METHOD FOR RECOVERING HEAT ENERGY RELEASED DURING SURGE ELIMINATION IN POWER MAINS Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: power engineering. SUBSTANCE: proposed method is intended for power facilities of power generating and distributing enterprises and users to protect electrical equipment insulation as well as for protecting power transmission lines against lightning and switching surges using for the purpose surge limiters incorporating high-linearity resistors. Electromagnetic energy stored in ac circuits is converted during surge elimination into electrical energy of arc that lights up in gap between electrodes shorting out surge limiter of electric arc energy receiver in environment of dry superheated steam produced due to water heating by current flow through limiter and converted into plasma. The latter is passed to electrolyzers generating hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen and oxygen accumulated in storages can be used for feeding fuel cells designed for electrical energy generation and for other purposes. EFFECT: provision for reusing electric arc heat energy released during surge elimination. 1 cl, 1 dwg