Grounding structure, method of assembling a grounding structure, and gas-insulated power line

Abstract

A grounding structure (60) includes a grounding guide (610) defining a guide hole (617) and a grounding support (620) secured to the grounding guide (610) and defining a cavity (622) for receiving a grounding contact (640). The grounding contact (640) is disposed within the cavity (622) and protrudes through the guide hole (617) in the grounding guide (610). The grounding contact (640) is movable along a wall of the cavity (622) by a grounding spring (630) received in the cavity (622) to enable adaptive adjustment of a mounting position. The grounding structure (60) can be pre-assembled in an accurate and efficient manner to avoid damage to components therein, thereby improving reliability and safety of the grounding structure (60) and gas insulated equipment using the grounding structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to the field of gas-insulated equipment / subsystems of gas-insulated systems, and more specifically to grounding structures and gas-insulated transmission lines including grounding structures. Additionally, this disclosure relates to methods for assembling grounding structures. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of high-voltage power transmission, gas-insulated equipment in gas-insulated systems, such as gas-insulated transmission lines (GIL) or gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear (GIS), is playing an increasingly important role. Gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear consists of compact, metal-encased switchgear containing high-voltage components such as circuit breakers and disconnectors, which can operate safely within a confined space. Gas-insulated transmission lines typically consist of a hollow cylindrical shell, internal conductors housed within the shell, and a compressed gas, such as sulfur hexafluoride or the like, within the shell to electrically insulate the conductors from the shell. The insulator is housed within the shell and supports the conductors therein. The insulator is in contact with the shell through a grounding structure, ensuring reliable grounding.

[0003] In conventional solutions, the grounding structure between the insulator and the shell is achieved through grounding contacts and a grounding spring. For example, CN106024222B describes such a grounding structure, which includes grounding contacts, a grounding spring, and a floating portion for mounting the grounding contacts and the grounding spring. However, in such conventional solutions, the contact force of the grounding contacts is unstable because the two ends of the grounding spring are connected to the grounding contacts and the insulator, and therefore the compression of the grounding spring is affected by the machining accuracy of related components such as the insulator and the shell. Furthermore, there is a risk of the grounding spring twisting and tilting when the grounding structure slides within the shell. Additionally, since the grounding contacts, grounding spring, and floating portion are not pre-assembled, the grounding contacts and grounding spring may fall off during assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, this disclosure aims to provide an improved grounding structure that can be assembled in a simple manner and ensures reliable grounding function.

[0005] In one aspect of this disclosure, a grounding structure is provided. The grounding structure includes a grounding guide and a grounding support. The grounding guide defines a guide hole, and the grounding support is fixed to the grounding guide and defines a cavity for receiving a grounding contact. The grounding contact is disposed in the cavity and protrudes through the guide hole in the grounding guide. The grounding contact is movable along the wall of the cavity by a grounding spring received within the cavity to achieve adaptive adjustment of the installation position.

[0006] The solution disclosed herein allows the grounding support and grounding guide to be pre-assembled as sub-assemblies, simplifying assembly. The grounding spring and grounding contact are housed within the cavity of the grounding support to ensure that the compression of the grounding spring is affected only by the dimensional accuracy of the sub-assembly, guaranteeing reliable contact. Furthermore, since the grounding support and grounding guide are fixed together, the sub-assembly rotates synchronously with the grounding guide, preventing twisting and tilting of the grounding spring.

[0007] Based on the foregoing technical concept, this disclosure may also include any or more of the following optional embodiments.

[0008] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding guide is constructed as a cylindrical body having an open end for receiving a grounding support within the cylindrical body and a contact end having a guide hole. The grounding guide is movable by means of a support spring that engages with the inner surface of the contact end and is arranged in series with a grounding spring.

