Conductor assembly

Abstract

A conductor assembly includes an electrical conductor, a surge arrester which has a longitudinal direction, an operating state in which the surge arrester is configured to limit an overvoltage occurring in the electrical conductor, and a test state in which the surge arrester is not configured to limit the overvoltage. An electrically insulating support is disposed between the surge arrester and the electrical conductor in the longitudinal direction. The support is supported by the electrical conductor, and the surge arrester is supported by the support.

Claims

1. A conductor assembly, comprising: a housing; an electrical conductor; a surge arrester disposed in said housing and having a longitudinal direction, an operating state and a test sate, said surge arrester configured to limit an overvoltage occurring in said electrical conductor in said operating state, and said surge arrester not configured to limit the overvoltage in said test state; and an electrically insulating support disposed in said housing between said surge arrester and said electrical conductor in said longitudinal direction, said electrically insulating support being supported by said electrical conductor and said surge arrester being supported by said electrically insulating support; said surge arrester having one side connected to ground and another side connected to said electrically insulating support.

2. The conductor assembly according to claim 1, wherein said surge arrester includes a conductor connection, at least part of said conductor connection being moveable relative to a remainder of said surge arrester, permitting said conductor connection to switch said surge arrester between said operating state and said test state, said conductor connection projecting further from said remainder of said surge arrester in said operating state than in said test state.

3. The conductor assembly according to claim 1, which further comprises a moving connection coupling said surge arrester and said electrically insulating support to one another, and permitting said electrically insulating support to move relative to said surge arrester in said longitudinal direction.

4. The conductor assembly according to claim 3, wherein said surge arrester and said electrically insulating support define a gap therebetween in said longitudinal direction.

5. The conductor assembly according to claim 3, wherein: said surge arrester has an end facing said electrical conductor; said surge arrester has a recess formed therein at said longitudinal end of said surge arrester facing said electrical conductor; and said electrically insulating support has a first longitudinal end disposed in said recess; and a flexible ring is disposed in said recess between said electrically insulating support and said surge arrester, said flexible ring having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said longitudinal direction.

6. The conductor assembly according to claim 3, wherein: said surge arrester has a longitudinal end facing said electrical conductor; said surge arrester includes a contact hood disposed at said longitudinal end of said surge arrester facing said electrical conductor; and said moving connection is disposed in said contact hood.

7. The conductor assembly according to claim 6, which further comprises an electrically conductive element configured to electrically conductively connect said electrically insulating support to said contact hood.

8. The conductor assembly according to claim 1, which further comprises an electrically conductive element configured to electrically conductively connect said electrically insulating support to said surge arrester.

9. The conductor assembly according to claim 7, wherein said electrically conductive element is a contact spring or a helical spring or a socket including inwardly projecting lamellae.

10. The conductor assembly according to claim 1, which further comprises a permanent connection permanently attaching said electrically insulating support to said electrical conductor.

11. The conductor assembly according to claim 1, which further comprises an electrically conductive contact disk disposed between said electrically insulating support and said electrical conductor in said longitudinal direction, said electrically conductive contact disk electrically conductively connecting said electrical conductor to said surge arrester in said operating state.

12. The conductor assembly according to claim 11, wherein said electrically insulating support is permanently screwed to said electrically conductive contact disk.

13. The conductor assembly according to claim 11, wherein: said surge arrester includes a conductor connection, at least part of said conductor connection being moveable relative to a remainder of said surge arrester, permitting said conductor connection to switch said surge arrester between said operating state and said test state, said conductor connection projecting further from said remainder of said surge arrester in said operating state than in said test state; and said electrically conductive contact disk has a contact recess formed therein; and said conductor connection includes a contact pin disposed in said contact recess in said operating state.

14. The conductor assembly according to claim 1, wherein said surge arrester includes a varistor or a plurality of varistors.

15. The conductor assembly according to claim 1, which further comprises a housing encapsulating said electrical conductor, said surge arrester and said electrically insulating support.

