Patent Application
20230019852
The subject of the invention is a flexible multi-wire power supply cable with linear current reception, which guarantees safe contact power supply of mobile electric receivers moving along designated routes, for example, buses (trolley buses), suspended and cable transport carriages, loaders in mines, automatic systems for crop handling and harvest in agriculture, self-propelled cranes, gantry cranes, transport carriages, etc., also under field conditions and in temporary use, for example, at construction sites or on agricultural fields and in orchards.
The commonly used system of contact-based, wired power supply for vehicles, such as tramways, railway engines, trolley buses, metro usually takes place using top, uninsulated power lines, from which power is drawn using pantographs, inclined pantographs or, particularly in the case of trolley buses, using pantographs with contact shoes. Metro systems commonly use the so-called third rail as their power supply. Power supply provided by rigid conductors preceded power supply using flexible power supply lines. Metal pipes with a ca. 20-25 cm diameter, with a slit provided at their bottom, were one of the early forms of overhead power supply systems. The moving vehicle pulled a core moving inside the pipes, to which the vehicle was connected via a flexible cable. A two-pole power supply system provided by two parallel pipes was usually used. The pipes were attached to carrier ropes. The system was developed by Siemens and presented for the first time during the International Exposition of Electricity in Paris, in 1881. Rigid conductors were used for the first time within a national railway network in the city centre line Baltimore Belt Line of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (USA) and was used for a short period of time following electrification in 1895. A Z-shaped metal profile was used as the traction cable, and the engines were provided with special receivers (followed by introduction of the so-called “third rail”). Power supply provided from the overhead lines had to be rather complicated initially, e.g. the system by Charles J. Van Depoele, in which electricity was collected using a trolley encompassing the line with its side rollers (American patent publication US 336453). Despite the fact that such receivers were quickly replaced by newer and more effective designs, they were the origin of one of two American names for tramways—the trolley.
Power supply from overhead lines became much more simple after the discovery of a trolley pole (Frank J. Sprague, used within the tramway line Franklin Street Railway in Richmond, 1888) and a contact pole, e.g. an inclined pole (Bugelstromabnehmer, Werner von Siemens, ca. 1890). A pole with a contact did not have to look like a lyre, it could also be rectangular (e.g. used within the Stockholm—Djursholm line, in three-phase lines—a design with additional frames, they were also used until recently in tramways in Rome). The trolley pole and the contact pole technology were related through a common idea—the contact between the pole and the driving line was to be realized thanks to the flexible design of the pole itself. As we have already mentioned, however, both technologies required different types of overhead lines. The invention of a pantograph, dating back to the early 20th century, seemingly had no significant influence on the shape of the overhead lines adapted to contact poles.
Before it was used within trolleybus lines, the two-pole power supply (two overhead lines) was used in some tramway networks, if the city did not approve power supply rails for the purpose, e.g. In Tokyo, Cincinnati, Havana (two-pole power supply systems). One of the variants included power supply without the so-called “zero” line, e.g. used in the Tábor—Bechyně railway line in Czechia (Frantšek Křižík): with one line operating at +700 V, the other at −700 V.
There are known solutions improving power supply safety of overhead lines and providing the option of using three phase power supply without unnecessary complications to the configuration of the power supply system. For example, the Chinese patent application CN1283493C uses rigid dielectric overhead line screens covering the line on three sides, where a special pole enables three phase supply to be realized using four cables. German patent applications and utility models DE202014102489U1, DE202014102490U1, DE102014107468A1, DE102014107466A, DE202016104836U1 disclose various designs of rigid power lines comprising semi-closed troughs in the form of a rectangular provile pipes, with one side cut along the longitudinal axis of the busbar, or a system of such troughs made of a dielectric material or a metal coated with a dielectric material, with rigid busbars placed inside such troughs, in various layouts.
A German utility model application published as DE925300 discloses electrical line with current collection. The electrical line with current collection is enclosed by a casing with a movable opening for the current collector, characterized in that the line is in the usual design and arrangement, for instance catenary, bus bar, conductor rail or laid and the envelope is designed as an elastic, longitudinally slotted tube.
US patent application US4050555A describes a trolley rail assembly. In particular an extruded plastic housing of indefinite length is disclosed, which contains an electrical conductor bar in a slot extending lengthwise of the housing. The bar is retained in the slot by a pair of ribs integral with the side walls of the slot and extending lengthwise thereof and projecting toward each other. The width of the bar is greater than the space between the ribs, but the housing is so formed that in assembling it and the bar the distance between the ribs can be increased temporarily by pressure of the bar against them to permit it to be moved rearwardly past the ribs, whereby the bar can be inserted from the front or outer side of the slot, thus permitting the use of a single conductor bar regardless of the number of housing units that may be disposed end to end to form the housing.
