Angled Cone Adapter for Medium-Voltage Cable Termination Retrofit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical systems with L-shaped cable terminations face difficulties in retrofitting capacitive couplers due to the need for replacing existing cable terminations and accommodating rigid connection cables, leading to high installation costs and inefficiencies, especially in medium-voltage SF6 systems.
Innovation Solution
A cone adapter with an input cone and an output cone, electrically conductively connected via an adapter core, allowing for an angle between the axes of the cones to facilitate installation without requiring cable replacement, enabling flexible connection and expansion options by fitting between the connection cone and the connection means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an L-shaped cable termination is used in existing electrical systems, then installation cost is reduced and simplicity is improved, but adaptability deteriorates making retrofitting capacitive couplers impossible without replacing the termination
Solution Approach 1:
The cone adapter serves as an intermediary component that connects to the existing L-shaped cable termination on one side and provides a standardized connection cone interface on the other side. This mediator enables retrofittable capacitive couplers to be installed without replacing the original cost-effective L-shaped termination, thus maintaining installation cost advantages while gaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution segments the connection function into two separate components: the existing L-shaped cable termination and the new cone adapter. This segmentation allows each component to maintain its original advantages - the L-shaped termination keeps installation costs low, while the cone adapter provides the standardized interface needed for retrofittable capacitive couplers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a T-shaped cable termination is used to enable capacitive coupler installation, then adaptability is improved, but installation effort and cost increase due to cable replacement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The cone adapter acts as an intermediary that provides the standardized connection interface without requiring replacement of the existing cable termination. This eliminates the need for time-consuming cable exposure, extension splicing, and retermination operations that would otherwise be required to install capacitive couplers on L-shaped terminations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cone adapter is pre-installed on the L-shaped cable termination before capacitive coupler installation. This preliminary action prepares the system in advance, creating a ready-to-use standardized interface that allows capacitive couplers to be installed quickly without subsequent cable modification work.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the fixing screw area on terminal cones is designed freely by manufacturers, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but compatibility deteriorates making economic use of connection options impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The cone adapter provides a universal standardized connection cone interface that can accommodate capacitive couplers from different manufacturers regardless of variations in terminal cone fixing screw designs. This universal interface enables economic usability by allowing the same coupler design to be used across different electrical system manufacturers' equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cone adapter minimizes installation effort and expands system capabilities by allowing branch connections and coupler installations without replacing existing cable terminations, reducing costs and enhancing flexibility in electrical system expansions.
Implementation Method 1
The adapter core, which is constructed from a conductive material, electrically connects the input cone and the output cone to one another
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A cone adapter for interposing a terminal cone (4) of an electrical installation, in particular a medium-voltage installation, and a connection element (3, 3', 3") designed to be plugged onto the terminal cone (4) is disclosed. The cone adapter (5) has an input cone (7) and an output cone (8), wherein the input cone (7) and the output cone (8) are electrically connected to each other and additionally to a branch. The electrically conductive connection between the input cone (7), output cone (8), and branch is established by an adapter core. The input cone (7) is designed to be plugged onto the terminal cone (4). The output cone (8) is designed such that the connection element (3, 3', 3") can be plugged onto the output cone (8). An axis is defined for both the input cone (7) and the output cone (8).The axis of the inlet cone (7) and the axis of the outlet cone (8) enclose an angle α. Furthermore, a method for interposing such a cone adapter between a terminal cone of an electrical system and a connection means is disclosed. A system is also described that consists of at least a terminal cone, a cone adapter, and a connection means. An electrical system, also described, comprises at least one of these systems.