16. The conductor assembly according to claim 15, wherein said housing has two chambers and a wall separating said two chambers from one another in said housing, and said electrical conductor is supported by at least one of said housing or said wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

(1) The FIGURE shows a section through a conductor assembly. housing from one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(2) As can be seen from the FIGURE, a conductor assembly 1 comprises an electrical conductor 2, a surge arrester 3 that has a longitudinal direction 12, an operating state, in which the surge arrester 3 is designed to limit an overvoltage occurring in the electrical conductor 2, and a test state, in which the surge arrester 3 is not designed to limit the overvoltage, and an electrically insulating support 6 that is arranged between the surge arrester 3 and the electrical conductor 2 in the longitudinal direction 12, the support 6 being supported by the electrical conductor 2 and the surge arrester 3 being supported by the support 6. The surge arrester 3 can have a longitudinal end that is remote from the electrical conductor 2 and electrically conductively connected to a ground 11. By way of example, the conductor 2 can be designed to conduct a current at a voltage of higher than 1 kV or higher than 100 kV.

(3) The FIGURE additionally shows that the conductor assembly 1 can comprise a permanent connection 6d by means of which the support 6 is attached permanently to the electrical conductor 2. The conductor assembly 1 can comprise a contact disk 4 that is arranged between the support 6 and the electrical conductor 2 in the longitudinal direction 12 and via which the electrical conductor 2 is connected electrically conductively to the surge arrester 3 in the operating state. The FIGURE shows that the contact disk 4 can have a first end, which makes contact with the electrical conductor 2, and a second end, which makes contact with the support 6. The contact disk 4 can be connected permanently to the electrical conductor 2. To this end, the contact disk 4 can be screwed to the electrical conductor 2. As a result, the electrical conductor 2 supports the support 6 indirectly via the contact disk 4. In order to make the permanent connection 6d, the contact disk 4 can first be screwed to the support 6, and the contact disk 4 can then be screwed to the electrical conductor 2.

(4) As can be seen from the FIGURE, the surge arrester 3 can comprise a conductor connection 7, at least part of which is arranged so as to be moveable relative to the remaining surge arrester 3 and is therefore designed to switch the surge arrester 3 between the operating state and the test state, the conductor connection 7 projecting further from the remaining surge arrester 3 in the operating state than in the test state. By way of example, the conductor connection 7 can comprise an electrically conductive contact pin 7a. In the operating state, the contact pin 7a can make contact with the contact disk 4 and in particular be introduced into a contact recess 7b arranged in the contact disk 4, as is also shown in the FIGURE. In the test state, the contact pin 7a can be arranged outside the contact recess 7b. The conductor connection 7 can comprise a drive 7c that is designed to move the contact pin 7a away from the electrical conductor 2 in order to put the surge arrester 3 into the test state, and to move the contact pin 7a toward the electrical conductor 2 in order to put the surge arrester 3 into the operating state. The conductor connection can comprise a drive rod 7d, a hand crank 7e and a gearing that is designed to translate a rotation of the hand crank 7e into a longitudinal movement of the drive rod 7d. The drive rod 7d can be coupled to the contact pin 7a in such a way that the longitudinal movement of the drive rod 7d results in a longitudinal movement of the contact pin 7a.

(5) The conductor assembly 1 can comprise a moving connection 6e by means of which the surge arrester 3 and the support 6 are coupled to one another in such a way that the support 6 can move relative to the surge arrester 3 in the longitudinal direction 12. The surge arrester 3 can comprise a recess 6c that is arranged at that longitudinal end of the surge arrester 3 that faces the electrical conductor 2, and in which a first longitudinal end of the support 6 is arranged. The recess 6c can have, between the support 6 and the surge arrester 3, a flexible ring 6f arranged in it, the axis of rotation of which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction 12. The provision of the ring 6f allows the support 6 to move relative to the surge arrester 3 in the longitudinal direction 12 by virtue of either the support 6 or the surge arrester 3 sliding over the ring 6f. The ring 6f can comprise PTFE or consist of PTFE, for example. In order to fix the ring 6f, either the support 6 or the surge arrester 3 can comprise a groove into which the ring 6f is introduced. It is also conceivable for there to be a plurality of the rings 6f and a respective groove for each of the rings 6f. The FIGURE also shows that there can be provision for a gap 6h between the surge arrester 3 and the support 6 in the longitudinal direction 12.

