Flexible electric conductor

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical conductor comprising a first end section and a second end section separated by a middle section in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor. The intermediate section includes a plurality of conductor branch elements made of an electrically conductive material. At least a portion of at least two of the plurality of conductor branch elements is separated by an air gap in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a flexible electrical conductor. Background Technology

[0002] In this field, electrical conductors are known in the form of cables and busbars. However, when these conductors are sized to handle currents exceeding 16 to 32 amps, they become heavy and difficult to handle manually. Consequently, installing such conductors into electrical panels is difficult and time-consuming.

[0003] Examples of conventional cables referred to in this article can be found in existing technical document GB2120836. A multi-core cable is shown here, wherein each core wire comprises multiple insulated conductors assembled together.

[0004] Similarly, a search on the internet will yield various examples of what this article refers to as power busbars. Such prior art cables and busbars can be solid or hollow, and their structure is not flexible.

[0005] Prior art document KR20210113001 discloses a hybrid flexible busbar, including braided conductors and a thin-plate laminate structure mounted across the braided conductors, and terminal components are fixed at both ends of the braided conductors.

[0006] The drawback of existing busbars and cables is that they are generic, meaning that the same design is used in a variety of different applications. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The inventors have recognized the aforementioned problems and challenges related to the flexibility of electrical conductors and have solved these problems through the present invention described below. Therefore, the electrical conductor according to the invention is flexible, thus easily manipulated, i.e., deformable, to adapt to its designed application (and maintain a given posture in a relaxed state, i.e., when no external force (other than gravity) is applied), uses less material, has increased cooling capacity, thereby leading to optimization of current conduction capacity per unit weight of material, etc. Furthermore, due to the additive manufacturing process, only one manufacturing step is required.

[0008] In one aspect, the present invention relates to an electrical conductor comprising: a first end segment and a second end segment separated by a longitudinal intermediate segment of the electrical conductor, wherein the intermediate segment includes a plurality of conductor branch elements, wherein the plurality of conductor branch elements are made of a conductive material, and wherein at least a portion of at least two of the plurality of conductor branch elements are separated by an air gap longitudinally of the electrical conductor.

[0009] The advantage of this design lies in its ability to alter the geometry of the electrical conductor when a force is applied. This force can be applied by a person or by a component that is mechanically connected to / in contact with the conductor. This provides a flexible electrical conductor that is easy to install and can absorb vibrations.

[0010] Changes in geometry result in changes in the spatial position and / or orientation of at least one end of the electrical conductor.

[0011] An air gap should be understood as the space between two portions of a conductor branch element. An air gap ensures that when the conductor is in a stationary position, i.e., when no force is applied to the conductor, the two portions of the two conductor branch elements will not physically contact each other.

[0012] It can be said that gravity always acts on the electrical conductor. Therefore, if, for example, the first end segment is relatively long compared to the middle segment, and the electrical conductor is fixed to the second end segment, gravity may be sufficient to change the geometry of the electrical conductor by pulling the end segment toward the ground.

[0013] An air gap is a spaced portion of a conductor branch element along the longitudinal direction of an electrical conductor. Therefore, such an air gap can be defined as a position from a portion of one conductor branch element to a portion of another conductor branch element along the direction toward one of the two end segments (where the conductor branch element is connected to the end segment).

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of conductor branch elements are formed by a single conductor branch.

[0015] A conductor branch can be designed and subsequently manufactured in shapes such as harmonica-like or spiral-like, resulting in multiple air gaps between different parts of the same electrical conductor.

[0016] Multiple conductor branch elements can be a single conductor branch. It should be mentioned that an electrical conductor can be composed of individual conductor branches and conductor branch elements formed by one (or more) conductor branches that form two or more conductor branch elements.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of conductor branch elements are formed by two or more conductor branches.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor is integral.

[0019] A single-piece electrical conductor comprises connecting portions, end segments, and intermediate segments within the same component, without the need for physical connections between two or more of these components. Therefore, the manufacture of an electrical conductor can be completed in a single process step (i.e., an additive manufacturing step).

