Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleK
There are other insulating gases that can be used in place of SF6. Even if it was an issue, there are other options.
It's not near the problem that PCBs were back in the day. This wasn't even on the list of operational concerns at the utility I worked at. Wildfire, Cyber, Rates/affordability. That's the list.
|
Yeah there are other options for sure but like everything they have drawbacks as well, cost, corrosion and toxicity among them.
SF6 is very safe to handle from a health perspective, it’s fairly abundant and has great dielectric properties. It’s also reasonably priced and has a ton of equipment compatible with it. The 2 biggest drawbacks being the environmental impact of a release as well as the production of SO2 during arcing events. SO2 forms as a white powder when exposed to exceptional levels of heat and is highly cancerous, however I have very rarely seen the presence of SO2 in equipment (maybe twice out of thousands of tests).