How can GIL compete against


overhead lines and cables?
GIL have proved their ability to
respond to any installation
constraints as well as carrying
high power ratings without
requiring multiple circuit
}}
overhead lines, the major
advantage is better integration
in the urban environment and
landscapes. Compared with
cables, GIL can transmit
greater quantities of energy:
3,000 MVA can be transmitted

through one GIL circuit while


two circuits would be required
for the alternative HV cable
solution; this performance has
a direct impact on price,
footprint and right-of-way
requirements.
What are customers
looking for?
Besides substations,
}
answers to two types of
issues. One is carrying high
rated currents in urban areas
where OHL are prohibited;
the other is to ensure regional
and international bulk power
connections with GIL offering
}}~}}
powerful solution through
tunnels, bridges, and so on.

Alstom Grid has installed (or received orders for) more than
50 kilometers of 3-phase GIL systems since the beginning of GIS

success are the Jebel Ali power plant in the United Arab Emirates,
Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia, and the Hams Hall substation in
the West Midlands, U.K.

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