Product Overview
SM AirSeT is a modular, fully-air-insulated, SF₆-free metal-enclosed medium-voltage switchgear family from Schneider Electric, designed for secondary MV distribution, covering rated voltage up to 24 kV. It adopts patented Shunt Vacuum Interruption (SVI)™ technology: pure air performs insulation while vacuum interrupters complete arc-breaking, eliminating SF₆ and alternative fluorinated greenhouse gases entirely.
The equipment features a 40-year design service life, inherits the compact footprint, 3-position switch operating logic of traditional SF₆-based switchgear, requiring no change to installation practices or civil works. SM AirSeT is natively digital / EcoStruxure-ready. QR-code-enabled Digital Logbook is built-in as standard; scalable wireless sensor systems support condition-based and predictive maintenance workflows. It supports indoor installation and is well-adapted for factory-built prefabricated container-type substations.
Schneider has accumulated over 45-year MV switch-gear R&D & field experience, with more than 2.5 million medium-voltage cubicles deployed globally. SM AirSeT has obtained ISO 9001 quality certification and ISO 14001 environmental-management certification, and complies with full set of IEC 62271 series standards.
Key Product Characteristics
2.1 Environmental & Sustainability Features
1. Zero SF₆ / zero alternative greenhouse gases: Insulation relies on pure ambient air. No toxic breaking by-products are generated during switching operations. Air inside the enclosure can be directly released to atmosphere at end-of-life; no gas recovery or recycling work is required.
2. High material recyclability: cabinet structural materials are easy to separate and recycle. Supports EcoData environmental data program for full-lifecycle carbon-footprint evaluation, eligible for LEED building credits.
3. Avoids risks brought by future SF₆-related regulatory restrictions.
2.2 Electrical Performance
• Rated voltage Ur: 7.2 kV / 12 kV / 17.5 kV / 24 kV
• Rated continuous current Ir: 400 A, 630 A, 1250 A
• Short-time withstand current (1 s): 12.5 kA, 16 kA, 20 kA, 25 kA
• Rated frequency: 50 Hz / 60 Hz
• Breaking solutions:
– SVI™ shunt vacuum load break switch-disconnector
– EvoPacT lateral-mount vacuum circuit-breaker
– Switch-fuse combination units for transformer protection
• Internal-arc withstand options (compliant with IEC 62271-200):
– Basic grade: IAC A-FL (3-sides protection), 12.5 kA 1 s
– Advanced grade: IAC A-FLR (4-sides protection): 12.5 kA 1 s /16 kA 1 s /20 kA 1 s
• Gas exhaust directions: down-wards or upwards exhaust available for different site civil requirements.
2.3 Mechanical, Safety & Environmental Specifications
1. CompoDrive high-endurance operating mechanism, maintenance-free for-life lubrication; anti-rebound operating lever, clear mechanical position indication. 3-position switch (Close / Open / Earth) maintains the same operation habit as legacy SF₆ switchgear.
2. Complete mechanical & electrical interlock chains to prevent mis-operation, multi-point padlock capability for locking operating shafts. Voltage Presence Indication System (VDIS) compliant with IEC 62271-213.
3. Cabinet protection class: Cabinet IP3X; between compartments IP2X; mechanical impact resistance IK08.
Operating ambient (indoor installation):
– Ambient temperature: −5 °C ~ +40 °C (-25 °C permissible with derated mechanical endurance)
– Altitude: ≤1000 m; up to 3000 m permitted with impulse-withstand-voltage derating
– Relative humidity: monthly average ≤90 %; 24-h average ≤95 %
5. Cabinet dimension range: width 375-1500 mm; height 1600-2050 mm; depth 840-1400 mm; all cable terminations are front-accessible, convenient for commissioning and maintenance.
6. Factory pre-tested; supports on-site upgrade: plug-and-play motorization retrofit, adding functional bays without extra civil modification.
2.4 Native Digital & Connectivity Capabilities
Three scalable connectivity tiers for SM AirSeT:
1. SM AirSeT (Base): QR-code access to Digital Logbook, product manuals and documentation repository. Optional add-on sensors.
2. SM AirSeT Active: 24/7 thermal monitoring (TH110), environmental monitoring (CL110), circuit-breaker condition monitoring, cloud gateway access, Digital Logbook. Compatible with EcoStruxure Asset Advisor cloud predictive-maintenance service.
3. SM AirSeT Active Plus: adds partial-discharge monitoring, arc-flash detection, local HMI, edge-control functions, Modbus-TCP / RTU interfaces for SCADA integration, optional remote terminal unit (RTU) for comprehensive local & remote monitoring and alarming.
Supported protection & measuring devices: PowerLogic P1 / P3 / P5, Easergy Sepam series relays; LPCT low-power current transformers, LPVT low-power voltage transformers, Flair fault passage indicators.
Compatible with EcoCare membership service: remote monitoring, electrical-fire-risk index, asset-health-index analytics, condition-based dynamic maintenance recommendations, to cut unplanned downtime risk by up to 75 % and on-site maintenance workload by up to 40 % (statistical experience data, non-contractual).
2.5 Modular Functional Unit Portfolio
Interchangeable cubicle modules to assemble complete MV substations:
1. Switching units: IM / IMC / IMB switch-disconnector; NSM-cables / NSM-busbars for ATS automatic transfer-system.
Protection units:
– Switch-fuse: QM / QMC / QMB / PM
– Vacuum circuit-breaker: DMVL-A / DMVL-D / DMVL-S / DMVL-M / DM2 series (EvoPacT)
3. Metering & measurement: CM / CM2 voltage-transformer cubicles; GBC-A / GBC-B combined CT-VT measuring cubicles.
4. Auxiliary bays: GAM / GAM2 incoming-cable unit; GBM connection unit; GIM intermediate bus unit; SM disconnector; EMB busbar earthing unit; TM auxiliary MV/LV transformer unit etc.
5. BIM 3D models and 2D/3D CAD drawings are available for engineering-design workflow.
Application & Usage Scenarios
Note: SM AirSeT is indoor-oriented switchgear. Outdoor deployment must be housed inside factory-built prefabricated / container-type substation enclosures.
1. Public utility distribution networks: MV/LV transformer substations for municipal power-grid ring-main distribution, incoming & sectionalizing bays, ring-network nodes.
2. Industrial MV distribution substations: manufacturing plants, process industry sites, mining facilities, standby-generator interface and ATS automatic transfer-system applications.
3. Critical-load facilities: data-centers, hospitals, airports, tunnels, large commercial complexes, stadiums, university campuses.
4. Prefabricated outdoor container-type substations: factory-assembled compact secondary substations.
5. Infrastructure projects: rail transit, water-supply pumping stations, renewable-energy collection substations, oil-and-gas facilities.
6. Typical bay functions: transformer-feeders, motor-feeders, incoming bays, bus-section bays, metering bays, ring-network switching bays for AC medium-voltage system up to 24 kV.
