Air Insulated Switchgear Technology

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The customers of ABBs 12/24 kV metal enclosed switchgear units are continuously asking for technical improvements, more environmentally friendly solutions, lower prices, and at the same time unchanged physical dimensions. The project is essentially to d evelop the technology needed for future products to be able to comply with these demands. Four material related R&D tasks are addressed: 1) By rather fundamental experimental research - largely carried out as PhD-studies - the scientific and technologi al basis for a low cost, compact air interrupter for 24 kV / 630 A should be established. 2) A radically new conductor design for the switchgear should be developed and tested. The conductors will be hollow and made in aluminium, as opposed to existing s olid copper bar conductors. 3) New connectors and terminations for the aluminium conductors as well as new arcing and non-arcing contacts in switches and disconnectors will be developed. 4) A dielectric insulation system based on air instead of SF6 whic h is currently used, should be developed and tested.