Live Processing of SF6 Insulated Gas Equipment in High Humidity Environment

The trace moisture content in the sulfur hexafluoride electrical equipment is a non-negligible factor that may be influential on the gas insulation performance. If the humidity of sulfur hexafluoride gas exceeds the standard or any condensation occurs, it will pose a serious threat to the safety of the equipment. The current methodology counts on power outage for maintenance work. This often incurs high cost and cannot ensure continuous supply of electricity under certain special circumstances where power outage for maintenance is not possible. This work was performed to explore the processing technology of sulfur hexafluoride gas humidity. By taking care of the state condition of non-power outage, a complete system solution was specially designed for low temperature environment. In this context, on-line dehumidification of sulfur hexafluoride gas was implemented on the premise of ensuring the safety of gas insulation equipment and operators. The study provides feasibility results for the safe and continuous operation of SF6 gas electrical insulation equipment in a short time after the humidity exceeds the standard.