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor (1) is manufactured at least in part by an additive manufacturing process.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap is defined by a distance, wherein the distance is the shortest distance between the conductor branch element of the first conductor branch and the conductor branch element of the second conductor branch in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap is defined by a distance, wherein the distance is the shortest distance between two conductor branch elements of a conductor branch in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0023] Therefore, when it comes to air gap size, this size can be the distance between two conductor branches or elements / sections of the same conductor branch. More specifically, it is the maximum spatial interval between two given conductor branches or conductor branch elements. The size of the air gap can be measured along the longitudinal or transverse direction of the electrical conductor.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap is less than 1 cm, preferably less than 0.5 cm, and most preferably less than 0.25 cm.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap is less than 20 cm, preferably less than 15 cm, and most preferably less than 10 cm.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap is between 0.01 cm and 40 cm.

[0027] Understandably, the size of the air gap is a design choice that can depend on the size of the electrical installation on which the conductor is installed and the required flexibility. Therefore, the smaller the electrical installation, the smaller the air gap, while the larger the installation (such as a connection between a building or panel), the larger the air gap.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the air gap is configured to change its geometry due to the force applied to the electrical conductor.

[0029] Variations in geometry can include changes in the distance between two points in a certain way; that is, the distance between two conductor branch elements may increase or decrease. If the air gap is a closed air gap defined by, for example, four sections of two or more conductor branch elements, then the air gap can be rhomboid. This rhombus can be shaped by changing the distance between its diagonals.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the air gap geometry is configured to change by deformation of at least two of the plurality of conductor branch elements.

[0031] It is worth noting that the deformation that causes changes in the geometry of the air gap can occur far from the portion where the air gap is located. Therefore, the portion where the air gap is established can be the straight portion between the curved portions of the conductor branch element. Thus, the deformation can occur in the curved portion rather than the straight portion.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of air gaps are established between the plurality of conductor branch elements along the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0033] This is advantageous if a highly flexible / deformable electrical conductor is required, because the more air gaps there are, the more flexible the conductor becomes.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the plurality of conductor branch elements are configured to deform in order to change the geometry of a subset of the plurality of air gaps in a manner different from a second subset of the plurality of air gaps.

[0035] When the size of the first subset of the air gap increases, for example, the distance between two conductor branch elements increases, the distance between the second subset of the air gap decreases, for example, the distance between two conductor branch elements decreases.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap extends between the at least two conductor branches and separates the at least two conductor branches longitudinally between the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least two of the plurality of conductor branch elements meet at an intersection, and at least two of the conductor branch elements branch out from the intersection.

[0038] The advantage of this design is that it creates an electrical conductor that maintains the desired strength (a defined yield point) with minimal material. This reduces the cost of the aforementioned conductive and relatively expensive materials.

[0039] It should be noted that the two conductor branch elements that meet at the intersection can be the same two conductor branch elements that have left that intersection. Alternatively, two other conductor branch elements can be located away from the intersection, but this is a matter of defining conductor branch elements.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of conductor branch elements (5a-1, 5a-2, 5a-3; 5b-1, 5b-2...) branches from the intersection (11) into at least two conductor branch elements (5a-1, 5a-2, 5a-3; 5b-1, 5b-2...).

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of conductor branch elements forming a plurality of air gaps are implemented as a mesh-like structure.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of conductor branch elements forming a plurality of air gaps are implemented as a bionic structure.

[0043] The advantage of mesh-like and biomimetic structures lies in their ability to provide the necessary strength and conductivity required for electrical conductors. A biomimetic design should be understood as a structure whose design technically implements abstract principles of nature. While biomimetic designs may initially seem unpredictable, they are essentially optimized, simplified, and logical structures based on strength, structure, cooling, material usage, and current conduction. Examples could be computer-generated support structures or electrical conductors that meet certain requirements, resulting in structures / designs that would be impossible, extremely difficult, and time-consuming for humans to build.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap is an axial air gap.

