U.S. patent number 3,824,431 [Application Number 05/358,885] was granted by the patent office on 1974-07-16 for high voltage suppressor for transmission lines.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Allen-Bradley Company. Invention is credited to Heinz M. Schlicke.
United States Patent |
3,824,431 |
Schlicke |
July 16, 1974 |
HIGH VOLTAGE SUPPRESSOR FOR TRANSMISSION LINES
Abstract
A compensated high voltage suppressor for insertion in a
transmission line is shown for shunting large interference voltages
from the line to ground. The suppressor has a varistor material
through which the large interference voltages are shunted, and this
material also functions as a capacitor dielectric. Additional
circuit components are connected with this capacitance to form a
low pass filter in the transmission line which has a characteristic
impedance substantially matching the line characteristic impedance.
This impedance matching maintains effective transmission for power,
or signals conducted along the line in the normal mode of
operation.
Inventors: |
Schlicke; Heinz M. (Fox Point,
WI) |
Assignee: |
Allen-Bradley Company
(Milwaukee, WI)
|
Family
ID: |
23411452 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/358,885 |
Filed: |
May 10, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/126;
338/21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02H
9/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H02H
9/00 (20060101); H02h 001/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;179/184 ;206/166,222
;317/335C,49,50,61,61.5 ;333/7CR,7S,75,76,79,8R,8T,97R
;338/20,21 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Miller; J. D.
Assistant Examiner: Salce; Patrick
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Quarles & Brady
Claims
I claim:
1. In a voltage suppressor for an electrical line exhibiting a
characteristic impedance for a normal mode of operation, the
combination comprising:
an electrically shielding shell with a shunting terminal for
conducting currents to ground;
input and output conductors entering and leaving said shell
connectable to said electrical line;
a shunting element associated with said shell having a dielectric
of varistor material with electrodes on opposing sides thereof, one
electrode in connection with one of said conductors, the other
electrode in connection with said shunting terminal;
an impedance element within said shell and in series connection
with said conductors forming a low pass filter with said shunting
element during said normal mode of operation; and
said dielectric exhibiting capacitive characteristics in said
normal mode of operation, and having an ohmic current conducting
characteristic according to the relationship I = KV.sup..alpha. in
which the exponent alpha is greater than 10 and ohmic current flows
for voltages above those of said normal mode of operation.
2. A voltage suppressor as in claim 1, wherein the characteristic
impedance of said low pass filter substantially matches said line
characteristic impedance for said normal mode of operation.
3. A voltage suppressor as in claim 1, wherein the dielectric
constant of the varistor material is less than 500 and the value of
alpha is at least 10.
4. A voltage suppressor as in claim 1, wherein the dielectric
constant of the varistor material decreases with increasing
frequency.
5. In a voltage suppressor for connection to a transmission line
comprised of a pair of paths over which regular signals are
conducted, the combination comprising:
an electrical bypass to ground;
a capacitance for between each transmission line path and said
bypass, each capacitance having a dielectric material that has a
transition to low resistance at selected voltages above those of
regular signals;
impedances for series relation with each transmission line path,
the capacitances and impedances presenting a low pass filter
network with a characteristic impedance substantially matching the
characteristic impedance of the transmission line for a range of
regular transmission frequencies; and
such impedances are each an inductor and capacitor in parallel, and
form T-filters with the capacitances having a varistor dielectric
material.
6. In a voltage suppressor for a pair of transmission line paths,
the combination comprising:
a shielding enclosure;
a pair of inputs and a pair of outputs for the enclosure;
a bypass connection disposed outside the enclosure;
input capacitor elements at one end of said enclosure having:
dielectrics of varistor material, electrode surfaces connected to
said inputs, and electrode surfaces connected to said bypass
connection;
output capacitor elements at the other end of said enclosure having
dielectrics of varistor material, electrode surfaces connected to
said outputs, and electrode surfaces connected to said bypass
connection; and
inductances within said enclosure disposed between the capacitor
electrodes that are joined to the inputs and outputs.
7. A voltage suppressor as in claim 6, wherein the inductances and
capacitor elements present a characteristic impedance matching the
characteristic impedance of the transmission line paths.
8. A voltage suppressor as in claim 6, wherein the varistor
material is a zinc oxide having an alpha of at least 10 and a
dielectric constant less than 500.
