1

MODULE GIL BASICS
GAS INSULATED TRANSMISSION LINES - GIL
A. Introduction
GIL bus has evolved differently than bus used in Gas Insu-
lated Substations. GIS stations are a compact arrangement of
circuit breakers, disconnects, earthing switches, voltage and
current transformers etc. Usually connections between these
active elements are only a few meters in length. Since the re-
quired electrical shapes for enclosures are often complicated,
castings are used extensively for both active components and
for the flanges used on interconnecting bus. A typical GIS
bus section and elbow is shown in figure II-1.
5. Two types of insulators are available. An open type
when free passage of gas is required and cone or
disk insulators where one gas compartment is
isolated from another.
6. GIL bus is much more flexible than GIS bus. Since
the insulators are totally enclosed and mechanically
decoupled from the enclosure flanges, the bus can
bend to accommodate changes in direction or
support misalignment.
18 meters Open Insulator

Fig. II-1. GIS Bus section. Bolted contacts and cast elbow. Barrier Insulator Particle trap
Fig. II-2. GIL design factory assembled sections. Particle traps used exten-
sively with two types of insulators. Field welded or bolted joints are used for
section assembly. Elbows are an integral part of the shipping assembly.

The GIL design shown in figure II-2 illustrates some of

these differences. While the conductor is still supported
every 6 meters or so, the length of the shipping section is
only limited by the restrictions of transportation to site. In
North America, 18 meter sections can be shipped without
special permitting.
The insulators do not have bolted connections and do not
penetrate the enclosure envelope. Therefore a conductor con-
tact is only required at each end of the 18 meter section. The
The spacing between support insulators is determined by
contacts are an integral part of the conductor. Bolted joints
the maximum allowable sag on the conductor and the maxi-
are not used.
mum length handable in GIS factories. This spacing is about
Particle traps are used at each insulator assembly and at
6 meters and relatively independent of the voltage class.
natural low points in the system. Thus, field assembly proce-
Since the insulators are designed to be captured between
dures do not require the same degree of cleanliness control as
flanges there will be a flange set every 6 meters as well.
for GIS bus.
Each bus section will have an insulator on each end. Con-
Flanges are much simpler since there is no insulator to
ductor contacts are bolted to either side of the insulator.
support. Single or double o-rings can be used to seal the
When the insulator is required to allow free passage of the
flanges. If a double o-ring is used it is possible to leak check
insulating gas holes are cast into the insulator surface.
the joint without first filling the system with gas. Typical
Changes in direction are limited to 90 degrees.
circuit lengths are longer for GIL connections. The longer
Particle traps are not normally used in GIS bus since the
lengths are usually done in one or more large gas
sections are short and easily inspected for particle contamina-
compartments rather than several smaller compartments.
tion and the active elements have natural low field regions,
Pressure relief devices are not required. In the unlikely event
which work as effective traps.
of an internal fault, pressure rise will be minimal.
This arrangement provides an economical solution when
The wrought flanges offer better corrosion resistance than
the required bus section length is less than 6 meters. When
cast flanges. Surface protection and prevention of moisture
the bus length exceeds 6 meters designs specifically
ingress is less critical.
developed for GIL can often provide a better solution.
Simply omitting the flange and using a welded joint can
Two concepts for GIL design are shown in figures II-2 and
provide both a hermetic seal immune to environmental
II-3. The first concept is factory assembled. The second ex-
effects and increased flexibility for alignment during field
ample is designed for site assembly. Since the GIL designs
assembly.
are optimized for longer circuits, you will notice several
Figure II-3 illustrates a design for longer GIL lengths.
difference between GIL and GIS bus. For GIL bus:
Both this design and the one shown in figure II-2 share the
1. Insulators are completely contained inside the
same features of totally enclosed dielectric systems and open
enclosure.
insulator designs. The major difference is that the design
2. Particle traps are used to mitigate the effects of free
conducting particles. shown in Figure II-3 is optimized for long circuit lengths and
3. Changes in direction can be done at any angle site assembly.
between about 85 degrees and 178 degrees.
4. Field connections either can be done with wrought
flanges or with field welded joints. Castings are
rarely used. Fig. II-3. GIL field assembled system for long circuit lengths.
 2
12 - 18 meter lengths
Allowable voltage stress is determined by the insulating
gas used and the gas density. Either pure SF6 or a mixture of
SF6 and Nitrogen are the usual choices.
Since the conductor stress is higher than the enclosure
stress, the negative impulse voltage (BIL) is normally used to
determine system size.
The curves below show how these design principles might
be applied to a typical GIL design. The curves are for pure
SF6 at about four atmospheres absolute.

