Electrical power generation and distribution system

An electrical power production system for generating electrical power from consumable energy resources which occur at a plurality of geographically dispersed different localities and for delivering said electrical power to a high voltage transmission line comprising:

• a plurality of relatively low voltage electrical power production stations, each having at least one device for producing electrical power from other non-electrical energy and having insulative support means for said device enabling said device to be operated at an elevated voltage level, each of said stations having a lower voltage region and means for consuming said resources to provide said other non-electrical energy at said lower voltage region, and each further having insulative means for transmitting said other non-electrical energy to said device from said lower voltage region for conversion to electrical power, and
• conductor means for connecting said power production stations in series relationship and terminal means for connecting at least a final one thereof to said transmission line whereby the relatively low voltages produced by said power production stations individually are cumulatively applied to said transmission line to establish a relatively high voltage thereon,
• wherein said power production stations are each situated at a different one of said geographically dispersed localities and where each is operated from the local supplies of said consumable energy resources.

An electrical power production system for generating electrical power from non-electrical energy sources and for delivering said electrical power to a high-voltage transmission line comprising:

• a plurality of relatively low-voltage electrical power production stations, each having at least one device for producing electrical power from other non-electrical energy and having insulative support means for said device enabling said device to be operated at an elevated voltage level, each of said stations having a lower voltage region and means for receiving said other non-electrical energy at said lower voltage region, and each further having insulative means for transmitting said other non-electrical energy to said device from said lower voltage region for conversion to electrical power, and
• conductor means for connecting said power production stations in series relationship and terminal means for connecting at least a final one thereof to said transmission line whereby the relatively low voltages produced by said power production stations individually are cumulatively applied to said transmission line to establish a relatively high voltage thereon, wherein each of said power production stations has a plurality of said power production devices electrically connected in parallel to said conductor means and has means for selectively disconnecting any individual one of said power production devices from the others thereof.

An electrical power production system for generating electrical power from non-electrical energy sources and for delivering said electrical power to a high-voltage transmission line comprising:

• a plurality of relatively low-voltage electrical power production stations, each having at least one device for producing electrical power from other non-electrical energy and having insulative support means of said device enabling said device to be operated at an elevated voltage level, each of said stations having a lower voltage region and means for receiving said other non-electrical energy at said lower voltage region, and each further having insulative means for transmitting said other non-electrical energy to said device from said lower voltage region for conversion to electrical power, and
• conductor means for connecting said power production stations in series relationship and terminal means for connecting at least a final one thereof to said transmission line whereby the relatively low voltages produced by said power production stations individually are cumulatively applied to said transmission line to establish a relatively high voltage thereon,
• wherein said power production stations are horizontally spaced apart a distance exceeding the distance across which the voltage difference between successive pairs of said stations can arc and further comprising access means extending horizontally between said stations, said access means being formed at least in part of insulative material.

An electrical power production system for generating electrical power from non-electrical energy sources and for delivering said electrical power to a high voltage transmission line comprising:

• a plurality of relatively low-voltage electrical power production stations, each having at least one device for producing electrical power from other non-electrical energy and having insulative support means for said device enabling said device to be operated at an elevated voltage level, each of said stations having a lower voltage region and means for receiving said other non-electrical energy at said lower voltage region, and each further having insulative means for transmitting said other non-electrical energy to said device from said lower voltage region for conversion to electrical power, and
• conductor means for connecting said power production stations in series relationship and terminal means for connecting at least a final one thereof to said transmission line whereby the relatively low voltages produced by said power production stations individually are cumulatively applied to said transmission line to establish a relatively high voltage thereon,
• wherein said plurality of power production stations are disposed in vertically spaced relationship with the one thereof which is coupled to said transmission line being uppermost, said insulative support means of said plurality of stations jointly forming a single building structure.

