US3510569A

US3510569A - Connector for bundled conductors

Info

Publication number: US3510569A
Application number: US749359A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene Gorin
Original assignee: ITE Imperial Corp
Current assignee: ABB Inc USA
Priority date: 1968-08-01
Filing date: 1968-08-01
Publication date: 1970-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 1987-05-05

Description

ay-S, 1970 E. GORIN 3,510,569

' CONNECTOR FOR BUNDLED CONDUCTORS Filed Aug. 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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1N VENTOR. 06E/l/f 60/77 B Y arr-2045,14; @556, G525 {14m My 5, 1970 E. GORIN 351G569 CONNECTOR FOR BUNDLED CONDUGTORS Filed Aug. 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,510,569 CONNECTOR FOR BUNDLED CONDUCTORS Eugene Gorin, Greensburg, Pa., assignor to I-T-E Imperial Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., :1 corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 749,359

Int. Cl. H02g U.S. Cl. 174-70 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to equipment employed in extra high voltage transmission and distribution and more particularly to a novel connector for use with multiconductor bus to provide a support and rigidity thereto as well as providing for simplified connection with other electrical equipment.

The greater demands for power and more efiicient distribution have led the electrical industry to ever increasing use of equipment enabling transmission and distribution of power at significantly higher operating voltages. Operating equipment in the extra high voltage range (commonly referred to as EHV) has led to the need for providing connecting means for multiconductor bus employed in EHV transmission, which connecting means provides rigidity, supporting strength and simplicity in coupling between multiconductor bus and associated electrical equipment. The development of bundle conductors, also referred to as multiconductor bus, has been developed as a means for reducing corona in an effort to obtain reduction of corona. A new connector has been developed which has a simplicity of design greatly facilitating its use with multiconductor bus as well as having a configuration which provides the structure with a very high corona inception level.

The connector is comprised of two hollow shells having a large radius of curvature to facilitate a reduction in corona inception. The shells are welded between a pair of multibus conductors to provide for rigid support and electrical connection therebetween. At least one of the shells is provided with a cylindrical projection for connection to a cylindrical-shaped conductor for coupling to associated electrical equipment. A pair of such units may be employed in conjunction with a cylindrical conductor welded to each of the pair of conductors for creating rigid support from multiple semi-rigid conductors. The cylindrical-shaped conductor may then be employed to establish an electrical connection between another multi- ICC bus conductor, the jaw structure of a disconnect switch or a single conductor terminal. In the case of multiple strain bus, the strain conductor may be encapsulated in compression terminals which are then welded in the same Way as tubular conductors to provide an effective expansion terminal for bundle conductor assemblies.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a novel connector for use with multiconductor bus which provides rigid support for associated electrical equipment attached thereto and whose design afiords the device a very high corona inception level.

This, as well as other objects of the present invention will become apparent when reading the accompanying description and drawings in which:

FIGS. la and 1b are front and side elevational views, each partially sectionalized, showing a connector for bundle conductors designed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2a is a perspective view showing the connectors of the type shown in FIG. 1 employed as an expansion terminal.

FIG. 2b shows a partial section of the embodiment of FIG. 2a taken along the lines Zb-Zb'.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the connectors of the present invention may be employed to provide a tap-off between a pair of multiconductor buses.

FIGS. la and 1b show a connector assembly 10 for multiconductor bus which is comprised of four tubular bundle conductors 11-14 which alternatively may be cable bundle conductors. The cross-sectional areas of the conductors 11-14 are determined by the desired current density and the span in a given application. The connector assembly is comprised of a pair of

connectors

15 and 16 which are substantially identical in design and operation. The connector 15, for example, is comprised of first and second hollow

metallic shells

15a and 15b which are welded to the

conductors

11 and 12, as shown by the exposed weld 17. The interior portion defined by

sections

15a and 15b is hollow, providing openings 18 at each end thereof. In the alignment shown in FIG. 1a, the lower section 15b is provided with drain holes 19 (only one of which is shown) to prevent the accumulation of moisture or water within the hollow interior.

Connector section 15b has either welded thereto or integrally formed therewith a hollow cylindrical-shaped collar 20 for receving a tubular conductive member 21 which is securely welded to collar 20.

Connector 16 has its sections 16a and 16b welded in a similar fashion and differs from connector 15 by being provided with an opening in section 16a to permit the passage therethrough of tubular conductor 21 which is welded to section 16a and shown at 22, as well as being welded to the collar 23, forming an integral part of connector section 1611. Section 16b is likewise provided with drain holes 19 to facilitate removal of any moisture or water collected within the hollow interior 24.

The welded structure 10 of FIGS. 10 and lb creates rigid support from the multiple semi-rigid conductors 11-14, and thereby is capable of mounting in a very rigid fashion the jaw structure 25, for example, ofa vertical reach switch whose remaining structure has not been described herein for purposes of simplicity and which may be of the type described in issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,333.

The jaw structure 25 of the vertical reach switch is comprised of a jaw casting 26 field welded to conductor 21 and having a pair of brackets 27 (only one of which is shown) for securing a corona shield 28 thereto (only one of the corona shields being shown in FIG. 112). Also secured to the jaw casting is a disconnect switch jaw structure 29 for use with a vertical reach disconnect switch which may, for example, be of the type described in the above-mentioned patent. The details of the jaw structure have been omitted for purposes of simplicity. Suitable jaw structures are described in issued U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,312,796, 3,009,995 and 3,388,225. Other jaw structures may be employed if desired, depending only upon the needs of the user. The distinct advantage of the connector structure described herein in conjunction with the jaw structure enables alignment of the jaw structure to cooperate with the vertical reach switch blade in such a manner that the overhead multiconductor bus may. be aligned either perpendicular to or substantially within the plane of rotation of the vertical reach switch blade.

