CIRED 22nd International Conference on Electricity Distribution Stockholm, 10-13 June 2013

Paper 0463

DIELECTRIC AND THERMAL CHALLENGES FOR

NEXT GENERATION RING MAIN UNITS (RMU)
Tom Rune BJØRTUFT Elham ATTAR Magne SAXEGAARD
ABB – Norway ABB – Norway ABB – Norway
tom-rune.bjortuft@no.abb.com elham.attar@no.abb.com magne.saxegaard@no.abb.com

Adam SITKO Ole GRANHAUG Henrik LANDSVERK

ABB CRC – Poland ABB – Norway ABB – Norway
adam.sitko@pl.abb.com ole.granhaug@no.abb.com henrik.landsverk@no.abb.com

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
Environmental concerns related to the greenhouse effect of Environmental concerns related to the greenhouse effect of
SF6 have driven changes to take place in the power SF6 are promoting a new generation of power products
distribution industry. This paper discusses the main based on more environmentally friendly insulating gases.
challenges for next generation medium voltage (MV) ring In medium voltage network components such as the ring
main units (RMU) using new technologies and materials main units, SF6 serves both as an electrical insulator and a
with reduced environmental impact. Market requirements thermal conductor. Currently, no alternative gas has been
are going in the direction of equal or even higher technical found that exhibits the excellent dielectric and thermal
ratings for new products. Replacing SF6 with any other properties of SF6. Several gases have been explored, but
insulation gas in RMU requires innovative solutions to be many tend to suffer from high liquefaction temperature or
implemented. A key challenge is to be able to maintain the reduced dielectric strength (see e.g. [1]). From an
outer physical dimensions of the unit, as this imposes strict environmental perspective, dry air is one of the most
conditions on the dielectric and thermal performance. desirable alternatives.

Dielectric design of SF6 free RMU targets the distribution Market requirements are further going in the direction of
of electrical fields within the unit, aiming to reduce the field equal or even higher technical ratings for new products with
strength of weak points to compensate for the reduced the stringent requirement of no changes to the physical
dielectric strength of alternative insulating gases. Key dimensions of the unit. Optimizing the dielectric and
parameters for optimization include choice of insulating thermal design to comply with these requirements are
materials, geometrical shape of conducting surfaces and identified as the key challenges with the development of the
definition of conductor/insulator interfaces. Thermal design next generation RMU.
is further critical due to the lower thermal properties of
alternative insulating gases. Computational Fluid This paper summarizes the thermal and dielectric methods
Dynamics (CFD) analysis is used to understand and and possible solutions for achieving compact switchgear
optimize the temperature distributions inside the while maintaining the established ratings used in SF6-
switchgear. Simulation results are validated by temperature insulated RMU when replaced by dry air.
rise tests in full scale prototypes.
DIELECTRIC DESIGN
The main functionality of next generation RMU relies on
optimized dielectric and thermal design in order to provide In terms of dielectric performance, replacing SF6 with dry
a cost efficient and reliable unit. In this paper a selection of air in a ring main unit causes a drastic reduction in the
techniques are discussed with references to both withstand voltage level due to the reduced insulation level
simulations and full scale tests based on the challenging of dry air relative to SF6. The only possibility to compensate
boundary condition of keeping the same physical for this is to reduce the maximum electrostatic fields inside
dimensions as an existing SF6 product. the unit to a level below the critical limit for discharge. The
strict conditions of maintaining the physical dimensions of
the unit typically prevent simply increasing electrode
separation distances. Thus, careful optimization through a
combination of techniques is required.

CIRED2013 Session 1 Paper No 0463

CIRED 22nd International Conference on Electricity Distribution Stockholm, 10-13 June 2013

