Total emissions. Interruptions increase. The electrical power industry used about 80% of the sulfur hexafluoride produced in 2000, mostly as a gaseous dielectric medium. I am a switchgear engineer. The fluorinated gases have in common that they tend to be man-made, popular in industry and other applications, and have a high GWP. Greenhouse gases absorb this infrared radiation and trap its heat in the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that results in global warming and climate change. I have yet to here any politician talk about heating, it is always about cooling and vehicles. The global distribution of temperature increase is varied, and in some locations average 16 temperatures have actually decreased. There is an annual difference of 2.5-5 Gg yr 1 (1990-2018) between our modelled top-down emissions and the UNFCCC-reported bottom-up emissions (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), which we attempt to reconcile through analysis of the potential contribution of emissions from the various industrial applications which . [45] Since 1 January 2006, SF6 is banned as a tracer gas and in all applications except high-voltage switchgear. But well, theres always Darwin. New system design rules and different handling policiesboth during maintenance and final disposalnow should be considered globally to provide for environmental and personnel safety. Despite SF6 being much denser than air, it will still mix. and transmitted securely. Near the end of the article it mentions utilizing a vacuum instead of sf6. The Water Vapour project is generating four key deliverables, which include Climate Data Records (CDRs) of both total column water vapour over land and ocean ( CDR . It is a hypervalent molecule. So considering that SF6 has such a long half-life, it is certain that it has time to be transported to the upper layers of the atmosphere. Just recycle it from the ambient air. Dont get me wrong these bottles do leak sometimes and there are incidents because of it. Being so much more dense, it should stay at very low altitude and, thus, not have so much effect Or am I missing something? The industry as a whole takes sf6 leakage very seriously, not because of the atmosphere but because of the destructive nature of a large current high voltage arc. Chai J, Walker G, Wang L, Massoubre D, Tan SH, Chaik K, Hold L, Iacopi A. Sci Rep. 2015 Dec 4;5:17811. doi: 10.1038/srep17811. A hypothetical resistor arangement might just be to start with 0.1 ohm, then 0.1 ohm for the next resistor followed by 0.2, 0.4, 1.2, 3, 5, 10, 30, 50, etc (with this pattern we reach a total of 100 ohm by the 10th teeth, and increase one order of magnitude for every 3 additional teeth. Unfortunately, this lack of chemical reactivity also means that it can hang around in e.g. contain sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6), a greenhouse gas commonly used in electric utility equipment. SF6 is an anthropogenically produced compound, mainly used as a gaseous dielectric in gas insulated switchgear power installations. I know its harder to keep every other molecule out. SF6 also showed an overall better cold weather performance, down to -38 C, compared to -27 C for Novec 4710/CO2, and 0 C for Novec 5110/air. Where each of these teeth has a series resistance to the prior teeth in the chain. Alternatively, you can check our Data by research program page for specific areas of data that can be downloaded. If every bottle of every breaker or switch we have installed leaked at the rate being alluded to there would be multiple large arc flash incidents every single day in every city and every substation. It is the most potent of the six greenhouse gases regulated by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol: one tonne of . A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. To push an uneducated claim of physically impossible re CO2 is a Huge failure of education huls ! It is an incombustible gas that carries no color, odor, or toxin. [48] Since it is more dense than air, a substantial quantity of gas, when released, will settle in low-lying areas and present a significant risk of asphyxiation if the area is entered. While this works on paper, in practice vacuum is more difficult to seal and maintain than pressure. This work provides information concerning possible global environmental implications and personnel safety aspects that should be considered during the commercial uses of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Right and replace it with what? It will take time for a complete shift away from SF6," she adds. "Even when solutions are developed for all voltage levels, switchgear typically lasts for around 40 years. In the end, a vacuum is nothing more than keeping out molecules, which is the same as keeping in a pressure. Unlike helium, which has a molar mass of about 4g/mol and pitches the voice up, SF6 has a molar mass of about 146g/mol, and the speed of sound through the gas is about 134m/s at room temperature, pitching the voice down. Although a small part of the gas may be broken down into the toxic S2F10 (disulfur decafluoride), most breakdown products will quickly reform into SF6, which makes it a low-maintenance choice for switchgear. But leaks of the little-known gas in the UK and the rest of the EU in 2017 were. So I wonder how bad it mixes and if it gets into the upper atmosphere where it can act as an IR reflector. Many gases exhibit these greenhouse properties. When being installed, repaired or decommissioned, switchgear can also be damaged, with SF6 gas escaping into the atmosphere. 