An electrical power production system for generating electrical power from non-electrical energy sources and for delivering said electrical power to a high voltage transmission line comprising:

• a plurality of relatively low-voltage electrical power production stations, each having at least one device for producing electrical power from other non-electrical energy and having insulative support means for said device enabling said device to be operated at an elevated voltage level, wherein said insulative support means forms a building structure for maintaining said electrical power production device at an elevated region above the ground each of said stations having a lower voltage region and means for receiving said other nonelectrical energy at said lower voltage region, and each further having insulative means for transmitting said other nonelectrical energy to said device from said lower voltage region for conversion to electrical power,
• conductor means for connecting said power production stations in series relationship and terminal means for connecting at least a final one thereof to said transmission line whereby the relatively low voltages produced by said power production stations individually are cumulatively applied to said transmission line to establish a relatively high voltage thereon, and
• access means for transporting objects from ground level to said elevated region, said access means comprising an elevator, hoist means extending from ground level to the region of said electrical power device for selectively raising and lowering said elevator, all portions of said hoist means extending between said elevator and said elevated region being formed at least in part of insulative materials.

An electrical power production system for generating electrical power from non-electrical energy sources and for delivering said electrical power to a high-voltage transmission line comprising:

• a plurality of relatively low-voltage electrical power production stations, each having at least one electrical generator and having insulative support means for said generator enabling said generator to be operated at an elevated voltage level, each of said stations having a lower voltage region and at least one hydraulic turbine thereat, and each further having insulative mechanical drive means for coupling said turbine to said generator to drive said generator,
• conductor means for connecting said power production stations in series relationship and terminal means for connecting at least a final one thereof to said transmission line whereby the relatively low voltages produced by said power production stations individually are cumulatively applied to said transmission line to establish a relatively high voltage thereon,
• an upper reservoir above at least one of said stations,
• first conduit means for transmitting water under pressure from said upper reservoir to said turbine to drive said turbine,
• a lower reservoir below said one station,
• second conduit means for transmitting the fluid discharge from said one station to said lower reservoir,
• an electrically powered pumping station for returning fluid from said lower reservoir to said upper reservoir, and
• solar energy conversion means for producing electrical power to drive said pumping station.

An electrical power production system for generating electrical power from non-electrical energy sources and for delivering said electrical power to a high-voltage transmission line comprising:

• a plurality of relatively low-voltage electrical power production stations, each having at least one device for producing electrical power from other non-electrical energy and having insulative support means for said device enabling said device to be operated at an elevated voltage level, each of said stations having a lower voltage region and means for receiving said other non-electrical energy at said lower voltage region, and each further having insulative means for transmitting said other non-electrical energy to said device from said lower voltage region for conversion to electrical power, and
• conductor means for connecting said power production stations in series relationship and terminal means for connecting at least a final one thereof to said transmission line whereby the relatively low voltages produced by said power production stations individually are cumulatively applied to said transmission line to establish a relatively high voltage thereon,
• wherein said electrical power production device at each of said stations is a generator, said generator comprising a rotor shaft, a plurality of magnetic field establishing rotors carried on said rotor shaft and being axially spaced apart thereon, and a plurality of axially spaced apart stator windings each being adjacent an individual one of said rotors, said plurality of stator windings being electrically connected together in series relationship whereby the voltages produced by said stator windings are additive.

An electrical utility power generating station comprising:

• at least one device for producing electrical power from a fluid having a non-electrical energy content,
• insulative support means below said device supporting said device and electrically isolating said device from ground to enable said device to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• means situated in a region substantially at ground potential for receiving said fluid,
• conduit means extending from said receiving means at said region at ground potential to said device for transmitting said fluid thereto, at least a portion of said conduit means being formed of electrically insulative material, and
• terminal means for electrically coupling said device to a high voltage power transmission line to add on increment of voltage and power to said line.

