Messenger wires for electric trains, methods for making and methods for installation
AssigneesCTC Global Corporation, Lamifil N.V.
InventorsEric Bosze, Peter Hermans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical train messenger wire and a catenary system for an electrical train including the electrical train messenger wire. The messenger wire includes a fiber-reinforced composite strength member and a conductive layer surrounding the fiber-reinforced composite strength member, where the conductive layer is fabricated from copper or a copper alloy. The fiber-reinforced strength member advantageously has a high tensile strength, thereby reducing the sag of a contact wire supported by the messenger wire. The catenary system employing the messenger wire may facilitate faster train speeds and may obviate the need for cantilever systems such as balanced weight anchors to maintain tension in the contact wire.
Claims31
An electrical train messenger wire, the messenger wire comprising:
- a single unitary fiber-reinforced composite strength member, the single unitary fiber-reinforced strength member having a tensile strength of at least about 2100 MPa and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is not greater than about 2×10−6/° C.;
- a conductive layer surrounding the single unitary fiber-reinforced composite strength member, the conductive layer comprising copper or a copper alloy;
- and
- an insulative layer is disposed between the single unitary fiber-reinforced composite strength member and the conductive layer,
- wherein the messenger wire comprises a gap between an outer radius of the single unitary composite strength member and an inner radius of the conductive layer.
A catenary system for an electrified train, comprising:
- a plurality of spaced-apart support structures;
- a messenger wire operatively attached to the plurality of support structures;
- and
- an electrically conductive contact wire operatively disposed below the messenger wire and being supported by the messenger wire,
- wherein the messenger wire is a messenger wire comprises;
- a single unitary fiber-reinforced composite strength member, the single unitary fiber-reinforced strength member having a tensile strength of at least about 2100 MPa and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is not greater than about 2×10−6/° C.;
- a conductive layer surrounding the single unitary fiber-reinforced composite strength member, the conductive layer comprising copper or a copper alloy;
- and
- a gap between an outer radius of the single unitary composite strength member and an inner radius of the conductive layer, and
- wherein substantially all of the tension in the messenger wire is placed on the strength member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.