Electrically insulated tethers for transmission line arresters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9755420-B2
Application number	US-201514728112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An electrical transmission system is described herein. The electrical transmission system can include at least one first phase high-voltage conductor. The electrical transmission system can also include an arrester coupled to the at least one first phase high-voltage conductor, where the arrester includes an arrester body and an isolator, where the arrester body includes a top end and a bottom end, where the top end of the arrester is coupled to the at least one first phase high-voltage conductor, and where the bottom end of the arrester body is coupled to the isolator. The electrical transmission system can further include a ground conductor coupled to a bottom end of the isolator of the arrester. The electrical transmission system can also include a tether coupled to the ground conductor, where the tether comprises a distal end, where the distal end of the tether is coupled to the arrester above the isolator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical transmission system, comprising:
at least one first phase high-voltage conductor;
an arrester coupled to the at least one first phase high-voltage conductor, wherein the arrester comprises an arrester body and an isolator, wherein the arrester body comprises a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end of the arrester is coupled to the at least one first phase high-voltage conductor, and wherein the bottom end of the arrester body is coupled to a top portion of the isolator;
a ground conductor coupled to a bottom portion of the isolator of the arrester;
a first tether coupled to the ground conductor, wherein the first tether comprises a first distal end and a first proximal end, wherein the first proximal end of the first tether is coupled to a ground source; and
a second tether comprising a second distal end and a second proximal end, wherein the second proximal end of the second tether is coupled to the first tether, wherein the second distal end of the second tether is coupled to the arrester above the isolator,
wherein at least a portion of the second tether is electrically non-conductive, and
wherein the second tether supports the first tether, the ground conductor, and the bottom portion of the isolator after a fault occurs.

2. The electrical transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the second proximal end of the second tether is coupled to the first distal end of the first tether.

3. The electrical transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the ground conductor has a first length, wherein the first tether has a second length, and wherein the second length is less than the first length.

4. The electrical transmission system of claim 3 , further comprising:
at least one second phase high-voltage conductor disposed a first distance from the at least one first phase high-voltage conductor.

5. The electrical transmission system of claim 4 , wherein a difference between the first length and the second length is less than a second distance between the arrester and the at least one second phase high-voltage conductor.

6. The electrical transmission system of claim 3 , wherein the second tether has at least a third length, wherein the third length is less than the first length.

7. The electrical transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the second tether comprises a coupling portion and an insulating portion, wherein the coupling portion and the insulating portion are mechanically coupled to each other, and wherein the insulating portion is electrically non-conductive.

8. The electrical transmission system of claim 7 , wherein the insulating portion of the second tether comprises at least one insulator.

9. The electrical transmission system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one insulator is designed for use in an electric distribution system.

10. The electrical transmission system of claim 7 , wherein the coupling portion of the second tether is electrically conductive.

11. The electrical transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the second proximal end of the second tether is coupled to the arrester between the arrester body and the isolator.

12. The electrical transmission system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first tether is electrically non-conductive.

13. The electrical transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the isolator comprises an isolator body and a stud disposed on a bottom portion of the isolator body, wherein the ground conductor is mechanically coupled to the stud.

14. The electrical transmission system of claim 13 , wherein the second tether remains coupled to the arrester when the stud is separated from the isolator body.

15. The electrical transmission system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a ground source coupled to the ground conductor, wherein the first proximal end of the first tether is further coupled to the ground source.

16. A tether for a ground source coupled to an arrester, the tether comprising:
a coupling portion comprising a first coupling feature and a second coupling feature, wherein the first coupling feature is configured to couple to the arrester between an arrester body and an isolator of the arrester; and
an insulating portion comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the second coupling feature of the coupling portion, wherein the second end is coupled to an additional tether,
wherein the additional tether is coupled to the ground source,
wherein at least a portion of the insulating portion is electrically non-conductive,
wherein the coupling portion is configured to remain coupled to the insulating portion and the arrester after a fault occurs, and wherein the insulating portion remains coupled to and supports the additional tether and the ground source, and a bottom portion of the isolator of the arrester after a fault occurs.

17. The tether of claim 16 , wherein the ground source comprises a ground conductor, wherein the second end of the insulating portion is coupled to a middle portion of the ground conductor, and wherein the distal end of the ground conductor is coupled to a stud detachably coupled to a distal end of the isolator of the arrester.

18. The tether of claim 16 , wherein the additional tether is coupled to a portion of the ground source.

19. The tether of claim 16 , wherein the first coupling feature of the coupling portion comprises an aperture, wherein the aperture has a bottom end of the arrester disposed therein.

20. The tether of claim 16 , wherein the second coupling feature of the coupling portion comprises an aperture, wherein the aperture has a fastening device disposed therein, wherein the fastening device is further disposed in an additional aperture of first end of the insulating portion.

Assignees

• Smith Timothy Stephen
• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• Smith Timothy Stephen

Classifications

• H01C7/126 Primary

  Means for protecting against excessive pressure or for disconnecting in case of failure · CPC title

• H01H33/00

  High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means · CPC title

• H02H3/22 Primary

  of short duration, e.g. lightning · CPC title