Electricity: conductors and insulators – Covers or face plates
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-27
2001-02-27
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Covers or face plates
C174S067000, C220S241000, C220S242000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06194662
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to covers for electrical substations, and in particular to covers for existing electrical substations to prevent weather related damage to components of these substations.
Electrical power transmission comprises a variety of systems for transmitting power from one facility to another. Various functions include switching stations, step down transformers, and so on. Equipment contained in these substations includes circuit breakers, devices for switching equipment in and out of service, lightning arrestors, and sophisticated abnormality control systems. Frequently the most practical or only location for electrical substations is the outdoors. One of the most important factors in electrical reliability then becomes the elimination of water from penetrating into these outdoor facilities.
Many attempts have been made, of course, to overcome the effects of weather on sensitive electrical and electronic components to be located outdoors, For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,952,799, issued Sep. 13, 1960, an outdoor metal clad switchgear structure is disclosed. In this structure, a basic unit
10
(
FIG. 1
) encloses a circuit breaker cell
13
. An enclosed service isle
11
(
FIG. 13
) provides protection for maintenance personnel from the weather while servicing the equipment, and access to electrical components, such as a circuit breaker, is provided without exposure of the components to the outdoor weather. Again, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,824, issued Mar. 27, 1973, a telescoping outdoor switchgear assemblage is described. This patent teaches “the switch gear is so constructed that the aisle section and switchboard section may be telescoped over one another during shipment, thereby to reduce volume and shipping costs while simplifying erection in the field.”, col. 1, lines 33-38. U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,530, issued May 4, 1982, discloses an enclosure for weatherproofing electrical equipment such as outside plant telephone electronics. In this invention a mushroom shaped hood
11
(
FIG. 1
) is supported by a spring-driven lifting mechanism
12
which automatically raises the hood above the level of the enclosed electronic equipment when the lifting mechanism is unlatched. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,463, issued Aug. 4, 1992, a universal enclosure for housing outside plant equipment in order to protect the equipment from harmful weather effects is disclosed. An electrical panel mounted internally of the universal enclosure, but accessible from the exterior of the universal enclosure, facilitates servicing the equipment while maintaining craft separation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,641, issued Jul. 25, 1995, teaches a cabinet
1
(
FIG. 1
) having a unitary or monobloc body of pressed construction, such a glass fiber-reinforced polyester, to protect electrical equipment exposed to the weather.
While the above noted inventions provide useful devices and methods for protecting various electrical systems from weather related harmful effects, they do not envision the adjustable cover for pre-existing electrical substations of the present invention.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a protective cover for outdoor electrical substations.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a linear adjustable, telescoping cover for protecting pre-existing outdoor bus ducts from weather related deleterious effects.
A further object of the invention is to provide a telescoping construction to eliminate any type of seam on the horizontal or vertical by the use of overlapping flanges at each end of the weather protective cover.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable, weather resistant fiber glass reinforced plastic cover for pre-existing electrical substations.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a weather protective cover to accommodate virtually all designs of 13 kV bus ducts.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a weather protective cover to accommodate virtually all designs of 4 kV class “C” switchgear.
SUMMARY
These and other objects are obtained with the adjustable cover for electrical substations of the present invention.
Typically, when protecting outdoor positioned electrical equipment from weather related damage metal enclosures of various types are employed. Over time rain and snow deposited water will often find its destructive way into sensitive electrical substation components. Causes for these structural failures range from outright corrosion of the metal closure to pin hole leaks developing at welded junctures. These water leaks are a constant source of electrical failure problems, necessitating frequent maintenance and repair procedures. Attempts at repair, including re-welding leaking joints, or re-caulking these joints are often, at best, a temporary correction for the problem.
It occurred that placing a suitable adjustable cover structured to be free of potential areas for weather leakage over outdoor located electrical substations would significantly improve reliability of these electrical transmitting stations while lowering the necessity for frequent inspections. Instead of using corrosion prone metal as a cover, a fiberglass reinforced plastic, such as fiberglass reinforced polyester, was selected as the material of fabrication for the covers. To further aid longevity of the covers a UV resistant gel coat, such as ANSI-61, can be applied to their exterior surfaces. Electrical substations such as, for example, 13 kV bus ducts or 4 kV class “C” switchgear, often have similar shapes including extended length in relation to width, making possible a relatively small number of adjustable covers for a wide range of substations. A main cover piece can measure, for example, approximately 11½′ by approximately 14″ in height. The cover has a generally, slightly gabled cover top surface, and downwardly projecting left and right side walls, defining a C shaped opening at both ends of the cover. An approximate 2″ wide flange extends downwardly from the top surface, and inwardly from each side, at each end of the cover. A similar 2″ wide flange extends outwardly at the base of the left and right side walls. To further aid water run off, the cover top surface section gently slopes to the left and right along its center line running the length of the cover. A pair of support bars, each bar being placed a spaced distance from each end of the main cover, further aids the utility of the cover. The support bars for covers for existing substation designs measure approximately 5″ in height and are connected to each end of the bar at the sides of the cover. The purpose of the support bars is to provide structural support for the cover; and to permit clearance of protrusions extending above the top surface of the electrical substation being covered. These insure resistance to wind forces and provide easy positioning on the top surface of the substation irrespective of these protrusions.
The above described main cover piece can be used as an effective water shedding cover by itself. For example, this cover can be placed, either with or without cover end caps, on suitable bus ducts, and secured to the ducts utilizing straps, such as “POLYSTRAPS” or “POLY-CORDS” which are well known to the trade. However, the utility of this weather protecting method is further enhanced with the use of an extender cover piece. This extender piece is similarly constructed to the main cover piece, being, for example, approximately 7′ in length and 32″ in width, with C shaped ends designed to interlock with the C shaped ends of the main cover piece. The extender piece has an upraised flange-along the top and sides of at least one end so as to interlock with the downwardly and inwardly projecting flange on each end of the main cover piece. When interjoined, the cover system of the invention provides a length adjustable overlapping design which eliminates any sealing rings, caulking, welding, or bolted connections which are susceptible to water intrusion.
To use the cove
Kincaid Kristine
Patel Dhiru R
Public Service Electric and Gas Company
Quast, Esq. W. Patrick
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