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IEEE Std C37.122.4™-2016

IEEE Guide for Application and User
Guide for Gas-Insulated Transmission
Lines, Rated 72.5 kV and Above
Sponsor
Substations Committee
of the
IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES)
Approved 15 May 2016
IEEE-SA Standards Board

Created by: Dr. Hermann Koch

Reviewed by: Patrick Fitzgerald
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IEEE Std C37.122.4™-2016

Abstract: Guidance for the planning, permitting, design, equipment
specification, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of gas-
insulated transmission lines is provided in this project. Only technical aspects
are addressed in this guide. Commercial and legal issues associated with gas-
insulated transmission lines are not considered. This guide applies to ac
transmission lines rated for maximum operating voltage of 72.5 kV and
higher.

Keywords: gas-insulated bus (GIB), gas-insulated cable (GIC), gas-insulated

line (GIL), gas-insulated substation (GIS), gas-insulated transmission line,
IEEE Std C37.122.4™
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Technical details of GILs

Description
• The technology of GILs is similar to gas-insulated
substations (GIS), where a high-voltage conductor
supported by insulators is positioned within a
grounded enclosure and the remaining space
between is filled with a pressurized gas for
electrical insulation, see Fig. 1. Fig. 1 – GIL model
• The support insulators are composed of composite cast resin material.
• The conductor of each phase is located within an aluminum enclosure.
• Sliding contacts provide compensation for thermal expansion of the
conductor.
• The enclosure expansion (i.e., in tunnel or trench installations) is
compensated for by bellows assemblies.
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Technical details of GILs

Figure 2 - General design of GILs

In Fig. 2 the principle design of GIL is shown. The outer enclosure (1) is
made of aluminum and holds the insulation gas with an overpressure of up to
0,8 MPa inside the GIL.
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Technical details of GILs

The electric conductor (2) is held in the center of the enclosure pipe by
conical insulators (3) and support insulators (4). The conductor pipe is made
of electrical aluminum to provide good conductivity and reduce transmission
losses.
The insulators are made of cast resin material. The conical insulator is fixed to
the enclosure and conductor pipes and forms a mechanical fix point. The
support insulators are used to keep the conductor centered in the enclosure,
and also slide inside the enclosure pipe to compensate for the thermal
expansion of the conductor pipe. The thermal expansion movement of the
conductor pipe is then compensated by the sliding contact system (5a plug
and 5b socket). The conductor and enclosure pipe sections are welded or
connected by flanges.
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Technical details of GILs

Typical installations
• The GIL installation is generally defined by the transmission system or
application requirements. The GIL is usually installed using different
methods:
• in a tunnel, duct, or trench
• on steel structures above ground
• directly buried in the ground

Fig. 3 - Above ground/buried

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Technical details of GILs

• Directly buried installations (see Fig. 4) are used inside or outside
substations where the GIL is used to connect remote equipment or
switchyards.

Fig. 4 – Directly buried GIL

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Technical details of GILs

• A tunnel is widely used for underground installations in cities or other
areas (see Fig. 5) with limited space and obstacles along the route.

Fig. 5 – Tunnel GIL

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Technical details of GILs

GIL application information
A GIL has multiple features that may help the application engineer address
specific problems, which include the following:
a) Overall transmission losses are low compared to overhead lines, because of
large conductor cross sections.
b) There are no significant dielectric losses.
c) Ratings of 2000 MVA and more at 420 kV to 550 kV are available with
directly buried or tunnel laid GIL without auxiliary cooling.
d) Significantly greater than 2000 MVA are available for outdoor installations
in air (dependent chiefly on ambient temperature).
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Technical details of GILs

GIL application information (continued)
Some of the environmental features include the following:
• Less visual impact than overhead lines
• Low external electromagnetic field levels
• No increased risk of fire as the enclosure, conductor, and insulation
materials are made of materials that do not readily burn
• High degree of gas thightness, especially in welded design
• Economic considerations are lower transmission losses over the life of the
GIL installation and higher availability of the system compared to
overhead lines
• Lower transmission losses over the life of the GIL installation compared to
overhead lines
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Technical details of GILs

Installation criteria
General
As noted earlier, GILs can be installed in various arrangements: above ground,
in a duct, in a tunnel or trench, or directly buried, from horizontal or vertical
arrangement, with tight bend radii, and at any required angle. With this
flexibility however, there are some limitations that should be considered.
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Technical details of GILs

Installation criteria (continued)
Bending
• Field bending of GIL is possible down to a bending radius of approximately
400 m without special elbow sections for all voltage classes. Smaller
bending radii are possible for lower-voltage class GIL.
• This GIL radius flexibility simplifies installations along most cross-country
routes and in drilled tunnels.
• Smaller bending radii are possible with special design of elbow elements
to accommodate angles between 0° and 180°.
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Technical details of GILs