9. A voltage suppressor as in claim 6, wherein the varistor
material has a dielectric constant that decreases with
frequency.
10. In a voltage suppressor for connection to a pair of
transmission line paths, the combination comprising:
a shielding;
a bypass conductor on said shielding;
a first input capacitor element having a varistor material
dielectric, such capacitor element electrically disposed between
one of said paths and said bypass conductor;
a second input capacitor element having a varistor material
dielectric, such capacitor element electrically disposed between
the other of said paths and said bypass conductor;
a first inductance disposed within said shielding joined to the
first input capacitor on the side opposite the bypass
conductor;
a second inductance disposed within said shielding joined to the
second input capacitor on the side opposite the bypass
conductor;
a first output capacitor element having a varistor material
dielectric connected between one of said inductances and said
bypass conductor; and
a second output capacitor element having a varistor material
dielectric connected between the other of said inductances and said
bypass conductor.
11. A voltage suppressor as in claim 10 wherein the characteristic
impedance of the suppressor matches the characteristic impedance of
the transmission line paths.
12. In a voltage suppressor for a transmission line, the
combination comprising:
a tubular metallic shell;
an end wall at each end of the shell formed of dielectric material;
at least one of said end walls also being a varistor type
material;
a pair of conductors passing through the shell and the end walls,
such conductors having inductance at points between said end
walls;
first capacitor electrodes, each on a surface of one of said end
walls, which are spaced from the conductors, such electrodes being
connected to said shell; and
second capacitor electrodes on surfaces of the end walls opposite
from the first electrodes that are each individually connected to
one of said conductors, to provide capacitance between each
conductor and said shell.
13. In a voltage suppressor for a transmission line, the
combination comprising:
a tubular metallic shell having end caps;
a varistor-capacitor element inside said shell having a body of
varistor material that also presents a capacitive dielectric
constant, and further having a first electrode on one side that is
connected to said shell, and second electrodes of the opposite
side;
a pair of conductors each joined at a point between its ends to one
of said second electrodes;
a set of four capacitors inside said shell each connected to an end
of one of said conductors;
a set of four inductors inside said shell each across one of said
set of four capacitors; and
additional conductors extending from said four capacitors to the
exterior of the shell.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates primarily to the suppression of large
amplitude interference voltages that may appear upon a transmission
line for the purpose of protecting electrical apparatus connected
to such line.
Large interference voltages thay may appear on an electrical line
are usually abrupt transients that are spike-like in character.
Very often they propagate along both wires of a line in the same
direction, and this is referred to as a common mode operation, as
distinguished from the normal mode of operation occurring in
regular power or signal transmission in which the wires of a line
are conducting in opposite directions. These transients may arise
from a number of sources, such as lightning, electromagnetic
interference, inductive switching, or other phenomena, and to shunt
them off an electrical line some form of a direct current path to
ground is desirable. In the instance of a transmission line that
must effectively conduct power, or a signal from one point to
another the presence of any such direct current path will, however,
adversely affect normal transmission.
Thus, a requirement for a high voltage suppressor connected to a
transmission line is that the impedance it introduces must not
attenuate the regular signals carried over the line, or disrupt the
efficiency of energy transfer between the line and electrical
apparatus connected to the line. For optimum energy transfer from a
transmitter to a transmission line, and from the line to a
receiver, the impedances of the transmitter and receiver should
match the characteristic impedance of the line. A voltage
suppressor inserted in the line to shunt large transient voltages
from the line to ground, so as to protect the associated electrical
apparatus, should not upset this impedance matching. A simple high
voltage protector that comprises a shunt path to ground will,
however, introduce an extraneous impedance that upsets effective
transmission along a line. An example of such a voltage protector
would be the use of varistors that act as a low resistance in the
presence of large voltages, and as a high resistance in the absence
of such voltages. A varistor would be connected as a simple shunt
path from each wire of the transmission line to ground, and their
presence would materially affect the line impedance. The result
would be impaired electrical transmission along the line. Some
alternative device is needed for protection of transmission lines
from large, transient interference voltages, and the present
invention is directed to a solution of this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention resides in a high voltage suppressor having an
electrical bypass for high voltage inserted between a transmission
line and ground that functions both as an electrical path for large
voltage transients and as a capacitance, and additional components
are incorporated into the circuit to form with the capacitance a
low pass filter network having a characteristic impedance that
matches the transmission line characteristic impedance for a
selected range of frequencies.