[0009] In this way, when the grounding structure is applied to gas-insulated equipment such as gas-insulated transmission lines, the support springs are arranged in series with the grounding springs and engage with the grounding guides (and thus with the sub-assemblies), thus ensuring reliable contact between the sub-assemblies and the inner surface of the gas-insulated transmission line housing.

[0010] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding support is secured to the inner surface of the contact end of the grounding guide by means of fasteners.

[0011] In some alternative implementations, the grounding guide has a spacer ring that is fitted onto a fastener.

[0012] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding support has two cavities arranged symmetrically along the central axis of the grounding guide, and the grounding guide has two guide holes at the contact end. Each guide hole includes an annular rib extending radially inward from its edge to limit the grounding contact.

[0013] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding guide has a groove on the outer surface of the contact end for collecting metal particles, and a guide hole is arranged in the groove.

[0014] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding guide has orifices on the wall of the cylindrical body for releasing gas from the grounding structure.

[0015] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding support is provided with an annular flange extending parallel to the inner surface of the contact end, and the support spring is configured to engage with the annular flange.

[0016] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding support has holes on the wall of the cavity for releasing gas from the grounding structure.

[0017] In some alternative implementations, the grounding structure is assembled into a gas-insulated system.

[0018] In some alternative implementations, the grounding structure can be operated to convert the floating potential of the gas-insulated system using the grounding structure into a ground potential.

[0019] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a gas-insulated transmission line is provided. The gas-insulated transmission line includes a housing, an insulator disposed within the housing, and a grounding structure according to the above aspects. The grounding structure is pre-assembled by fixing a grounding support to a grounding guide before being installed onto the insulator, and the grounding guide is adapted to move radially along the gas-insulated transmission line to contact the housing.

[0020] In some alternative embodiments, the grounding guide can be moved by means of a support spring arranged in series with the grounding spring in the grounding support and engaged between the grounding guide and the insulator.

[0021] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for assembling a grounding structure is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a grounding guide having a guide hole; providing a grounding support having a cavity; providing a grounding contact and a grounding spring; placing the grounding contact and the grounding spring within the cavity to allow for adaptive adjustment of the installation position of the grounding contact via the grounding spring; and securing the grounding support to the grounding guide to form a pre-assembled sub-assembly in which the grounding contact protrudes through the guide hole.

[0022] In some alternative embodiments, the pre-assembled sub-assembly is adapted to be arranged on the insulator of the gas-insulated transmission line, wherein the support spring engages between the insulator and the grounding guide and is arranged in series with the grounding spring in the grounding support.

[0023] According to this disclosure, the grounding structure can be pre-assembled in an accurate and effective manner to avoid damage to its components, thereby improving the reliability and safety of the grounding structure and the gas-insulated equipment using the grounding structure therein.

[0024] These and other aspects of this disclosure will become apparent and elucidated by referring to the embodiments described below. Attached Figure Description

[0025] For the purposes of understanding this disclosure, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts.

[0026] Figure 1It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a grounding structure applied to gas-insulated transmission lines according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view of a grounding structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows a schematic plan view of the grounding structure.

[0029] Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the grounding structure taken from the AA line;

[0030] Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the grounding structure taken from the BB line in the diagram;

[0031] Figure 6 It is illustrated along Figure 3 A schematic perspective view of the grounding structure where the AA line is cut off and the supporting spring is removed; and

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the steps of a method for assembling a grounding structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Although this disclosure may be readily implemented in different forms, specific embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood that this disclosure is to be regarded as an example of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the forms described below. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the features disclosed herein may be combined to form additional combinations, which are not shown for the purpose of brevity.

[0034] When describing the structural positions of various components, such as directions like up, down, top, and bottom, these descriptions are not absolute but relative. These directional descriptions are appropriate when the components are arranged as shown in the figure, but they will change accordingly when the positions of the components in the figure change.

[0035] In this disclosure, the term "inner" refers to the direction toward the inside of the gas-insulated device, and the term "outer" refers to the direction toward the outside of the gas-insulated device.

