Importance

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Abstract

A system for supplying current through the ground for an electric vehicle, especially for an electric rail vehicle, includes a succession of conducting segments (16A, 16B, 16C, 16D) which are electrically isolated from each other and together form a conducting supply track against which at least one supply collector shoe (32) on the vehicle is applied, and a set of high-voltage supply devices (20) each connected to a conducting segment and each provided with a detector capable of detecting a collector shoe and with switching devices (45) suitable for selectively causing a corresponding segment to be supplied with current when a collector shoe is present on the segment and causing the said collector shoe to be connected to a zero-potential source (26) when a collector shoe is not present thereon. The switching devices include a pair of elements (T1, T2) forming static switches controlled by detector (44) in order to cause the corresponding segment to be supplied with current when a collector shoe is present thereon and to be connected to the zero-potential source when a collector shoe is not present thereon, respectively. Each supply device furthermore includes short-circuiting devices (52, 54) which are forced into the closed state, and are interposed between the corresponding segment and the zero-potential source (26), and which are made to open by the detector (44).

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First Claim