It is very much required to establish an electrical substation at

load center. Since, establishing a substation at load center is quite

economical and profitable in many aspects. As it reduces length
of feeders and due to short length feeders, the quality of voltage
regulation improves. But the main obstruction of establishing a
substation at load center is space. Generally main load center of
any place is situated at very congested place where, sufficient
land for establishing conventional electrical substation is very

hardly available.
This problem
can be solved by using gas insulated switchgear technology. In
this type of switchgear, all the necessary components of
switchgear can be assembled in very limited space. GIS is a kind
of metal enclosed switchgear. That means, all the equipments of
the electrical switchgear are enclosed by gas tight metal
enclosure and SF6 gas is used as insulation between live parts of
the equipments and earthed metal enclosure. This type of
switchgear, means, gas insulated switchgear is available from
12 KV system to 800 KV system. For establishing electrical
substation in very limited place this type of SF6 insulated electrical
switchgear plays the major role.

Gas insulated components of substation are generally,

1.

Electrical bus bars.

2.
3.

Electrical isolators or disconnectors.

Circuit breakers.

4.
5.

Current transformers.
Voltage transformers.

6. Earth switches.
7. Surge arrestors or lightning arresters.
The substation, assembled by gas insulated switchgear, is
popularly known as gas insulated metal enclosed substation
(GIMES). GIMES technology is not very recent invention, it is
successfully running for over thirty years. In gas insulated
medium voltage switchgear, vacuum technology is used as
interrupting purpose and SF6 gas is used as insulation material.
Although for both interruption and insulation, SF6 gas is used in
many medium voltage GIS system. But for such equipments
rated SF6 gas pressures are different for interruption and
insulation. SF6 gas pressure for insulating purpose is generally
kept below 2.5 bar whereas SF6 gas pressure for interrupting
purpose is ranged from 5 bar to 7 bar. As vacuum technology is
not available for high voltage, so for GIS or gas insulated
switchgear system above 72.5 KV, only SF6 is used both for
interruption medium and insulation. There are different types of
gas insulated metal enclosed switchgears available depending
upon their constructional feature.