Preferably, the protective voltage suppressor is inserted in a
transmission line at the point where the line connects to
transmitting or receiving apparatus. The suppressor presents an
impedance between the line and the associated apparatus, and such
impedance should be compatible with pre-existing circuit
characteristic impedances. The suppressor must also pass normal
operating signals carried along the transmission line, but shunt
off of the line harmful voltages in excess of normal transmission
amplitudes. These requirements are met in preferred forms of the
invention by inserting a varistor type of material between the line
and ground, and recognizing and utilizing its capacitive
characteristic in addition to its variable resistance
characteristic. A varistor presents a resistance across its
terminals which varies with applied voltage, and a typical varistor
may comprise a wafer of zinc oxide with electrodes attached to
opposite sides of the zinc oxide. In a usual varistor application,
the varistor is connected across some device such as a set of relay
contacts to function as an overload protection. In the presence of
normal voltages it acts as a very large resistance blocking current
flow, but in the presence of a high voltage its resistance abruptly
decreases and current is then conducted to provide the desired
protection. Examples of this usual type of application are given in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,710,058; 3,710,061 and 3,710,187, and also in the
publication "GE-MOV Varistors-Voltage Transient Suppressors" by
General Electric Company in December 1971. This publication also
recognizes capacitive effects of zinc oxide varistors.
In the present invention additional components including an
inductance are placed in circuit with a varistor-capacitor to
obtain a compensated voltage suppressor in the form of a filter
network. The varistor-capacitor then functions both as part of a
low pass filter and as a low resistance for conducting ohmic
current to ground upon the occurrence of large transient voltages.
The low pass filter conducts normal mode signals of regular
transmission, so that the compensated suppressor will not interfere
with ordinary line operation.
Capacitors with the varistor material as a dielectirc are placed
between the individual wires of a transmission line and ground, and
for normal transmission signals the capacitor elements do not
conduct, for conduction would adversely attentuate the desired
transmission of such signals. The presentation of this capacitance
to the transmission line circuit presents an impedance at normal,
working frequencies that would interfere with power or signal
transmission if there be no compensation. The characteristic
impedance of the line would no longer be matched with the impedance
of the associated electrical apparatus, because of the intervening
insertion of this shunting capacitance into the circuit. To
overcome the mismatch of impedances that would result, an
additional impedance is inserted in series with the transmission
line of such value that the total suppressor characteristic
impedance matches the characteristic impedance of the line and the
impedances of associated electrical apparatus over a range of
normal operating frequencies. The suppressor then functions as a
low pass filter for transmission of the normal working frequencies.
For a telephone line the pass band for this low pass filter should
extend as high as 10 kilo-Hertz, for carrier telephone transmission
the pass band should extend as high as 200 kilo-Hertz, for VHF
television transmission the pass band should extend to 300
mega-Hertz, and for UHF television the pass band should extend to
1,000 mega-Hertz. The varistor material of the shunting capacitor
elements is selected and dimensioned to become a low resistance in
the presence of voltages which are somewhat greater than normal
voltages. Ohmic current due to these voltages is then shunted off
the transmission line through a low resistance path, and the rapid
current drain "clips" the interference voltages, so that they are
not impressed upon the associated electrical apparatus connected to
the transmission line.
The varistor material should be one in which the transition from
the characteristic of a very high resistance with capacitor
dielectric properties to the characteristic of a low resistance is
abrupt. The relationship between current and voltage for a varistor
is given as:
I = KE.sup..alpha.
in which K is a constant and alpha depends upon the material
selected and the manner or processing it into a finished form. The
relationship between current and voltage is an exponential curve,
and the higher the value of alpha the more abrupt is the transition
from high resistance to low resistance as voltage increases. Also,
for a higher value of alpha the high resistance-dielectric
characteristic is maintained at more optimum values of low or
negligible conductivity until the low resistance-ohmic current
conducting characteristic begins to dominate. Metal oxides have
been found to be a preferred varistor material and particularly
zinc oxide with additives of other metal oxides. Not only does this
material have desirable values of alpha, but it has been found that
it can be prepared with a desirable dielectric constant .epsilon..