32% to reach USD . About this document The Australian HFC, PFC, Sulfur Hexaflouride and Sulfuryl Flouride Emissions report was produced by CSIRO on behalf of the Department of the Environment. It is similar to throwing in a lump of metal into an acid, it wont just all instantly go into solution. Honestly, if we arent banning its use then we should at least make a crazy high tax for items that use it in order to dissuade its use. Sulfur hexafluoride, commonly known as SF 6, has made a splash in the mainstream media of late. In fact, it's quite the opposite," says SINTEF researcher Maren Istad. CO2 has been a focal point of climate change for many years. Leaks and uses that allow rapid expansion may cause a frostbite hazard. But its not as simple as it being categorically impossible for a passive structure to maintain high vacuum. 5. government site. type of model used or methodology development is a . The impact of the (relatively) small quantities of SF6 used in switchgear can be mitigated using better pressure engineering (more expensive but probably not as much as getting rid of SF6) and leak detectors. Any presens of of an IR opaque gas at any level in the atmosphere will prevent heat from being radiated back into space. In Norway, SF6 is only permitted in relation to switchgear. According to the generalized nucleation processes (Schmelzer et al., 2000 . The idea is that such mixes are added to CO2 or air inside the GIS, to improve the dielectric properties. Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal Sulfur dioxide initiates global climate change in four ways. Im not seeing much in terms of fear-mongering here. This is the first few years after we lose power. Abundances are given as pollution free monthly mean mole fractions in parts-per-trillion. [23] It remains visible in the blood for 3 to 8 minutes, and is exhaled by the lungs.[24]. SF6 has an octahedral geometry, consisting of six fluorine atoms attached to a central sulfur atom. SF6 is also a very stable chemical, with an atmospheric lifetime of 3,200 years. And by that point there wont be any large currents forcing an arc to form. Sulfur hexafluoride Definition: SF 6. Of course its harder to keep a vacuum in, because most molecules in the atmosphere are smaller than SF6. As well as the issue of bottle maintenance, I am unsure how I would test the bottles for vacuum the same way I test for pressure. Sulfur hexafluoride or sulphur hexafluoride ( British spelling) is an inorganic compound with the formula SF 6. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas. A substation for overhead power lines may require several tonnes, creating a substantially bigger environmental problem should a leak occur. Pulse power machines though, often tend to be designed to generate radiation, so we all know to keep out the way and hide behind adequate shielding. Some cost-effective options to reduce SF6 emissions are: Reducing SF6 emissions helps electric power systems: SF6 is used in several different industries including: The most common use for and largest emission source of SF6, both domestically and internationally, is as an electrical insulator in high voltage equipment that transmits and distributes electricity. Synthesis of Glycosyl Fluorides by Photochemical Fluorination with Sulfur(VI) Hexafluoride. [52], "SF6" redirects here. However, comparing wind turbines with other power applications of SF6 must be set in context. Of these, HFCs are popular in refrigeration, where they replace the previously popular CFCs, along with a number of other gases. Sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6) is a synthetic (i.e., human-made) gas that is colourless, odorless, non-toxic (except when exposed to extreme temperatures), and non-flammable. You can learn more about the SF6 User Group in Norway: www.sintef.no/projectweb/sf6/, Provided by Typically, a mechanical circuit breaker is used inside a pocket of SF6 gas that to extinguish the electric arc. The Global Monitoring Division of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory has measured sulfur hexafluoride since 1997 at a globally distributed network of air sampling sites ( Dlugokencky et al., 1994 ). 2041. A more reasonable approach would be monitoring and fixing leaks, combined with active recovery during maintenance (much like refrigerants) assuming thats not already standard practice. 2051 . The gas is used in the final stage of ASHRAE 110 fume hood qualification. Any SF6-based GIS or similar installed today will be adding to this total for the next decades, while contributing to global warming for a longer period than the industrial era so far. Given the small amounts of SF6 released compared to carbon dioxide, its overall individual contribution to global warming is estimated to be less than 0.2 percent,[41] however the collective contribution of it and similar man-made halogenated gases has reached about 10 percent as of 2020. In the UK, the gas already contributes this much to its annual global warming potential. Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. 5. More bonds in the atom -> more IR absorption -> more heat trapped -> more warming / molecule. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1449240174198-2'); }); Sulfur hexafluoride, commonly known as SF6, has made a splash in the mainstream media of late. Electric cars, putative saviors of the world, cant charge. SF6 is used for convenience and cost, for the very highest voltages nothing beats pure size. My primary injection test kit will find a bottle that has lost less than 10% of its sf6 very easily. The largest use of SF6 occurs in high-voltage circuit breakers, where, in addition to providing insulation, SF6 is used to quench the arc formed when an energized circuit breaker is opened. "The amount of the gas used in the switchgear of a wind turbine is typically less than three kilograms. Sulfur hexafluoride is generally used in present high-voltage circuit breakers at rated voltage higher than 52 kV. Sulfuryl fluorideTellurium hexafluoridePolonium hexafluoride. SF6 has two uses: as an interruption agent and an insulator. (Or maybe how weve learned how CFCs break down ozone in the upper atmosphere?). Seems crazy that anything with fluorine in it can be famous for its stability but here we are Are there any signs the industry considers SF6 sub-optimal or problematic and is trying to come up with a better solution? SF6 doesnt even compare to CO2 and methane in terms of released quantities. IR cross-section of SF6 is 2 orders of magnitude higher than CO2. But I dont know if this is practical in higher power applications. Sure, global warming might (eventually) kill some people, but turning off the power grid kills a lot more people, and does it a lot more quickly. This might however be too fast.). To be honest, the second option seems a whole lot more fair towards those 7.1 billion people. | Explore the latest full-text research PDFs . They found that the illegal chemical was used in the majority of the polyurethane insulation produced by firms they contacted. But the series resistance to this switch would be fairly high so an arc wouldnt be sustainable. 2008;20(2):183-8. doi: 10.1016/s1001-0742(08)60029-7. "The concentration of the gas in the atmosphere is increasing so it's good to have some attention on this. They rather tend to mix even if there is no air movements to speak off. [46] It was reported in 2013 that a three-year effort by the United States Department of Energy to identify and fix leaks at its laboratories in the United States such as the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, where the gas is used as a high voltage insulator, had been productive, cutting annual leaks by 1,030 kilograms (2,280 pounds). Guido has updated components for the project titled 32MHz spectrum and SDR in an FPGA. The main reason SF6 is used in the first place is not so much for its dielectric capabilities but more for its quench. 3. [50], Sulfur hexafluoride has an anesthetic potency slightly lower than nitrous oxide;[51] it is classified as a mild anesthetic. Or all tablets an Ipad. Just saying that Im sure that our industrial efforts in that direction are very low, because we already have stuff that works for us. Taking into account the much higher GWP (22800) of SF6, this makes its 2018 emissions equivalent to about 205,200 Gg, or 0.6% of annual CO2 emissions. It has a global warming potential that is 23,900 times worse than CO 2. And yes, the last few teeth would need to rather quickly jump up in resistance, but the resistors would likely follow some exponential curve. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, Increase Grid Reliability - Use of improved SF, electrical transmission and distribution equipment, manufacture of electronics / semiconductors. so never opening a high-energy contactor without a resistive bypass already closed? It's used to insulate electrical switchgear - and its use will increase along with the global demand for electricity. Sulfur Hexafluoride is a contrast gaseous agent. When we touched upon sulfur hexafluoride back in 2019 in the context of greenhouse gases, it was noted that most SF6 is used for and leaks from high-voltage switchgear (mechanical switches), transformers and related, where the gas inert and stable nature makes it ideal for preventing and quenching electrical arcing. Perhaps you are misled to imagine an IR photon causes all gases to convect, do the arithmetic, its called momentum transfer. Pre-industrial troposphere levels were roughly around 54 ppq (parts per quadrillion). A plume of gas is generated inside of the fume hood and a battery of tests are performed while a gas analyzer arranged outside of the hood samples for SF6 to verify the containment properties of the fume hood. For comparison, the molar mass of air, which is about 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen, is approximately 30g/mol which leads to a speed of sound of 343m/s. 2039. The molecule of life is clearly water With the moderation and complexity offered by multiple minerals. Use this web page to find specific data files available from the public ftp file archive of the ESRL Global Monitoring Laboratory. An unfortunate side-effect of our planets gaseous atmosphere is that any gases which escape from containment, or which are released through human activity end up joining said atmosphere. The purpose of the experiment, which had been announced earlier in March by the Secretary of State for Transport Douglas Alexander, was to investigate how toxic gas might spread throughout London Underground stations and buildings during a terrorist attack. The planet wont die. Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors. 2013 Apr 16;47(8):3848-55. doi: 10.1021/es304348x. And, at current Western population-per-area densities, it doesnt take much reduction in power delivery before people start dying. It is inert in the vitreous chamber. Is Sulphur hexafluoride toxic? Obvious exceptions include hydrofluoric acid, and complexes with other electronegative elements e.g; halogens. It is inorganic, colorless, odorless, non-flammable, and non-toxic. Because of its unique dielectric properties, electric utilities rely heavily on SF6 in electric power systems for voltage electrical insulation, current interruption, and arc quenching in the transmission and distribution of electricity. Greenhouse gases refer to the sum of seven gases that have direct effects on climate change : carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). In the case of SF6, it would seem fair to ask just what the scope of the threat is. This article is more than 7 years old. Covers the scientific basis for knowledge of the future climate. 2021 Jan 1;23(1):190-194. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c03915. For science demonstrations / magic as "invisible water" since a light foil boat can be floated in a tank, as will an air-filled balloon. CO2 is not a great greenhouse gas. The atmospheric concentration of the highly-potent greenhouse gas SF6 has never been higher. It will be more expensive of coarse but everything comes with a price as said before. These include the fluorinated gases: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs), bromofluorocarbons (halons), perfluorcarbons, PFCs, nitrogen trifluoride, NF 3, and sulfur hexafluoride, SF 6. Photoreductive degradation of sulfur hexafluoride in the presence of styrene. Therefore it makes an excellent The older, less reliable power delivery solutions include catastrophic failure modes, sparking increasing numbers of wildfires or what California currently calls just another day of the week driving massive destruction and pollution events. If 10% leakage in a decade is typical for an industry, this means the half-life for leakage is a short 6.5 decades. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. It gets crowded and violent in the remaining livable regions, a war for being, survival of the fittest. Because of its high global warming potential (GWP), CARB adopted the Regulation for Reducing Sulfur Hexafluoride Emissions from Gas Insulated Switchgear in 2010. Looking at the popularity of these gases, the difficulty in finding replacements, and the push to produce more and ever cheaper refrigerators, wind turbines, and distributed power systems, it seems unlikely that well be seeing a major change here. One of our customers wanted to use vaccum sf6 breakers This joke still goes in our office. The site is secure. (there is a few documented cases of this happening where whole villages has ended up suffocating over night.). 2049. These devices are used to isolate portions of the transmission system where current flow has been interrupted (using a circuit breaker). Careers. Natural gas is normally found while drilling for oil and propane is a byproduct of refining oil. How much of the overall impact does it make up? Suitable alternatives to SF6 will also be available more quickly for lower-voltage applications such as turbine switchgear," adds Pedersen. Nowadays its quite reasonable to control tens of KAmps at thousands of volts AC using large button SCR banks. Photo by JuergenPM /Pixabay March 20 (UPI). It doesnt really settle at the bottom, it will be an even solution throughout if left long enough. The reason why is because above absolute zero, the molecules are under constant motion, which causes them to randomly bump into each other and completely mix. Not sure how it gets into the upper atmosphere to trap heat. Why pepper this forum with unsupportable claims FFS its Not basic physics !!! We should find out before going to a different chemical, which could cause cancer or something (in California). Clearly, replacing SF6 and generally preventing it from leaking into the atmosphere is a good thing, then. Gases mix at the drop of a hat, it is what they do really really really well. In a global first for the wind industry, we have committed to phasing out the gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) . Sulphur hexafluoride reacts with a base like sodium hydroxide and forms sodium sulphate, sodium fluoride and water. The data are expressed in CO 2 equivalents and refer to gross direct emissions from human activities. It is heavier than air and hence stays close to the ground upon release which can cause death by suffocation if large quantities are involved. Spectroscopy [9], Sulfur hexafluoride on Earth exists primarily as a man-made industrial gas, but has also been found to occur naturally.