A serious new Horizon Europe mission is looking for to scale back the discharge of a greenhouse gasoline with a worldwide warming potential greater than 25,000 occasions increased than CO2.
The contributors embody 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 metallic smelting to filling double-glazing panels, however the electrical energy trade is among the few locations the place it’s nonetheless used as we speak – because of the technical challenges in changing it.
An artificial, odourless gasoline, SF6 is used to maintain grid networks operating 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 stream {of electrical} present on and off. Renewable know-how additionally makes use of the gasoline – for instance, switchgear for wind generators use it to stop overloads. Leaks can happen when dealing with the gasoline or because of faulty seals within the installations the place the gasoline is used.
And because the world strikes away from carbon and in the direction of electrification, the demand for parts like switchgear is predicted to develop, probably 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 accessible.
The Aberdeen HVDC (Excessive Voltage Direct Present) analysis workforce will be a part of 12 companions from 9 nations 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 display three new SF6-free switchgear parts. One among these demonstrators is Medium Voltage DC Circuit Breaker, which can be developed to industrial product with essential analysis enter from Aberdeen HVDC analysis centre.
They are going to work alongside main trade gamers together with switchgear producers, grid operators, DC system builders and analysis institutes to display using know-how in excessive climates and to discover reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Professor Jovcic mentioned: “Modernisation {of electrical} grid infrastructure can be essential in our transition to wash power. Electrification lies on the coronary heart of decarbonisation and we’ll want expanded electrical networks to fulfill rising electrical energy demand from trade, transport and buildings.”
“However this brings different vital challenges, together with find out how to remove using SF6 and handle crucial know-how gaps like growth of latest parts for DC grids.
“DC (direct present) electrical techniques haven’t been a lot utilised since AC (alternating present) system have been most well-liked with conventional overland energy transmission and standard electrical energy era. Nonetheless, 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 fulfill 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 essential position 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 power transmission in a resilient and sustainable AC and DC electrical grids. This know-how could play vital position in future Scottish power techniques, as we work on creating electrical SF6-free infrastructure for integration of Scotwind and lots of different giant offshore wind power initiatives
Atle Pedersen, the chief of the brand new EU mission and analysis supervisor at SINTEF Vitality, mentioned: “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 attain the widespread electrification essential for decreasing world greenhouse gasoline emissions, we should improve our techniques to effectively join and switch extra renewable power into the facility grid, significantly from offshore wind sources.”