This material can then be properly proportioned to be compatible
with the voltages, frequencies and characteristic impedances
encountered in working with a transmission line. It also provides a
relatively stable dielectric constant with temperature variation
which makes it ideal for protecting a transmission line subject to
variable climatic conditions.
It is an object of this invention to provide a compensated voltage
suppressor for protecting electrical apparatus connected to a
transmission line upon which large voltage transients may
appear.
It is another object of this invention to provide a compensated
voltage suppressor for a transmission line that forms a low pass
filter for normal transmission signals, but also which is a shunt
to ground for large transient voltages.
It is another object of this invention to provide a compensated
voltage suppressor for a transmission line with a characteristic
impedance that substantially matches the line characteristic
impedance for a range of normal operating frequencies.
It is another object of this invention to provide a voltage
suppressor having components that function as a low resistance
shunt path to ground in the presence of large transient voltages,
but which are capacitive components of a low pass filter during
normal signal transmission.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention
will appear from the following description. In the description
reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part
hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration and not
of limitation two preferred embodiments of the invention. Such
embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention, but
rather the invention may be employed in many different embodiments,
and reference is made to the claims herein for interpreting the
breadth of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrical system in which
compensated voltage suppressors embodying the invention are
inserted between a transmission line and electrical apparatus
connected to the line,
FIG. 2 is a view in cross section of one of the voltage suppressors
of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is an end view taken through the plane 3--3 indicated in
FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 is a view in cross section taken through the plane 4--4
indicated in FIG. 2,
FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the circuit of the voltage
suppressor of FIGS. 2-4,
FIG. 6 is a view in cross section of a second embodiment of the
invention,
FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the embodiment of FIG.
6,
FIG. 8 is a view in cross section of a third embodiment which is a
modification of the construction shown in FIG. 6, and
FIG. 9 is a view in cross section of a fourth embodiment of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1 there is shown a transmitter 1 within a metallic
shielding enclosure 2. The transmitter 1 is connected through a
voltage suppressor 3, embodying the present invention, to a
transmission line comprised of a pair of parallel wires 4 and 5.
The wires 4, 5 connect to the input terminals 26 and 27 of a second
voltage suppressor 6 that embodies the invention, and the
suppressor 6 has its output terminals 28 and 29 connected to a pair
of leads 7 and 8 joined to a receiver 9. The receiver 9 and the
leads 7, 8 are within a second shielded enclosure 10, and the
principal purpose of the enclosures 2 and 10 is to isolate the
transmitter 1 and the receiver 9 from electromagnetic interference
that may be propagated through the air. In FIG. 1 the normal mode
of signal transmission over the wires 4, 5 is indicated by the
arrows 11 and 12 pointing in opposite directions. Such normal mode
of transmission must pass directly through the suppressors 3 and 6
without attenuation or reflection. The large arrows 13 and 14
illustrate interference voltages larger than normal transmission
voltages that may appear on the wires 4, 5. These interference
voltages are at energy levels above that safely tolerated by the
transmitter 1 or receiver 9, and they are usually an abrupt
transient, as discussed hereinbefore, with wide frequency spectrums
that may range from zero frequency upward to very high values of
frequency. The arrows 13, 14 are in the same direction to indicate
a usual propagation of high interference voltages, and this
sameness of direction illustrates the common mode type of
operation.
Referring now to FIG. 2, it shows the suppressor 6 in cross
section, and on an enlarged scale from that of FIG. 1. Suppressor 3
is duplicative thereof, and hence the description of suppressor 6
will suffice for a description of both. A tubular, metallic shell
15 has a mounting ring 16 snugly encircling and secured to its
outer surface, and this ring 16 is soldered to the shielding 10 to
form a conductor that presents an electrical path that is a bypass
to ground. A pair of varistor-capacitor elements 17 and 18 are
fitted in the shell 15 to form end walls. Each element 17, 18 is
preferably composed of a metal oxide material that has a dielectric
constant presenting a capacitance. The two varistor-capacitor
elements 17, 18 are mirror images of one another, with the element
17 being at the input end of the suppressor 6, and the element 18
being at the output end.