[0045] An axial air gap should be understood as an air gap along the conductor branches / conductor branch elements that form the tubular periphery of the electrical conductor. In this way, two conductor branches can extend between end segments along a path that is not the shortest between them, and the axial air gap separates the two conductor branches entirely along that path. Its advantage is that this electrical conductor design is flexible, i.e., elastically deformable.

[0046] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap separates the at least two conductor branch elements in the transverse direction of the electrical conductor.

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first end segment and the second end segment terminates at the connection portion.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connecting portion is a fastener hole.

[0049] The advantage of this design is that it allows electrical conductors to be connected to adjacent components, for example, by means of bolts.

[0050] It is worth mentioning that the connection part can also be implemented as a protrusion suitable for connection to a terminal in an electrical panel.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, at least one of the plurality of conductor branch elements is longer than the shortest distance between the first end and the second end, and wherein the electrical conductor is configured to change its geometry by deformation of the one or more conductor branch elements.

[0052] It is advantageous for the conductor branch element or conductor branch to be longer than the shortest distance between the distal ends of the electrical conductor. This has the effect that the electrical conductor is flexible, enabling it to absorb vibrations and allowing for flexible installation at mounting points of electrical components that are not perfectly aligned with the fastener holes of the first and second end segments.

[0053] Another advantage is that the amount of material used to manufacture the electrical conductors is optimized, for example, by reducing or allocating material to heat sinks, while maintaining sufficient conductivity of the conductors. This reduction in material leads to a lighter conductor, which in turn reduces the weight of the panel on which the conductor is mounted. This weight / material reduction is in comparison to conventional busbars capable of conducting similar currents under similar conditions.

[0054] As noted, the removal of material from an electrical conductor can lead to a decrease in conductivity. However, the electrical conductor according to the invention is designed to conduct a specific current. More specifically, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the conductor branches meets the requirements for conducting a specific / desired current. Due to the multiple individually spaced conductor branches and their enhanced cooling capacity, a significant reduction in material can be achieved while maintaining the electrical conductor's ability to conduct the desired current.

[0055] Changes in geometry should be understood as the physical stretching, torsion, bending, etc., of an electrical conductor as a result of forces applied to it. Such changes in geometry have the following effects: alteration of the distance between the first and second end segments, change in the spatial orientation of the first and second end segments relative to each other, rotation relative to another end segment around the longitudinal axis of the conductor of one of the first and second end segments, etc.

[0056] Deformation should be understood as a change in the geometry of the conductor itself. As a non-limiting example, a conductor can be bent, resulting in conductor deformation. Deformation can cause the distance between the two ends of the conductor to lengthen along the outer side of the conductor (away from the center of the partial circle formed by the bent conductor).

[0057] The force applied to an electrical conductor is typically applied to one of its two ends, more specifically, to the terminal that connects the conductor to another electrical component, such as in an electrical panel. The force can be applied from any direction, such as perpendicular to the conductor's longitudinal axis, which will cause the conductor to bend. Alternatively, the force can be applied parallel to the conductor's longitudinal axis, which will cause the conductor to compress. Alternatively, the force can be applied both parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, resulting in a combination of bending and compression. The force can also come from the conductor's own weight.

[0058] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the plurality of conductor branch elements are implemented as one or more conductor branches, wherein one of the one or more conductor branches is longer than the shortest distance between the first and second end segments, and wherein the electrical conductor is configured to change geometry by deformation of the one or more conductor branches.

[0059] It should be noted that, in the embodiments, the multiple conductor branch elements are implemented as multiple separate conductor branches. Therefore, the electrical conductor may include conductor branches longer than the shortest distance between two points of one of the first segments and one of the second end segments, and the electrical conductor is configured to change its geometry by deformation of one or more conductor branches.

[0060] The distance between the two end segments should be understood as the length of the intermediate segment extending between the two end segments. This length can vary in the cross-sectional area of ​​the end segments because the end segments can be twisted or tilted, resulting in a longer distance between two points on one side of the end segment than between two points on the other side.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the deformation is an elastic deformation.

