Abstract: The gas-insulated line comprises a conductor (1A) disposed inside a case (3A) filled with a dielectric gas under pressure. A power capacitor (5) is electrically connected to the conductor while being disposed inside a compartment (3P) secured to the case (3A) and filled with a dielectric gas under pressure. The dielectric gas present in the compartment (3P) provides electrical insulation for the compartment relative to the power capacitor (5). In this way, electrical insulation of the gas-insulated line between the conductor (1A) and the case (3A) is maintained inside the compartment (3P) in which the power capacitor (5) and the conductor (1A) are electrically interconnected. This results in the gas-insulated line of the invention retaining small bulk and the ability to be used on the ground or buried.

Abstract: A polymer high voltage current limiter comprising, per phase, a fast circuit-breaker pole, a semi-fast protection circuit-breaker pole, and a set of polymer-based elements having very low resistivity, filled with carbon black, and connected in series and in parallel, wherein each element comprises a carbon-filled polymer matrix of elongate shape and including in its interior two parallel metal conductors.

Abstract: A gas-insulated cable having a plurality of lengths connected end to end, each length containing three conductors with the ends of the conductors of a length having respective metal endpieces engaging in respective cylindrical terminal metal portions of the corresponding conductors of the adjacent length, the terminal portions being provided with respective internal contacts co-operating with the endpieces, wherein a respective insulating sleeve of length substantially equal to twice its diameter is disposed around each of the endpieces and between the endpiece and the inside wall of the terminal portion.

Abstract: A gas-insulated cable includes a plurality of sections separated by sealed partitions, each section including a cylindrical steel case, a cylindrical aluminum screen coaxial with and inside the case and three conductors. A monitoring device includes, between the case and the screen, optical fibers equal in number to the number of sections of the cable and extending from one end to the other of the cable, each of the sections being monitored by a single fiber. The monitoring device further includes at least one optical internal arc detector inserted in series into each fiber in the corresponding monitored section, at each end of the device, a device for detecting light conveyed by the optical fibers, and at least one optical threshold temperature detector inserted in series into each fiber in the corresponding monitored section.

Abstract: A joint with a boss for fitting to an assembly compartment for assembling together two adjacent lengths of a long-distance gas-insulated three-phase cable, the joint including a boss containing the seats of an externally-controllable valve whose drive combinations make it possible to establish communication independently either between the inside volumes of adjacent lengths, or the outside of the cable with the inside volumes of both adjacent lengths, or the outside of the cable with the inside volumes of one only of the lengths.

Abstract: A gas-insulated high-tension three-phase electricity line which includes a cylindrical steel case and three conductors disposed parallel to the axis of the case, and a magnetic screen constituted by a cylindrical aluminum case placed inside the steel case and very close thereto. The conductors are held by a plurality of sets of three insulating arms secured to one another, the conductors being free to slide through openings formed in the arms, the aluminum case being separated from the steel case by strips of plastics material or of filled polymer having a low coefficient of friction.

Abstract: A gas-insulated single-phase cable for long-distance transport of electricity under high tension, the cable including a cylindrical steel case filled with nitrogen under a pressure of at least 10 hectopascals, an aluminum- or copper-based metal conductor held axially inside the steel case by closed insulating cones, and an aluminum case disposed at a short distance from the steel case and constituting a magnetic screen protecting the steel case from the magnetic field generated by the current carried by the conductor. The steel case is separated from the aluminum case by rings of plastics material or of filled polymer, such as polytetrafluoroethylene. Each rings is placed in a groove in a metal collar, with two adjacent portions of the aluminum case being welded to the collar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a superconductive coil assembly which may be used particularly for a current limiter, the coil assembly comprising a plurality of coaxial cylindrical coils electrically connected in series, each coil comprising two windings of superconductive material electrically connected in parallel, arranged coaxially and wound in opposite directions, wherein in each coil, the windings are separated by a material which has a surface resistance in the radial direction lying in the range 10.sup.-5 .OMEGA..m.sup.2 to 10.sup.-2 .OMEGA..m.sup.2 at the temperature of the cryostat, and in which the strands which constitute the superconductive wires may themselves be covered with a layer of the same material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultra-high-tension interrupting chamber comprising a main chamber including an insulating case containing permanent contacts, arcing contacts and two closing resistors inserted by means of semi-moving "make switch" device putting a "first" one of the resistors into operation before the "second" resistor. An auxiliary chamber is connected in parallel with the main chamber, which auxiliary chamber includes an insulating casing containing an opening varistor associated with a break switch having a slow-release opening mechanism situated inside the casing.

Abstract: A hybrid circuit-breaker for interrupting currents having high DC components, said hybrid circuit-breaker comprising a compressed-air circuit-breaker that re-closes automatically, and a sulfur hexafluoride circuit-breaker, the circuit-breakers being disposed in series.

Abstract: A vacuum circuit-breaker including, for each phase, at least one vacuum bottle housed inside a closed enclosure, wherein said circuit-breaker includes at least one scintillation fiber disposed in the space between said enclosure and the outside surface of the vacuum bottle(s), said fiber being connected outside the circuit-breaker to an opto-electronic device.

