Improvements in or relating to Regulators for Systems of Electrical Distribution.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890-.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Regulators for Systems of Electrical
Distribution.
A communication from abroad by the WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, of
Pittsburgh, in the County of Alleghany and State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord. Street,, Liverpool & 6, Bank Street Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster & 323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to those systems of electrical distribution in which alternating,
intermittent, or pulsatory electric currents are employed for operating translating
devices located at various more or less distant points.
In organising such systems it is customary to arrange the translating devices in
groups dependent upon their locations, and to supply the requisite currents to the
different groups from a common source through independent supply circuits or feeders,
as they are commonly termed. In practice it is found that the difference of potential
applied to the translating devices through these feeders is liable to vary from time
to time even though the difference of potential supplied thereto at the central station.
is maintained approximately constant.
The variations in the difference of potential at the translating devices is usually
due to the different resistances of the different supply circuits, or feeders, and to the
varying work being done in the circuits. It is evident that if conductors of a given
size are employed for each of the supply circuits, the resistances of those circuits will
vary according to their lengths, so that if the same difference of potential is applied to
feeders at the source, than in others. If the amount of work being done in
all be in some circuits greater
the difference of potential at the translating devices
any given circuit is increased or decreased, the current required' in that circuit will be
increased or decreased accordingly, and therefore the loss of potential upon that
circuit will be greater in proportion as.the work is increased, or less as the work is
decreased. If the variations in the loss upon the several different feeders were
coincident, then the difference of potential applied to the translating devices might be
maintained approximately constant by increasing or diminishing the difference of
potential applied at the station; but it is evident that if the loss upon one circuit
increases while that upon another remains constant, an increased difference of
potential applied to all the circuits would result in an undue increase of potential
applied to the translating devices in those circuits requiring no change; so that it
becomes necessary to provide means for..varying the difference of potential applied to
any given circuit without sensibly changing that applied to the others.
In systems
of distribution where secondary generators or converters are connected in the feeders,
and translating devices are connected in, their secondary circuits, there is a slight loss
of potential in the converter itself, dependent upon the load or work being done in
the secondary circuit.
•
The object, therefore, of the invention is to overcome these difficulties, and to provide
means for obtaining any required difference of potential upon any given circuit, and
for compensating for the loss or drop in any given circuit whether due to the
resistance of the conductors conveying the current from the source to the translating
devices, or to the varying work being done, or to any other cause, and to ensure that
each group of translating devices shall at all times be supplied with a proper difference
of potential.
The invention consists in developing a normal electromotive force at the central
station sufficient to supply the requisite difference of potential to the translating

page_text: devices included in the circuits having the least loss or drop, and in increasing the
difference of potential upon any given circuit by applying a supplemental electro-
motive force to that circuit sufficient to compensate for the loss or drop, or to raise
the difference of potential to any required extent that may be desired for other
reasons. It also involves the obtaining of any required variations in the amount of
electromotive forces added to any circuit. This may be accomplished in different ways,
two of which will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing.
In the drawing:
Ficure 1
Grepresents any suitable source of alternating, intermittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, and L, L2, a circuit derived therefrom. This circuit may be supplied either
directly or indirectly from the generator or through an electric converter.
The regulator may be connected to the circuit at the central station, or at a point at
any distance therefrom as required.
From the circuits L', L2, different supply circuits or feeders 1, 2, and 3, 4, are
. derived. These respectively supply groups of translating devices as shown at d¹, d',
and d², d². The devices may be supplied with current either directly from the
conductors 1, 2, and 3, 4, or through electric converters as shown at C¹, C². The
translating devices may be electric lamps, electric converters, electric motors, or other
electrically operated apparatus. Only one converter is shown as connected in the
separate feeders, but any required number may be so connected.
Considering, now, that the circuit 3, 4, is longer, or for some other reason has a
greater drop or loss of potential than the circuit, 1, 2, then, unless means are provided
to prevent it, there will be less difference of potential applied to the terminals of the
primary coil p² of the converter C, and consequently the translating devices d² will
be supplied with a less difference of potential. For this reason, therefore, a device C³
is employed for adding to the difference of potential upon the circuit 3, 4, an additional
difference of potential sufficient to compensate for the drop or loss upon that circuit.
This device consists, in the organisation shown in Figure 1, of an electric converter
having its primary coil 23 connected between the lines J, L2, or across the respective
poles of the source G, and its secondary coil connected in the conductor 4.
coils of the converter are so wound and connected with reference to each other, that
the current induced in the secondary coil will be in the same direction as that flowing
through the conductor 4, so that the additional electromotive force applied to this
conductor will assist in maintaining a required difference of potential at the terminals
of the primary coil of the converter C².
The
As
For the purpose of regulating the amount of the additional electromotive force thus
obtained, an adjustable self-inductive device or reactive coil T is connected in the
primary circuit of the converter or regulator C³. This has the effect of reducing to
a greater or less extent the difference of potential applied to the primary coil p³ of the
regulator as may be required for charging the added difference of potential. The
parts are so organised that when all the translating devices are being operated,
the induced electromotive force thus obtained will approximately compensate for the
loss or drop upon the line, so that an approximately constant difference of potential
will be maintained at the terminals of the primary coil 2 of the converter C².
translating devices are cut out of circuit, or the work being done is diminished, the loss
upon the line will be decreased and also the loss in the converter. By moving the
coret of the self-induction device T, further into the coils, the difference of potential
applied to the primary coils of the regulator C³ may be diminished, and consequently
electromotive force developed in the secondary coils 88 may be gradually reduced
until the difference of potential at the terminals of the secondary coil 32 of the
converter C is reduced to the normal. In this way by changing the reactive effect
of the device T, the translating devices will be supplied with the proper difference
of potential at all times.

