Mechanical engineering, metallurgy and the integration of hydro and wind power

Solid insulation transformer.: The solid insulation transformer has a rectangular core covered with a compressible closed-cell foam to eliminate stress during curing of the cast dielectric material surrounding the core and during operation. Heat pipes are placed between the inner coil and the core to extract heat before the temperature builds up. For safety and to eliminate the need for a separate enclosure, an outer multi-layer casing having an incorporated grounded conductive layer is provided to cover the sides of the cast body. The outer casing prevents explosion if dielectric break down and arcing occur, and reduces the danger of electric shock.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2146474
No. Application, patent (USA) : 5,656,984
Earth cooled distribution transformer system and method.: An earth cooled distribution transformer system and a method of cooling same and distributing electrical power to a plurality of consumer loads (31) is described. A distribution transformer (10 is provided with the primary (16) and secondary (17) windings encapsulated in a solid insulating material. The steel magnetic core (13) remains exposed and the transformer is buried in ground at a predetermined depth with the core (13) exposed whereby heat generated by the windings is dissipated into the earth through the exposed magnetic core. The high voltage supply cable (20) may be a buried cable or is at least partly buried as well as the power distribution cable (21), which feeds power to one or more consumer loads. The power distribution transformer (10) may be buried adjacent a manhole enclosure (12) with the primary and secondary winding power cables being connected to terminals (22-25) accessible in the manhole. A series of power distribution transformers (10) and supply cables (20) as well as feed cables (12) may be buried in ground in a network to feed an entire residential area without the need to provide insulating casings or even manhole enclosures.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2243094
No. Application, patent (USA) : 6,031,722
Apparatus and method for monitoring snow water equivalent and soil moisture content using natural gamma radiation.: A gamma monitoring apparatus and method for measuring water equivalent of snowpack over a selected ground area. A detector unit is installed at a given height above the area. The detector unit has a collimator and a scintillator coupled to a photomultiplier tube for detecting gamma rays emitted by naturally radioactive elements present in soil under the snowpack and absorbed by the snowpack in a field of view defined by the collimator. Pulses in a signal produced by the photomultiplier tube are measured and those exceeding threshold energy levels in a number of energy windows are registered as gamma counts. The water equivalent of the snowpack is periodically computed as functions of the gamma counts in the energy windows and the height of the detector unit with respect to ground level. The data representing the computed water equivalent are stored and controllably transmitted for reporting. Soil moisture content is also determinable.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2617410
No. Application, patent (USA) : 7,800,051
Damper for an overhead cable.: A damper for absorbing vibrations in an overhead cable which has a support member attached to the cable and at least one dampening member pivotally connected to an axial member mounted on a support axis extending substantially horizontally under the cable. Each dampening member has an arm provided with a weight and having an end effecting the connection to the axial member. Both the axial member and the end of the dampening member have cooperating pairs of stops limiting the pivotal movement of the dampening member around the support axis. Between the corresponding stops of the axial member and end of the dampening member are provided resilient cylinders further limiting the pivoting of the dampening member in a resilient manner.

No. Application, patent (USA) : 6,469,246
Bubble level meter and related method.: The invention concerns bubble level meter having a pneumatic tube (2) connected to a gas generator (12) and to a pressure sensor (14). A deflecting valve (16) is interposed along the pneumatic tube, for deflecting the air outlet at a predetermined height from the usual lower outlet (8) of the tube. A control circuit (20) controls the deflecting valve and the gas generator based on predetermined set values, processes the pressure measurements obtained from the pressure sensor, checks the calibration of the sensor on the basis of the measurements and the difference in height between the tube outlets, and generates level data based on the processed pressure measurements and a calibrating coefficient. Another valve (28) interposed between the sensor (14) and the tube (2) and monitored by the circuit control (20), enables to take into account the possible drift of the sensor.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2439493
No. Application, patent (USA) : 6,799,457