(6) The surge arrester 3 can comprise a contact hood 5a that is arranged at that longitudinal end of the surge arrester 3 that faces the electrical conductor 2, and in which the recess 6c is arranged. The contact hood 5a can be electrically conductive.

(7) The conductor assembly 1 can comprise an electrically conductive element that is designed to connect the support 6 electrically conductively to the surge arrester 3, in particular to the contact hood 5a. The electrically conductive element can be arranged in the recess 6c. By way of example, the electrically conductive element can make contact with the contact piece 5b and the surge arrester 3, in particular the contact hood 5a. In a first example, the electrically conductive element can be a contact spring 6g. The contact spring 6g can be a helical spring, for example. The helical spring can be designed without a longitudinal end, for example, i.e. in the form of a closed ring. In a second example, the electrically conductive element can be a socket that comprises inwardly projecting lamellae. The socket can accommodate the first longitudinal end of the support 6. Moreover, the axis of rotation of the socket can be substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction 12.

(8) The FIGURE shows that the support 6 can comprise a support insulator 6a, which is arranged at that longitudinal end of the support 6 that faces the electrical conductor 2, and a contact piece 6b, which is arranged at that longitudinal end of the support 6 that is remote from the electrical conductor 2. The support insulator 6a can be electrically insulating. To this end, the support insulator 6a can comprise a resin or can consist of the resin, the resin being able to be a cast resin. Alternatively, the support insulator can comprise a ceramic material or can consist of the ceramic material. The contact piece 6b can be electrically conductive. The contact piece 6b can be arranged in the recess 6c. The inside of the longitudinal end of the support insulator 6a that is remote from the electrical conductor 2 can moreover comprise an electrode, not shown, that is connected electrically conductively to the contact piece 6b. This allows partial discharges to be prevented.

(9) The FIGURE shows that the surge arrester 3 can comprise a varistor 5b or a plurality of varistors 5b. The varistor 5b or varistors 5b can be metal oxide varistors (MOV). The varistor 5b or varistors 5b can be arranged at that longitudinal end of the contact hood 5a that is remote from the electrical conductor 2. The longitudinal end of the varistor 5b or varistors that is remote from the contact hood 5a can be electrically conductively connected to a ground 11. The FIGURE also shows that the surge arrester 3 can comprise an active part 5 in addition to the conductor connection 7, the active part 5 comprising the contact hood 5a and the varistor 5b or varistors 5b.

(10) As can be seen from the FIGURE, the conductor assembly 1 can comprise a housing 8 that encapsulates the electrical conductor 2, the surge arrester 3 and the support 6. The electrical conductor 2 can be supported by the housing 8 and/or by a wall that separates two chambers in the housing 8 from one another. The housing 8 can also be a part of the ground 11. The conductor assembly 1 can comprise a bushing insulator 9 that is designed to hold the electrical conductor 2 and insulate it from the housing 8. The bushing insulator 9 can comprise an electrode 9a to which the electrical conductor 2 is electrically conductively attached. Moreover, the conductor assembly 1 can comprise an adapter ring 10 that is screwed between the housing 8 and the bushing insulator 9, the bushing insulator 9 insulating the electrical conductor 2 from the adapter ring 10. The electrode 9a can be cast in a resin of the bushing insulator 9. The resin can be an epoxy resin, for example.

(11) The FIGURE shows that the longitudinal direction 12 is arranged in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, it is also conceivable for the longitudinal direction 12 to have a component in the vertical direction or to be arranged in the vertical direction.