700

Enclosure (mm)
600
500
400
up to 500 m 300
200
100
50 100 150 200 250
Conductor (mm)
When circuit lengths is longer (about 500 meters) it is
often more economical to pre-assemble the components at
Fig. II-4. Relationship between enclosure and conductor diameters for
site then install in longer sections. Mixtures of SF6 and ln(r2/r1)= 1 (best use of the dielectric space)
Nitrogen can also be used to reduce the overall SF6 content of
the system. Based on the required BIL performance of the system you
The GIL is shipped to site in 12-18 meter lengths. Typi- first select the required conductor diameter. Required enclo-
cally, 10 sections are assembled using welded joints for both sure diameter is then selected based on the log ratio of 1.
the conductor and enclosure connections. Pre-fabricated 180
meter sections of up to 500 m are then installed in their final
position. Conductor plug and socket contacts are used only as 2500
necessary to compensate for thermal expansion. 2000
The welding is done using an automatic welding machine.
BIL (kV)

This guarantees good weld quality and a leak tight seals.
B. Design
The dielectric design of GIL is based on a simple formula
for the electric field in a coaxial geometry. The electrical
stress (E) at any given radial point (r) in the system is
determined by:
U Fig. II-5. BIL performance for various conductor diameters. (Assumes the
E=
r
r2 ln  2
 r1
Where U is the applied voltage, r2 and r1 are the enclosure
and conductor radii respectively.
The most economical use of materials occur when the
conductor stress is minimized. This occurs when ln(r2/r1) =1.
Most GIL designs in use today are based on log ratios
close to unity. Determining the overall dimensions for a
specific voltage class is simply a matter of determining the
allowable voltage stress on the conductor.
1500
1000
500
0
50 100 150 200 250
Conductor diameter (mm)
most economical ratio of conductor to enclosure diameter)
Figure II-5 covers the entire range of transmission systems
from 115 kV through 800 kV.
The choice of insulating gas or gas mixture will determine
the allowable system dielectric stress. Small amounts of SF6
in a Nitrogen base has very beneficial effects on the
dielectric performance. For long circuit lengths, SF6/N2
mixtures offer an environmentally friendly and economical
approach. Figure II-6 shows that a modest 15% SF6 content
will double the power frequency breakdown voltage over
pure Nitrogen at the same gas pressure.
While pure SF6 still offers the best dielectric performance
at a given gas density, 10-20% SF6/N2 systems operating at a
modest increases of pressure can perform with equal
dielectric ratings [II-21, II-22, II-23, II-24, II-25, II-27, II-
28].
 3

The First Gas Insulated Transmission Line installed in

700
Europe was in 1974 to connect the electrical generator of a
600
30 % SF6/N2
hydro pump storage plant in Schluchsee, Germany.
15 % SF6/N2 Fig. II-9 shows a view into the tunnel in the Black Forest
500
10 % SF6/N2
mountain with two systems of 420 kV to be connected to the
overhead line on top of the mountain. The rated current is
60 Hz Breakdown

400 5 % SF6/N2
2500 A.. The GIL went into service in 1975 and has been in
kV

300 Pure N2
service without interruption ever since, to deliver peak
energy into the southwestern 420 kV network in Germany.
200
With 700 meters of system length running through a
100 tunnel in the mountain, this GIL is still the longest appli-
cation at this voltage level in the world. Today at voltage
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 levels from 135 to 800 kV about 200 kilometers are installed
Pressure (kPa)
worldwide. The applications vary from inside high voltage
Fig. II-6. 60 Hz breakdown results for a 145 kV Coaxial Geometry with substations, power generation plants, areas with severe envi-
Enclosure/Conductor Dimensions of 241.3/88.9 mm. ronmental conditions and to solve specific routing, right of
way or access problems.
Since GIL systems are usually designed based on the re-
quired dielectric performance, each system will have an
inherent current carrying capacity. The current carrying
capacity exceeds that of a single conventional cable circuit
and can be matched to the capacities of overhead lines.
Figure II-7 shows typical current ratings based on enclosure
diameters.

