Modular cascaded reversible polarity ultrahigh dc voltage supply system

Claim 2

A modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system for delivering a high DC voltage to a load comprising a multiple of high DC voltage power supply modular units, each modular unit including an oil retaining tank of insulator material, with said modular units being vertically stacked and corona rings located at spaced vertical intervals around the tanks to stabilize the voltage gradient along the vertical stack, each of said modular units including switch means in the tanks for reversing the polarity of the DC voltage provided by the respective modular units, said switch means of the respective modular units electrically connecting DC voltages from the power supplies in series to provide a cascaded system high DC voltage with the polarity of the voltage being determined by the positions of the respective switch means, a vertically disposed common switch control means of insulator material and operatively coupled to the switch means in said tanks at vertically spaced intervals, means for moving said common control means in a direction selected to effect a predetermined positioning of the switch means in the tanks to produce a high DC voltage output to the load of corresponding electrical polarity, with a reversal of the DC cascaded voltage being effected by operation of said common control means.

Claim 3

The modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said switch means includes an electrically grounded terminal operatively interposed to discharge the high cascaded voltage to ground between voltage polarity reversals.

Claim 4

The modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said switch means includes a pair of spaced electrically connected poles, each pole being angularly movable in a pole plane to contact electrical terminals angularly spaced in said pole planes, said terminals In each of said pole planes being electrically coupled to modular power supply voltages of respective opposite polarity, an intermediate terminal in each of said pole planes being electrically grounded and being located at an angular position to discharge the high cascaded voltage to ground before polarity reversal occurs.

Claim 5

The modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said poles are rigidly connected to one another for joint angular motion in their respective polar planes, with one polarity terminal located at one angular position limit of the pole motion and the other polarity terminal located at an opposite angular position limit, with said grounded terminals located at an intermediate angular position of the poles to discharge the high cascaded voltage as the poles are moved from one angular position limit to the other for polarity reversal.

Claim 6

The modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said poles are formed of angularly rotatable conductors provided with radially inwardly depressible contact elements, and wherein said terminals are formed of generally straight conductive members located within the circle of angular movement of the depressible elements of the poles to provide wiping self-cleaning contact with the poles.

Claim 7

The modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vertically disposed common control means is a rotatable shaft formed of dielectric material, said shaft extending vertically alongside of the vertical stack of high DC voltage power supply modular units, and means for coupling the rotatable shaft to the poles to angularly swing the poles in their planes for providing switching contact between the poles and terminals. 7 A modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system for delivering a high DC voltage to a load comprising a plurality of high DC voltage power supply modular units positioned one above another in a vertical stack, said modular units including corona rings extending around their upper ends and surrounding the bottom ends of the next higher units to stabilize the voltage gradient along the vertical stack, each of said modular units including a high DC voltage power supply and switch means for reversing the polarity of the DC voltage provided by the respective power supplies, said switch means of the respective modular units in the stack being electrically interconnected in cascaded relationship with the polarity of the DC voltage at the top of the stack being determined by the positions of the respective switch means, a vertically disposed common switch control means of insulator material extending vertically near the stack of modular units, said common switch control means being operatively coupled to the respective switch means included in said modular units, for moving said switch means in a direction selected to effect a predetermined polarity HIGH DC voltage output at the top of the stack for supply to the load with reversal of the high DC voltage polarity at the top of the stack being effected by operation of said common control means.

Claim 8

A modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 7, in which the switch means in each of said modular units includes an intermediate switch terminal and resistor means, said resistor means in the respective modular units becoming interconnected in series to a ground by the respective intermediate terminals of said switch means during polarity reversal operation of said switch means to discharge the voltage from the top of the stack through said resistor means in series before the reversed polarity voltage is applied to the top of the stack.

Claim 9

A modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 7, in which each of said modular units includes a strong header plate of electrically conductive material extending across the top of the modular unit and being electrically connected to the corona ring extending around the upper end of the mOdular unit, a chassis of insulating material being hung from said header plate, and the power supply of the modular unit being mechanically supported by said chassis.

Claim 10

A modular ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 7, in which each of said modular units includes a potential divider resistor adapted to be operatively associated with a DC voltmeter circuit, the respective potential divider resistors in said stack of modular units being connected in series in a circuit extending down from the output voltage supply at the top to a terminal near the bottom of the stack adapted to be connected to a DC voltmeter circuit.