[10]. Vacuum switchgear that is much more expensive and less reliable? The individual targets for Annex I Parties are listed in the Kyoto Protocol's Annex B. SF6 shouldnt have much issue getting up a few km. The entire world is a third-world country, we slide toward a new Dark Age. (2021) as researchers at 3M published a study on two SF6 alternatives which 3M sells commercially. Marcin Dbrowski liked Universal robot remote. In terms of absorptivity in the IR its pretty average compared to most anthropogenic gasses (e.g. However the amounts are likely miniscule in comparison to its industrial use. So, if youre advocating to keep SF6 and increase the monitoring and maintenance effort, youre making exactly the same case as for using a vacuum and increasing the monitoring and maintenance effort. Propane is notorious for collecting in low areas and its a lot lighter than SF6. If this was stopped and business would go out of business and the board members should go to prison, rapidly we would have saved the planet. This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Maybe it is able to trap near the ground? All of it. In this configuration, Novec 5110 with air mixture looks pretty decent, with a (100-year) GWP of <1, but Novec 4710 with CO2 mixture has a GWP of 398, which is better, but not great. SF6 is used in the electrical industry as a gaseous dielectric medium for high-voltage sulfur hexafluoride circuit breakers, switchgear, and other electrical equipment, often replacing oil-filled circuit breakers (OCBs) that can contain harmful polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). That quenched emperor banner art is superb! Claims are cheap, anyone can drop changers drawing attention to themselves, education so Very Important ! Typical for a nonpolar gas, SF I think that is probably a solution for the future, once there is somewhere around of enough of it in circulation do it now and you just cripple the electricity infrastructure projects that really are needed and by all current evidence not leaking meaningful amounts so most of it will get pumped out and then back in again without harvesting from the air, Please be kind and respectful to help make the comments section excellent. Formula: F 6 S. Molecular weight: 146.055. This can't happen without viable alternatives, such as vacuum technology or different gas mixtures. It probably makes more environmental sense here to work on the heating side of the equation rather than the cooling side of the equation. We banned CFCs as refrigerants. Meanwhile every day sees more of SF6-based GIS and kin being installed in the worlds rush to decarbonize and expand the electrical grid, where theyll continue to be a problem for decades to come. That is particularly relevant to its use as an insulator in electrical equipment since workers may be in trenches or pits below equipment containing SF6. And I think that research on sealing is on a low burner, because the industry only needs seals that are good enough. Several articles are pointing the finger at the growth in renewablesspecifically wind. Over a 100-year period, SF6 is 22,800 times more effective at trapping infrared radiation than an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). Typical for a nonpolar gas, SF6 is poorly soluble in water but quite soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. With vacuum switchgear, the bill is split between the people who benefit from the switch gear. Singapore Branches Out Into Internet Of Trees, Review: Inkplate 2 Shrinks Down, Adds Color, Asbestos: The Miracle Mineral Of Our Worst Nightmares, Hackaday Podcast 196: Flexing Hard PCBs, Dangers Of White Filament, And The Jetsons Kitchen Computer, This Week In Security: Rackspace Falls Over, Poison Ping, And The WordPress Race. Gas-insulated electrical gear is also more resistant to the effects of pollution and climate, as well as being more reliable in long-term operation because of its controlled operating environment. The power delivery services negotiate or cheat the takedown edict and remove SF6-filled equipment as quickly as they can roll back to earlier, less reliable solutions. And the sole reason for that is that they need more maintenance. Heating is the elephant in the room that no one wants to address. An official website of the United States government. Inevitably solid state switching is the only real option to completely displace dielectric gas. Epub 2013 Apr 2. unless we get very cheap plentiful nuclear power. Pollution spikes, smog returns to major cities. If another molecule comes in that is a few times more heavy doesnt really matter, it will bounce about like any other particle. Therefor all people should be in prison. If you take that argument so far you might as well go round smashing all machinery of any sort or murdering folks for no reason at all beyond they breath out and it would be so much better if they didnt, Practicality means there will always be gasses with some green house effect in use, its not even remotely possible, or desirable not to have them as everything on Earth that respires and many things that dont create and/or consume them, plus complete absence would make the planet too cold for life remotely as we know it. Im with you. Md. Since its a molecule that more easily converts IR energy (photons) into thermal energy (heat) it interferes with the radiation of heat from the ground