(kA)
8
6
4
2
0
100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Enclosure diameter (mm)

Fig. II-7. Ampacity- open air system without solar radiation as a function of
enclosure diameter.
C. History of GIL design
The first Gas Insulated Transmission line installed in the
US was at the PSEG Hudson Generating station in New
Jersey in 1972. The 242 kV, 1600 amp system is rated 900
kV BIL. The GIL is direct buried connecting the AIS
substation equipment to a transformer located remote from
the substation. This installation is still energized and in use
today.
Fig. II-9. Schluchsee Hydro Pump Storage Plant.
Typical applications of GIL are links within power plants
to connect the high voltage transformer with the high voltage
switchgear, within cavern power plants to connect high
voltage transformers in the cavern with the overhead line on
the outside, to connect gas-insulated substations (GIS) with
overhead lines or transformers, as a bus connecting
components within gas-insulated substations or as stand
alone installations of GIL for resolving specific
environmental, routing, access or right of way issues. Circuit
lengths can vary from 10 meters to kilometers in length. The
applications are carried out under all different climate
conditions from the low temperature in Canada to the high
ambient temperatures in Saudi Arabia or Singapore, or severe
conditions in Europe or in South Africa. The GIL
transmission system is independent from environmental
conditions because the complete high voltage system
including insulators is completely sealed inside the aluminum
enclosure.

Fig. II-8. 242 kV GIL being installed in the PSEG Hudson generating station.
New Jersey. 1972. View looking back from the SF6-Air bushings.
 4

The GIL technology had proven its technical reliability in

more than 3000 km  years of operation without major
failures [II-3, II-5]. This high system reliability has been
achieved because of the simplicity of such a transmission
system where only aluminum tubes for conductor and
enclosure are used and the insulating medium is a gas
exhibiting no aging.
Up to now the advantages of GIL have been used for spe-
cial applications. However, with the introduction of site as-
sembly, standardization of components and improved design
details, GIL is economical for the application over long dis-
tances.
The breakthrough in cost reduction could be reached by
developing highly standardized GIL units, automated orbital
welding machines, and pipeline laying methods. This allows
a much faster laying of the GIL. Since the insulators are
totally enclosed, by using the elastic bending of the
aluminum pipes to follow the contours of the landscape or
the tunnel, angle units can be avoided.
This along with the use of N2/SF6 gas mixture now offers a
economic transmission system for power transmission over
long distances, especially if high power ratings are needed.
The SF6/N2 GIL systems began their development in 1994
as right of way approvals for conventional overhead lines be-
came increasingly difficult. Several designs were developed
and tested in France and Germany using mixtures of Nitrogen
and SF6 gas as the dielectric medium. See Fig. II-10 and II-
11.
Fig. II-10. 420 kV, 3150 Amp SF6/N2 GIL test loop under construction at EDF
laboratory in France.
Fig. II-11. 420 kV, 3150 A, SF6/N2 GIL test loop under construction at the IPH
Laboratory in Berlin, Germany.
The SF6/N2 420 kV systems underwent significant testing
during their development. The test loops were instrumented
with strain gauges and thermocouples then tested for 6000
hours at 1.5 X line to ground voltage. Current was injected
from 0 to 1.5 X rated current to produce maximum thermal
and mechanical stresses. Once the 6000 hour test was com-
pleted a mock repair was done to verify that the system could
be easily repaired should a fault ever occur. A bus segment
was cut out and replaced then the system was tested again to
verify that the ratings were not affected [II-1, II-2, II-4].
The first commercial site-assembled GIL of this type has
been built for eos (energie ouest suisse) at PALEXPO close
to the Geneva Airport in Switzerland. Since January 2001
this GIL is in operation as part of the overhead line
connecting France with Switzerland. In this project it has
been successfully shown, that the new laying techniques are
suitable to build also very long GIL transmission links of
several tens of kilometers within a short and suitable time
schedule.
D. Component Detail
To illustrate the various standard components used in a
typical GIL, the design suitable for assembly at site will be
reviewed. Since there are normally no active components in a
GIL system only straight bus, elbows or angle units and tees
are needed to construct a system. As an example a straight
unit combined with an angle unit is shown in Fig. II-12. The
straight unit consists of a single phase enclosure made of alu-
minum alloy.

