Flexible electrical isolation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10992116-B2
Application number	US-202016872062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2020
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

An electrical isolator includes a flexible non-electrically conductive membrane and an inelastic flexible dielectric member journalled in the membrane and extending from the first end of the membrane to the second end of the membrane. First and second couplings are mounted to the ends of the dielectric member. The ends of the membrane are mated in sealed engagement with the couplings so as to fluidically seal the ends of the membrane and the dielectric member within the membrane. The membrane is filled with a dielectric fluid so as to displace any air in the membrane and the dielectric member. The couplings are adapted to couple to objects at opposite ends of the electrical isolator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Method for assembling an isolation link, the method steps comprising:
(a) mounting a flexible membrane having opposite first and second ends around an elongate dielectric flexible member having a plurality of strands and first and second ends, wherein the first end of the flexible member protrudes from the first end of the flexible membrane and the second end of the flexible member protrudes from the second end of the flexible membrane,
(b) mounting a first sealing assembly to the first end of the flexible membrane and a second sealing assembly to the second end of the flexible membrane so as to fluidically seal the first and second ends of the flexible membrane, wherein said first and second sealing assemblies' are adapted to couple to a corresponding socket, each said socket having a bore, and wherein each said bore has an interior surface, a narrow opening and an opposite wide opening, wherein the narrow openings of the sockets are adjacent their respective sealing assembly of said first and second sealing assemblies,
(c) coupling the narrow opening of the first socket to the first sealing assembly and the narrow opening of the second socket to the second sealing assembly,
(d) mounting the first socket to the first end of the flexible member so that the flexible member extends into the bore of the first socket, and mounting the second socket to the second end of the flexible member so that the flexible member extends into the bore of the second socket,
(e) brooming the first and second ends of the flexible member so as to form corresponding first and second broomed strands of the flexible member within the bores of the first and second sockets respectively,
(f) inserting a liquid fixing agent into the first and second broomed strands and the bores of the first and second sockets, so as to substantially fill voids between the rope strands of the first and second broomed strands and between the first and second broomed strands and the inner surface of the bore, and so that the liquid fixing agent is uniformly infiltrated into the narrow ends of the first and second sockets,
(g) then curing the liquid fixing agent to secure the first and second broomed strands within the first and second bores respectively,
(h) mounting a first coupler to the wide end of the first socket and a second coupler to the wide end of the second socket, and
(i) filling the flexible membrane with dielectric fluid so as to displace any air within the flexible membrane and flexible member.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bore is frustoconical.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bore has a cone angle of substantially 14 degrees.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a ratio of the fixing agent to a volume of the first and second broomed strands in respectively the first and second bores is in substantially the range of between one and two.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the ratio is between one and three.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second sealing assemblies include hose fittings.

7. A method of assembling an isolation device for use in repair or replacement of energized power lines and components associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) locating a first distal end portion of a dielectric rope in a first socket so that at least a length of the first distal end portion of the rope resides within a cavity of the first socket;
(b) locating a non-porous, non-rigid tube over a length of the dielectric rope, the tube extending up to a first, narrow end of the first socket cavity;
(c) coupling at least a first distal end portion of the tube to the first, narrow end of the first socket cavity,
(d) using liquid-to-solid resin, setting the first distal end portion of the rope within the first socket cavity so as to prevent movement of the first distal end portion of the rope within and along the longitudinal axis of the first socket cavity;
(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) for coupling at least a second distal end portion of the tube to a corresponding second socket and, using liquid-to-solid resin, setting a second distal end portion of the rope within a cavity of the second socket;
(f) filling the tube with a dielectric fluid so as to displace any air in the tube and the dielectric rope.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising brooming out the first and second distal end portions of the rope prior to their location in the first and second socket cavities respectively.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cavities of the first and second sockets are frustoconical and have cone angles of substantially 14 degrees.

10. An electrical isolation device comprising:
a dielectric rope having first and second distal ends at opposite ends thereof,
first and second sockets for receiving the first and second distal ends of the rope within their respective socket cavities, each socket cavity having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the wide end of each socket cavity is adjacent the respective first and second distal ends of the rope when the rope is received within the socket cavities of the first and second sockets,
a non-porous, non-rigid tube extending over a length of the dielectric rope, the tube extending at least up to the narrow end of each of the first and second socket cavities,
first and second couplers located at about the narrow ends of the first and second socket cavities for coupling at least the first and second distal ends of the rope to their respective first and second sockets,
wherein leakage of a dielectric fluid contained within the tube is prevented by the first and second couplers and resin setting of the first and second distal ends of the rope within their respective socket cavities, and
wherein the tube when filled with dielectric fluid is filled so as to displace any air in the tube and dielectric rope.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the first and second couplers each include hose fittings.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the hose fittings each include internal and external portions, and wherein the internal and external portions of the hose fittings sandwich an end of the tube there between.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein each of the internal portions has a base, and wherein each of the bases of the internal portions of the hose fittings mate against, in fluid communication with, their respective socket cavities.

14. The device of claim 10 wherein the rope and the tube are mounted to their corresponding coupler so that a tensile load applied to the couplers tensions the rope with substantially the entire tensile load without substantially tensioning the tube with the tensile load.

15. The device of claim 10 wherein each socket cavity is frustoconical.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein each socket cavity has a cone angle of substantially 14 degrees.

17. An electrical isolator comprising:
an elongate flexible dielectric member encased in a corresponding length of flexible dielectric tubing filled with dielectric fluid;
wherein the opposite ends of the tubing and member are sealed to provide a fluid seal; and
wherein the tubing is filled with dielectric fluid so as to displace any air in the tubing and dielectric member.

Assignees

• Quanta Associates Lp

Inventors

• Wabnegger David Karl
• Palmer Robert Wayne
• Greer Jody Milton
• O'Connell Daniel Neil
• Jodoin Raymond Henry
• Trip Ian Edward
• Boudreau Michael Howard

Classifications

• H02G1/04 Primary

  for mounting or stretching · CPC title

• H02G7/20

  Spatial arrangements or dispositions of lines or cables on poles, posts or towers · CPC title

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title