[0036] As mentioned above, if conventional grounding structures are applied to gas-insulated transmission lines, numerous problems arise regarding the grounding structure between the insulator and the shell of the gas-insulated transmission line. This disclosure aims to provide an improved grounding structure. Referring now to… Figures 1 to 6This document describes grounding structures and some exemplary embodiments of gas-insulated transmission lines including grounding structures. It should be understood that the grounding structures of this disclosure can be assembled in gas-insulated systems and can be used in any gas-insulated equipment / subsystem other than gas-insulated transmission lines. Although gas-insulated transmission lines are described herein, the grounding structures of this disclosure can also be used in gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear, etc.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the gas-insulated transmission line 1 generally comprises an elongated cylindrical housing 10 and an elongated conductor (not shown) disposed within the housing. An insulator 20 is disposed within the housing 10 and supports the conductor. The insulator 20 includes at least one support leg extending in a radial direction R and is typically constructed of an epoxy resin casting and a metal insert 40 disposed at the end of the support leg. A particle trap 30 is fixed to the metal insert 40 by fasteners 50 and can be electrically connected to the housing 10 by means of a grounding structure 60 to form a metal particle trap at the same potential as the housing 10 to collect foreign objects such as metal debris from the housing 10. It should be understood that without the grounding structure 60, some components in the housing 10 would be at a floating potential, while the grounding structure 60 is operable to convert the floating potential to a ground potential to ensure the proper use of the gas-insulated equipment and the safety of persons and property.

[0038] According to this disclosure, the grounding structure 60 is disposed between the housing 10 and the insulator 20 (more specifically, the metal insert 40 of the insulator 20). See reference... Figures 1 to 6 The grounding structure 60 includes a grounding guide 610 and a grounding support 620. The grounding guide 610 defines a guide hole 617, and the grounding support 620 is fixed to the grounding guide 610 and defines a cavity 622 for receiving a grounding contact 640. The grounding contact 640 is arranged in the cavity 622 and protrudes through the guide hole 617 on the grounding guide 610. In this way, when... Figure 1 When the grounding structure 60 is applied in the gas-insulated transmission line 1 as shown, the grounding contact 640 can be moved along the wall of the cavity 622 by the grounding spring 630 housed in the cavity 622 to achieve adaptive adjustment of the installation position, so that the grounding contact 640 can maintain contact with the inner surface of the housing 10.

[0039] In some embodiments, the grounding guide 610 is constructed as a cylindrical body having an open end 613 for receiving the grounding support 620 therein and a contact end having a guide hole 617, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown in the diagram, the grounding support 620 is fixed to the inner surface 614 of the contact end of the grounding guide 610 by means of fasteners 650, such as screws or bolts. Figure 5As best shown, the grounding guide 610 is also provided with one or more mounting holes 618 for receiving one or more fasteners 650. As an example, two mounting holes 618 for two fasteners 650 are shown. It should be understood that the number and arrangement of mounting holes 618 shown in the embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments, any suitable number of mounting holes 618 may be provided.

[0040] In some embodiments, a spacer ring may be provided to consider the strength of the engagement point. For example, a spacer ring 660 may be fitted onto a fastener 650 to prevent wear or damage to the grounding guide 610, which is typically made of an insulating material such as plastic. Preferably, the spacer ring 660 is made of metal or the like.

[0041] In this manner, the grounding guide 610 and the grounding support 620 can be pre-assembled into a sub-assembly, which can be easily assembled or disassembled as needed. Since the grounding guide 610, the grounding support 620, and the grounding contact 640 and grounding spring 630 within the grounding support 620 are pre-assembled as a whole, there is no risk of any component of such a sub-assembly accidentally falling off. Specifically, when the grounding guide 610 rotates during operation of the gas-insulated transmission line 1, the sub-assembly will rotate synchronously. Because the grounding spring 630 is arranged within the cavity 622 of the grounding support 620, the compression of the grounding spring 630 is only affected by the dimensional accuracy of the components of the sub-assembly, and not by the insulator 20 and / or the housing 10. Therefore, twisting and tilting of the grounding spring 630 can be eliminated.

