The Customer has many assets which contain SF6 as an insulating gas. The gas is used in pipework where power distribution lines are enclosed within. As SF6 has 23,500 times greater potential for global warming than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, it is of great interest to the customer to stop any leaks and potential harm to the environment.
Multiple previous repair methods and materials have been used in the past, however, they have not been fully successful at sealing the leaks or maintaining a seal.
The application crew was asked to remove the existing repair material and solve the problem of the leaking SF6, without draining the system to enable power distribution to continue. This meant no downtime to the distribution of power throughout the network.
The existing material was removed using grinders and multi-tools with various blades and hand tools. The substrate was then prepared using MBX with stainless steel wheels to remove residual repair and to provide the recommended profile.
The application area was degreased .
A backer rod was installed around the bolts to provide a smoother landing area for the installation of the breather membrane.
A breather pipe and 3D printed base are glued onto existing flange spacer before being covered in breather membrane, allowing breather pipe to protrude.
A system comprising Belzona 7311 and Belzona 1981 and Belzona 9371 were used to encapsulate the flange.
The breather pipe was left venting until all materials had reached full cure. Once full cure had been achieved it was capped off and allowed to pressurise equal to the rest of the system.
SF6 leaks are highly fined at approximately £2,000 per KG due to their environmental impact, so to stop a leak saves the customer thousands in any future fines.
The Belzona solution was trialled in a real world situation and found to be successful.
Previously used repair materials were able to seal leaks, but later failed and released captured SF6 gas.
From first assessment to final inspection, our team of experts offer a turnkey solution to your repair and maintenance needs