Installation criteria (continued)
Gas compartmentalization
• Long runs of GILs are segregated into multiple gas zones that simplify the
gas management. In some cases, these gas zones are further segregated
into gas compartments, see Fig. 6.
• The size of the compartment will impact the time required to process the
gas compartment, and complete leak tests, evacuation, and filling.
• Multiple gas compartments also provide convenient gas volumes for
handling purposes should the gas need to be removed.
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Technical details of GILs

Figure 6 - Gas compartment arrangement

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Technical details of GILs

Environmental aspects (continued)
Low electromagnetic fields
• To further understand the shielding effectiveness of GIL
• GIL directly buried to a depth equal to 1.3 m below the surface to the GIL
axis and with a current of 3150 A will create a magnetic field of 2 μT at the
GIL axis
• A magnetic field of 0.5 μT at a distance of 5 m from the GIL axis
• For the magnetic field produced by a GIL installed in a tunnel, refer to
(Benato and Fellin [B5])
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Technical details of GILs

Environmental aspects (continued)
Low electromagnetic fields (continued)
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Detailed project implementation and service

Transportation and storage (continued)

General (continued)
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Detailed project implementation and service

GIL installation (on-site welded assembly)

Laying process
There are two methods used to install GIL:
• prefabricated segments
• onsite assembled.

This guide will focus on the on-site assembled, because the prefabricated and
tested sections are typical of GIS installations.
• The onsite assembled GIL is built of minimal components (enclosure and
conductor pipe), which are delivered directly from the sub-supplier to site,
where they are prepared for final assembly.
• This reduces the risk of transport damages, but also requires more
temporary/lay down space close to the installation site.
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Detailed project implementation and service

GIL installation (on-site welded assembly) (continued)

Laying process (continued)
• The laying is usually done in parallel with the civil works, i.e., GIL will be
installed directly after a section of the tunnel or trench is completed,
while the civil works continues at the next section.
• With this procedure, the installation requires continuous coordination
between civil works and GIL installation crew.
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Detailed project implementation and service

GIL installation (on-site welded assembly) (continued)

Laying process (continued)
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Detailed project implementation and service

GIL installation (on-site welded assembly) (continued)

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Detailed project implementation and service

GIL installation (on-site welded assembly) (continued)

Equipment and tool requirements
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Detailed project implementation and service

GIL installation (on-site welded assembly) (continued)

Work procedure (continued)

Welding Seam Preparation On-Site Pre-Assembling

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Detailed project implementation and service

GIL installation (on-site welded assembly) (continued)

Work procedure (continued)
• Dependent on the project situation and manufacturers design and
practices, the work phases may vary.
• If the user has not decided to run the project on a turnkey basis, the
manufacturer should, as part of the supply contract, describe the
installation work procedure.
• This description will enable the user to identify and resolve possible
conflicts in early stages of the project.
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Detailed project implementation and service

Testing and commissioning

General
IEEE Std C37.122 and IEC 62271-204 define three types of tests for GIL: type
(design) tests, routine tests, and commissioning tests.
Short Circuit test (63 kA)
High voltage test (420 kV Um)
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Detailed project implementation and service

Testing and commissioning (continued)

Long term test (continued) Long term test direct buried

Long term test in a tunnel

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Detailed project implementation and service

Testing and commissioning (continued)

Routine tests (continued)
Routine test of insulators Automated welding
including pd measurements with ultra sonic weld control
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Detailed project implementation and service

Testing and commissioning (continued)
Partial discharge testing (continued)

PD measurements. Left: spike on the conductor,

middle: at 70 m distance, right: noise
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Detailed project implementation and service

Secondary equipment (continued)
Density monitoring (continued)

Pressure
switch
Pressurized
zone

Connects to
gas
compartment
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Detailed project implementation and service

Secondary equipment (continued)
Arc location system (continued)

A B
GPS or equivalent synchronisation
FMK signal
FMK
Internal Internal
clock clock
PCU PCU
I/O I/O
module module

Process bus

FMK : HF Detector/Transformer Terminal

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Gas handling of gas mixtures

Pure SF6 and N2/SF6 gas mixture (continued)
• It is possible in GIL to use gas mxtures with an N2 percentage of 80% or
more and use the same diameter of the encosure pipe e.g. 500 mm for
applicaion in a 500 kV trasmission network.
• To reach the requires insulation level with the remaining 20% of SF6 at the
absolute pressure of the gas mixture needs to increased to 0.8 MPa
(approximately 100 psig) as an example.
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Typical installations
Schluchsee, Germany
Design ratings:

Features:
The installation connects a peak loading hydropower plant to the 420 kV
transmission system. The GIL is installed in a tunnel that was laid through a
mountain, and operated at rated currents during pumping and peak load
generation operations. The GIL has been in continuous, reliable operation
since 1976.
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Typical installations