1 enclosure
2 inner conductor
3a male sliding contact
3b female sliding contact
4 conical insulator
5 support insulator
5 5
Fig. II-12. Typical bus section
In the enclosure (1) the inner conductor (2) is fixed by a
conical insulator (4) and rests on support insulators (5). The
thermal expansion of the conductor towards the enclosure
will be adjusted by the sliding contact system (3a, 3b). One
straight unit has a length of up to 500 m made by single pipe
sections jointly welded together by orbital welding machines.
If a directional change is needed that exceeds the elastic
bending allowed by the enclosure then an angle element
shown will be added. The angle element covers angles from
4 to 90°.
Under normal laying conditions, no angle units are
needed, since the elastic bending of the system with a
bending radius of 400 m is sufficient to follow the landscape
contour in most cases.
At distances of 1200 to 1500 meters, disconnecting units
are placed in underground shafts. Disconnecting units are
used to separate gas compartments and to connect high
voltage testing equipment for the commissioning of the GIL.
The compensator unit (figure II-17)is used to take care of
the thermal expansion of the enclosure. This compensator
will be used in tunnel laid GIL as well as in shafts or
trenches.
The enclosure of the directly buried GIL is coated in the
factory with a multilayer polymer sheath as passive
protection against corrosion. On-site, after completion of the
orbital weld, a final covering for corrosion protection is
applied on the joint area.
Fig. II-15. Application of corrosion protection to field welded joint.
5
Since the GIL is a totally enclosed and grounded system it
is protected from direct lightning strikes. Therefore, it is pos-
sible to reduce the lightning impulse voltage level by using
surge arresters at the end of the GIL. The integrated surge
arrester concept allows reduction of high frequency overvolt-
ages by connecting the surge arresters to the GIL in the gas
compartment [6].
Secondary equipment is installed for the measurement of
the gas pressure and the gas temperature (gas density) of the
GIL. These are the same elements used in Gas Insulated Sub-
stations (GIS). For commissioning, partial discharge
measurements are used with sensitive UHF measuring
methods.
An electrical measurement system to detect arc location
can be implemented at the ends of the GIL. Electrical signals
are measured and the position of a very unlikely case of an
internal fault will be calculated by the arc location system
(ALS) with an accuracy of ten meters.
If a directional change cannot be met with elastic bending
of the enclosure, an angle element covering angles of 4 to
90° can be added as a second type of basic module as shown
in figure II-16. Orbital welding with the straight unit
connects the angle element.
Fig. II-16. Angle unit
The third component is the enclosure compensator. In the
tunnel-laid version or in an underground shaft or trench the
enclosure of the GIL is not fixed, so it will expand with the
thermal heat-up during operation. The thermal expansion of
the enclosure will be absorbed by the compensation unit.
If the GIL is directly buried in the soil, the compensation
unit is not needed. The weight of the soil and the friction at
the surface of the enclosure anchors the GIL in the soil.
Fig. II-17. Expansion compensator unit
The fourth and last basic module used is the disconnecting
unit or tee shown in figure II-18. This will be used every 1.2
to 1.5 km to separate the GIL in gas compartments. Also the
disconnecting unit is used to carry out sectional high voltage
commissioning testing.
 6

The most economical and fastest method of laying cross

country is the directly buried GIL. Similar to pipeline laying
the GIL will be continuously laid with an open trench with a
nearby preassembly site to reduce the transportation of GIL
units. With the elastic bending of the metallic enclosure the
GIL will flexibly adapt to the contours of the landscape. In
the soil the GIL is continuous anchored, so that no additional
Fig. II-18. Disconnecting unit compensation elements are needed [8, 9].

An assembly of all these elements as a typical set-up is

shown in figure II-19
The figure shows a section of a GIL between two shafts
(1). The underground shafts are housing the disconnecting
and compensator unit (2). The distance between the shafts is
between 1200 to 1500 m and represents one single gas
compartment. Also in the middle the directly buried angle (3)
unit is shown as an example. Each angle unit has a fix point,
where the conductor is fixed to the enclosure.
Fig. II-20. Typical direct buried GIL installation methods.

The graphic in Figure II-20 shows a building close to the

trench used for prefabrication of the individual 12 - 18 meter
segments. The tent structure next to the trench is where GIL
units of up to 500 meters length are preassembled and pre-
pared for laying.
They will be transported by cranes close to the trench and
then laid into the trench. In the trench within a clean housing
tent the connection to the already laid section will be done.

Fig. II-19. Gas zone with disconnect

links. 1.2-1.4 km long gas compartment 1: underground shaft
with angle unit. Direct buried system 2: disconnecting and
shown. compensator unit
3: angle unit

E. Site assembly and installation of direct buried and tunnel

GIL.
The GIL can be laid above ground on structures, in open
trenches, in a tunnel or directly buried into the soil like an oil
or gas pipeline. The overall costs for the directly buried ver-
sion of the GIL, in most cases, is the least expensive version
of GIL laying when circuit lengths are long. Usually, for this
laying method, a certain accessibility for working on site is
necessary, so that this directly buried laying will generally be
used in open landscape crossing the countryside, similar to Fig. II-21. 120 meter section being lowered into the trench.
overhead lines, but invisible. The clean housing tent will be moved to the next joint and
the trench will be backfilled. The moment of laying the GIL
into the trench is shown in Figure II-21 while Figure II-22
shows the bent tube and backfilling of the trench.
 7

Fig. II-23. 2 GIL Circuits 420 kV 3150 Amps. Geneva Airport in Switzerland.

