Swagelok in Action: Avoid Fugitive Emissions with a Leak-Free Assembly

CREATING LEAK-FREE ASSEMBLIES FOR GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE POWER INDUSTRY

Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas has long been a popular dielectric and insulating material in the electric power industry. Nontoxic, nonflammable, and noncorrosive, the material offers high chemical stability, excellent thermal conductivity, and a long list of additional benefits, including ease of installation, handling, and maintenance.

Unfortunately, SF6 is also a greenhouse gas, thus requiring extremely careful management and attention to possible emissions.

INDUSTRY CHALLENGE: POWER AND ELECTRICAL

The Challenge: A public utility company’s high voltage transformers, insulated with SF6 gas, required routine monitoring for moisture levels and removal of moisture when detected. The technicians were struggling to make the connections between their equipment and the installed transformers across many varied sites — they needed a standardized adapter solution.

The Solution: Developed to connect quickly and simply with minimal spilling and air inclusion, Swagelok Quick Connects were the answer. Utilizing these high performance adapters and custom engineering, the Swagelok Northern California team worked with the customer’s mechanical engineers to devise a solution. They also crafted supporting CAD drawings for an efficient, standardized, safe, and leak-free assembly to help maintain and protect the transformers’ insulating systems.

In order to deeply understand both the problem and solution, the team visited the unique sites and provided technical support to ensure maximum efficiency and zero leaks. The greenhouse gas was effectively contained, and the technicians could now perform essential maintenance with confidence and ease.

Swagelok Assembly Solutions