and oceans back into space. Generally, it does not readily interact with other substances, which leads to its properties of being colorless, non-flammable and non-toxic. Someone also said that theres helium in air? Implementing AB 32: The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 In addition to calling on ARB to inventory GHGs in California (including carbon dioxide [CO 2], methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride) and The fun thing about gases is that they mix, or to a degree dissolve into each other. The idea on the end about having a smaller bank of switches where we progressively step up the resistance is mainly to provide the current and all the inductive kickback a place to go. Having built quite a bit of x-ray high power equipment would rather avoid vacuum insulated HV gear. Negating any need for SF6 in such a switch. Electric trains dont run. Not much, it escapes very easily, one of the reasons why its a shrinking and increasingly expensive non-renewable resource. SF 6 is also a very stable chemical, with an atmospheric lifetime of 3,200 years. 2029. part may be reproduced without the written permission. During its working cycle, SF6 decomposes under electrical stress, forming toxic byproducts that are a health threat for working personnel in the event of exposure. NOAA Climate.gov image, based on data from NOAA NCEI. And technically should work with DC voltages too. Similarly, lead iodide is also fairly heavy but will dissolve in far lighter water. Abatement of sulfur hexafluoride emissions from the semiconductor manufacturing process by atmospheric-pressure plasmas. Gases however mix even more easily. Densly populated regions, hospitals, factories, businesses of all kinds install comparatively high-pollution diesel generators because solar+battery solutions arent reliable enough, available enough, or affordable enough, and local wind power is too dependant on, well, the good fortune of wind. Because it's so stable, the gas has an estimated lifetime of up to 3,200 years. Sulfur hexafluoride or sulphur hexafluoride (British spelling) is an inorganic compound with the formula SF6. fighting climate change and promoting technological education. H2O does a fairly good job at much lower altitudes (1-6 km for the majority of clouds). In this spirit of transparency, we asked several experts from NTNU and SINTEF to separate the truths from the myths. For example, teflon and other PFOAs, as well as nitrogen trifluoride. In the atmosphere, we also have wind, which further aids the mixing process. Maintaining a high vacuum is not easy, especially not over years, leading to alternatives ranging from plain air, CO2, and various fluoride-based substances. It is generally transported as a liquefied compressed gas. It is a hypervalent molecule. It is a colorless, odorless, non- flammable, and non-toxic gas. Ill you people that rode into the comments and screamed that we should just ban it, should go spend some time learning about Chestertons fence. So much so that OEMs recently released a statement underlining the need for, and their commitment to, a transition away from using SF6 in switchgear: It is used extensively in various electronic components and in the production of magnesium and aluminium. and Terms of Use. In other words, its still in the realm of engineering rather than politics. Chemical structure: Arc quenching is a useful feature to have if ones switch creates an arc. While it's a dangerous greenhouse gas, SF6 today contributes less than 1 percent of man made global warming," he adds. Learn more, Sulfur Hexafluoride: The Nightmare Greenhouse Gas Thats Just Too Useful To Stop Using, The Hackaday Remoticon 2 Badge: An Exercise In Your Own Ingenuity, https://www.nuventura.com/post/toward-t-d-equipment-free-of-fluorinated-gases-for-sustainable-climate-neutral-power-grids, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQWtZd8jM3g#t=1m. Even if you magic up a solution that remove 100% any ingress from outside air (which is impossible) you still have to worry about outgassing of the materials in your vacuum chamber and basically everything out gasses at low pressure to some extent or other. Isotopic signature. This program applies to all retailers and users of SF6 except for those using it for electric utility or semiconductor manufacture. Water covers nearly three-quarters of Earth. Its lifetime of 3200yr owes to the fact that destruc- Some, such as industrial gases, are exclusively human made. This sustainable MV equipment uses pure air and vacuum interruption technology instead of sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6). SF6 is also commonly encountered as a high voltage dielectric in the high voltage supplies of particle accelerators, such as Van de Graaff generators and Pelletrons and high voltage transmission electron microscopes. [43][44], In Europe, SF6 falls under the F-Gas directive which ban or control its use for several applications. The .gov means its official. Thus, a relatively small amount of SF 6 can have a significant impact on global climate change. Silicon etching using only Oxygen at high temperature: An alternative approach to Si micro-machining on 150 mm Si wafers. Our recent projects . J Air Waste Manag Assoc. It may be a pain. SF6 is unmonitored and