An electrical utility power generating station comprising:

• at least one device for producing electrical power from a different non-electrical form of energy,
• insulative support means below said device for supporting said device and for electrically isolating said device from ground to enable said device to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• means situated in a region substantially at ground potential for receiving said different non-electrical form of energy,
• insulative means extending from said region of ground potential to said device for transmitting said different non-electrical form of energy thereto,
• an electrically conductive floor supported on said insulative support means and in turn supporting said electrical power production device, and
• an electrically conductive enclosure substantially enclosing said electrical power production device and being in electrical contact with said floor.

An electrical utility power generating station comprising:

• a plurality of devices for producing electrical power from a different non-electrical form of energy,
• insulative support means below said devices for supporting said devices and for electrically isolating said devices from ground to enable said devices to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• means situated in a region substantially at ground potential for receiving said different non-electrical form of energy,
• insulative means extending from said region of ground potential to said devices for transmitting said different non-electrical form of energy thereto,
• terminal means for coupling said station to a high-voltage power transmission line,
• said devices being electrically connected to said terminal means in parallel with each other.

An electrical utility power generating station comprising:

• at least one device for producing electrical power from a different non-electrical form of energy, wherein said electrical power production device is an alternating current generator,
• insulative support means below said generator for supporting said generator and for electrically isolating said generator from ground to enable said generator to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• means situated in a region substantially at ground potential for receiving said different non-electrical form of energy and for producing mechanical energy therefrom,
• insulative mechanical drive means extending from said region of ground potential to said generator, and
• terminal means for transmitting electrical power from said generator to a high-voltage electrical power transsion line.

An electrical utility power generating station comprising:

• at least one electrical generator for producing electrical power from a different non-electrical form of energy,
• insulative support means below said generator for supporting said generator at an elevated position above the ground for electrically isolating said generator ground to enable said generator to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• a motor situated below said generator in a region substantially at ground potential for converting said non-electrical form of energy to rotary mechanical energy, and
• a drive shaft extending upwardly from said motor to said generator for transmitting said rotary mechanical energy upwardly to said generator, at least a section of said drive shaft being formed of electrically insulative material.

An electrical utility power-generating station comprising:

• at least one electrical generator,
• insulative support means below said generator for supporting said generator and for electrically isolating said generator from ground to enable said generator to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• a direct current electrical motor situated in a region substantially at ground potential and spaced apart from said generator and drivingly coupled thereto through a drive shaft formed at least in part of insulative material,
• a fuel cell assembly electrically coupled to said direct current motor to energize said motor, and
• means for supplying fuel to said fuel cell assembly.

An electrical utility power-generating station comprising:

• at least one device for producing electrical power from a different non-electrical form of energy, said device being situated at an elevated position spaced above the ground,
• insulative support means below said device for supporting said device and for electrically isolating said device from ground to enable said device to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• means situated in a region substantially at ground potential for receiving said different non-electrical form of energy, and
• insulative means extending from said region of ground potential to said device for transmitting said different non-electrical form of energy thereto,
• terminal means for electrically coupling said device to a high-voltage transmission line, and
• safe access means having an elevator for receiving objects to be transported to the region of said electrical power production device and further having powered hoist means for raising and lowering said elevator relative to said power production device, the portions of said hoist means which extend between said region of said power production device and said ground potential region being formed at least in part of insulative material.

An electrical utility power generating station comprising:

• at least one device for producing electrical power from a different non-electrical form of energy,
• insulative support means below said device for supporting said device and for electrically isolating said device from ground to enable said device to be at an electrical voltage substantially above ground potential,
• means situated in a region substantially at ground potential for receiving said different non-electrical form of energy,
• insulative means extending from said region of ground potential to said device for transmitting said different non-electrical form of energy thereto,
• at least a pair of output terminals coupled to said electrical power producing device for series connection of said generating station into a high-voltage transmission line,
• normally open by-pass switch means connected between said terminals in parallel relation to said power producing device, whereby said station may be connected into said transmission line in series relationship to function as a power booster for compensating for transmission line losses and may be selectively decoupled from said line without interrupting continuity of said line.