Japanese utility model application published as JPS5638523U discloses an insulated trolley wire, comprising a conductor for feeding a trolley carriage over the entire length of an elongated body made of an insulator. In particular a conductor for supplying power to one trolley carriage is disclosed, which is provided over the entire length of an elongated main body comprising an insulator, and a rail protruding piece for running a running section of a trolley car. An insulating trolley wire is formed by projecting outwardly over the entire length at upper and lower middle positions on both side surfaces of the main body.
US patent application US4598180A relates to overhead electric traction systems. In an overhead electric traction system according to this publication, an overhead contact wire is enclosed throughout its length within an elongate protective cover of resilient electrically insulating material. The cover is secured to the contact wire, is symmetrical about a longitudinally extending vertical plane passing through the axis of the contact wire and includes a pair of transversely extending base walls which underlie and are spaced from the contact wire and abut in the vertical plane. When engaged by a transversely extending elongate current collector carried by a travelling vehicle, the base walls are deflected upwardly and outwardly away from one another to expose the running surface of the contact wire and permit the current collector to effect electrical contact with and collect current from the contact wire; after passage of the current collector, the base walls return to their original undeflected positions so that the contact wire is again enclosed within the cover.
A German utility model application published as DE29920056U1 relates to a bus bar for 230 Volt current. The bus bar according to this disclosure provides the conductor which is accessible in an elongated plastic profile by two on one side open slots intended in particular lights, held at the rail, characterized by the fact for the electrical connection by electrical consumers, are that lasting in the plastic profile in its longitudinal direction running one or more bendable profiles made of metal are assigned and/or applicable.
A German utility model application published as DE29909467U1 relates to a bus bar. The bus bar has an insulation profile and several electrical conductors arranged inside the insulation profile, each accessible via a longitudinal slot, and with an adapter with two arms to be attached to the insulation profile, which enclose the insulation profile in the form of pliers, and with contact blades which are arranged on the arms and which each engage in one of the slots, characterized in that the insulation profile has a lens-shaped cross section and that the arms of the adapter are articulated to one another in the vicinity of an edge of the insulating profile and can be locked to one another in the vicinity of the other edge of the insulating profile.
All these systems foresee the use of uninsulated, stretched cables or rigid structures, which require appropriate bearing infrastructure to be used, and for safety reasons, imply the use of low voltages (for example, trolleybus power systems commonly use voltages such as 600V or 750V), which result in increased losses and investment costs (large cable cross-sections). The use of three phase power supply systems with significantly lower losses on transformation and simplifying the vehicle installation structure is also very difficult.
Demand for new, flexible power cables ensuring adequate insulation, which could be use in contact-type power supply systems for vehicles, such as tramways, railway engines, trolleybuses, metro vehicles, suspended and line transport carriages still exists in the field, also in field conditions and in temporary use scenarios.
Thus, the objective of this invention was to develop a design for a flexible, multi-wire power supply cable with linear power reception, ensuring insulation, for use in contact-type power supply systems of all kinds of vehicles.
Thus, the objective of this invention includes a flexible multi-wire power supply cable with linear current reception, provided with a flexible screen made of an elastomer with properties typical for an electric insulator, preferably flexible, characterised in that the wires are partially conducting, that is, at parts of the circumference of the cross-section are moulded inside a flexible screen, with an inner separating strip comprising an integral part of the flexible screen between them, the outer surface of which transitions into symmetrical screen strips, which together with the inner separating strip form guiding grooves open at the bottom, providing space for uninsulated parts of conductor wires, characterised in that the screen strips have edges and with said edges are touching without being fixed, along the longitudinal axis of the cable, thus creating a pocket insulating the conductor wires.
The flexible electric conductor used to make the conductor wires is preferably in the form of a twisted rope made of many small wires, preferably covered by a conductor tape.
The screen strips preferably have edges of its cross-section longer than the height of the separating strip.
The separating strip is preferably separated along the longitudinal axis into at least two inner strips touching at the edges of the outer screen strips without being fixed, along the longitudinal axis of the cable, forming two pockets insulating the conductor wires, wherein the outer screen strips (4) swing outwards thus forming outwardly directed pockets to isolate the conductor wires (2) to ensure a side access for the conductor wires (2).
