Prefabricated Modular Power Substation

Abstract

An elevated network of bars forms a plurality of rectangular bays in which transformers or other electrical apparatus may be located. Bars of at least one bay are supported by upright frames disposed in rectangular relationship and at least two bars of each bay are supported by upright frames. All of the bar-supporting frames may be identical and composed of upwardly converging legs connected by a lower crosspiece and a central crosspiece and carrying one bar of a bay forming a cap. The bars of the network are connected at the intersections of the network by cross-shaped connectors. Opposite upright frames of a bay can be connected by horizontal mounting bars on which electrical equipment (e.g. disconnect switches) can be supported.

Description

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated modular power substation framework having a plurality of bays which is composed principally of components which can be manufactured in quantity and assembled readily at the substation site. In particular, it is an object to avoid the necessity of providing a special design for each substation installation and erecting such substation on the site by the use of various structural shapes.

Another object is to provide a substation structure, the components of which can be erected quickly and easily at the site and which can be integrated into a rigid framework of virtually any extent required to meet the demands of the substation. An additional object is to enable the extent of such a substation to be enlarged at any time with equal facility. Such a structure will, however, be adequately stable and rugged.

A further object is to provide a prefabricated substation composed of components which can be manufactured economically and which are of a size capable of being shipped easily.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective of an erected substation framework with parts shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of one bay of the substation framework and FIG. 3 is a side elevation of such bay taken perpendicular to FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation and FIG. 5 is an edge elevation of a prefabricated frame constituting a component of substation framework structure of the type shown in FIG. 1.

It has been customary practice for each power substation of a power distribution network to be designed individually for particular sites and requirements. The electrical components incorporated in such a power substation are, however, of standard type, such as large transformers, disconnect switches, circuit breakers, reclosers, insulators and electric conductors. While such components are assembled in different arrangements, the present invention has been devised on the assumption that a framework can be provided to support virtually any number of electrical components in any arrangement which may be desired by utilizing prefabricated structural components if the prefabricated components are made sufficiently large and the framework formed by such components can be extended as far as may be desired.

With these considerations in mind, a typical power substation framework is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a key component of which framework is the prefabricated frame shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 which is intended to be installed in an upright position. The frame 1 is generally planar and includes legs 2 converging upwardly, as seen in FIG. 4. The upper end of these legs carries a cap bar 3. The central portions of such legs are connected by a crosspiece 4 and the lower portions of the legs are connected by a crosspiece 5 to maintain the legs in proper spaced relationship and to rigidify the frame structure. Braces 6 inclined outwardly and upwardly from the upper portions of the legs 2 have their upper ends connected to the portions 7 of cap 3 outboard from the upper ends of legs 2.

The various elements of the frame 1 can be made of different structural shapes and the dimensions of such a frame can vary. A convenient and practical size of frame, however, is one in which the height is 18 feet, the length of the cap bar 3 is 10 feet, the spacing of the upper ends of legs 2 is 21/2 feet, and the spacing of the lower ends of such legs is 81/2 feet. The legs 2 and braces 6 can conveniently be made of square section tubing and the lower ends of the braces 6 can be joined to the legs 2 by welding. The crosspieces 4 and 5 can be made of circular or square tubular stock having opposite ends welded to the legs. The cap 3 can be made of a structural channel opening downwardly to receive the upper ends of the braces 6. A plate 8 may be provided on the lower end of each leg 2 to form a foot.

A key feature of the substation framework is that it includes an elevated network of bars forming a plurality of rectangular bays, which bars are rigidly supported by the frames 1 and may include the caps 3 of such frames in that network. In order to stabilize the frames in upright position and the network of bars supported by such frames, the network incorporates at least one key bay, adjacent bars of which are formed by the caps of frames in rectangular relationship. Two of such stabilizing key bays are shown to the left end of FIG. 1. In each of these instances, three out of the four bars forming the bay are caps of framework-supporting frames 1. Since these frames are all of the same size, such bays are square.

In the arrangement of the two key bays at the left of FIG. 1, one of the frames 1 is common to the two bays. Two other frames form the opposite sides of these bays and are disposed in upright planes parallel to the common frame. An additional frame for each of the two bays is arranged in an upright plane perpendicular to the three parallel frames, so that its cap 3 bridges between the common frame and one of the two frames at opposite sides of such common frame. The fourth side of each network bay is closed by a bar 9. Cross-shaped connectors 10 connect the ends of the network bars at each network intersection. As shown in FIG. 3, the ends of the connector arms fit into the downwardly opening channels of the bar end and may be secured in place by bolts, rivets or welding.