Referring to the element 17, there is an electrode 19 covering most
of its inner surface, as illustrated in FIG. 4, with the exception
of two circular areas through which conductors 30 and 31 extend as
continuations of the individual wires 4, 5. The outer surface of
the element 17 is shown in FIG. 3, and it is seen that this outer
surface is coated with a pair of electrodes 20 and 21. The
electrode 20 is connected through the input terminal 26 to the
conductor 30, and the electrode 21 is connected through the input
terminal 27 to the conductor 31. The two electrodes 20 and 21 are
spaced from one another, so that in effect a pair of input
capacitors are formed. Each input capacitor is connected between a
conductor 30 or 31 and ground, and this arrangement is shown
schematically in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5 the input capacitor of which the
electrode 20 is a part is designated 20', and the input capacitor
of which the electrode 21 is a part is designated 21'.
In similar fashion, there are two output capacitors at the right
hand side of the suppressor 6. The first is a capacitor 22 that is
connected on one side to the conductor 30 and the lead 7, and on
the other side to ground. The second is a capacitor 23 which is
between ground on one side and the conductor 31 and the lead 8 on
the other side. The conductors 30, 31 are embedded in and extend
directly through the varistor-dielectric material forming the
capacitor elements 17 and 18, and similarly they are embedded in
and extend through the varistor-dielectric material forming the
capacitor element 18. The capacitor electrodes may be applied as a
silver paste, and then heated to drive off the organic carrier and
to set the material in place, similarly as in other capacitor and
filter constructions. In effect, the leads 7, 8 are continuations
of the conductors 30, 31, which in turn are continuations of the
transmission line wires 4, 5, so that the suppressor 6 can be said
to be inserted in the transmission line, or between the line and
the receiver 9.
A first inductance 24 is formed in the conductor 30, so as to be
between the wire 4 and the lead 7. This inducatnce 24 is housed
within the shell 15. A second inductance 25 is formed in the
conductor 31, so as to be electrically inserted between the wire 5
and the lead 8. It is also housed within the shell 15. The
inductances 24 and 25 are effectively shielded from the exterior by
the combination of the metallic shell 15 and the metallic
electrodes of the varistor-capacitor elements 17, 18 which overlap
one another so as to effectively present shielding across the shell
ends. The inductances 24, 25 are therefor isolated from external
electromagnetic, air propagated interference, and they will serve
as inductors for the frequencies of the normal signals moving along
the transmission line wires 4, 5, through the suppressor 6, and out
along the leads 7 and 8 to the receiver 9.
It is the purpose of the inductances 24 and 25 to form in
combination with the capacitors 20', 21', 22 and 23 a filter
network as illustrated in FIG. 5. This is a low pass filter which
passes the signals transmitted in the normal mode along the
transmission line comprised of the parallel wires 4 and 5. Further,
the characteristic impedance of this low pass filter, as seen from
the wires 4, 5 and also from the leads 7, 8, is to substantially
match the characteristic impedance of the transmission line over a
range of regular working frequencies. The impedance of the receiver
9 will also be of similar value in accordance with usual practice.
In this fashion, the suppressor 6 will not create reflections or
adversely attenuate or shunt the signals of the normal mode of
transmission, and maximum power transfer is maintained.
HIgh energy interference voltages that appear on the wires 4, 5 as
abnormal signals, such as illustrated by the common mode arrows 13
and 14 in FIG. 1, will appear across the input capacitors 20' and
21'. In the presence of these high voltages the varistor material
forming the capacitor dielectrics will present low resistance paths
to ground. The interference voltages drive the varistor material
beyond the transition point of its non-linear characteristic curve,
and the material will conduct ohmic current through a low
resistance path to ground for clipping the peak values of the
transient interference voltages. Any high voltage that may pass
through the inductances 24, 25 will be similarly shunted through
the output capacitors 22 and 23, so that the leads 7 and 8 at the
output terminals 28, 29 of the suppressor 6 are free to the
interference voltages. Thus, there is a suppression of interference
voltages that appear on the wires 4 and 5 to protect the receiver
9. The suppressor 3 protects the transmitter 1 in similar
fashion.
Of the metal oxides, zinc oxide with additives is a particularly
suitable varistor material which can be formulated with both a
desirable alpha value and dielectric constant .epsilon.. For the
purposes herein, it is desirable to have a low or moderate
dielectric constant which will not introduce such a capacitance
which would require excessive compensating inductance. A range of
up to about 500 for .epsilon. is satisfactory for most cases. The
lower the value of .epsilon. the greater may be the pass band of
the low pass filter presented in the suppressor 6. A varistor
material of zinc oxide can be formulated which also has an alpha
value in the relationship I = KV.sup..alpha., at a satisfactorily
high level. This value should be 10 or greater for then the
transition of the varistor-dielectric material from the function as
a non-conductive capacitor to the function of a low resistance path
in the presence of a higher voltage values usually will be
satisfactorily sharp.
