NO175417C - Section dividers in overhead lines - Google Patents

Abstract

In electrical tracks with overhead wire operation, the traction line is divided up into individual traction line sections by section insulators. So that they can be passed over, the section insulators are provided with contact skids. If there is different electrical potential between two traction line sections, the current collector discharges a power arc which destroys the section insulator. Attempts have been made to extinguish the arc by bypassing via a switch. The drive coil of the switch is connected between an auxiliary electrode which extends into the second traction line section and is insulated with respect to it, and the second traction line section, so that the arc current flows through the drive coil. This arc current fluctuates in such a way that actuation of the switch is not ensured so that damage nevertheless occurs. The intention is now to ensure that the switch switches reliably and namely with a specific delay (e.g. 80 ms) and opens with a considerably longer fall-delay time of e.g. 200 ms. According to the invention, the drive coil of the switch is connected to the auxiliary electrode and the second traction line section directly via a saturation converter, the secondary voltage of which, connected to the drive coil, is constant and independent of the level of the arc current flowing in the primary winding. A rectifier for rectifying the output alternating voltage can be connected to the secondary winding of the saturation current converter and the drive coil of the switch can be constructed as a direct current drive coil. Section insulators are used for the electrical isolation of a first and of a second section of an electrical traction line for traction vehicles having an insulating body which electrically isolates the sections. <IMAGE>