[0062] The advantage of elastic deformation is that an electrical conductor can be adapted to different configurations and still recover (deform back) to its original shape / geometry. Therefore, due to the elimination of the deformation force, the electrical conductor is configured to reform its original geometry.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor is configured to elastically deform when a force is applied to the electrical conductor, wherein the force generates a stress within the electrical conductor that is less than the yield point of the electrical conductor material.

[0064] The force required to elastically deform an electrical conductor depends on one of the following: the cross-sectional area, length, geometry, etc., of the conductor branches. Furthermore, designing an electrical conductor using multiple branches / branch elements will provide a more flexible component than an electrical conductor designed in a conventional manner (i.e., with a solid cross-section). Therefore, the force required to bend (i.e., elastically deform) the electrical conductor of this invention is less than the force required to deform a conventional electrical conductor that meets the same current conduction requirements. It should be noted that the force required to reach the stress level corresponding to the material's yield point is a design choice; therefore, the force required to elastically deform an electrical conductor is typically a design choice and generally varies from conductor to conductor.

[0065] In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the force is less than 400N.

[0066] Most people who handle electrical conductors are capable of applying forces below 400 N. Therefore, it is advantageous to design an electrical conductor according to the present invention that deforms (elastically or plastically) when a force below 400 N is applied, since most such people are able to deform the conductor to wire it and install it in an electrical system (e.g., in an electrical panel).

[0067] It should be noted that electrical conductors can be designed to deform at a rate of 400 N or more, for example, when a force between 400 N and 1000 N is applied to the conductor.

[0068] As described above, gravity is sufficient to cause the electrical conductor of the present invention to elastically deform. Therefore, a force between 10N and 40N may be sufficient, and it is advantageous that the person installing the conductor in the panel can easily deform it during installation. Thus, if a force between 40N and 400N (such as 100N, 200N, or 300N) is applied to the electrical conductor from a predetermined direction, the electrical conductor can be designed to deform elastically or plastically in the predetermined direction.

[0069] It is worth noting that the electrical conductor according to the invention is typically less than 200 cm. Although it can be longer, it is typically less than 100 cm, and in this case, a force of less than 400 N is sufficient to elastically deform the electrical conductor of the invention. One example is applying a force of less than 200 N when installing the electrical conductor in an electrical panel.

[0070] It should be noted that when discussing the application of force in the context of deforming an electrical conductor, the force mentioned herein is applied directly to the electrical conductor, i.e., without a lever arm.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the deformation is a plastic deformation.

[0072] The advantage of allowing plastic deformation is that the electrical conductor can be adapted to a configuration in which its use would be impossible without deformation. This is likely due to the size / geometry of such a configuration. Therefore, the conductor of the present invention can be partially mounted or inserted into a panel and then plastically deformed, for example, behind or beside other parts of the panel, to fit the space permitted by the conductor. In other words, the geometry of the electrical conductor according to the invention can be offset, thereby providing flexibility relative to the new relaxed shape. The configuration in this context should be understood as a general electrical system.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical conductor is configured to undergo plastic deformation when a force is applied to the electrical conductor, wherein the force results in stress above the yield point of the electrical conductor material.

[0074] The advantage of this design is that it allows several identical electrical conductors to be shaped into different forms by applying a force that causes stress exceeding the material's yield point, thereby fitting into the mounting space of one or more electrical panels.

[0075] Please note that an electrical conductor can be designed to have multiple points that allow it to undergo plastic deformation when subjected to forces that cause stresses above the material's yield point.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, at least one of the one or more conductor branches is designed to have a geometry including a plurality of air gaps, wherein the plurality of air gaps decrease non-uniformly due to the force applied to the at least one of the one or more conductor branches.

[0077] The advantage of this design lies in its ability to increase the flexibility of the conductor by increasing the "number of turns" of a single conductor branch, thereby increasing the length of that single conductor branch. Therefore, if two parts of such a conductor branch are in physical contact, the conductor can continue to bend by changing one of the multiple air gaps. For example, a spiral-like geometry can be mentioned as such a particularly advantageous geometry.