Because of the disposition of at least two frames in rectangular relationship, the interconnected bars of the network are restrained from shifting horizontally. Such stabilizing restraint afforded by this arrangement of the frames will serve as an anchor for the elevated network of bays irrespective of its extent. Consequently, all of the other frames supporting the elevated bar network could be disposed in planes parallel to a selected frame, although this is not always desirable. in FIG. 1, a typical arrangement of frames is shown in which three frames in addition to those incorporated in the support for the two basic bays are shown and each of these frames will enable another bay to be added to the network. It is important, however, that two supporting frames 1 be provided for each bay supporting opposite sides of such bay, even though at least one of these frames may have its cap 3 common to two bays of the network. The other two sides of such a bay can be formed simply by bars 9. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, any number of additional bays could be added in any row of the network by simply adding frames one at a time and bars 9 perpendicular to such a frame connected to an edge of the network by connectors 10. In fact, in some instances, in such an extension of the network, it would not even be essential that a particular bay have two frames. If a bay has two frames, it is not essential that their upright planes be parallel, but such a construction is desirable.

Electrical components can be mounted on the basic framework, and/or can be housed within the framework beneath the network bays. At the left of FIG. 1, for example, two large regulating transformers 11 are shown in phantom as being disposed beneath the two stabilized or key bays at the left of the framework. From such transformers suitable electrical leads can extend upward to the network of bars 3 and 9 and additional electrical components can be mounted on such framework. Particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, mounting bars 12 are shown connecting adjacent parallel frames from which smaller suspended circuit breakers or reclosers 13 can be supported. Leads from these electrical components can extend upward and be connected to disconnect switches or supporting insulators carried by additional mounting bars 14 supported from the frames. Leads 15 can extend on upward to outgoing lines strained with insulators 16 on a network bar 9. Jumpers 17 can extend upward to lightning arresters 18 mounted on top of the network bar 9. Station bus bars 19 are supported by insulators 20 mounted on frame bars 3.

It will be evident that insulators can be mounted in any arrangement desired on the network bars 3,9 for supporting electrical conductors connected to any electrical components suspended from or accommodated beneath the elevated network of bars. Also, such network and the supporting frames can be extended either in the initial installation or in subsequent additions as much as desired to accommodate additional electrical equipment for the substation, the connections between such equipment, and the electrical distribution lines of the substation. Such extension or original arrangement will be in increments of bays defined by the bars 3,9 shown in FIG. 1. The prefabricated components for any extent of such framework are of only three basic types, namely, the frames 1, connecting bars 9 and cross connectors 10. Auxiliary elements such as the mounting bars 12 and 14 are optional elements.

Claims

1. A prefabricated modular power substation framework, comprising an elevated network of substantially coplanar bars forming a plurality of rectangular bays, each side of each bay being formed by a separate bar, connectors connecting said network bars at the bay corners, and prefabricated upright frames supporting said network of bars, said elevated network of bars including a key bay having three frames supporting the bars thereof two of which are disposed in rectangular relationship and the third of which is disposed parallel to one of such two frames, each of said frames having brace means deterring distortion of the frame profile, said three frames supporting network bars of the key bay to deter swaying of said network of bars, and a fourth frame disposed generally parallel to and in registry with but spaced from one of said frames supporting a bar of said key bay, of substantially the same width as said one key bay bar-supporting frame and supporting a further bar in a bay of said elevated network of bars other than said key bay, connectors connecting said network bars at the bay corners, and means connecting said

2. The framework defined in claim 1, in which the connectors are

3. The framework defined in claim 1 in which the network bars are of channel-shaped cross section providing cavities opening downward and the

4. The framework defined in claim 1, in which two opposite bars of each bay

5. The framework defined in claim 4, and electrical component mounting bars extending between and carried by corresponding sides of the frames at

6. A prefabricated modular power substation framework, comprising an elevated network of bars forming a plurality of rectangular bays, and prefabricated upright frames supporting said network of bars (and), said elevated network of bars including a key bay having three frames supporting the bars thereof two of which are disposed in rectangular relationship and the third of which is disposed parallel to one of such two frames, each of said frames having upwardly-converging frame-supporting legs and a cap bar carried by the upper ends of said legs and constituting a bar of one of the network bays, said three frames supporting network bars of the key bay to deter swaying of said network of bars, and a fourth frame disposed generally parallel to and in registry with but spaced from one of said frames supporting a bar of said key bay and supporting a further bar in a bay of said elevated network of bars other than said key bay, and means connecting said further bar to the bars

7. The framework defined in claim 6, in which each frame includes at least one crosspiece lower than the cap bar and connecting the legs of the

8. The framework defined in claim 6, in which the three frames supporting

9. A prefabricated modular power substation framework, comprising an elevated network of bars forming a plurality of rectangular bays, and prefabricated upright frames supporting said network of bars (and), said elevated network of bars including a key bay having three frames supporting the bars thereof two of which are disposed in rectangular relationship and the third of which is disposed parallel to one of such two frames, each of said frames having upwardly converging frame-supporting legs and a cap bar carried by the upper ends of said legs and constituting a bar of one of the network bays, said three frames supporting network bars of the key bay to deter swaying of said network of bars, and a fourth frame disposed generally parallel to and in registry with but spaced from one of said frames supporting a bar of said key bay and supporting a further bar in a bay of said elevated network of bars other than said key bay, each side of each bay being formed by a separate

10. The framework defined in claim 9, in which all of the frames are substantially identical.