[0042] In some implementations, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the grounding support 620 is provided with two cavities 622 arranged symmetrically along the central axis X of the grounding guide 610, and the grounding guide 610 is provided with two guide holes 617 for limiting the corresponding grounding contacts 640. Therefore, the two grounding contacts 640 and the two grounding springs 630 are respectively disposed in the corresponding cavities 622 to increase the grounding surface and improve the grounding effect. It should be understood that the number and arrangement of the guide holes 617 shown in the embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments, any suitable number of guide holes 617 may be provided.

[0043] In some implementations, such as Figure 4As shown, the grounding contact 640 can be configured with two reduced-size ends. That is, one end 641 is inserted into the grounding spring 630 to move under the action of the grounding spring 630, the other end 642 can protrude through the guide hole 617, and the central portion 643 located between the ends 641 and 642 has a relatively large size and can move along the wall of the cavity 622. In some embodiments, each guide hole in the guide hole 617 includes an annular rib 615 extending radially inward from its edge to limit the grounding contact 640. Specifically, the annular rib 615 can abut against the stepped surface 644 between the end 642 and the central portion 643, and therefore the grounding contact 640 cannot freely protrude through the guide hole 617.

[0044] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the grounding hole 617 and the mounting hole 618 are preferably arranged symmetrically along the central axis X of the grounding guide 610 and in an alternating manner, such as... Figure 3 As shown in the diagram. Additionally, the fastener 650 should be configured not to interfere with the operation of the grounding contact 630, and therefore a countersunk hole 619 is provided at the mounting hole 618 to prevent the fastener 650 from protruding and to ensure the flatness of the mounting surface, as shown in the diagram. Figure 5 As shown in the diagram. For simplicity, the following description only includes a grounding hole 617 and the corresponding grounding contact 640 and grounding spring 630 located in the corresponding cavity 622.

[0045] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 As can be seen, a support spring 70 is provided to allow the grounding guide 610 to move radially in the direction R to contact the inner surface of the housing 10. In some embodiments, the support spring 70 is arranged in the grounding guide 610 from the open end 613 and can engage with the inner surface 614 of the contact end of the grounding guide 610. In some embodiments, the grounding support 620 is provided with an annular flange 621 extending parallel to the inner surface 614 of the contact end, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the support spring 70 can be configured to engage with the annular flange 621.

[0046] In any embodiment, regardless of the structure of the grounding guide 610 and / or the grounding support 620, the support spring 70 is preferably configured in series with the grounding spring 630. That is, there is an interaction between the support spring 70 and the grounding spring 630; movement of the support spring 70 will force movement of the grounding spring 630, thereby ensuring reliable contact between the grounding contact 640 and the inner surface of the housing 10. Furthermore, a single support spring 70 can be used to further prevent twisting and tilting of the support spring 630.

[0047] In some implementations, such as from Figure 1 As can be seen, under the interaction of the support spring 70 and the grounding spring 630, the outer surface of the grounding guide 610 can completely conform to the inner surface of the housing 10. This is because the contact end of the grounding guide 610 can be configured with a spherical outer surface 616 having the same radius as the inner radius of the housing 10, which reduces sliding resistance and prevents debris from being generated by friction. In this way, when the grounding structure 60 is assembled in the housing 10, the grounding structure 60 can slide smoothly within the housing 10, ensuring that the grounding contact 640 reliably contacts the inner surface of the housing 10.

