A serious new Horizon Europe mission is searching for to cut back the discharge of a greenhouse fuel with a worldwide warming potential greater than 25,000 instances larger than CO2.
The contributors embrace the College of Aberdeen’s Professor Dragan Jovcic, who brings to the desk his experience in Excessive Voltage DC (Direct Present) switchgear.
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) has traditionally been utilized in a wide range of functions, from steel smelting to filling double-glazing panels, however the electrical energy business is likely one of the few locations the place it’s nonetheless used as we speak – because of the technical challenges in changing it.
An artificial, odourless fuel, SF6 is used to maintain grid networks working safely and reliably, accounting for round 80% of its world use*.
It’s used to insulate the dwell electrical elements and in circuit breakers to change the circulate {of electrical} present on and off. Renewable know-how additionally makes use of the fuel – for instance, switchgear for wind generators use it to forestall overloads. Leaks can happen when dealing with the fuel or on account of faulty seals within the installations the place the fuel is used.
And because the world strikes away from carbon and in direction of electrification, the demand for parts like switchgear is anticipated to develop, doubtlessly doubling of the banked quantity of SF6 by 2030 if executed with conventional know-how.
To deal with this, new options are required within the areas the place SF6-free switchgear options aren’t but out there.
The Aberdeen HVDC (Excessive Voltage Direct Present) analysis staff will be part of 12 companions from 9 international locations in an EU mission MISSION, an Innovation Motion co-funded by the European Union by way of Horizon Europe and the UKRI Horizon Europe Assure fund, to develop and reveal three new SF6-free switchgear parts. Considered one of these demonstrators is Medium Voltage DC Circuit Breaker, which might be developed to industrial product with essential analysis enter from Aberdeen HVDC analysis centre.
They are going to work alongside main business gamers together with switchgear producers, grid operators, DC system builders and analysis institutes to reveal using know-how in excessive climates and to discover reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Professor Jovcic stated: “Modernisation {of electrical} grid infrastructure might be essential in our transition to scrub vitality. Electrification lies on the coronary heart of decarbonisation and we are going to want expanded electrical networks to satisfy rising electrical energy demand from business, transport and buildings.”
“However this brings different vital challenges, together with eradicate using SF6 and deal with essential know-how gaps like improvement of latest parts for DC grids.
“DC (direct present) electrical methods haven’t been a lot utilised since AC (alternating present) system have been most popular with conventional overland energy transmission and standard electrical energy era. Nevertheless, AC energy can solely be transmitted over comparatively quick distances with subsea cables, and as we glance more and more to offshore wind or tidal know-how to satisfy rising demand, options are wanted to create high-voltage direct present (HVDC) connections and to finally develop an HVDC grid.
“Our analysis on the College of Aberdeen has performed an vital function within the development of this know-how and we’re delighted to be a part of the European MISSION mission which seeks to allow emission-free vitality transmission in a resilient and sustainable AC and DC electrical grids. This know-how could play vital function in future Scottish vitality methods, as we work on creating electrical SF6-free infrastructure for integration of Scotwind and lots of different giant offshore wind vitality tasks
Atle Pedersen, the chief of the brand new EU mission and analysis supervisor at SINTEF Vitality, stated: “There’s a know-how hole right here that requires consideration, and it’s lucky that we’ve secured funding for analysis on this space.
“To realize the widespread electrification obligatory for decreasing world greenhouse fuel emissions, we should improve our methods to effectively join and switch extra renewable vitality into the ability grid, significantly from offshore wind sources.”
