In high-voltage transmission power lines, corona and radio interference are typical phenomena acting on the power line hardware. Corona, which is an electrical discharge brought on by the ionization of a fluid (e.g., air) surrounding an electrically-charged conductor, generally occurs when the electric field around a conductor is high enough to form a conductive region, but not high enough to cause electrical breakdown or arcing to nearby objects. Radio interference (also called electromagnetic interference) is the conduction or radiation of a radio frequency energy that may disrupt or interfere with electromagnetic waves of the same wavelength. If not controlled, it poses serious electromagnetic interference to the system and its vicinity.
In a typical power transmission system with suspended power lines, hardware is included to suspend the conductor in the air and an insulator to insulate the conductor from the transmission tower (which may include a pole or a lattice tower, for example). The insulator is generally made of porcelain, glass, or another suitable material such as a composite polymer. The hardware supporting the insulator and coupling the insulator to the transmission power lines is typically made of aluminum, iron, or steel.
One or more corona rings (which may also be called anti-corona rings) may be included at or near the end of the insulator closest to the transmission power lines. The corona rings may, when exposed to a high voltage, distribute the electric field gradient such that the maximum of the electric field gradient is lowered, for example to a level below the corona threshold to prevent corona discharge. The corona rings may prevent electrical overstress in the insulating materials and may prevent deterioration of the insulating materials over time.
One disadvantage of currently-known hardware coupling or otherwise securing the insulator to a corona ring is the ability of the corona ring to be installed upside-down or in another improper orientation by an inexperienced technician. The improper installation of a corona ring may limit its effectiveness and cause the insulator to become electrically overstressed and/or cause the insulative materials to deteriorate over time.
In one general aspect, the present disclosure provides a fitting for a power transmission system. The fitting may include a first end configured to couple to an end of an insulator, a second end configured to couple to a power line, a collar located between the first end and the second end, and a neck located between the collar and the first end. An outer diameter of the collar may be greater than an outer diameter of the neck.
The collar may include a notch adjacent to the neck. The notch may include a diameter being greater than the outer diameter of the neck, and the diameter of the notch may be less than the outer diameter of the collar.
The collar may be configured to couple to a socket of a corona ring. The collar may include an oblate spheroid. At least one grip element may be configured such that it can tighten around the collar of the fitting to secure the fitting with respect to the corona ring assembly.
The first end of the fitting may include a socket eye configured to receive an end of the insulator. The second end of the fitting may have a Y-clevis configured to attach to a yoke plate, and the yoke plate may be coupled to the power line.
In another general aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for supporting at least one transmission power line. The system may include a fitting having a first end configured to couple to an end of an insulator, a second end configured to couple to a power line, a collar located between the first end and the second end, and a neck located between the collar and the first end. The system may further include a corona ring assembly having a corona ring, a clamp seat coupled to the corona ring, and at least one grip element, where the clamp seat and the at least one grip element form a socket for receiving the collar of the fitting.
The collar may include a first side and a second side, the first side having a notch, and the notch being adjacent to the neck. The at least one grip element may include a first diameter for receiving the first side of the collar. The clamp seat may have a receiving channel with a second diameter for receiving the second side of the collar. The first diameter may be larger than the second diameter. The first diameter may be larger than a diameter of the notch, and the second diameter may be smaller than the diameter of the notch. The first diameter and the second diameter may be smaller than a maximum diameter of the collar.
The notch may include a diameter being greater than an outer diameter of the neck, and the diameter of the notch may be less than an outer diameter of the collar. The collar may include an oblate spheroid. The at least one grip element may include a first grip element and a second grip element that are pivotally mounted to the clamp seat.
The first end of the fitting may include a socket eye configured to receive an end of the insulator. The second end of the fitting may include a Y-clevis configured to attach to a yoke plate. The system may include a second fitting and a yoke plate, where the first fitting and the second fitting are coupled to the yoke plate in a V configuration.
The present embodiments may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating certain principles.
Referring to
As shown in
The collar 336 may include a first side 342 and an opposite second side 344. The first side may be located adjacent to the neck 338. As depicted, the first side 342 of the collar 336 may include a notch 346. The notch 346 may be generally cylindrical in shape (although it is not limited to this shape), and may have a maximum diameter that is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the collar 336 but larger than the maximum diameter of the neck 338. The notch 346 may further extend a distance (which may be referred to herein as its “height”) from the oblate spheroid or other shape of the collar 336. The height of the notch 346 may be from about 1/32 inch to about 3 inches, such as from about ⅛ inch to about 1 inch.
The embodiments of the fitting described herein may be advantageous at least for ensuring that a corona ring is installed in the correct orientation with respect to other components associated with transmission lines, which may reduce technician exposure to dangerous conditions and provide high effectiveness the power transmission system. The described fittings may additionally ensure proper spacing between the insulator, the corona ring, and/or the associated electrically-charged hardware. These embodiments may also be provide simple, efficient, and effective installation and/or maintenance and may be relatively simple to manufacture. Further, the durability and longevity of the embodiments described herein may exceed those of previously-known systems.
With respect to the embodiments described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/398,918, entitled “FITTING WITH A COLLAR FOR A POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM,” and filed Sep. 23, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
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