Fig. II-22. Backfill being added to the trench. Note the natural curvature of the The principles of the installation procedure used in Geneva is
GIL following the landscape contour. shown in Figure II-24.

If the desired location of the GIL is much deeper than the

2 meters used for direct burial or if not enough space is avail-
able, laying the GIL into a tunnel will be the most
appropriate method. This tunnel laying method is used in
cities or metropolitan areas as well as for crossing a river or
interconnecting islands. A new way of application is now
available for GIL by using traffic or railway tunnels. For
example in the mountains existing or newly built traffic or
railway tunnels can be used to insert the GIL since it offers
the highest degree of safety for the surroundings.
Modern tunneling techniques have been developed in the
past few years with improvements in drilling speed and accu-
racy. Today tunnels of a diameter of about 3 m are
economical solutions in cases when directly buried GIL is Fig. II-24. Cross section view showing the installation and testing procedures.
not possible, for example, in urban areas, or in mountain
GIL-units of 12 to 18 meters length are brought into a tun-
crossings, or in connecting islands under the sea.
nel by access shafts and then connected to the GIL transmis-
Tunnels are usually the shortest connection between two
sion line in the tunnel. In cases of horizontal accessibility,
points and, therefore, reduce the cost of transmission
like in a traffic tunnel for trains or vehicles the GIL units can
systems. After commissioning the system will be easily
be much longer, 20 to 30 meters if done by rail
accessible.
transportation. This increase in length will reduce the
In Fig. II-23 a view of two circuits of GIL as realized at
assembly work and time and allows major cost reductions.
PALEXPO at Geneva Airport in Switzerland is shown. The
For the assembly site a special working place for mounting
tunnel dimensioning in this case was 2.4 m wide and 2.6 m
and welding is installed [10].
high. The transmission capability of this GIL is 2250 MVA at
The delivery and supply of prefabricated elements (1) is
420/550 kV rated voltage with rated currents of up to
brought to the shaft or tunnel entrance (see Fig. II-24). After
3150 kA
the GIL elements are brought into the shaft to the assembly
In both laying methods the elastic bending of the GIL is
and welding area (2) the elements will be jointed together by
used as can be seen in figure II-22 for the directly buried ver-
an orbital welding machine. The GIL section will then be
sion and in figure II-23 for the tunnel laid GIL. The
brought into the tunnel (3). If a section is ready a high
minimum acceptable bending radius is 400 m for 420 kV
voltage test will be carried out (4) to validate each section.
GIL and will vary depending on the system voltage and
enclosure dimensions. F. Installation of above ground and trench mounted GIL.
Above ground and trench mounted GIL circuits are
usually less than 500 meters in length. Whether they are used
to connect within substations, crossing environmentally
sensitive areas or as exits from AIS or GIS stations, the
assembly methods are similar. Supporting steel is of simple
 8

construction with support spans from 12-18 meters depending

on seismic requirements. The flexibility of the GIL and
elbows is used to minimize the use of compensator elements.
Often very long circuits of GIL can be installed without the
need for any compensators. The GIL is allowed to bend and
flex to accommodate thermal expansion [II-10, II-26].
Usually the GIL is shipped factory assembled and tested
since there are fewer field joints to make up. Assembly can
be done using either bolted or welded enclosure connections.
Figures II-25 and II-26 show two examples of above
ground installations.

Fig. II-27. 550 kV GIL crossing under two 242 kV transmission lines.

Figure II-27 shows a 550 kV GIL installed on concrete

pedestals. The GIL crosses a flood plain where water rises
above the base of the steel structures every spring.
GIL sections are shipped to site on extended bed trucks.
Handling on site can be done by crane or forklift trucks. An
18 meter bus section is shown in figure II-28 as it is being
unloaded from the truck.

Fig. II-25. trench mounted 550 kV GIL. Field welded construction. GIL
transitions from a trench with steel grating covers to a concrete road crossing.

Figure II-25 is an open trench in a power plant. Site access

requirements required the use of trenches to allow access to
the balance of the plant equipment. The GIL passes under
several road ways. Since heights are restricted the cross
bonding connections are fabricated to allow personnel to
walk between the phases.

Fig. II-28. 18 meter bus section being unloaded at site.