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical conductor is configured to reshape itself back to its original geometry due to the removal of the applied force.

[0079] Reshaping is the result of elastic deformation, which can be understood as the distance between one or more conductor branches returning to the distance before the force was applied.

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, each of the one or more conductor branches is interrupted in its longitudinal direction by one or more of the air gaps in a cross-sectional view of the electrical conductor.

[0081] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional view is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor includes a first deformation point and a second deformation point, wherein the electrical conductor is configured to deform at the first deformation point when subjected to a first force, and wherein the electrical conductor is configured to deform at the second deformation point when subjected to a second force, wherein the first force and the second force are different.

[0083] The advantage of this design lies in its ability to deform (elastically or plastically) an electrical conductor by hand when it is placed in an electrical system. The deformation of the conductor is determined by design at a first deformation point. Secondly, a person can deform the conductor (elastically or plastically) by attaching it to another component, for example, using screws or bolts. This electrical deformation is determined by design at a second deformation point. The force applied by hand is less than the force applied by the bolt. Furthermore, the first deformation can be elastic, and the second deformation can be plastic.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional area of ​​the one or more conductor branches is the same.

[0085] "Same" should be understood as "the same", that is, 0.5mm. 2 1mm 2 1.5mm 2 etc., even for example, 6mm 2 Or more.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional area of ​​the one or more conductor branches is equal to or less than 200 mm². 2 Preferably less than 150mm 2 Preferably less than 100mm 2 Preferably less than 50mm 2 Preferably less than 10mm 2 The optimal size is 0.5mm. 2 and 5mm 2 10mm 2 between.

[0087] The advantage of this electrical conductor is that even if the cross-sectional area of ​​each conductor branch is 10 mm², it can still withstand various electrical conditions. 2 Or 20mm 2 The conductor remains flexible. However, it is clear that the finer the conductor branches, the less force is required to deform it. Furthermore, different cross-sections can alter the conductor's flexibility, which is advantageous.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the one or more conductor branches has a length different from the other conductor branches of the one or more conductor branches.

[0089] The advantage of this design is that it allows the electrical conductor to have pre-tension, i.e., to bend at a predetermined angle in space. This pre-tension can be incorporated into the design of the electrical conductor or applied by an external device (such as a spring).

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a first portion of at least one of the one or more conductor branches has a first spatial geometry, and a second portion of at least one of the one or more conductor branches has a second spatial geometry.

[0091] The first and second geometries in space should be understood as a conductor branch that can be twisted, for example, by 90 degrees, such that before the twist, the first part forms a flat horizontal geometry, while after the twist, the second part forms a flat vertical geometry.

[0092] The advantage of this design is that it has the effect that the conductor branch is flexible in one orientation along the space of the first part and in another orientation along the space of the second part.

[0093] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first end segment is configured to be displaced in any direction compared to the second end segment without causing plastic deformation of the electrical conductor material.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second end segment is configured to be displaced in any direction compared to the first end segment without causing plastic deformation of the electrical conductor material.

[0095] When the second end is fixed to a component, such as an electrical panel, this displacement can be caused by a force applied to the first end segment. The advantage of this is that it facilitates the installation of either the first or second end segment to the component in the electrical panel, since the electrical conductor can be bent in any direction. This allows for alignment with the terminals of another component; that is, the tolerances required are not as high when installing the electrical conductor according to the invention compared to known electrical conductors.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, one or more of the plurality of conductor branches have internal cooling channels.

[0097] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first end segment and the second end segment is integrally joined with the connecting portion.

[0098] The advantage of having an integrated end section with a connecting part is that there is no electrical loss in the end section.

[0099] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal is a fastener hole.

[0100] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal is a connection pin.

[0101] The advantage of these terminal holes, pins, or posts is that they allow electrical conductors to be connected to other components, for example, via bolted connections or quick connector terminals.

[0102] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor includes a first end segment and a plurality of second end segments.