unregulated: FALSE. Making poor people suffer more is the opposite of progress. Leaks are much easier to seal against. Anyone living in a city can tell you about that. Build A Better Mousetrap But It Better Be Better! SF6 is an anthropogenically produced compound, mainly used as a gaseous dielectric in gas insulated switchgear power installations. It is used for benchmark and calibration measurements in Associative and Dissociative Electron Attachment (DEA) experiments, This page was last edited on 6 December 2022, at 13:27. Methane is a greenhouse gas. Winter reminds us what cold is; we build fires of natural gas or oil or wood or coal everywhere to survive, vastly increasing all combustion pollutants in the atmosphere and sharply increasing land damage from renewed fossil- and living-fuel extraction. The gas on inhalation is spread all over the lungs. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Sulfur hexafluoride. Sulfur hexafluoride is an extremely potent and persistent greenhouse gas that is primarily utilized as an electrical insulator and arc suppressant. Copy Sheet of paper on top of another sheet. Theres a thing that I dont understand: the air density is about 1,2 kg/m, while the SF6 density is about 6,17kg/m. I didnt see any allusions to a specific leakage rate. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Likewise one could perhaps make a more staggered switch, where in parallel to the main current carrying one, one can have a set of smaller switches with series resistors of increasing value. Though, sometimes these types of blunders in communication can lead to all sorts of annoying problems. Learn how your comment data is processed. [47], Sulfur hexafluoride is a nontoxic gas, but by displacing oxygen in the lungs, it also carries the risk of asphyxia if too much is inhaled. Please dont tell me that electric heat is the answer, the economics of that do not work here in the northern areas of the country. As the gas is emitted, it accumulates in the atmosphere in an essentially un-degraded state for many centuries. It is a colorless, odorless, non-flammable, and non-toxic gas. Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. I love how you act like our only option is to watch law making corporations hold people in poverty. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) deemed sulfur hexafluoride the world's most powerful greenhouse gas, with the chemical weighing in at a stout 22,200 . I doubt enough to justify the fear mongering. SF6 is 23,500 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas but exists in relatively minor concentrations in the atmosphere. Dec 08, 2022 (The Expresswire) -- Final Report will add the analysis of the impact of Russia-Ukraine War and COVID . Fun demo of the SF6 density: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQWtZd8jM3g#t=1m. So even SF6 should be able to climb quite a distance into the air. It does not take much to conclude that all of these black parking lots and streets are absorbing tons of heat and warming things up. 17 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 8. Climate Change Sulfur hexafluoride is 23,500 times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. Disconnectors and ground switches use SF6 primarily for insulation, and individually, they contain only slightly less SF6 than a circuit breaker. But the hypothetical switch stated above wouldnt create an arc in the first place. Other uses include its injection in vitreoretinal surgery. where T = T c T f is the quench depth with respect to the critical temperature, T c = 45.557 297C, T = T c T cx is the coexistence temperature depth with T cx = 46.0072C, = 0.32575 is a universal exponent and M are the order parameters (relative densities) of liquid and vapor phase, respectively. According to NCEI, The year culminated as the sixth warmest year on record for the globe with a temperature that was 0.84C (1.51F) above the 20th century average. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! . Climate change or global warming represents an average increase in the temperature of 14 the atmosphere near the earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global 15 climate patterns. Or how some people call all electric cars a Tesla. Oh really huls, more crap & uneducated tripe, repeating flakey useless propaganda Not an Educated position ! At NIEHS; . Yes of current emissions, but if we are really doing to head towards net zero, hopefully the emissions will go down by a factor of 10? Fang X, Hu X, Janssens-Maenhout G, Wu J, Han J, Su S, Zhang J, Hu J. Environ Sci Technol. The reason was quite simple CFC-11 is better quality and much cheaper than the alternatives. Even rapid mechanical switchgear suffers from horrid contact degradation during close and somewhat to a lesser degree when opening. If we are killing the planet by releasing all these gases and there are in effect zero consequences for each individual release, the planet is going to die from cumulative effects. It does not affect the vibrations of the vocal folds. However, the articles implied resignation that SF6, despite its growing environmental impact, will continue to be part of energy infrastructure into the future is misplaced. We maintain, install, and upgrade gear up to 500kv. The post is a starting