The support structures are placed in position first and

Fig. II-26: Above ground installation on steel structure overpassing streets
In Fig. II-26 an above ground installation is shown
installed in Saudi Arabia. The GIL is elevated so that streets
can be overpassed.
roughly leveled. Perfect alignment is not necessary since the
GIL is flexible.
The GIL shipping sections are moved into place and con-
nected together as shown in figure II-29. A special clean tent
is not normally required except for heavy dust conditions.
Flanged or welded joints are done in a similar fashion.
The Conductor connection is made up using a plug and
socket connection. It will engage automatically as the two
GIL sections are brought together. Then the enclosure joint is
made.
If double o-rings are used on the flanges, the joint can be
leak checked immediately after assembly by bagging the area
around the joint with plastic, pressurizing the area between
the two o-rings and checking for leaks with a hand held leak
detector. Using this technique for long circuit lengths insures
that each joint is complete and leak tight without first
evacuating and filling the system with gas.

Fig. II-29. Final assembly of 550 kV field joint. Locating pins are used to
align the flanges. Conductor connection is a plug and socket connection and
self aligning
G. On Site Testing of GIL
Once assembled the GIL circuit goes through site commis-
sioning tests similar to that for GIS [II-7, II-8, II-9, II-16].
1) Resistance of current carrying parts.
GIS, with multiple bolted conductor contacts usually goes
through a test for conductor resistance. This test is normally
both difficult and unnecessary for GIL. Since the conductor
contacts are an integral part of the conductor, factory assem-
bled and tested and do not include bolted joints there is no
reason to verify the integrity of field assembled conductor
joints. The length of the GIL circuits and installation of
enclosure cross bonding makes use of the enclosure as a
return current path for circuit resistance difficult, if not
impossible. Connection of a micro-Ohm meter between each
end of the circuit can be tricky and requires long lengths of
low resistance cables [II-18].
2) Evacuation filling and Leakage tests.
The GIL gas compartments are evacuated and filled with
gas. Once the system has stabilized the moisture and gas
purity are checked. Since individual flanged connects have
already been leak checked during the assembly process there
are only a few other points like gas monitors and fill valves
requiring a detailed leak check. If welded joints are used
simply bagging the joint makes it easy to do a very sensitive
leak check [II-11, II-12, II-13, II-14, II-15].
3) Mechanical and instrument checks.
The system should be checked to verify grounding
integrity. Density monitor units are either factory calibrated
or can be checked prior to installation for accuracy. A wiring
check for the density monitors completes these tests.
4) Dielectric acceptance tests
The final test required is the application of a high voltage
test to verify the system has been assembled cleanly and
without damage. The most accepted field test for GIL is a
power frequency test applied at 80% of the factory test
voltage. A conditioning series of voltage steps is normally
9
used to allow any particles to be moved to the particle traps.
Partial discharge testing can be used during the test sequence
for further verification.
One of the easiest way to apply voltage for the site
commissioning tests is to use a variable frequency resonance
test set. Variable frequency sets use a frequency converter to
tune the fixed inductive reactance of the test set to the
capacitance of the GIL. Unlike series resonant test systems,
which have complex moving parts in the reactors the variable
frequency sets use fixed inductors with no moving parts.
Sizes, weights and power requirements are lower since
impedances are higher for lower frequencies. A three phase
input power supply is used rather than the single phase
requirements of series resonant sets, making it easier to
supply test power on site. A 650 kV variable frequency test
set is shown in figure II-30.
Fig. II-30. Variable frequency test set. 650 kV, 9 amps. 30-300 Hz.
The test set shown in figure II-30 can test a 1200 meter
phase of 550 kV GIL . Current IEEE C37.122 standards
allow for test frequencies between 45 and 200 Hz.
H. Maintenance
One of the advantages of GIL is the low maintenance re-
quirements. Standards require leakage rates to be less than
0.5%/year. With many manufacturers guaranteeing less than
0.1%/year the GIL will never require additional gas. In case
of welded design the GIL is practical gas tight and needs no
refill for the 50 years life time.
Elastomer seals have 30 year or more design life and, if
not disturbed, will normally last much longer. The only
active component is the density monitor which should be
checked for proper operation periodically.
I. advantages of GIL
1) System Operations
The GIL is a transmission system for the transmission of
high power levels over long distances, to solve specific
routing or access problems, or as connections in power
plants, and substations. Current ratings of 4000 Amps or
more per circuit and distances of several kilometers are
possible. As a gas-insulated system, the GIL has the
advantage of having electrical behavior similar to an
overhead line. This is of importance to system operation. GIL
 10

