High Voltage Bushing Conductor Stiffening
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Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage bushings face challenges in minimizing conductor deflection due to gravity and seismic forces, which can lead to flashovers and catastrophic failures, especially in long bushings used for high power distributions.
Innovation Solution
A high voltage bushing design that incorporates a supporting part made of fiber reinforced polymer, such as carbon fiber reinforced epoxy or polyester, to increase the stiffness of the conductor and alter its resonant frequency, thereby reducing static deflection and damping oscillations during earthquakes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the conductor is made longer to handle higher voltages and power distributions, then the bushing can transmit higher power, but the static deflection of the conductor increases due to gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a metal conductor (copper or aluminum) with a fiber-reinforced polymer supporting part. The composite structure integrates the high electrical conductivity of metal with the high stiffness-to-weight ratio of fiber-reinforced polymer, enabling the conductor to transmit high power while maintaining low deflection. The supporting part is made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer or similar composite materials that provide exceptional mechanical strength without adding significant weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor is segmented into two functional parts: the metal conductor core for electrical current transmission and the fiber-reinforced polymer supporting part for mechanical stiffness. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function - the metal provides electrical conductivity while the composite material provides structural support, resolving the contradiction between power transmission and deflection control.
2Strength
If the wall thickness of the conductor is increased to reduce deflection, then the stiffness increases, but the weight and complexity of the bushing increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the wall thickness of the metal conductor, the patent uses fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials that provide equivalent or superior stiffness with much lower density. The composite supporting part is designed with optimized wall thickness to achieve the required stiffness while minimizing weight, leveraging the high specific modulus of fiber-reinforced materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters from dense metal to lightweight composite material, fundamentally altering the strength-to-weight ratio. The fiber-reinforced polymer provides comparable stiffness to thick metal walls but with fraction of the weight, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
3Shape
If the conductor is fixed rigidly at both ends to minimize deflection, then the static deflection is reduced, but the resonant frequency changes and may amplify dynamic deflection during earthquakes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic design principles by carefully selecting the stiffness and mass distribution of the fiber-reinforced polymer supporting part to tune the resonant frequency of the conductor assembly. The supporting part is designed to shift the resonant frequency away from dominant earthquake frequencies, preventing resonance amplification during seismic events while still providing sufficient stiffness to control static deflection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the physical parameters of the supporting part (stiffness, mass, length, wall thickness) to achieve a balance between static and dynamic performance. By adjusting these parameters, the resonant frequency is tuned to avoid seismic resonance while maintaining adequate static stiffness, resolving the contradiction between deflection control and seismic vulnerability.
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 supporting part significantly reduces static deflection by up to 50% and modifies the resonant frequency to prevent self-oscillations during earthquakes, enhancing the safety and reliability of the bushing.
Implementation Method 1
the supporting part comprises a fiber reinforced polymer, the supporting part comprises a carbon fiber reinforced polymer
Implementation Method 2
the supporting part is adapted to change the resonant frequency of the conductor, which damps the oscillations during an earth quake
Data Source
AI summary
A high voltage bushing including a hollow insulator and a conductor extending through the hollow insulator and including a hollow conductor fixed at the ends of the hollow insulator. The conductor includes a supporting part arranged inside the hollow conductor, the supporting part extends in the longitudinal direction of the hollow conductor and the supporting part is adapted to support the hollow conductor in order to increase the stiffness of the conductor and thereby decrease the static deflection of the conductor in the hollow insulator.