A carrier rope made of steel or of other metals or of polymer fibres or of a mixture thereof with metals or of natural fibres or of a mixture thereof with polymer fibres is preferably moulded inside the flexible screen, above the conductor wires.
A carrier strip made of steel tapes or of other metals or of polymer tapes or of a mixture thereof with metal tapes or of natural fibres or of a mixture thereof with polymer fibres is preferably moulded inside the flexible screen, above the conductor wires.
The flexible screen is preferably formed as a strip with top and bottom surfaces, which smoothly transition into the screen strips, the outer edges of which touch without being fixed, along the lines parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cable, while longitudinal guiding grooves formed as pockets insulating conductor wires are formed between the screen strips and the conductor wires.
Non-through depressions are preferably provided in the bottom surface of the flexible screen, along the longitudinal axis of the cable, placed evenly or unevenly, wherein the distance between such depression is preferably in the range between 5 and 300 mm.
Non-through depressions are preferably provided in the top surface of the flexible screen, along the longitudinal axis of the cable, placed evenly or unevenly, wherein the distance between such depression is preferably in the range between 5 and 300 mm.
The conductor wires are preferably formed as a conductor tape bundle.
The flexible screen is preferably provided in its top part with a fixing strip, the width of the top base B of which is equal to or greater than the width of the bottom base b of the strip.
A carrier rope made of steel or of other metals or of polymer fibres or of a mixture thereof with metals or of natural fibres or of a mixture thereof with polymer fibres is preferably moulded inside the fixing strip of the flexible screen.
The flexible screen is preferably provided with a fixing strip in its top part, with openings provided in the strip, in surfaces lateral to the longitudinal axis of the cable, with the opening formed as through or non-through openings.
Through openings are preferably provided in the flexible screen, between the top and the bottom surfaces, at equal or different distances from each other.
The surface area of the cross-section of through opening is preferably larger on the side of the bottom surface than on the side of the top surface.
A toothed comb structure is preferably provided in the top part of the flexible screen, along the longitudinal axis of the cable.
A fixing groove is preferably provided in the top part of the flexible screen, along the longitudinal axis of the cable, the open, outlet edges of the cross-section of which are more narrow than groove edges located deeper in the flexible screen.
The use of a flexible, multi-wire power supply cable with linear power reception according to the invention shall enable quick construction of safe power supply installations for mobile electric receivers, including temporary solutions, for example trolleybuses, and the use of special pantograph trolleys allows the carrier infrastructure to be simplified radically, it is also possible to use significantly higher voltages and three phase electric power. Such opportunities lower the costs and simplify implementation of electromobile transport solutions, as well as implementation of electromobility in strip mines, at large construction sites and transport lines with lower traffic. The novel solution according to the invention is also intended as a power supply source for some inspection systems including suspended or attached drones.
The subject of the invention is presented in embodiments in the figures, in which:
A flexible, multi-wire power supply cable with linear power reception according to the invention is characterised in that in the flexible screen (1) made of elastomer with properties characterised for electric insulators in which there are partially, namely not along the entire circumference of the cross-section, moulded at least two conductor wire (2) made of electric conductor, preferably of a flexible conductor, for example in the form of a twisted cable made of many wires, preferably wrapped with a conductor tape, between which an inner separating strip (3) comprising an integral part of the flexible screen (1) is located, the outer surface of which transitions into symmetrical screen strips (4), which together with the inner separating strip (3) form guiding grooves (5) open at the bottom, providing a space, inside which the uninsulated parts of the cross-section of conductor wires (2) run, wherein a carrier rope (6) or a carrier strip (7) is moulded inside the flexible screen (1) above the conductor wires (2), made of steel or of other metals or of synthetic or natural fibres, or of a mixture of metal and synthetic fibres, synthetic or other, the separating strips (3) and the screen strips (4) may touch at their outer edges or leave a slit, and additionally, at the bottom surface (9) of the flexible screen (1), along the longitudinal axis of the cable, non-through depressions (10) may be provided in equal or unequal distance from each other, the flexible screen (1) may be provided with a narrowing fixing strip (13) or with a straight fixing strip (14) in its top part, additionally, toothed combs (18) or longitudinal grooves (19) may be provided in the flexible screen, or through openings (16) are provided between the top surface (8) and the bottom surface (9) of the flexible screen (1), in equal or unequal distances from each other, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cable.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PL432150 | Dec 2019 | PL | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2020/061626 | 12/8/2020 | WO |