The chemistry and manner of preparation of zinc oxides as varistor
materials has been investigated and published in considerable
detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,496,512; 3,570,002; 3,598,763;
3,632,528; 3,632,529; 3,634,337; 3,642,664; 3,658,725; 3,663,458;
3,687,871; 3,689,863; 3,670,216 and 3,670,221. The zinc oxide is
modified with minor amounts of other oxides, such as beryllium
oxide, bismuth oxide, lanthanum oxide, yttrium oxide, cobalt oxide,
etc., as discussed in the foregoing patents. The formulations and
manner of processing zinc oxide mixes are not deemed to be a part
of the present invention.
The invention as shown in FIGS. 2-5 provides a voltage suppressor
for transmission lines that meets multiple requirements. It uses a
varistor material as a capacitor dielectric, and combines the
resulting capacitance with inductance to match transmission line
characteristic impedance, and it also relies on the varistor
characteristic to shunt high, transient voltages to ground. When a
pair of individual wires make up a transmission line the filter
network should have symmetry with respect to ground. The two wires
will have like interference voltages with a common propagation, as
shown by the arrows 13, 14 in FIG. 1, and each should be shunted to
ground in like manner. Thus, the capacitors 20' and 21' are
preferably similar, and so are the capacitors 22 and 23. The
inductances 24, 25 should likewise equal one another. The impedance
presented by the suppressor should have the symmetry of being the
same from each end. Thus capacitors 22, 23 are placed in the
circuit network. They should match the capacitance at the input
side of the suppressor 6, although they need not be of a varistor
material if the capacitors 20', 21' will adequately shunt the
anticipated interference voltages.
ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS
The embodiment of FIGS. 2-5 comprises a low pass filter that is
symmetrical as seen from the two ends, and also it is symmetrical
with respect to ground. With regard to this latter symmetry, the
circuit network appears as a pair of pi-type filters. As an
alternative to the pi-type configuration, an inductance could be
inserted to the front, or input side of each capacitor 20', 21' and
the capacitors 22, 23 removed, to thus have an equivalent T-filter
configuration. Both a pi- and a T-configuration can be designed to
provide a characteristic impedance that substantially matches line
characteristic impedance over a working range of frequencies.
In FIGS. 6 and 7 there is shown another embodiment, for which the
image impedance may stay substantially at the same value for a
wider range of frequencies. It is symmetrical from the ends, and is
also symmetrical around a ground connection, and for each
transmission line wire it presents a T-type low pass filter. The
arms of the T each have an inductance and a capacitance in
parallel, and a filter of this configuration is known as a shunt
m-derived filter. The embodiment in FIGS. 2-5 is, on the other
hand, known as a constant-k filter.
Referring specifically to FIG. 6, there is a tubular, metallic
shell 32 with a mounting ring 33 snugly encircling the shell 32 at
its midsection. The ring 33 is in electrical connection with the
shell 32 and is fastened to the periphery of an opening in a
grounded wall 34 to thereby provide an electrical bypass conductor
for shunting large, transient voltages from a transmission
line.
Mounted inside the shell 32 at its center is a varistor-capacitor
35 similar to the elements 17 and 18 in the embodiment of FIGs.
2-5. The varistor-capacitor 35 has a body of varistor material that
also exhibits a dielectric property making it suitable for use as a
capacitor, similarly as in the first embodiment. On one face of the
varistor-capacitor 35 is an electrode 36 which covers the entire
face except for two circular areas, again being similar to a
varistor-capacitor of the first embodiment. On the opposite face
there are a pair of electrodes 37 and 38, so that each electrode
37, 38 forms a capacitor 37', 38' respectively with the electrode
36.
