(The Blue Clean Air Circuit Switcher is the first in the U.S. to provide reliable short-circuit interruption without emitting harmful gases into the atmosphere. Credit: Siemens)Siemens Energy and Traverse City Light and Power (TCL&P) have installed the first circuit switcher that utilizes clean dry air in place of traditional sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulating gas.
Built at the Siemens Energy plant in Richland, Mississippi, and commissioned at TCL&P in October 2020, the Blue Clean Air 72.5 kV CPV2V Circuit Switcher is the first in the US to provide reliable short-circuit interruption without emitting harmful gases into the atmosphere. By contrast, SF6, the insulating gas typically used in gas insulated equipment (GIE) has a global warming potential of 23,500x that of CO2.
The Blue line of Clean Air vacuum technology for Circuit Breakers and Switchers is capable of reliable short-circuit interruption at voltage levels above 69 kV with no Global Warning Potential (GWP) emissions over the lifetime of the equipment.
TCL&P is a community-owned municipal utility serving more than 12,700 customers in Traverse City, Michigan, as well as parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. It has adopted renewable generation sourcing goals of 40% by 2020, and 100% by 2040. TCL&P has implemented many programs and standards to reduce its carbon footprint.
The Blue Clean Air Circuit Switcher is designed to reliably operate in conditions as low as -50° C, making it ideal for cold weather climates by eliminating the need for external heaters. The design and reliability of the components make it maintenance free over the lifetime of the circuit switcher.
Additionally, the circuit switcher is easily filled with clean dry air as needed, eliminating the need for costly fluorinated gas storage and use of complex gas carts to handle SF6 gas. Replacing an existing circuit switcher with the Blue Clean Air model is simple because it shares a similar footprint.
