Beskudnikovo GIS substation, Russia, 550 kV, 63 kA, 4000 A

One of todays main challenges in power transmission is to bring high voltage levels
right into the centers of urban areas. This requires switchgear that features a small
footprint, the utmost reliability, and very low noise and electromagnetic emissions.
Siemens gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) are ideally suited to meet these requirements.
Thanks to their compact design, Siemens GIS need very little space. With more than 45
years of GIS manufacturing experience, the largest installed base of GIS, and a long
track record of superior turnkey supply, Siemens is able to provide one-stop GIS
substations that also comprise all secondary technology, procurement, installation and
commissioning on-site, and operational training.

The benefits of Siemens gas-insulated switchgear:

High reliability, availability, gastightness, and high degree of safety

Economic efficiency, long service life, little maintenance requirements, and low
life cycle costs
Compact design, good accessibility and ergonomics, high degree of adaptability
to individual requirements

APPLICATION

Siemens supplies high-voltage GIS for rated voltages from 72.5 kV up to 550 kV. The
comprehensive product range provides ideal solutions for all indoor and outdoor
switching applications up to the highest performance rates. More than 34,500 GIS bays
are currently in operation in GIS substations all over the world. Siemens particularly
focuses on sophisticated switchgear solutions for installation in challenging locations.

High-voltage substations are power grid nodes at which power from different
generating sources is pooled, distributed, transformed, and delivered to the load points.
Reliability is of the utmost importance and a clear focus in the design and layout of
Siemens GIS substation designs and layouts. Typical busbar schemes are the double
busbar (2 BB) and the one circuit-breaker-and-a-half scheme (1.5 cb).

2 BB

The double busbar system ensures flexibility and reliability in the operation of the
substation. Thats why the system is used in many network nodes of the power system,
especially in distribution and transformer substations. It is possible to control the power
flow by using the busbars independently and by switching a feeder from one busbar to
the other.
Siemens GIS substation with double-busbar scheme (2 BB)

1.5 cb

The one circuit-breaker-and-a-half scheme is a compromise between the 2 BB and the

double circuit breaker scheme. This scheme improves the reliability and flexibility of
the substation because there is no disruption in the power supply of the feeders even in
case of a loss of a complete busbar.
Siemens GIS substation with One-breaker-and-a-half scheme (1.5 cb)
GIS OR Gas Insulator Switchgear

It is very much required to establish an electrical substation at load center. Since, establishing
a substation at load center is quite economical and profitable in many aspects. As it reduces
length of feeders and due to short length feeders, the quality of voltage regulation improves.
But the main obstruction of establishing a substation at load center is space. Generally main
load center of any place is situated at very congested place where, sufficient land for
establishing conventional electrical substation is very hardly available.

This problem can be solved by using gas insulated switchgear technology. In this type of
switchgear, all the necessary components of switchgear can be assembled in very limited
space. GIS is a kind of metal enclosed switchgear. That means, all the equipments of the
electrical switchgear are enclosed by gas tight metal enclosure and SF6 gas is used as insulation
between live parts of the equipments and earthed metal enclosure. This type of switchgear,
means, and gas insulated switchgear is available from 12 KV systems to 800 KV system. For
establishing electrical substation in very limited place this type of SF6 insulated electrical
switchgear plays the major role.

Gas insulated components of substation are generally,

1. Electrical bus bars.

2. Electrical isolators or disconnectors.
3. Circuit breakers.
4. Current transformers.
5. Voltage transformers.
6. Earth switches.
7. Surge arrestors or lightning arresters.

The substation, assembled by gas insulated switchgear, is popularly known as gas

insulated metal enclosed substation (GIMES). GIMES technology is not very recent
invention, it is successfully running for over thirty years.
In gas insulated medium voltage switchgear, vacuum technology is used as interrupting
purpose and SF6 gas is used as insulation material. Although for both interruption and
insulation, SF6 gas is used in many medium voltage GIS system. But for such
equipments rated SF6 gas pressures are different for interruption and insulation. SF6 gas
pressure for insulating purpose is generally kept below 2.5 bar whereas SF6 gas pressure
for interrupting purpose is ranged from 5 bar to 7 bar. As vacuum technology is not
available for high voltage, so for GIS or gas insulated switchgear system above 72.5
KV, only SF6 is used both for interruption medium and insulation.
There are different types of gas insulated metal enclosed switchgears available
depending upon their constructional feature.

Isolated Phase GIS

In this configuration, each phase of the bay is assembled separately. That is, for each
phase, one pole of circuit breaker, a single pole of electrical isolator, one phase
assembly of current transformer are assembled together. This type of GIS requires
larger bay width as compared to other gas insulated switchgear system.

Integrated 3 Phase GIS

In this configuration all three phase of circuit breaker, 3 phases of disconnectors and
three phase current transformer are encapsulated in an individual metal enclosure. The
arrangement forms a three phase module for the element. The size of this type of
module is one third of the isolated phase GIS.

Hybrid GIS System

It is a suitable combination of isolated phase and three phase common elements. Here
three phase common bus bar system simplifies the connection from the bus bar. The
isolated phase equipment prevents phase to phase faults. This is an optimum design
considering, both facts in mind, i.e. space requirement and maintenance facility.

Compact GIS

In this GIS or gas insulated switchgear system than one functional element are
encapsulate in a single metal enclosure. For example, in some design, a three phase
circuit breaker, current transformer, earth switches, even other feeder elements are
covered together in a single metal capsule.

Highly Integrated System

This design was introduced in the year of 2000, where, total substation equipments are
encapsulated together in single enclosure housing. This single unit gas insulated
substation has gained user appreciation as it is a complete solution for an outdoor
substation, in a single unit. As such, only equipment (HIS) is substitute of a total
outdoor switch yard.