Abstract: A high-voltage circuit-breaker has an interrupting chamber comprising a gas-tight cylindrical casing filled with a gas having good insulative properties such as sulfur hexafluoride. The casing contains a fixed permanent contact, a fixed arc contact and a mobile assembly comprising permanent contacts and arc contacts and associated with a gas blast assembly. The chamber also contains a carbon-based resistor having a resistance of approximately 500 ohms connected in parallel with the circuit-breaker contacts when the arc contacts are opened by an auxiliary switch. This resistor is connected in series with an arrangement of varistors, the resulting combination being disposed inside the casing and connected in series with the auxiliary switch. Opening of the auxiliary switch is effected by opening of the circuit-breaker. The volume of the resistor is greater than that of the arrangement of varistors by a factor of at least five.

Abstract: A high tension circuit breaker includes a gastight cylindrical insulating case filled with SF.sub.6 gas or the like and defining for each phase at least one current interrupting chamber. A fixed main contact and a fixed arcing contact are fixedly mounted within the chamber. Moving equipment of the circuit breaker includes moving main and arcing contacts and a member for moving the moving main and arcing contacts towards and away from the fixed main contact and the fixed arcing contact. A cylinder is fixedly mounted in said chamber and supports internally a movable blast piston and terminates in a blast nozzle facing the fixed contacts. A capacitor is disposed inside the circuit interrupting chamber optionally with a parallel connected varistor. A mechanism in the form of a switch including a fixed and a movable contact operates to insert the capacitor and the parallel connected varistor temporarily during both closing and opening of the circuit breaker contacts.

Abstract: A device for temporarily inserting an electrical component such as a varistor connected to a contact arm carrying a metal contact ring in parallel with the contact of a circuit-breaker comprises a small diameter metal tube mechanically joined and electrically connected to the exterior of the main mobile contact. A rod can slide inside the small diameter metal tube. The rod has at a first end, a metal contact sleeve which can come into electrical contact with the metal contact ring. The sleeve abuts a first end of the small diameter metal tube. The second end of the rod carries a conical abutment. The second end of the tube has a bore which terminates in a conical interior shape profile complementary to and sized to that of the abutment.

Abstract: A surge limiting circuit breaker has, for each phase, at least one interrupting chamber constituted by a gastight insulating enclosure filled with a gas having high dielectric strength. The enclosure contains fixed and moving main contacts and fixed and moving arcing contacts. Moving equipment effects movement of the moving contacts relative to the fixed contacts. The enclosure includes a varistor. The varistor is inserted in parallel with the circuit breaker contacts on separation of the main contacts when the circuit breaker is being opened, disconnecting the varistor before the end of the stroke of the moving arcing contact. The varistor is inserted in parallel with the circuit breaker contacts while closing the circuit breaker and prior to bringing the arcing contacts into contact with each other. The varistor is short-circuited when the arcing contacts come into contact.

Abstract: The invention relates to superconductor current-limiting apparatus of the type having a magnetic core around which firstly a superconductor component is disposed, followed by an electric coil made of non-superconducting material, the apparatus being designed to be inserted in a line to be protected (L), the assembly constituted by the magnetic core (6A, 6B), the superconductor component (3A, 3B) and the electric coil (2A, 2B) forming a current-limiting unit which is connected in the line to be protected in series with a circuit-breaker.

Abstract: A varistor and resistor device for incorporating in the interrupting chamber of a dielectric gas circuit breaker, the varistor and resistor components being connected in series and being housed in an insulating tube. The varistor components and the resistor components are firstly superposed with superposed components being separated from one another by insulating components, and are secondly juxtaposed with juxtaposed components being electrically interconnected by conductor components interposed between the ends of the superposed components and the insulating components.

Abstract: A high tension circuit-breaker has an insulating case filled with a dielectric gas such as SF.sub.6. A high capacitance capacitor and at least a varistor are electrically interconnected in parallel and are connected to a first terminal. The capacitor and varistor are associated with an insertion mechanism which momentarily inserts the capacitor and varistor in parallel with the arcing contacts during circuit-breaker disengagement or engagement. The insulating case is extended by at least one conductive case housing both the capacitor and at least part of the varistor.

Abstract: A circuit-breaker including at least one insulating interrupting chamber inside which there are contacts and a blast nozzle. The insulating interrupting chamber is placed on an insulating support containing a drive rod. The circuit-breaker further includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The circuit-breaker has at lest one fluorescent or scintillating optical fiber disposed inside the support and constituting a symmetrical loop around the drive rod. Each end of the fiber is connected to a photodiode equipped with an amplifier. Light propagated in the interrupting chamber, as a result of arcing, reaches the optical fiber loop via a light passage within a terminal of the interrupting chamber remote from the arcing zone within the interrupting chamber.

Abstract: A circuit breaker comprising, for each pole, at least one interrupting chamber having fixed contacts and moving equipment including a moving contacts, and in parallel with each interrupting chamber series circuit comprising a varistor and a switch, said switch being open when the circuit breaker is disengaged and being closed when the circuit breaker is engaged. The switch comprises a moving contact driven by the moving equipment when the circuit breaker is performing an engagement operation, with the moving contact being constrained to follow the movement of the moving equipment when the circuit breaker performs a disengagement operation, but with a certain delay.