Sulfur and fluorine form a very useful chemical compound as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). It is an excellent insulation gas, e.g. in medium and high-voltage switchgears of electricity grid operators. However, as SF6 works in gas-insulated switchgears, it is highly susceptible to one natural enemy: moisture! Once present in the gas compartment, it weakens the insulation properties of SF6 many times over. In addition, highly toxic and corrosive decomposition products are formed in combination with moisture and additional energy input. These toxins are increasingly attacking the surfaces of tanks and insulation materials. For this reason moisture must be reduced! With the GAD-2000 gas dehydration system, WIKA Mobile Control has created an innovative application together with WIKA. It reduces the humidity in gas-filled equipment efficiently and safely – all while the system stays running!
The process is simple: The GAD-2000 automatically takes out the SF6 gas from the system, dries it independently and returns it to the gas compartment dehydrated. The highlight of GAD-2000: in contrary to standard systems on the market, the switchgear does not have to be disconnected from the mains during the process of gas dehydration! This reduces service efforts and maintenance costs as well as avoiding dangerous load distribution risks. Using the WIKA Mobile Control vSCALE D3 console, the required nominal pressures, warning contacts and limit values are entered in a user-friendly manner. Optionally, the gas dehydration system can be equipped with a GSM module for transmitting status messages to mobile devices. System states such as the remaining duration of the gas cleaning process or current humidity values in the gas compartment are regularly sent to the operator’s device. This allows concentration on other tasks while the system works reliably and safely!
With the cSCALE trueSafety S-series from WIKA Mobile Control serving as the central control unit, a comprehensive SIL 2 safety system ensures the safety of the system during continuous operation. The interaction of the safety controller with effective autodiagnostic and monitoring functions of the system software enables faults and malfunctions to be detected immediately. This ensures equipment safety throughout the entire moisture reduction process. In addition, the contact position of the gas density monitoring can be checked by means of an extended safety module. Therefore the GAD-2000 is switched off immediately and automatically in case of a fault.
The GAD-2000 is the result of combining two strong competencies. WIKA Mobile Control is a specialist for high-performance safety systems and an expert in the development of software applications for safe applications. WIKA, its parent company, sets itself apart with innovative measurement technology. The result of these bundled synergies? Double the range of applications and double the safety!
With GAD-2000, a unique system could be developed with high availability – and highest safety at the same time! Our Sales Team is happy to assist with any questions you may have!
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