The outer surfaces of the connector devices have a large radius of curvature to provide a high corona inception level and the manner of their connection in the assembly shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b provide a very rigid support for the jaw structure due to the bracing manner of connection in which all of the conductors 11-14 are firmly fixed in position relative to one another.

FIGS. 2a and 2b show another application of the connector device for use with multiple strain bus. In the assembly 30 of FIGS. 2a and 2b, the connector is again comprised of two

curved sections

15a and 15b welded to a pair of

tubular conductors

31 and 32, for example, as shown by the welds 33. The multiconductor bus comprised of conductors 11-14 is terminated by

curved bus sections

34 and 35 which are integrally joined with conductors 11-12 and 13-14, respectively. The

tubular conductors

31 and 32 are welded to the multibus conductors 11-12 and 13-14, respectively, for example, by the weld 36 shown coupling tubular strain conductor 31 to conductor 11.

FIG. 2b shows rigid conductor 38 terminated (welded or bolted joint) with a laminated or flexible conductor loop 37. One end 40 of 100p 37 is welded (or bolted) to the inside surface of the shell 15a. Conductor 38 is free to slide through collar 20. This arrangement forms an expansion electrical joint from multiple conductor 11-14 to a single conductor 38 which conductor is well shielded against the eifect of corona. The right-hand end of tubular conductor 38 is machined or otherwise formed to provide a terminal pad 39, having a plurality of openings 41 for coupling the multiconductor bus to associated electrical equipment or for terminating the end of the bus run, for example. The laminated conductor 37 is free to flex in the horizontal direction in order to compensate for thermal expansion or deflection due to the. strain imposed upon the structure due to the pull or weight of the multiconductor bus assembly and the associated electrical equipment (not shown) coupled to the terminal pad 39. This freedom of flexing is assured by providing sufficient clearance between tubular conductor 38 and cylindrical collar to permit relative movement therebetween.

FIG. 3 shows another application of the connector structure for use in cases where it is desired to provide an electrical connection between two multiconductor buses. As shown therein, the

assemblies

10 and 10 are substantially identical to the connector assembly 10 of FIGS. la and lb and are distinguished from one another only by the primes associated with the designating numerals. The upper assembly 10 is coupled to the lower assembly 10' by means of the elongated tubular conductor 21 which not only serves to electrically connect the two assemblies, but further serves to maintain the assemblies in a fixed spatial relationship. The individual connecting assemblies 10 and 10' further serve to maintain the conductors of their associated multiconductor buses in fixed spatial relationship as well as providing a "rigid support between the two assemblies through the medium of the semi-rigid conductors. The characteristic of the assembly enables connection between multiconductor buses to be made regardless of the angle between the buses. For example, the two bus runs may be Substantially parallel to one another or normal to one another, or may assume any other angle therebetween so long as the connectors are aligned to maintain the tubular conductor 21 to be colinear with the openings provided in each of the connector devices.

It can be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides a novel, easy to use, connector device which is simple in 'design and which provides extremely rigid support for associated electrical equipment to be connected to multiconductor bus assemblies and whose physical configuration provides a high corona inception level and further has a large heat dissipating surface area and therefore a higher current carrying capacity in rela tionship to the relatively light cross-sections.

What is claimed is:

1. Connector means in combination with multiconductor bus used in high voltage applications and being comprised of a plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel fashion, said means being comprised of:

first and second convex shapedthin shell sections formed of conductive material;

two opposite edges of each of said sections being substantially parallel;

the straight edgesof said sections each being joined to associated conductors to form a hollow connecting structure Whose curved sections afford a large heat dissipation surface area and have a smooth outer contourof large radius of curvature, said contour extending between the joined conductors to significantly reduce the formation of corona even at high voltages.

2. The connector means of claim 1 wherein one of said sections is provided with a centrally located opening;

a conductive collar extending outwardly from said opening for receiving a tubular conductor to couple associated electrical equipment thereto.

- 3. A connector assembly comprising first and second connector means of the type described in claim 1;

one section of each of said first and second connector means having a centrally located opening;

a conductor collar coupled to one section of each of said first and second connector means and extending outwardly from its associated opening;

the remaining section of said second connector means having a centrally located opening aligned with the openings of said one section of said first and second connector means;

an elongated tubular conductor extending through'all of the above-mentioned openings in said first and second connector means and being joined thereto for electrically connecting and rigidly supporting associated electrical equipment to said multiconductor bus.

4. Connector means for providing a strain connection between multiconductor bus and terminal pad, said bus being comprised of at least four conductors arranged in .spaced parallel fashion;

a first bridging conductor being joined between said first and second conductors;

a second bridging conductor being joined between said third and fourth conductors;

said first and'second bridging conductors being arranged in spaced parallel fashion;

said connector means being comprised of first and second convex shaped thin conductive sections each having a pair of straight edges joined to said first'and second bridging conductors along said straight edges to form a hollow connector assembly;

at least one of said sections having a centrally located opening; a conductor collar being joined to said one section and surrounding said opening;

a flexible conductor being mounted Within said hollow connector assembly;

a tubular conductor having a first end extending through said collar and said opeining and being joined to an adjacent portion of said flexible conductor to alleviate strain imposed upon the connector assembly;

the opposite end of said tubular conductor being adapted for connection to associated electrical equipment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,291,892 12/1966 Bethea 174-146 X FOREIGN PATENTS 226,302 3/1963 Austria.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.