Insulated External Parking Bushing for Loadbreak Elbow Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current loadbreak elbow connectors in the high voltage electric power distribution industry pose a safety risk during de-energizing operations due to a design flaw that requires lineworkers to remain exposed to energized components, as the probe and arc follower cannot fit inside the parking stand after a malfunction, necessitating additional personnel and prolonged wait times for assistance.
Innovation Solution
An insulated external parking bushing is introduced, crafted from dielectrically rated plastics or rubber, which securely hugs the loadbreak elbow connector from the outside, covering exposed conductive materials and allowing safe placement on the equipment's parking stand, thereby bypassing damaged components and enabling safer operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the probe and arc follower are designed to land inside the parking stand tube, then the connection is made securely, but when a malfunction occurs the damaged components block the parking stand tube and prevent removal of the loadbreak elbow connector
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the connection system into two separate functional parts: the internal probe and arc follower for making connections, and the external parking stand tube for secure landing and removal. The parking stand tube is designed as a separate external structure that the elbow connector can engage with from the outside, independent of the internal components. This segmentation allows the connector to be securely connected through internal components while enabling removal by engaging external parking stands, resolving the contradiction between secure connection and ease of removal.
2Reliability
If lineworkers use standard insulated parking bushings to secure loadbreak elbow connectors, then the connectors can be safely landed, but during malfunctions workers must remain exposed to energized components and wait for additional personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the parking function from the internal components and creates external parking stands that are part of the equipment structure. This allows the loadbreak elbow connector to be secured to external parking stands rather than relying on internal components that may fail. The external parking stands provide a secure landing point that remains functional even when internal probe or arc follower components malfunction, enabling workers to safely remove and secure connectors without being exposed to energized components or waiting for additional personnel.
3Ease of manufacture
If the loadbreak elbow connector uses internal components for connection, then the connection is made within the equipment, but damaged internal components cannot be bypassed and the connector cannot be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds an external dimensional aspect to the connection system by providing external parking stands that engage with the elbow connector from the outside. This external engagement mechanism operates independently of the internal probe and arc follower components. When internal components fail, the external parking stand engagement provides an alternative pathway for securing and removing the connector, allowing workers to bypass damaged internal components and complete the removal operation without being blocked by the malfunctioning internal parts.
Data Source
AI summary
The Insulated External Parking Bushing provides a means of safely securing the loadbreak elbow connector by bypassing the damaged components and securing the loadbreak elbow connector from the outside of the elbow and covering the exposed conductive material, and then placed onto the equipment's parking stand. The Insulated External Parking Bushing is the addition of a supporting device to a standard loadbreak elbow connector which hugs the loadbreak elbow connector. The Insulated External Parking Bushing is crafted from injection molds in one solid piece from dielectrically rated plastics or rubber, with the parking bracket identical to existing insulated parking bushings, with variant molds adding skirts for higher voltages.