page_text: In Figure 2 a modification is illustrated in which the ratio of conversion of the
converter may be adjusted by varying the length of one of the coils, the secondary
for instance, by means of a switch S applied to switch points s connected with different
points in the length of that secondary coil. The adjustable reactive coil may be
It is evident that
employed in connection with the adjustable converter, if desired.
two or more regulators C³, may be applied to any given feeder circuit without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
Where numerous different circuits of various lengths or losses are employed, a
regulator of the character described may be applied to each of the circuits for the
purpose of affording the required compensation.
In some instances it is desired to normally maintain a higher difference of potential
This may be done in
upon one or more of the feeders than upon the others.
precisely the manner described with reference to compensating for the drop or loss.
By varying the ratio of conversion the difference of potential applied to any given
feeder may be increased as desired.
1
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Regulators for Systems of Electrical
Distribution.
A communication from abroad by the WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, of
Pittsburgh, in the County of Alleghany, and State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool & 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The invention relates to those systems of electrical distribution in which alternating,
intermittent, or pulsatory electric currents are employed for operating translating
devices located at various more or less distant points.
In organising such systems it is customary to arrange the translating devices in
groups dependent upon their locations, and to supply the requisite currents to the
different groups from a common source through independent supply circuits or
feeders, as they are commonly termed. In practice it is found that the difference
of potential applied to the translating devices through these feeders is liable to vary
from time to time even though the difference of potential supplied thereto at the
central station is maintained approximately constant.
The variations in the difference of potential at the translating devices are usually
due to the different resistances of the different supply circuits or feeders, and to the.
varying work done in the circuits. It is evident that if conductors of a given size
are employed for each of the supply circuits, the resistances of those circuits will vary
according to their lengths, so that if the same difference of potential is applied to all
of the feeders at the source, the difference of potential of the translating devices wil!
be in some circuits greater than in others. If the amount of work being done in
any given circuit is increased or decreased, the current required in that circuit will
be increased or decreased accordingly, and therefore the loss of potential upon that
circuit will be greater in proportion as the work is increased, or less as the work is
decreased. If the variations in the loss upon the several different feeders were
coincident, then the difference of potential applied to the translating devices might
be maintained approximately constant by increasing or diminishing the difference of
potential applied at the station; but it is evident that if the loss upon one circuit
increases while that upon another remains constant, an increased difference of

page_text: Keterring to the Figures :-
G represents any suitable source of alternating, intermittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, and Land L, a circuit derived therefrom. This circuit may be supplied either
directly or indirectly from the generator or through an electric converter.
The regulator may be connected to the circuit at the central station, or at a point
at any distance therefrom as required.
From the circuit L1, L2, different supply circuits or feeders 1, 2 and 3, 4, are
derived. These respectively supply groups of translating devices as shown at d¹, d¹,
and d², d². The devices may be supplied with current either directly from the
conductors 1, 2, and 3, 4, or through electric converters as shown at CC2. The
translating devices may be electric lamps, electric converters, electric motors, or other
electrically operated apparatus. Only one converter is shown as connected in the
separate feeders, but any required number may be so connected.
Considering, now, that the circuit 3, 4, is longer or for some other reason has a
greater drop or loss of potential than the circuit 1, 2, then, unless means are provided
to prevent it, there will be less difference of potential applied to the terminals of the
primary coil p² of the converter C, and consequently the translating devices d² will
be supplied with a less difference of potential. For this reason, therefore, a device C³
is employed for adding to the difference of potential upon the circuit 3, 4, an
additional difference of potential sufficient to compensate for the drop or loss upon
that circuit. This device consists, in the organisation shown in Figure 1, of an
electric converter having its primary coil p³ connected between the lines L1, L2, or
across the respective poles of the source G, and its secondary coil s³ connected in the
conductor 4. The coils of the converter are so wound and connected with reference
to each other, that the current induced in the secondary coil will be in the same
direction as that flowing through the conductor 4, so that the additional electromotive
force applied to this conductor will assist in maintaining a required difference of
potential at the terminals of the primary coil of the converter C².