Claim 11

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system adapted for delivering an ultrahigh DC voltage to a load comprising a plurality of modular units positioned one above the other to form a stack of such units, said units in the stack including a transformer having a primary winding, a step-up secondary winding and a tertiary winding, the tertiary winding of each unit which is below another unit being connected to the primary winding of the next higher unit for energizing the transformer therein, said units in the stack each including rectifier means and capacitor means connected to the step-up secondary winding for producing a high DC voltage, each of said units including switch means for effectively reversing the polarity of the high DC voltage provided by the respective unit, the units in the stack being interconnected in cascaded relationship through the respective switch means from the bottom unit to the top unit for cascading the high DC voltages produced by the successive units in the stack to produce an ultrahigh DC voltage available at the top unit in the stack, a common switch control extending upright along near said stack, said common switch control being made of insulating material, and mechanical connection means extending from said switch control to the respective switch means for simultaneously actuating the switch means by operation of said common switch control to reverse the polarity of the ultrahigh DC voltage available from the top unit.

Claim 12

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system adapted for delivering an ultrahigh DC voltage to a load comprising a plurality of modular units positioned one above the other to form a stack of such units, said units in the stack including a transformer having a primary winding, a step-up secondary winding and a tertiary winding, the tertiary winding of each unit which is below another unit being connected to the primary winding of the next higher unit for energizing the transformer therein, said units in the stack each including rectifier means and capacitor means connected to the step-up secondary winding for producing a high DC voltage, each of said units including switch means for effectively reversing the polarity of the high DC voltage provided by the respective unit, the units in the stack being interconnected in cascaded relationship through the respective switch means from the bottom unit to the top unit for cascading the high DC voltages produced by the successive units in the stack to produce an ultrahigh DC voltage available at the top unit in the stack, a common switch control extending upright along near said stack, said common switch control being made of insulating material, and mechanical connection means extending from said switch control to the respective switch means for simultaneously actuating the switch means by operation of said common switch control to reverse the polarity of the ultrahigh DC voltage available from the top unit.

Claim 13

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system adapted for delivering an ultrahigh DC voltage to a load, as claimed in claim 11, in which the switch means in each of said units include a switch arm, two active terminals and an intermediate terminal positioned between the active terminals, one of said active terminals being positive and the other negative, and the intermediate terminals being engaged by the end of the switch arm when the switch means are being actuated to discharge the ultrahigh DC voltage from the top of the stack before the reversed polarity voltage is applied thereof.

Claim 14

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system as claimed in claim 12, in which the switch arms are formed of insulating material and have an electrically conductive contact at the end engageable with the active terminals and with the intermediate terminal, and a resistor mounted on each of the switch arms, said resistor having one end connected to the contact and the other end connected through a flexible lead in circuit to the switch means in the adjacent unit in the stack.

Claim 15

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system adapted for delivering an ultrahigh DC voltage to a load, as claimed in claim 11, in which the transformer in said units each include a core and the units each include a strong electrically conductive header plate extending across the top of the unit, the header plate being connected to the switch means in the unit to be at the high DC voltage level being provided by the respective unit, the transformer core being electrically connected to the header plate to be at the same high DC voltage level as the header plate, and a corona ring extending around the unit near the header plate and being electrically connected to the header plate to be at the same high DC voltage level as the header plate.

Claim 16

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system, as claimed in cLaim 14, in which each of said units includes an insulating tank positioned below the header plate and being mechanically connected to said header plate: the rectifier means, capacitor means, switch means and transformer being positively within the tank and supported from the header plate, and the tank being adapted to be filled with insulating oil.

Claim 17

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system, as claimed in claim 11, in which the tertiary winding is positioned within the other two windings, and the primary winding is positioned between the tertiary and secondary windings.

Claim 18

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system, as claimed in claim 11, in which the mechanical connection means extending from said common switch control to the respective switch means are toothed belts of insulating material, the belts being split adjacent to the common switch control with their ends being removably secured to the common switch control.

Claim 19

An ultrahigh DC voltage supply system, as claimed in claim 17, in which the ends of the belt are removably secured to a member which can be angularly adjusted in position with respect to the common switch control for effectively aligning the actuation of the respective switch means.