ABB’s latest generator circuit-breaker to increase protection and safety in large power plants

A high-performing GCB backed by two decades of successful field experience, HEC 10 is developed to satisfy the most demanding safety requirements in large power plants up to 1,500 MW. A power plant with an electrical output of 1,500 MW can light up close to a million average households.

GCB protects the important assets in power plants such as generators and transformers by clearing potential harmful short-circuit faults in tens of milliseconds preventing severe damages and possibly lengthy plant downtime.

HEC 10 features a compact design capable of carrying currents up to 29,000 A as well as interrupting short-circuit currents up to 210 kA to protect the most critical generator applications. HEC 10 has been designed based on the well-proven HEC, and is an enhancement of type HEC 7/8/9. It is ideal for installation in new power plants as well as replacement and retrofit of existing units.

Enhancing overall power plant availability and flexibility

• HEC 10 is fully type-tested exceeding the mandatory requirements of the latest GCB standard IEC/IEEE 62271-37-013
• Equipped with a hybrid cooling system design based on the most advanced passive heat pipe technology, patented by ABB
• Features HMB-8 from the most reliable* spring operating mechanism family to provide safe performance throughout the entire lifespan of the GCB
• Developed to protect the most demanding generator applications, having a rated generator-source short-circuit breaking current of 160 kA and G2 class**
• Fully assembled and factory tested, brings substantial savings in time and cost for installation and commissioning
  

HEC 10 is equipped with GMS600, a state-of-the-art monitoring system with SF6 and temperature monitoring that provides full control of the GCB operational parameters enabling preventive and predictive maintenance. GMS600 enables efficient data analysis of the GCB through Value Based Customer Care (VBCC), a unique expert knowledge from ABB.

ABB is leader in design and manufacturing of GCBs since 1954 with more than 8000 deliveries for all types of power plants in over 100 countries. ABB offers the widest and most modern portfolio of GCBs in SF6 and vacuum technology across a range of short-circuit ratings, from 50 kA to 300 kA and nominal currents from 3,150 A to over 50,000 A to meet the demand of all types of power plants around the globe.

* As presented in paper A3-206 at CIGRE 2012
** For GCB with a rated generator-source short-circuit breaking current characterized at contact separation by a degree of asymmetry of 130 % with the assigned a.c.component (alternating current) of the rated generator-source short-circuit breaking current.