capacitance is very low allowing long lines to be constructed 3) Safety

without reactive compensation. Further more, the dielectric
gases are non-aging so that there is almost no limitation to
lifetime. This is a big cost advantage because of the high in-
vestment costs of long power transmission systems.
2) Economics and Life Cycle Costs
The GIL has, because of the large cross section of the con-
ductor, the lowest electrical losses of all available
transmission systems (overhead lines and cables).
This reduces the operating costs and is a contribution to
reducing the global warm-up because less power needs to be
generated. A comparison between the losses of an overhead
line and GIL is shown in table II-1.
TABLE II-1 COST OF LOSSES FOR OHL AND GIL. (ENERGY COSTS: $.10/KWH X 8,600
H X 12,800 KW)
The personnel and environmental safety in surrounding a
GIL is very high because the metallic enclosure is reliable
protection from external magnetic fields and internal faults.
a) Cross bonded enclosures and magnetic fields
GIL enclosures are cross bonded to allow return currents
of up to 99% or more to flow in the enclosure. Enclosures are
grounded frequently to minimize the touch potential during
system faults. This minimizes the external magnetic field and
provides safe approach and handling for personnel. Figures
II-32 and II-33 show a comparison of the magnetic fields for
GIL and conventional cable. As you can see from the graphs
the GIL external magnetic fields are only 5% of the levels for
conventional cable at ground level [II-19, II-20].

OHL GIL

Transmitted Power mW 1400 1400

Losses per circuit meter W/m 580 180
Losses per 32 circuit mW 18.56 5.76
meters (20 miles)
Difference between GIL mW 12,800
and OHL
Cost of additional losses of $10,908,000
the OHL per year (USD)

Long lengths of GIL can be produced economically. The

chart shown in figure II-31 shows how the per meter cost of
GIL drops significantly as the installed length increases.

550kV Flanged

550kV Welded
1.00
362kV Flanged
0.90
362kV Welded Fig. II-32. Magnetic fields for GIL in µT
Normalized cost

0.80

0.70

0.60

0.50

0.40
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
3 phase Circuit length (meters)

Fig. II-31. Normalized equipment cost of GIL as a function of circuit length.

Fig. II-33. Magnetic fields for conventional cable in µT

 11

4) Internal Faults •Direct Buried

GIL construction uses large volume gas compartments and •In tunnels, horizontal, vertical and any slope in be-
robust aluminum tubes for enclosures. Compartment lengths tween.
20 or more meters in length have sufficient volume so that • In open or closed trenches at ground level.
internal arcs do not increase the internal pressure enough to • At ground level
operate a pressure relief device. Thus a pressure relief device • Elevated above ground level to allow access below.
is not necessary for GIL installations. In the remote case of With robust aluminum enclosures, exclusion of weather,
an internal fault the arc will be driven by magnetic forces and lightning strikes and magnetic fields and the complete con-
external rupture will not occur. In the 30 year history of GIL tainment of to internal faults GIL can be installed in highway
there has never been an arc burn through. or rail tunnels, across bridges, closer to the public than ever
Figures II-34 and II-35 compare the effect of internal faults before possible.
for GIL and solid dielectric cables. When life cycle costs are considered, the low losses, mini-
mal maintenance costs, high reliability and long life of GIL
Fig. make it an attractive solution to transmission line
II- installations.
34. Summary of installed length of GIL world wide.
Enclosure
Cumulated
Ur length
kV m
1200 420
800 1200
550 52,650
420 63,600
362 10,107
242/300 32,900
72/145/172 37,100
Conductor 72 to 1200 198,000