point with useful information, so thanks to hackaday for publishing this :-), This SF6 data is available on the net though many not compelled to research so its good in my case its turned up as I have frequent debates with numb skulls over GHG properties especially those who cant do basic arithmetic whilst ignoring spectroscopy even from Svante Arrhenius 120+ years ago maybe declining cognition and social ethics an artefact of the ace2 neural receptor challenged by covid & its incessant mutations, https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Normal-modes-of-vibrations-for-SF6-The-wavenumber-period-degeneracy-and-activity-of_fig4_259325378, Its not as if we need spoon feeding, curious why you Ren, didnt find something relevant and post it if at least to augment instead of not so subtle complaint, yes Ren you can argue, waste peoples time, draw attention to yourself Or get with the program, augment, dialectic critique at least with some engagement to offer something useful beyond one liner complaint :P, My lovely new particle accelerator contains 900+ kg of SF6. But I can however see downsides with the concept of having multiple switches used for progressively changing the effective resistance over the switch. Bottom line is that you want to increase the monitoring and maintenance effort with a minimum, still trying to minimise cost and pushing the problem forward towards next generations so that you dont have to deal with it. Several precautions are recommended to avoid personnel exposure to toxic byproducts: oxyfluoride levels or other byproduct concentrations in the operating gas matrix should be traced to predetermine the overall gas toxicity; contaminants should be systematically considered during maintenance, chamber evacuation and system opening process; small SF6 quantities leaking into air or stagnated pollutant concentrations in the operating field should be analyzed and compared to the threshold limit values and permissible exposure levels. "Such alternatives are commercially available now for use in electrical switchgear at low-to-medium voltages. This process is known as molecular diffusion. Protective Clothing. An Annoying Apartment Entry System, Properly Pipe Laser Light Around With Homebrew Fiber Couplings. "In many countries, there are rules in place dictating which industries can use the gas and how they can use it. Two major factors recommend its use: its concentration can be measured with satisfactory accuracy at very low concentrations, and the Earth's atmosphere has a negligible concentration of SF6. Sulfur hexafluoride absorbs thermal infrared radiation and could increase global warming as its concentration in the atmosphere increases; therefore it is a greenhouse gas. Adaptation Adjustment or preparation of natural or human systems to a new or changing environment which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. Huang L, Gu D, Yang L, Xia L, Zhang R, Hou H. J Environ Sci (China). Environ Sci Technol. These days I work for a manufacturer who designs and makes SF6 free switchgear using vacuum interrupters and solid dielectric insulation this technology has now largely superseded SF6 in lower voltage classes (up to 38kV) but at higher voltages SF6 still seems necessary for the time being. Copy Sheet of paper on top of another sheet. Typical for a nonpolar gas, it is poorly soluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. Less reliable and more expensive. Sulfur hexafluoride; Climate change mitigation; Forest; Global warming; advertisement Print Email Share. 2025. (However, the idea of using such a switch is mainly for day to day operation, reacting on faults should likely use a more sacrificial breaker.). A recent study suggests that the UK's use of SF6 has risen in recent years, and leakage levels are over 1%. 1) production is increasing, not decreasing A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. There's even a spare parts exchange facilitated by the forum," adds Istad. One seller of CFC-11 estimated that 70% of Chinas domestic sales used the illegal gas. I personally dont work with these high voltage and high power applications, but I can see the technical issues of just switching a few tens to hundreds of kV with a few hundred or more amps behind it. Sulphur hexafluoride explained. Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Recent efforts (supported by NOAA's Climate Program Office) have allowed development of techniques for simultaneously measuring dissolved Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF 6) along with CFCs in the same water sample. At present, it is the most compact and cheapest method of safely stopping the flow of electricity," explains SINTEF researcher Atle Pedersen. The SF6 User Group collects this information and reports it to the Norwegian Environment Agency," explains SINTEF researcher Magne Runde. NIEHS Home Page; Health & Education; Research. Energy, Climate Change Division Industrial Strategies Division Sulfur hexafluoride is a commonly used insulator in electricity transmission and distribution equipment. 2. These microbubbles enhance the visibility of blood vessels to ultrasound. They include HFCs, PFCs, SF6 and NF3. SF6 is so soupy that you can pour it like a liquid. 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