Greenhouse gas emission reductions through use of a sustainable alternative to SF6

For decades, SF6 has been a dielectric medium commonly used in electrical power applications, particularly for high voltage equipment. However, SF6 has long been recognized as a potent greenhouse gas and governments have sought to reduce emissions from gas-insulated equipment. The electrical power industry has demonstrated an ability and willingness to respond to these environmental issues. While emission rates have been reduced, the identification of suitable chemical alternatives to SF6 in electrical power applications has been elusive. The development of alternative dielectric gases is challenging due to the complex combination of performance and safety properties required in electrical power applications. A gaseous dielectric medium needs not only high dielectric strength but must also have good heat transfer properties and be nonflammable, thermally stable and low in toxicity. Today, a dielectric gas must also have acceptable environmental properties, specifically, zero ozone depletion potential and a much lower global warming potential compared to SF6. Until recently, achieving all of these objectives had appeared to be mutually exclusive. However, an environmentally sustainable solution that is both effective and low in climate impact is now available for some of the applications which have traditionally used SF6. This presentation will review this recently-developed, gaseous dielectric compound. This material has significantly lower global warming potential with the capability of substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions from gas-insulated equipment.