General Electric Company

Hubbell Limited

David S Birrell

Bruce Edward English

Josef Urbanek

Richard A Chapin

Robert Frank Willard, Jr

Larry E Bock

David Martins

Christopher William Hart

Kenneth Alan Powers

Paul Joseph Datka

Richard Robert Young

Systems and methods for protecting a series capacitor bank are provided. According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a capacitor protection circuit. The capacitor protection circuit may include a capacitor bank, a pilot circuit and a main commutation gap. The pilot circuit and the main commutation gap may be provided in parallel electrical communication with the capacitor bank. Additionally, one or more plasma injectors may be provided in series electrical communication with the pilot circuit. The plasma injectors may be operable to provide partially or completely ionized plasma across the main commutation gap to make conductive the main commutation gap.

Systems and methods for protecting a series capacitor bank

A lighting arrester in the form of a double-ended polymer enclosure contains one or more varistor discs in vertical alignment having terminals at the opposing ends for external electrical connection. The discs are formed from a zinc oxide composition with metal electrodes on opposing faces that are electrically connected with each other and with the end terminals by U-shaped metal straps.

Compact lightning arrester assembly

This overvoltage surge arrester has a tubular porcelain housing having a bore, metal terminals at opposite ends of the porcelain housing, stacks of metal-oxide varistor disks located within the housing in angularly-spaced relationship about the bore, and venting means within the terminals for venting gases from the housing should an electric arc develop within the housing as a result of failure of a varistor disk. First liners of electrical insulating material having relatively high thermal conductivity are sandwiched between the stacks and the bore for providing effective heat transfer between the stacks and the porcelain housing. Additional liners are disposed on the bore in locations angularly between the first liners. These additional liners are of a thermal and electrical insulating material, a major portion of which is a ceramic selected from the group of alumina, thoria, zirconia, zircon, and spinel. This thermal and electrical insulating material has a relatively low thermal conductivity and low ablation compared to the material of the first liners and is collapsible in response to arc-produced pressures developing within said porcelain housing, thereby protecting the housing from pressure and temperature shock waves developed by the arc.

Overvoltage surge arrester with means for protecting its porcelain

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Cummington, MA, United States of America

David S Birrell