Abstract
This chapter provides an overview on the potential benefits of gas discharge tube switches and circuit breakers as an enabling technology for medium- to high-voltage direct current power systems. High-voltage, high-power gas tubes are a recent development in a long line of proven gaseous electronic devices for power conversion and transmission systems that includes thyratrons and mercury-arc rectifiers and valves. In their present state of development, they are best suited for high-voltage (up to 500 kV), moderate-current (up to 1000 A) applications. Electrical opening and closing times are both fast (<5 μs), and the devices are compact and amenable to high-temperature operation. The device capabilities and critical design criteria are discussed with a view toward target applications that would appear to benefit from implementation of this technology. We also outline the key technical challenges to make gas tubes viable in various electric power system applications.
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Notes
- 1.
A bushing-like enclosure (as for surge arrester) could be also engineered to avoid liquid dielectric. The final option may depend on the applications (breaker or converter switches). For breakers, it will also depend on the option of dead tank (which allows metallic support close to ground) versus live tank (which requires insulating support that needs to be sized based on the system voltage). For example, a liquid dielectric enclosure might be suitable for HVDC stations and dead tank breakers, while air-insulated enclosure might be suitable to live-tank breaker applications.
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Smith, D., Sommerer, T. (2023). Gas Discharge Tubes for Power Grid Applications. In: Kizilyalli, I.C., Shen, Z.J., Cunningham, D.W. (eds) Direct Current Fault Protection. Power Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26572-3_15
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