On each end of the shell 32 is a metallic cap 39 which together
with the shell 32 form a shielded enclosure for the suppressor
components. Extending through each cap 39 is a conductor 40
supported in an insulator 41. Each conductor 40 presents a terminal
42 at its outer end, and its inner end connects with one side of a
capacitor 43. The other side of each capacitor 43 connects with an
end of one of two middle conductors 44 that pass through the
varistor-capacitor 35. Looped across the electrodes of each
capacitor 43 is an inductor 45, so as to have a parallel
arrangement for each capacitor-inductor pair.
The circuit for the compensated suppressor of FIG. 6 is
schematically shown in FIG. 7. The terminals 42 are for connection
between the wires of a transmission line and an associated
apparatus, such as a transmitter or receiver. The entire circuit
network is a low pass filter that passes regular working signals,
or power. If a voltage appears in some preselected amount, for
which the circuit is designed, above normal voltage values the
varistor-capacitor 35 acts as a resistance path to ground for
clipping the voltage. The varistor-capacitor 35 is therefore the
main high voltage suppressing element, and the other impedances in
the circuit network compensate for the presence of the
varistor-capacitor 35. They do this by combining with the
capacitance of the varistor-capacitor 35 which is present during
normal mode of operation to form a low pass filter having a
characteristic impedance which matches, quite closely, the
characteristic impedance of the transmission line over a range of
normal working frequencies.
Fig. 8 shows a suppressor that is a modification of that shown in
FIG. 6. The varistor-capacitor 35 and capacitors 43 of FIG. 6 are
combined in a multi-layered sandwich 46, for the purpose of
shortening the conductors 44 shown in FIG. 6 to minimize the
inductance of these conductors.
The sandwich 46 has a central electrode 47 connected to ground
which corresponds to the electrode 36 in FIG. 6. On each side of
the electrode 47 is a layer of varistor-dielectric material 48, and
on these layers is a set of four electrodes 49. The electrodes 49
are paired by short connections 50 extending through the
varistor-dielectric material 48, this completes a
varistor-capacitor corresponding to the varistor-capacitor 35 of
FIG. 6.
On the outer side of each electrode 49 is a layer of dielectric
material 51 on which there is a capacitor electrode 52. Thus, there
is a set of four capacitors each formed of a dielectric 51 and two
associated electrodes, which capacitors correspond to capacitors 43
of FIG. 6. A set of four inductances 53 are connected into the
circuit which are similar to inductances 45 in FIG. 6. Thus, the
embodiment of FIG. 8 reduces lead inductance in the filter network
of the voltage suppressor.
Turning to FIG. 9, a voltage suppressor is shown having tubular
dielectric materials, and the circuit again takes a T-configuration
as illustrated in FIG. 7. There are a pair of tubular bodies 54
each with a central, band-like electrode 55 that connects to
ground. A conductive layer 56 on the inner wall of each body 54 is
in capacitive relation with the electrode 55, so as to have a
varistor-capacitor corresponding to 35 of FIG. 6. Outer electrode
bands 57 on the ends of the bodies 54 form capacitors corresponding
to 43 of FIG. 6. Inductances 58 are connected in series with the
conductive layers 56, and to connect the electrodes 57 into the
circuit non-inductive metallic shells 59 are employed, which each
house one of the inductances 58.
In the various embodiments described a low pass filter will have a
cut-off frequency above the spectrum of normal signal transmission,
and by having such a cut-off frequency very high, low energy
interference frequencies on the wires 4, 5 that are above cut-off
can be shunted through the varistor-capacitors to ground.
In the embodiments shown, the characteristic impedance can be
maintained at a desired level over an increased frequency range by
taking advantage of the so-called dispersion of the dielectric
property of the varistor-capacitors. By the term dispersion is
meant the decrease in the dielectric constant of the material with
increasing frequency. A dielectric material is selected with a
desired decreasing dielectric constant. Then, for higher
frequencies the capacitance decreases, so that the shunt path to
ground by virtue of capacity is lessened. Therefore the impedance
increases over that which would occur for a dielectric constant
that had no variance with frequency. Although a varistor-dielectric
material has been described for the preferrd embodiments of the
drawings, there is the possible use of air alone between the
electrodes of the bypass to ground. Then, .epsilon. would be unity
and alpha would approach infinity.
The examples given herein are in connection with a two wire
transmission line. The invention need not be so limited in its
application. A further variation may be the direct incorporation of
the suppressor into a transmitter or receiver, or other associated
equipment, connected to a line. The compensated voltage suppressor
could function as the input or output terminus of the
equipment.
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