Desalter Entrance Bushing Replacement With Liquid-Insulated Rigid Conductor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing desalter units face issues with partial discharges in transition areas due to solid insulation degradation, leading to reduced efficiency, increased maintenance costs, and unscheduled downtime, and the need for structural modifications to replace flexible conductors with solid insulation.
Innovation Solution
A set comprising a bare rigid conductor immersed in insulating liquid is used to replace entrance bushings, ensuring compatibility with existing desalter components and maintaining insulation levels without structural changes, using vertical and horizontal rods connected by rigid ducts filled with insulating liquid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flexible conductor with solid insulation is used in entrance bushings, then electrical insulation is maintained, but partial discharges occur in transition areas causing insulation degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the solid insulation material from the conductor, replacing it with a bare rigid conductor immersed in insulating liquid. This eliminates the solid insulation that is susceptible to partial discharge degradation while maintaining electrical insulation through the liquid medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses insulating liquid (hydraulic principle) to provide electrical insulation instead of solid insulation. The bare rigid conductor is immersed in the insulating liquid within rigid metallic ducts, using the liquid medium to maintain necessary insulation clearances and prevent partial discharges.
2Reliability
If bare rigid conductor immersed in insulating liquid is used, then partial discharge degradation is eliminated, but structural modifications are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the entrance bushing replacement into modular components: bare rigid conductors, rigid metallic ducts, and insulating liquid filling. This modular approach allows replacement without requiring major structural modifications to the entire desalter system, as each component can be independently selected and installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid metallic ducts serve multiple functions: providing mechanical support for the bare rigid conductor, containing the insulating liquid, and maintaining insulation clearances. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional structural modifications compared to dedicated single-purpose components.
3Reliability
If solid insulation is used in conductor, then insulation is provided, but degradation by partial discharges occurs reducing equipment efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the solid insulation material from the conductor system, eliminating the source of partial discharge degradation. The bare rigid conductor immersed in insulating liquid provides equivalent or superior insulation without the degradation issues, thereby maintaining equipment efficiency and productivity.
4Reliability
If entrance bushings are replaced with solid insulation conductor, then insulation is maintained, but unscheduled downtime is required for corrective maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies beforehand cushioning by using a bare rigid conductor immersed in insulating liquid, which is inherently resistant to partial discharge degradation. This preventive design choice eliminates the root cause of insulation failure before it can occur, avoiding unscheduled downtime and corrective maintenance interruptions.
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
This solution prevents solid insulation degradation, maintains electrical insulation, and allows for replacement without opening transformers, reducing maintenance needs and operational costs while ensuring adequate insulation clearance.
Implementation Method 1
a bare rigid conductor immersed in insulating liquid inside rigid metallic ducts, maintaining the necessary insulation clearances for the voltage level
Implementation Method 2
Partial discharges are electrical phenomena that occur in insulating solids insulators when the strength of the local electric field exceeds the dielectric limit of the material
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention refers to a set for replacing entrance bushings of desalters in flexible conductor with bare rigid conductor immersed in insulating liquid. More specifically, this set comprises a transformer entrance bushing subset (15); an interconnecting conductive parts subset (16); a desalter entrance bushing subset (19); and an interconnection piping subset (18). These subsets are integrated to prevent partial discharges from occurring in diameter transition sections between the desalting tubes.