Re: Can you identify this "pole transformer" looking thing . . .????

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Edward Wingate by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ewing7-at-rochester.rr-dot-com>

Tesla list wrote:

 > Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
<dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com>
 >
 > While driving, I often look above at the beautiful power lines and lust over
 > all those huge pole transformers.
 > However, I noticed every once in awhile (maybe every half-mile), you'll see
 > (3) giant capacitors (rectangular type) on the three-phase high voltage
 > which are obviously used for power factor correction on the lines but it
 > looks like in parallel with each of the caps are (3) tiny pole transformer
 > looking objects with two bushings out the top.  They are probably about a
 > foot high each and about six inches
 > in diameter.  (Maybe a bit larger)  Anyone know what these are?  Are they
 > perhaps another capacitor??
 >
 > The Captain

Dan,

They are most likely oil switches or reclosers that open  when an overload 
fault occurs, reset
automatically from 1 to 4 times and then, if the fault persists, "lock out" 
permanently and must be
reset manually. That's why many times, at least out here in the country, 
when the power goes out the
lights will go out and come back on two or three times before they go out 
completely.

A great source of information about this type of thing and other 
"mysterious" equipment used by the
power companies is "The Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook".

Ed Wingate RATCB