SIQuench®

Arc quenching device

for medium-voltage switchgear
"Protection beyond the ­standards"

siemens.com/siquench
SIQuench

The occurrence of an internal arc fault in a well-designed, type-tested, correctly installed and operated switchgear
is improbable – but not impossible – mostly linked to human-related errors or environmental causes. The safety
risk is only one aspect of arc faults. The damage to equipment causing power supply and process disturbance may
lead to substantial costs, in the order of millions of euros per incident. In the case of occupational incidents, the
total costs may be even higher due to medical and legal expenses. Said catastrophic effects could be mitigated
through acting on the arc itself by limiting its duration.

SIQuench is an active arc effect mitigating system by

Siemens, quenching the internal arc in sub-cycle times.
It dramatically reduces pressure and avoids thermal,
contamination and toxicity effects which are damaging
the equipment with its surroundings. In the event of an
internal arc fault it minimizes the duration of downtime
for operations resulting in drastically reduced economic
losses.

Fig. 1
Powerbox with primary switching units

Benefits

Highly increased equipment and process Reliability through consistency!

availability is at the core! • Continuous self-supervision of the system alarming
• Minimizes the damage within the switchgear due on any faulty condition
to reduced arc energy and pressure • Capable to switch 30 times without load for testing/
• Possibility of restoring service rapidly, leading to commissioning purposes without the need for
minimized service outages replacement
• Contains no explosive medium as energy storage for
switching operations

Reduced OPEX through Safety excellence requires more than

cost-efficient measures! just following the compliance!
• Minimized repair costs – The faulty functional • Being a state-of-the-art solution in the range of
unit of the switchgear can be used again proactive safety measures available, it takes the
• The surroundings are fully protected from switchgear to an another level going beyond the
contamination and toxicity effects also safety set by the standards
eliminating related cleaning costs • Improves safety also for maintenance maneuvers
• Reusable – Capable to switch 5 times without the • Prevents the emission of toxic gases after an internal
need for replacement arc fault which have severe respiratory distress effects
• Maintenance-free for 20 years on human beings

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 The value received =
reliability + capability + functionality + availability + maintainability

The system works in conjunction with an arc protection SIQuench is reusable up to its permissible switching duties:
relay to rapidly and reliably detect the ignition of an • Capable of switching 5 times at the full rated short-time
internal arc via continuous monitoring of light and withstand current (with peak withstand current)
­overcurrent – the standard characteristics of an arc that • Capable of switching 30 times without load for testing /
make it detectable. Upon detection of an internal arc, commissioning purposes
the arc protection relay simultaneously sends a trip signal
to the main circuit-breaker and a trigger signal to the SIQuench is maintenance-free for 20 years and capable
controller of the SIQuench. of serving for 30 years with maintenance at the end of the
given maintenance-free period.
The enhanced arc effects mitigation functionality provided
by SIQuench is achieved by consciously and rapidly closing
the main current path of the switchgear to earth via
dedicated phase-wise primary switching devices – creating Energy (I²t - kA²s)
a lower-impedance current path to the fault current – Cable catches fire
and transforming the open arc into a controlled 3-phase
Copper catches fire
metallic short circuit. Continuous self-supervision
­maximizes the reliability of the system. Steel catches fire

It is capable of extinguishing the arc fault in less than

5 ms* – long before the pressure peak, and before the
arc can cause any significant damage.

Final clearance of the dead short circuit provided by the

SIQuench is done by tripping the main circuit-breaker. 0 50 100 150 200 250 Time (ms)

The damage to the switchgear is limited to an insignificant Fig. 2 Damage caused by incident arc energy
level and wholly avoided for the direct surroundings. This
leads to an extreme reduction of repair costs along with
absolute elimination of switchgear room and surroundings Pressure (kPa)
cleaning costs. The switchgear can be restored back to 160
operation within minimum maintenance time, meaning 140
an incredible boost in system and process availability. 120
The system needs no replacement after an arc fault.
100

Oil is the insulating medium with a set of strengths 80

perfectly matching the SIQuench application. Operated by a 60
manually charged disc spring mechanism and a latch device
40
actuated by an electromagnetic solenoid, the switching
process is reversible. 20

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Time (ms)
ttrip < 5ms (starting from ignition of the arc)

Fig. 3 Sample pressure curve in a compartment for an internal arc

fault current of 80 kA (peak) / 31.5 kA (rms)

* From arc ignition to closing of the quenching device

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 Internal arc classified switchgear with SIQuench Internal arc classified switchgear without SIQuench

Fig. 4 Condition of a 12 kV NXAIR cable compartment after an internal arcing test with a fault current
of 80 kA (peak) / 31.5 kA (r.m.s.), with arc ignition inside the cable compartment

lllustration of the system integration in an exemplary arc protection application

(one incoming feeder with single protection zone)

Protected Light signal

area
Current input
Overcurrent
CB
pickup CB trip signal
Trip 2
SIQuench SIQuench Arc flash Light
SIQuench
controller relay sensor
trigger signal

CB
Trip 1

Busbar
compart-
ment

Switching –
device
compartment

Cable
compartment

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SIQuench is available as a complete solution integrated into type-tested, internal arc classified, medium-voltage
switchgear type NXAIR, rated up to 17.5 kV, 50 kA, 4000 A.

There are two versions available for the point of installation:

In busbar compartment of NXAIR, In switching-device compartment of NXAIR,

fixed-mounted withdrawable
• Possible in 600 mm and 800 mm panel widths • Possible in 800 mm panel width
• Can be integrated into any functional unit** • Easy access to SIQuench without
isolating the busbar

** F
 unctional units having busbar components
(e.g. VTs, busbar earthing switch, ventilation box...)
are out of this scope

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Published by
Siemens AG 2019
Energy Management
Medium Voltage & Systems
Mozartstraße 31 C
91052 Erlangen, Germany
For further information, please contact
our Customer Support Center:
Phone: +49 180 524 70 00
Fax: +49 180 524 24 71
E-mail: [email protected]
siemens.com/siquench
Article No. EMMS-B10128-00-7600
Printed in Germany
Dispo 30400
PU 184/004613 0219 0.6
Subject to changes and errors. The information given in this document
only contains general descriptions and/or performance features which
may not always specifically reflect those described, or which may
undergo modification in the course of further development of the
products. The requested performance features are binding only when
they are expressly agreed upon in the concluded contract.