page_text: The
For the purpose of regulating the amount of the additional electromotive force thus
obtained, an adjustable self-inductive device or reactive coil T is connected in the
primary circuit of the converter or regulator C³. This has the effect of reducing to a
greater or less extent the difference of potential applied to the primary coil ps of the
regulator as may be required for changing the added difference of potential.
parts are so organised that when all the translating devices are being operated,
the induced electromotive force thus obtained will approximately compensate for the
loss or drop apon the line, so that an approximately constant difference of potential
will be maintained at the terminals of the primary coil p² of the converter C². As
translating devices are cut out of circuit, or the work being done is diminished, the
loss upon the line will be decreased and also the loss in the converter. By moving
the core t of the self-induction device T, farther into the coils, the difference of
potential applied to the primary coils of the regulator C may be diminished, and
consequently electromotive force developed in the secondary coils s³ may be gradually
reduced until the difference of potential at the terminals of the secondary coil 82 of
the converter C2 is reduced to the normal. In this way by changing the reactive
effect of the device T, the translating devices will be supplied with the proper
difference of potential at all times.
In Figure 2, a modification is illustrated in which the ratio of conversion of the
converter may be adjusted by varying the length of one of the coils, the secondary
for instance, by means of a switch S applied to switch points a connected with different
points in the length of that secondary coil. The adjustable reactive coil may be
employed in connection with the adjustable converter, if desired. It is evident that
two or more regulators, C³, may be applied to any given feeder circuit without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
Where numerous different circuits of various lengths or losses are employed, a
regulator of the character described may be applied to each of the circuits for the
purpose of affording the required compensation.
In some instances it is desired to normally maintain a higher difference of potential
upon one or more of the feeders than upon the others. This may be done in precisely
the manner described with reference to compensating for the drop or loss. By
varying the ratio of conversion, the difference of potential applied to any given
feeder may be increased as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a source of alternating, intermittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, independent electric circuits derived therefrom, an electric converter having
one coil connected in one of the derived circuits and an independent circuit connected
directly across the poles of said source and including only the second coil of the
converter, whereby currents will be caused to traverse said second coil in value
directly dependent upon the current traversing derived circuit, said coils being wound
and connected so that the currents induced in the first-named coil are superposed upon
those traversing said derived circuit, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a source of alternating intermittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, of circuits derived therefrom, and an adjustable converter having oue coil
connected in one of the said derived circuits, and a special independent circuit
including the other coil connected in the circuit of said source in parallel with said
derived circuit, the coils of said converter being so wound and connected as to
superpose induced currents upon the currents traversing said derived circuit.
3. The combination with a source of alternating, interimittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, of two or more groups of translating devices respectively supplied with
currents therefrom, and an electric converter having its secondary coil connected in
the circuit supplying oue of said groups and its primary coil connected in the circuit
of the source of current independently of any other translating or transforming

page_text: device, whereby an additional electromotive force is applied to said circuit, and means
for varying the amount of additional electromotive force thus applied.
4. The combination with a source of alternating, intermittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, of two or more converters having their primary coils connected with said
source in multiple are, and a variable number of translating devices connected in
their respective secondary circuits, and a device for superposing electric currents
upon the primary circuit of one of said converters consisting of an electric
converter having one of its coils connected in said primary circuit in series with
the converter included therein, and its other coil connected in multiple with said
converter.
5. The combination with a source of alternating, intermittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, of two or more circuits receiving currents therefrom, a regulator for one or
more of said circuits consisting of an electric converter having one coil independently
connected in circuit with said source between points of approximately constant
difference of potential, and its other coil delivering currents to the circuit to be
regulated, the first-named coil receiving currents opposite in direction from those
traversing the last-named coil.
6. The combination with a source of alternating, intermittent, or pulsatory electric
currents, of two or more circuits receiving currents therefrom, a regulator for one or
more of said circuits consisting of an electric converter having its primary coil
independently connected in circuit with said source between points of approximately
constant difference of potential, and its secondary coil delivering currents to the
circuit to be regulated, the said primary coil receiving currents opposite in direction
from those traversing the secondary circuit, and an adjustable reactive coil in series
with the primary coil of said converter.
7. The hereinbefore described method of regulating the difference of potential upon
an electric circuit, which consists in supplying to such circuit a difference of potential
of a given value, deriving from the same source an induced electromotive force
approximately equivalent in value to the loss of potential upon said circuit, and in
superposing such induced electromotive force upon said circuit.
8. The herein before described method of maintaining a required difference of
potential at the terminals of a variable number of translating devices connected in an
electric circuit, which consists in applying a predetermined difference of potential to
said circuit, deriving from the same source a variable difference of potential equivalent
to or compensating for the variable loss of potential upon such circuit, and superposing
the same upon said circuit.
9. The hereinbefore described method of maintaining a normal difference of potential
at the terminals of translating devices in two or more different circuits, which consists
in applying to said circuits a given difference of potential, deriving independent
electromotive force from the same source, and applying the same to the respective
circuits, and causing the effective value of the electromotive force so applied to the
respective circuits to approximately compensate for the loss upon that circuit due to
the resistance thereof and to the amount of current traversing the same.
10. The hereinbefore described method of maintaining a normal difference of potential
at the terminals of the translating devices in two or more different circuits, which
consists in applying to the terminals of all the circuits a given difference of potential,
deriving a supplemental electromotive force for one or more of said circuits the value
of which is dependent upon and variable with the loss of potential upon said
circuit, and in applying such supplemental electromotive force to such circuit or
circuits.
Dated this 4th day of December 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.