Paper 0463

The challenge may be appreciated by considering e.g. the As for streamer inception, streamer propagation is
withstand voltage of the disconnector in a 12 kV RMU. prevented by increasing the separation between the
Replacing SF6 bar with dry air at similar pressure causes the electrodes. Another option is to increase the effective
withstand voltage to drop with up to 50%. It follows that streamer path by inserting insulating barriers, but care must
while the type tested SF6 unit will pass the standard be taken to ensure that the charge transferred to the barrier
lightning impulse test (BIL) with good margins, the air by the first streamer does not create the condition for a
filled unit will fail if same design would be used. This second streamer on the other side of the barrier [3]
challenge must be resolved with careful optimization of the
dielectric design of the RMU. For the next generation RMU, the environmental impact and
carbon footprint can be seen to be lowered directly through
A general approach is given by considering the breakdown an optimization of dielectric design, as summarized in
mechanisms in gases. The inception of a self-propagating figure 1.
electron avalanche, known as a streamer is required for a
discharge to occur. In the limit of weakly non-uniform
fields and short electrode separation distances, the streamer
may cross immediately from one electrode to another and
create a discharge. The withstand voltage (Uw) is therefore Figure 1: Synergy of field uniformity with sustainability
given by the streamer inception voltage (Usi), which may be
determined from the “streamer criterion” [2]. However, for
larger electrode separation and strongly non-uniform fields, By utilizing the general design criteria described here,
the applied voltage must also be able to support the techniques such as shielding, barriers and “triple point”
propagation of the streamer across the gap. The critical evaluations are often the given solution on a specific design
voltage for streamer propagation (Uprop) has been challenge.
determined empirically for needle-plane arrangements in air
[3] and found to scale linearly with electrode separation.
Consequently, we may state the following “design rules”: Dielectric design example
An example of the application of these principles is the
a. For short electrode distances and weakly non- dielectric optimization of a typical 3-position disconnector-
uniform fields, Uw may only be increased by and earthing switch used in a 12 kV compact RMU.
increasing Usi Electrostatic simulations were performed with the ABB in-
b. At larger electrode distances and strongly non- house simulation tool Polopt that solves the Poisson
uniform fields, Uw may be increased further by equation with the indirect boundary element method [4].
increasing Uprop. The potential distribution and resulting electrostatic fields
of the disconnector are shown in figure 2.
The degree of field uniformity (η) is a key parameter. It is
typically defined as the ratio of the average electric field to The tip of the two knives is clearly identified as the critical
the maximum field observed between electrodes: points (dielectric “hot spots”), where the surface electric
fields are as high as ~ 10 kV/mm. Because of the short
η = Emean / Emax (1) distance to the ground electrode, Uw is estimated with Usi.

Emean is given by the voltage drop divided by electrode

separation distance. Turning this around, one can also see
that 1/η corresponds to the effective “field enhancement
factor”. It is clear that increased field uniformity is a driving
optimization criterion, as increased η tend to increase the
inception voltage and consequently the withstand voltage of
the electrode configuration.

In practice, η and Usi may be increased by reducing the

maximum electrostatic fields at the electrode surfaces.
Common methods for achieving this are:
- Increase the electrode separation.
- Reduce sharp features and edges Figure 2: Simulated potential and electric field distribution
- Increase radiuses of rounded surfaces of a 3-position disconnector and earthing switch in a 12 kV
- Limit the number of high field points, such as RMU. Color scale ranges from blue (minimum) to red
triple junctions (maximum).

CIRED2013 Session 1 Paper No 0463

CIRED 22nd International Conference on Electricity Distribution Stockholm, 10-13 June 2013

Paper 0463

A common solution to this design example is found by Decrease of heat losses by for example reducing number of
adding a field distributor to the tip of the knives, as outlined interfaces, right material selection, plating of contact
in figure 3. This increases the effective radius seen by the surfaces and increasing the conductor cross section or
voltage gradient and the maximum field strength is reduced decreasing the length of the conductor. Increase of the heat
by as much as 50%. Even though the separation distance dissipation by optimizing the design related to heat
between the high voltage knives and the ground electrode is convection, conduction and radiation inside and outside of
reduced, the condition for streamer inception is raised by the switchgear encapsulation. For these purposes parts,
approximately 160% due to the reduced surface field components and assemblies are arranged in such a way that
strength. This example demonstrates how a rather complex the natural free convection is optimized, by adding openings
geometry may be optimized with powerful tools as well as on the pole houses (figure 4) or increasing the free space
smart design criteria’s to find simple sustainable technical around all live parts (for an example using the slim support
solutions. brackets). In addition busbars are arranged somehow to
improve the effective surface.

To enhance the heat conduction dissipation, emphasize is

put on the choice of materials, optimization of dimensions
and reduced of the number of interfaces. For example, the
pole house cover is in particular made of a good heat
conductor, which is connected to the current path for
maximizing the effect of heat conduction. For optimizing
the radiation heat transfers the inner walls of the pole house
Figure 3: Schematic of the simulated field of the original do have a rough surface that is considered and utilized,
and modified disconnector switch knives together with possibility of painting or coating of inside as
well as outside encapsulation walls. All above mentioned
methods are considered for thermal design of the next
THERMAL DESIGN generation of RMU.