Schluchsee, Germany

Principle graphic of the Schluchsee installation and a

view into the tunnel with two GIL three phase systems
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Typical installations
Nagoya (Shinmeika-Tokai line)
Design ratings:

Features:
The 275 kV GIL is constructed in weded design with pure SF6 as a insulation gas. The
very high current rating of 6300 A shows the main feature of GIL for high power
transmission.
The GIL is laid on steel structure in middle of the tunnel and a rail system provides fast
transportation for personnel and material in the 3,3 km long tunnel.
The GIL transmission line is seperated in gas compartments by gas tight cast resin
insulators, equipped with gas density sensors for monitoring the GIL in operation.
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Typical installations
Nagoya (Shinmeika-Tokai line)

View into the GIL tunnel section

(left) and the shaft (right) for
outside connections
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Typical installations
Geneva, Switzerland (Palexpo)
Design ratings:

Features:
In this application, two circuits, totaling 3680 m were installed using an SF6/N2
gas mixture. The GIL has a bending radius of 700 m, accomplished using no
elbows, and connects to an overhead line at the Geneva Airport. The GIL was
installed in 2001, and remains in service today. This GIL was installed using a
prefabrication tent at site.
The connection of the GIL section is made by welding the enclosure and
conductor pipes using an automated orbital welding machine to provide gas
tight welds.
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Typical installations
Geneva, Switzerland (Palexpo)

View into the tunnel with two GIL three phase systems fixed to the
tunnel wall (left) and delivery of GIL sections to the assembly tent (right)
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Typical installations
China (Laxiwa Hydroelectric Power Plant)
Design ratings:

Features:
This application was installed inside a mountain for a hydroelectric power
plant to reach the 800 kV transmission system. It consisted of a 200 m vertical
shaft, as well as a 300 m horizontal tunnel.
Two three phase GIL system are installed to the tunnel walls by using steel
structures. To follow the tunnel directional change angle elements are used
for the GIL. The vertical shafts are equipped with the GIL standing on the
ground floor and connected to the wall.
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Typical installations
China (Laxiwa Hydroelectric Power Plant)

View into the tunnel (left)

and the vertical shaft (right)
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Typical installations
Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA (Baxter Wilson Power Plant)
Design ratings:

Features:
This application consists of a single circuit GIL with SF6 to air bushing at each
end of the line. Total length is 1250 m. This was installed in 2001, and was
decommissioned in 2009. The bus was sent back to the factory and
reconditioned for use at a different site by the owner.
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Typical installations
Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA (Baxter Wilson Power Plant)

Views of the GIL route to connect overhead lines to the power plant
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Typical installations
Riyadh Saudi Arabia (Power Plant #9)
Design ratings:

Features:
GIL was selected in this application for high reliability in a demanding environment,
high power transfer capability, low losses, and simplified installation requirements.
The GIL is about 17 km and connects eight separate lines between the step-up power
transformers and the plant’s 420 kV GIS. The GIL is installed at heights between 7 m
and 9 m on steel supports.
The GIL design features include: extruded aluminum alloy tubes with welded flanges
for bolted connections, conical insulators with long creepage distances for conductors
support and compartment partitioning, and rollers fixed on steel supports to allow the
free movements of the enclosures when exposed to thermal variations. An outdoor
moveable tent allowed the enclosures to be assembled in a manner that avoided
airborne contamination in dusty and windy conditions.
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Typical installations

Riyadh Saudi Arabia (Power Plant #9)

View under the GIL systems (top)

and top view of the GIL system
with the power plant (bottom)
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Typical installations
North Warwickshire, England (Hams Hall)
Design ratings:

Features:
This GIL connection is through an existing AIS 420-275 kV substation, and is
partly above ground (within the substation) in a vertical formation and partly
in covered concrete trenches (outside the substation).
Features of this design include: low wear contacts, use of particle traps
around contacts and in the enclosures, conical insulators with long creepage
distance, connection between enclosures by welding on site, gas monitoring
by electronic system using digital serial connections measurement, and UHF
sensors for partial discharge measurement.
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Typical installations

North Warwickshire, England (Hams Hall)

Overview of GIL route (top, blue line),
automated welding machine (bottom, left)
and inside conical insulator and conductor
(bottem, right)
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Typical installations
Direct buried

Jersey City, Hudson Switching Station

Introduction:
The GIL at Hudson Switching Station is worldwide the first directly buried
installation. The GIL connects the switchgear bays in the substation with high
voltage cables at the fence of the substation. The GIL is in operation since
1978.

Design requirements:
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Typical installations
Jersey City, Hudson Switching Station
View into the trench with one three phase GIL system (left)
and angle elements (right)
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Thank you for your attention.