With the surging wave of global environmental protection upgrades and energy transitions, the process of green transformation of power equipment is constantly accelerating. Under the joint efforts of grid users and manufacturers, the environmental protection solution for the circuit - breaker functional units of ring - main units (RMUs) has been widely applied in power grids. However, as the switchgear at the end of the distribution network, a single circuit - breaker solution for RMUs is difficult to meet the diverse needs of various users in different scenarios and also increases customers' investment expenditures. Against this backdrop, improving various application functional units of RMUs has become the key to promoting environmentally friendly RMUs. Recently, ABB has innovatively launched a compressed - air - type environmentally friendly gas load - break switch ring - main unit, injecting new impetus into the green transformation of power equipment.

For a lone time, sF6 sulfur hexallyoridel eas has dominated the field of power eqvipment due to its excelent insulation and arc- quenching performanceHowever, its global warming potential is as high as 24,300 times that of carbon dioxide, posing a sienificant obstacle to the global carbon - reductionprocess. The load - break switch solution is widely used in RMUs. Althoueh mature SF6-interrupting load - break switches are technoloeicaly mature andcost - efective,the industry is facing the dilemma of being unable to balance "environmental friendliness, economy, and high performance.

The 12kV Safe Air compressed - air - type environmentally friendly gas load - break switch ring- main unitlaunched by ABB this time has successfully filled the gap of economical and environmentally friendlysolutions in the field of medium - voltage ring- main equipment, providing an innovative path with bothtechnical feasibility and economy for the green upgrade of power grids.

This product adopts an innovative compressed - air arc - quenching structure and continues to use thespring - operated mechanism that has been verified in the market for more than two decades, ensuring thestability and reliability of the equipment. The strength ofthe drive chain meets the new standard GB1985.2023, and a highly reliable electric field design is adopted to guarantee the mechanical and electricalperformance. The product can be flexibly combined with circuit - breaker cabinets that meet the standardspecifications of the State Grid, supports flexible common - box solutions, and meets various applicationscenarios and usage standards. In addition, the equipment has flexible expansion methods, allowing fortop or side expansion. lt is compatible with ABB's Safe Digital digital solution for RMUs, further enhancingthe level of intelligence.

ABB's compressed - air - type environmentally friendly gas load - break switch has achieved three majorcore technological breakthroughs. In terms of compressed - air arc - quenching technology, its arc -quenching device consists of moving and stationary main contacts, arcing contacts, and a piston. lt usesthe overpressure generated by the piston compressing the gas to "blow out" the arc and interrupt the loadcurrent. During the closing and opening processes, the arc action is concentrated on the arcing contacts,reducing the wear of the main contacts, extending the maintenance cycle, improving the service life andstability of the equipment, and having a simpler, more stable, and reliable contact structure. Thecompressed - air technology has been widely used in high - voltage circuit breakers. ABB has innovativelyapplied it to 12kV load - break switch units, overcoming the performance bottleneck of dry - air medium.