Results of an internal arc of 63kA for 300 ms on a 420 kV GIL. There are no K. References
external effects. The system retains gas pressure and all arc byproducts are [II-1] H. Koch, A. Schuette: Gas-insulated Transmission Lines for high
contained within the enclosure. power transmission over long distances, EPSR, Hongkong, 12/97
[II-2] H. Koch: Underground gas-insulated cables show promise, Modern
Power Systems, London, 05/97
[II-3] G. Baer, A. Diessner, G. Luxa: 420 kV SF6-Insulated Tubular Bus
for the Wehr Pumped-Storage Plant, Electric Tests, IEEE
Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, Vol. PAS-95, No. 2
March/April 1976
[II-4] Henningsen, C. G.; Kaul, G.; Koch, H.; Schuette, A.; Plath, R:
Electrical and Mechanical Long-Time Behavior of Gas-Insulated
Transmission Lines, CIGRE 2000
[II-5] Koch, H. et al.: N2/SF6 gas-insulated line of a new GIL generation in
service, CIGRE Session 2002, Paris
[II-6] O. Völcker, H. Koch: Insulation co-ordination for gas-insulated
transmission lines (GIL), IEEE Transactions, to be published in 2000
[II-7] IEC 61640 "Rigid high-voltage, gas-insulated transmission lines for
rated voltages of 72.5 kV and above"
[II-8] U. Schichler, J. Gorablenkow, A. Diessner: UHF PD Detection in
GIS Substations During On-Site Testing, 8th Int. Conf. on Dielectric
Materials, Measurements and Application, Edinburgh, 2000, pp. 139-
144
[II-9] G. Schöffner, W. Boeck, R. Graf, A. Diessner: Attenuation of UHF
Signals in GIL, 12th Int. Symp. on High Voltage Eng., Bangalore,
2001, No.4-57, pp. 453-456
[II-10] A. Schuette: Gas-Insulated Transmission Lines, Siemens, Power
Engineering Guide, 1997
[II-11] IEC 60480 "Guide to the checking of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
taken from electrical equipment"
Fig. II-35. Result of an internal fault of 50 kA for 300 ms on an XLPE cable. [II-12] IEC 61634 "High-voltage switchgear and controlgear - Use and
There was a release of toxic gases and damage to adjacent cable circuits. handling of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) in high-voltage switchgear
and controlgear"
The inherent safety of GIL allows it to be brought into [II-13] Cigre Working Group 23.02, Task Force 01: Guide for SF6 mixtures,
Cigre Brochure 163, 2000
street or railway tunnels, and on to bridges No flammable [II-14] L.G. Christophorou, L.R. van Brunt: SF6 - N2 Mixtures, IEEE Trans.
materials are used to build a GIL. This makes the use in Dielectr. Electr. Insul. 2 (5) 1995, pp. 952-1003
tunnels safer and more economical. [II-15] H. Knobloch: The Comparison of Arc-Extinguishing Capability of
Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) with Alternative Gases in High-Voltage
J. Conclusions Circuit Breakers, 8th Int. Symp. on Gaseous Dielectrics, Virginia
Beach, USA, 1998
GIL has a long and reliable history. The flexibility of the de-
signs allow it to be installed in a variety of locations.
 12

[II-16] A. Dießner, H. Koch, E. Kynast, A. Schuette: Progress in High

Voltage Testing of Gas-insulated Transmission Lines, ISH Montreal,
06/97
[II-17] H. Koch, A. Schuette: Gas-Insulated Transmission Lines (GIL) -
Type tests and prequalification, Jicable, Versailles, 06/99
[II-18] IEC 60287, 1982: calculation of the continuous current rating of
cables (100 % load factor)
[II-19] Germany: Sechsundzwanzigste Verordnung zur Durchführung des
Bundesimmissionsschutzgesetzes (Verordnung über
elektromagnetische Felder - 26. BImSchV), 16. Dezember 1996
[II-20] Switzerland: Verordnung über den Schutz vor nicht ionisierender
Strahlung (NISV), 23. Dezember 1999
[II-21] A. Diessner, M. Finkel, A. Grund, E. Kynast: Dielectric Properties of
N2/SF6 Mixtures for Use in GIS or GIL, High Voltage Engineering
Symposium, Conf. Publ. No 487, IEE, 1999
[II-22] R. Graf, W. Boeck: Defect Sensibility of N2-SF6 Gas Mixtures with
Equal Dielectric Strength,Annual Report CEIDP 2000, Victoria, Vol.
I,
pp. 422-425
[II-23] R. Graf, W. Boeck: Statistical Breakdown Behavior of N2-SF6 Gas
Mixtures under LI Stress, 11th Int. Symp. of High Voltage Eng.,
London, 1999, No 3.96.S20
[II-24] M. Finkel, W. Boeck, L.-R. Jänicke, E. Kynast: Experimental
Studies on the Statistical Breakdown Characteristic of SF6, Annual
Report CEIDP 2000, Victoria, Vol. I, pp. 405-408
[II-25] Task Force 15.03.07 of Working Group 15.03: Long Term Per-
formance of SF6 Insulated Systems, CIGRE-Report 15-301, 2002,
Paris
[II-26] T. Hillers, H. Koch: Gas Insulated Transmission Lines (GIL): A
solution for the power supply of metropolitan areas, CEPSI,
Thailand, 07/98
[II-27] H. I. Marsden , S. J. Dale*,M. D. Hopkins, C. R. Eck III: “High
Voltage Performance of a Gas Insulated Cable with N2 and N2/SF6
Mixtures” 1998 Gas Dielectric Conference (GDC)
[II-28] H. I. Marsden, M. D. Hopkins, C. R. Eck III: “Lightning Impulse
Withstand Performance of a Practical GIC With 5 and 10 Percent
SF6/N2 Mixtures"