Maintaining insulators in power transmission systems
View Patent ↗An electrical power transmission system includes electrical insulators arranged to electrically isolate live power lines. Surface reconditioning units are incorporated or integrated in the insulator structures. A sensor arrangement determines surface conditions of the electrical insulators in use to isolate live power lines. In response, the surface reconditioning units automatically recondition the surfaces of the in-service electrical insulators if appropriate for maintaining the electrical insulators in healthy state.
1. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface; and
a conditioner arranged to automatically recondition at least a portion of the surface in response to a state of the surface;
wherein the conditioner is arranged to clean at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
2. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , further comprising, a unit arranged to determine the state of the surface.
3. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is integrated with the insulator body.
4. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , which is configured to isolate a high-voltage power transmission line.
5. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply a current-impeding coating to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
6. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the insulator body comprises at least one shed having an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein the conditioner is arranged to coat at least a portion of the upper surface or the lower surface of the at least one shed in response to the determined state of the surface.
7. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply a hydrophobic coating to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
8. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply at least one of a hydrocarbon, silicone grease, a fluorocarbon and perfluoroheptane to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
9. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is coupled to a source of a surface coating material.
10. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to laterally flow a surface coating material over at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
11. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to drive a flow a surface coating material over at least a portion of the surface by surface tension.
12. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises one or more pores, and wherein the conditioner is arranged to extrude a surface coating material through the one or more pores on to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
13. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply heat to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
14. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply an electrical current to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
15. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply ultrasound energy to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
16. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply electromagnetic energy to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
17. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to remove at least a portion of an existing surface coating in response to the determined state of the surface.
18. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to apply a surface cleaner material to at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
19. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is coupled to a source of a surface cleaner material.
20. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to laterally flow a surface cleaner material over at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
21. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the surface is structured to so that a flow of a surface cleaner material over at least a portion of the surface is driven by a surface energy gradient.
22. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises one or more pores, and wherein the conditioner is arranged to extrude a surface cleaner material through the one or more pores onto at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
23. The electrical insulator of claim 1 , further comprising, circuitry arranged to determine a status of a portion of the surface.
24. The electrical insulator of claim 23 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine a status of a surface coating including one or more of a thickness, a resistivity, a breakdown voltage, a voltage response, and a color.
25. The electrical insulator of claim 23 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine one or more of surface wetness, dirt, resistivity, and leakage currents.
26. The electrical insulator of claim 23 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine environmental conditions including one or more of precipitation, lightning, and pollution affecting the surface.
27. The electrical insulator of claim 23 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine line events including one or more of over-voltages and faults affecting the surface.
28. The electrical insulator of claim 23 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine a time interval since a surface reconditioning event.
29. The electrical insulator of claim 23 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine a reconditioning time according to a schedule.
30. The electrical insulator of claim 23 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to report one or more of an insulator status, a unit status, a conditioner status, a surface status, and an occurrence of a reconditioning event.
31. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface;
a maintenance device coupled to the insulator body and arranged to automatically maintain at least a portion of the surface; and
a receiver configured to receive commands to operate the maintenance device;
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to apply heat to at least a part of the surface.
32. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein the maintenance device is integrated with the insulator body.
33. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein the maintenance device is arranged to automatically clean at least a portion of the surface.
34. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , which is configured to isolate a power transmission line.
35. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein the maintenance device is arranged to apply a surface cleaner material to at least a part of the surface.
36. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein the maintenance device is coupled to a source of a surface cleaner material.
37. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein the maintenance device is arranged to laterally flow a surface cleaner material over at least a part of the surface.
38. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein at least a portion of the surface is structured so that a flow of a surface cleaner material over the portion of the surface driven by a surface energy gradient.
39. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein the surface comprises one or more pores, and wherein the maintenance device is arranged to extrude a surface cleaner material through the one or more pores onto at least a part of the surface.
40. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , wherein the maintenance device is arranged to recoat at least a part of the surface with a recoating material.
41. The electrical insulator of claim 40 , wherein the maintenance device is arranged to laterally flow a recoating material over at least a part of the surface.
42. The electrical insulator of claim 40 , wherein the maintenance device is arranged to drive a flow a recoating material over at least a portion of the surface by surface tension.
43. The electrical insulator of claim 40 , wherein the surface comprises one or more pores, and wherein the maintenance device is arranged to extrude a recoating material through the one or more pores onto at least a part of the surface.
44. The electrical insulator of claim 31 , further comprising, circuitry arranged to detect a state of at least a portion the surface and to accordingly generate a signal to control the maintenance device.
45. The electrical insulator of claim 44 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine a status of a portion of the surface.
46. The electrical insulator of claim 44 , wherein the circuitry is arranged to determine a status of a surface coating including one or more of a thickness, a resistivity, a breakdown voltage, a voltage response, and a color.
47. The electrical insulator of claim 44 , further comprising, a transmitter coupled to the circuitry, wherein the transmitter is configured to report one or more of an insulator status, a device status, a unit status, a surface status, and an occurrence of a cleaning, recoating, and/or maintenance event.
48. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface; and
a conditioner arranged to automatically recondition at least a portion of the surface in response to a state of the surface;
wherein the conditioner is coupled to a source of a surface cleaner material; and
wherein the surface comprises one or more pores, and wherein the conditioner is arranged to extrude the surface cleaner material through the one or more pores onto at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
49. The electrical insulator of claim 48 , wherein the conditioner is arranged to laterally flow the surface cleaner material over at least a portion of the surface in response to the determined state of the surface.
50. The electrical insulator of claim 48 , wherein the surface is structured to so that a flow of the surface cleaner material over at least a portion of the surface is driven by a surface energy gradient.
51. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface; and
a maintenance device coupled to the insulator body and arranged to automatically maintain at least a portion of the surface;
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to extrude a surface cleaner material through one or more pores onto at least part of the surface to automatically clean at least a portion of the surface.
52. The electrical insulator of claim 51 , wherein the maintenance device is coupled to a source of a surface cleaner material.
53. The electrical insulator of claim 51 , wherein at least a portion of the surface is structured so that a flow of a surface cleaner material over the portion of the surface driven by a surface energy gradient.
54. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface; and
a maintenance device coupled to the insulator body and arranged to automatically maintain at least a portion of the surface;
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to remove at least a portion of an existing surface coating in response to the determined state of the surface.
55. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface;
a maintenance device coupled to the insulator body and arranged to automatically maintain at least a portion of the surface; and
a receiver configured to receive commands to operate the maintenance device;
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to apply an electrical current to at least a part of the surface.
56. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface;
a maintenance device coupled to the insulator body and arranged to automatically maintain at least a portion of the surface; and
a receiver configured to receive commands to operate the maintenance device;
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to apply ultrasound energy to at least a part of the surface.
57. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface;
a maintenance device coupled to the insulator body and arranged to automatically maintain at least a portion of the surface; and
a receiver configured to receive commands to operate the maintenance device;
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to apply electromagnetic energy to at least a part of the surface.
58. An electrical insulator, comprising:
an insulator body having a surface;
a maintenance device coupled to the insulator body and arranged to automatically maintain at least a portion of the surface; and
a receiver configured to receive commands to operate the maintenance device;
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to remove at least a portion of an existing surface coating in response to the determined state of the surface.