One of the main challenges of designing MV RMU is to

satisfy the requirements of the temperature rise test. In a CFD Simulation
standard temperature rise test as specified in IEC62271-1, The CFD simulation has been utilized for thermal design
the rated current at rated frequency in case of alternating optimization of next generation RMU filled with dry air.
current, is applied to the switchgear continuously, and the Most of the heat generated in the switchgear is accumulated
temperature of the components is measured separately until in the pole house. To increase the cooling of pole house, it
steady state conditions are reached. The steady-state is important that a good circulation of air is generated and
temperature rise in all of the components should be within maintained by introducing thoroughly dimensioned holes.
the permissible limits, as specified by the standard.

In order to improve the thermal performance of the

switchgear, first of all it is necessary to analyze it from a
thermodynamic point of view. The switchgear can be
considered as an enclosure with a series of elements
generating heat and able to dissipate heat to the
surroundings. The elements generating heat inside the
enclosure exchange heat between themselves or other
elements (conduction and radiation), with the gas inside the
enclosure (convection).

The structure of each element, its material and assembly

design inside the switchgear introduces a heat transfer
system which influences the temperature field. In particular,
the different arrangements of the assembly result in changes Figure 4: two different designs for free convection system
in heat generation pattern and consequently lead to new in a typical switch pole house that encloses a vacuum
temperature field equilibrium. interrupter (VI)

The main focus areas for RMU redesign are: decrease of the The position of the ventilation openings on the pole house is
ohmic heat losses and increase of the heat dissipation. important to enhance the “chimney” effect. The CFD model

CIRED2013 Session 1 Paper No 0463

CIRED 22nd International Conference on Electricity Distribution Stockholm, 10-13 June 2013

Paper 0463

has been used to compare two different designs of the empirical knowledge as well as a combination of
openings in the pole house (figure 4). Design A is technologies. Through examples of dielectric optimization
considered with one free convection system with openings and thermal design, it has been shown that the next
on top and bottom and design B with two separate free generation RMU can obtain the compactness of current SF6
convection systems with openings in the mid height as well filled units. This compactness is also utilized in a broader
as openings on top and bottom. perspective, by using a combination of materials as well as
the more environmental friendly insulation gas dry air to
Using design B with openings in the middle results in lower correspond to the overall sustainability approach.
gas velocity in the pole house (figures 5). From the
simulation results it can be concluded that any openings at
mid height can reduce the “chimney” effect, thus causing a REFERENCES
reduction of the buoyancy movement
[1] H. Okubo, A. Beroual, 2011, “Recent trend and future
Design A Design B perspectives in electrical insulation techniques …”, IEEE
Electrical Insulation Magazine. Vol 27, 34-42

[2] A. Blaszczyk, H. Boehme, A. Pedersen, M. Piemontesi,

2001, “Simulation based sparkover prediction in the
medium voltage range,” ISH Bangalore

[3] A. Pedersen, T. Christen, A. Blaszczyk, H. Boehme,

2009, “Streamer inception and propagation models for
designing air insulated power devices”, Proceedings IEE
Conference on electrical insulation and dielectric
Figure 5: Velocity fields for two different designs show a phenomena
better “chimney” effect in design A
[4 ] Z. Andjelic, B. Krstajic, S. Milojkovic, A. Blaszczyk
The full scale simulation of the whole RMU has been 1992, “Integral methods for the calculation of electric
performed by using Ansys Fluent commercial code with two fields” Scientific Series of the International Bureau
different designs, the original design and the modified Research Center Juelich (ISBN 3-89336-084-0)
design. Physical phenomena such as heat generation, heat
conduction, convection, radiation and turbulence were taken
into account.

The main differences between the original and modified

design were using silver platted bus bars with enlarged cross
section and thicker flexible connectors in modified case.

According to the simulation results, these two designs led to

two different temperature distributions with hot spots in
different positions. In the original design hot spots appeared
at flexible - bus bar connection and in the modified design
hot spots were on the knives. The numerically predicted hot
spots are similar to the experiment results obtained from
temperature rise tests for the original and the modified
designs. It was also proven that applying parts and
connections with lower resistances may significantly
decrease temperatures for the modified design.

CONCLUSION
The dielectric and thermal challenges associated with
replacing SF6 as an insulating medium with other, more
environmentally friendly gases can be solved with careful
optimization based on powerful simulations tool, deep

CIRED2013 Session 1 Paper No 0463