[0048] In some implementations, such as from Figure 2 As can be seen, a groove 611 is provided on the outer surface 616 of the grounding guide 610 to collect metal particles generated between the grounding contact 640 and the inner surface of the housing 10. It is advantageous that the guide hole 617 and the mounting hole 618 are located in the groove 611. In this way, metal debris that may be generated due to the operation of the grounding contact 640 can also be well collected in the groove 611 to avoid adverse effects on the gas-insulated transmission line 1.

[0049] Return to Figure 4 In some embodiments, the grounding guide 610 has orifices 612 on the wall of the cylindrical body. Two orifices 612 are shown as an example. It should be understood that the number and arrangement of orifices 612 shown in the embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. During movement or operation of the grounding structure 60, the gas in the grounding structure 60 increases the pressure impacting the components; therefore, the orifices 612 can advantageously be configured to release the gas in the grounding structure 60.

[0050] Similarly, the grounding support 620 may optionally have holes 623 on the wall of the cavity 622 for releasing gas from the grounding structure 60. Additionally, two holes 612 are shown as an example. It should be understood that the number and arrangement of the holes 623 shown in the embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments, the holes 623 may be arranged on the bottom wall of the cavity 622, such as... Figure 4 As shown in the diagram. With this arrangement, hole 623 can be used as a positioning hole to help pre-assemble grounding structure 60, which will become more apparent from the description below.

[0051] In general, the grounding structure 60 of this disclosure can be operated to effectively achieve reliable grounding of gas-insulated transmission lines. Specifically, the grounding structure 60 can convert the floating potential of components in the gas-insulated transmission line, such as the particle trap 30, the metal insert 40, and the fastener 50, into a ground potential to achieve equipotential between the outer casing 10 and the conductor of the gas-insulated transmission line.

[0052] Figure 7 The figure illustrates a method S100 for assembling the grounding structure 60 described above in some embodiments.

[0053] At block S101, refer to Figure 4 The system provides a grounding guide 610, a grounding support 620, a grounding contact 640, and a grounding spring 630. In some embodiments, the grounding support 620 may be configured such that the opening of the cavity 622 of the grounding support 620 faces upward. If a hole 623 is provided on the bottom wall of the cavity 622, the hole 623 can be used to position the grounding support 620 by placing it on a tool and inserting a positioning portion of the tool into the hole 623.

[0054] At block S102, the grounding contact 640 and the grounding spring 630 can be placed inside the cavity 622 of the grounding support 620, so that the installation position of the grounding contact 640 can be adaptively adjusted by the grounding spring 630.

[0055] At block S103, refer to Figure 5 The grounding support 620 and the grounding guide 610 can be secured together, for example, by fasteners 650, to form a pre-assembled sub-assembly. When the grounding structure 60 is assembled in the gas-insulated transmission line 1, the grounding contact 640 can protrude through the guide hole 617 of the grounding guide 610 to contact the inner surface of the housing 10.

[0056] At block S104, in some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 The pre-assembled sub-assembly is adapted to be disposed on the insulator 20 of the gas-insulated transmission line 1, wherein the support spring 70 is engaged between the insulator 20 and the grounding guide 610.

[0057] It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the figures are merely illustrations of the grounding structure according to this disclosure and various optional shapes, sizes and arrangements of the optional components of the gas-insulated transmission line having the grounding structure; however, this is for illustrative purposes only and not for limitation, and other shapes, sizes and arrangements may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0058] The specific embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made based on the teachings of this disclosure, and that this disclosure can be practiced in various equivalent ways. Therefore, the specific embodiments of this disclosure disclosed above are merely illustrative, and the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited to the details of the structure or design disclosed herein. Thus, various substitutions, combinations, or modifications can be made to the specific exemplary embodiments disclosed above, and all variations are within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A grounding structure (60), comprising: A grounding guide (610) is defined with a guide hole (617). A grounding support (620) is fixed to the grounding guide (610) and defines a cavity (622) for receiving a grounding contact (640). The grounding contact (640) is arranged inside the cavity (622) and protrudes through the guide hole (617) on the grounding guide (610); and the grounding contact (640) can be moved along the wall of the cavity (622) by means of a grounding spring (630) housed in the cavity (622) to achieve adaptive adjustment of the installation position; The grounding guide (610) is constructed as a cylindrical body having an open end (613) for receiving the grounding support (620) in the cylindrical body and a contact end having the guide hole (617), and wherein the grounding guide (610) is movable by means of a support spring (70) that engages with the inner surface (614) of the contact end or the annular flange (621) of the grounding support (620) and is arranged in series with the grounding spring (630).

