Equipment asset with liquid runoff charge control
AssigneeTransportation IP Holdings, LLC
InventorsAjith Kuttannair Kumar, Bret Worden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An equipment asset may include a body, one or more current collector rails, and a grounding element. The body may have a top side and a power transfer zone. The power transfer zone may include at least an electrically non-conductive top surface. The one or more current collector rails may be mounted to the top side of the body within the power transfer zone. The grounding element may be electrically conductive and disposed on the top side of the body. The grounding element may surround the power transfer zone and be spaced apart from the one or more current collector rails. The grounding element may receive liquid that is runoff from the power transfer zone and electrically ground charged portions of the liquid.
Claims18
An equipment asset comprising:
- a body having a top side and a power transfer zone, the power transfer zone including at least an electrically non-conductive top surface;
- one or more current collector rails mounted to the top side of the body within the power transfer zone;
- and
- a grounding element that is electrically conductive and disposed on the top side of the body, the grounding element surrounding the power transfer zone and spaced apart from the one or more current collector rails, the grounding element configured to receive liquid that is runoff from the power transfer zone and to electrically ground charged portions of the liquid, the grounding element comprising a gutter configured to receive the liquid from the power transfer zone on the top side of the body and to direct the liquid to one or more drains that direct the liquid away from the gutter and the top side of the body.
An equipment asset comprising:
- a body having a top side and a power transfer zone, the power transfer zone including at least an electrically non-conductive top surface;
- one or more current collector rails mounted to the top side of the body within the power transfer zone;
- and
- a grounding element that is electrically conductive and disposed on the top side of the body, the grounding element surrounding the power transfer zone and spaced apart from the one or more current collector rails, the grounding element including a gutter configured to receive liquid that is runoff from the power transfer zone and to direct the liquid to one or more drains that direct the liquid away from the gutter and the top side of the body,
- the grounding element spaced apart from perimeter edges of the top side of the body such that an insulated boundary area of the top side is disposed between the grounding element and the perimeter edges of the top side.
A method comprising:
- applying a grounding element that is electrically conductive on a top side of a body of an equipment asset, the grounding element applied to surround a power transfer zone that includes at least an electrically non-conductive top surface, the equipment asset including one or more current collector rails mounted to the top side of the body within the power transfer zone,
- wherein the grounding element is applied such that the grounding element is spaced apart from the one or more current collector rails and comprises a gutter configured to receive liquid that is runoff from the power transfer zone to electrically ground charged portions of the liquid and to direct the liquid to one or more drains that direct the liquid away from the gutter and the top side of the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.