[0103] The advantage of this design is that the electrical conductor acts as a shunt, allowing a phase connected to the first end segment to be split into two or more connections at the second end segment. As an example of an advantageous implementation, it can be mentioned that the connections between electrical components are balanced, and that current is conducted in parallel through the different electrical components.

[0104] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, all of the one or more conductor branches have the same length.

[0105] In fact, in one embodiment, all conductor branches have similar lengths and geometries. Therefore, one conductor branch can be a copy of another conductor branch.

[0106] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches have a winding structure.

[0107] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches have a wound coil structure.

[0108] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches have one or more wavy structures.

[0109] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches have a honeycomb structure.

[0110] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches have a torsion structure.

[0111] The advantage of a torsion structure is that it creates a longitudinal air gap, which allows for a high degree of flexibility in the electrical conductor when a force is applied. Thus, multiple conductor branches twist relative to each other without any physical contact between the individual conductor branches in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate section.

[0112] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the torsion structure includes a uniform air gap.

[0113] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches are each connected to both the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches are located around the first end segment and / or the second end segment.

[0115] The advantage of this design is that it increases the flexibility of the conductor compared to embodiments where the center of the conductor branch is located in the middle of the conductor. Furthermore, it provides more space between the conductor branches for deformation.

[0116] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first end segment is configured to be longitudinally displaced compared to the second end segment.

[0117] The advantage of this design is that it has the following effect: the electrical conductor is flexible and can be compressed or stretched along the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor.

[0118] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first end segment is configured to be laterally displaced compared to the second end segment.

[0119] The advantage of this design is that it has the effect that the electrical conductor is flexible and can be bent.

[0120] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first end segment and the second end segment are configured to rotate about the central axis of the electrical conductor.

[0121] The advantage of this design is that it has the following effect: the electrical conductor is flexible and can be twisted about its longitudinal axis.

[0122] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first end segment or the second end segment is fixed to a component included in the electrical panel.

[0123] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrical conductor according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the manufacturing method is an additive manufacturing process.

[0124] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for coupling a first end segment of an electrical conductor to a second end segment of the same conductor, the method comprising the steps of: integrally joining the first end segment and conductor branch elements of one or more conductor branches via an additive manufacturing process; manufacturing the one or more conductor branches via the additive manufacturing process to establish an air gap between two or more conductor branch elements of the one or more conductor branches, thereby spatially separating the one or more conductor branch elements in two different directions; and electrically and mechanically coupling the first end segment and the second end segment via an intermediate segment of the electrical conductor formed by the one or more conductor branches.

[0125] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air gap separates the two or more conductor branch elements in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0126] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the two different directions are the first transverse direction and the second transverse direction of the electrical conductor.

[0127] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical coupling and mechanical coupling are achieved through the additive manufacturing process.

[0128] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method includes the step of applying an insulating material to the plurality of conductor branches.

[0129] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the additive manufacturing process includes the step of applying an insulating material to the plurality of conductor branches.

[0130] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of electrical conductors according to any of the preceding paragraphs in power systems.

[0131] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of additive manufacturing for at least partially manufacturing electrical conductors according to any of the above paragraphs.

[0132] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an electrical panel comprising an electrical conductor according to any of the preceding paragraphs.

[0133] In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical panel may be included in a regenerative power generation system.

[0134] Renewable energy generation systems can include wind turbines, solar energy systems, power conversion systems such as electrolyzers, and battery storage devices. Attached Figure Description

[0135] To gain a more complete understanding of this application, reference is now made to the following brief description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same parts. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, and elements in different drawings may be combined within the scope of the invention:

[0136] Figures 1a-1c The diagram illustrates the principle of an electrical conductor.

[0137] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the steps involved in manufacturing an electrical conductor.

[0138] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a torsion conductor.

[0139] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates an electrical conductor with a mesh-like structure.

[0140] Figure 5 The diagram illustrates an electrical conductor with multiple intermediate segments.