2. The grounding structure (60) according to claim 1, wherein, The grounding support (620) is fixed to the inner surface (614) of the contact end of the grounding guide (610) by means of a fastener (650).

3. The grounding structure (60) according to claim 2, wherein, The grounding guide (610) is provided with a spacer ring (660), which is fitted onto the fastener (650).

4. The grounding structure (60) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The grounding support (620) is provided with two cavities (622) arranged symmetrically along the central axis (X) of the grounding guide (610), and the grounding guide (610) is provided with two guide holes (617) on the contact end; and each of the guide holes (617) includes an annular rib (615) extending radially inward from its edge to limit the grounding contact (640).

5. The grounding structure (60) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The grounding guide (610) has a groove (611) for collecting metal particles on the outer surface (616) of the contact end, and the guide hole (617) is disposed in the groove (611).

6. The grounding structure (60) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The grounding guide (610) has an orifice (612) on the wall of the cylindrical body for releasing gas in the grounding structure (60).

7. The grounding structure (60) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The grounding support (620) is provided with an annular flange (621) extending parallel to the inner surface (614) of the contact end, and the support spring (70) is configured to engage with the annular flange (621).

8. The grounding structure (60) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The grounding support (620) has a hole (623) on the wall of the cavity (622) for releasing gas in the grounding structure (60).

9. The grounding structure (60) according to claim 1, wherein, The grounding structure (60) is assembled in a gas-insulated system.

10. The grounding structure (60) according to claim 1, wherein, The grounding structure (60) is operable to convert the floating potential of the gas-insulated system using the grounding structure into a ground potential.

11. A gas-insulated transmission line (1), comprising: Outer shell (10); An insulator (20) is disposed in the housing (10); as well as The grounding structure (60) according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The grounding structure (60) is pre-assembled by fixing the grounding support (620) to the grounding guide (610) before being installed onto the insulator (20), and the grounding guide (610) is adapted to move in the radial direction (R) of the gas-insulated transmission line (1) to contact the housing (10).

12. The gas-insulated transmission line (1) according to claim 11, wherein, The grounding guide (610) is movable by means of a support spring (70) arranged in series with the grounding spring (630) in the grounding support (620) and engaged between the grounding guide (610) and the insulator (20).

13. A method for assembling a grounding structure (60), Includes the following steps: A grounding guide (610) with a guide hole (617) is provided. A grounding support (620) with a cavity (622) is provided; Provides a grounding contact (640) and a grounding spring (630); The grounding contact (640) and the grounding spring (630) are placed in the cavity (622) so that the installation position of the grounding contact (640) can be adaptively adjusted by the grounding spring (630); as well as The grounding support (620) is fixed to the grounding guide (610) to form a pre-assembled sub-assembly in which the grounding contact (640) protrudes through the guide hole (617); The grounding guide (610) is constructed as a cylindrical body having an open end (613) for receiving the grounding support (620) in the cylindrical body and a contact end having the guide hole (617), and wherein the grounding guide (610) is movable by means of a support spring (70) that engages with the inner surface (614) of the contact end or the annular flange (621) of the grounding support (620) and is arranged in series with the grounding spring (630).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The pre-assembled sub-assembly is adapted to be arranged on the insulator (20) of the gas-insulated transmission line (1), wherein the support spring (70) is engaged between the insulator (20) and the grounding guide (610).

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