[0141] Figure 6 illustrates an electrical conductor with a spiral-like middle section.

[0142] Figure 7 The diagram illustrates an electrical conductor with a wavy, intermediate section.

[0143] Figure 8 illustrates an electrical conductor with an intermediate segment containing multiple wavy structures.

[0144] Figure 9 illustrates an electrical conductor with a roughly square spiral middle section.

[0145] Figure 10 illustrates the electrical conductor in the middle section of a layer with conductor branches.

[0146] Figure 11 The diagram illustrates an electrical conductor with conductor branches in a bent plate-like structure, and

[0147] Figure 12 The illustration shows an electrical conductor with conductor branches having a bent rod-like structure. Detailed Implementation

[0148] This invention has been described through exemplary embodiments and is only used to illustrate the principles and implementation of the invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to provide several embodiments within the scope of the claims.

[0149] Figures 1a to 1c The figure illustrates an electrical conductor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 1a An angled view is shown in the diagram. Figure 1b The diagram illustrates a twisted view. Figure 1c The diagram illustrates the transition between the end section and the middle section 4 of conductor 1. Note the following regarding... Figure 1a -c illustrates the axes indicating the longitudinal direction 9, the first transverse direction 8a, and the second transverse direction 8b between the first end 2 and the second end 3. Note that if the electrical conductor is tilted, these axes 8a, 8b, and 9 will also tilt accordingly.

[0150] The electrical conductor 1 includes a first end segment 2 and a second end segment 3, the second end segment 3 being located away from the first end segment 2 and separated from each other by an intermediate segment 4. For example, each of these two ends can be electrically coupled to a corresponding terminal of an electrical device. Therefore, ends 2 and 3 may include a connection portion 15, such as including a fastener hole 18, as... Figure 3 , 4 As shown in Figure 5.

[0151] Typically, these holes 18 are terminals 13 (such as...) Figure 7 and 8a(As shown), but can also be used to secure conductors to mechanical supports, such as those on a panel. When these holes 18 are terminals 13, they will be used to connect busbars within the electrical panel to other busbars or components. Inside such a housing, these terminals and busbars should be able to meet high voltage requirements (i.e., voltages above 24V, such as 110V, 230V, 400V, 690V), for example, several voltage levels of the electrical installations to which the electrical conductors of the present invention are applicable. The voltage (and current) can be AC ​​or DC, and the electrical conductors can be used for HVDC applications, i.e., voltage levels even hundreds of kilovolts or higher.

[0152] Regarding these voltages, it should be mentioned that, in principle, there are no lower limits to the voltage and current; that is, this version of the electrical conductor can be used in 24V or 48V systems to conduct currents below 2A, to name just one example. Therefore, the electrical conductor of this invention can be manufactured as a wire harness, as an alternative to traces in printed circuit boards or wire harnesses used for mounting in electrical panels.

[0153] In terms of electric current, the electrical conductors according to the invention can conduct hundreds of amperes (16, 32, 64, etc., even 100, 200, etc., even 900A, for example) to thousands of amperes (1000A-3000A). Such electrical installations can be used, for example, in energy facilities, such that the electrical conductors can facilitate the transmission of current and / or voltage in such panels / energy facilities. The energy facility can be a renewable energy facility.

[0154] The first end segment 2 and the second end segment 3 are electrically and mechanically connected via an intermediate segment 4. The intermediate segment 4 is formed by multiple conductor branches 5a-5d. Figure 1a The specific embodiment shown in -c includes a total of six conductor branches 5a-5f, distributed in a 2x3 two-dimensional array. Note that... Figure 1a and 1c The two conductor branches are barely visible because they are hidden behind other conductor branches 5b and 5c.

[0155] In other words, in one embodiment, the present invention relates to an electrical conductor 1, comprising: a first end 2 and a second end 3 separated by an intermediate segment 4, the intermediate segment 4 including one or more conductor branches 5, wherein the one or more conductor branches 5 are made of a conductive material, and wherein at least one of the one or more conductor branches 5 is longer than the shortest distance 10 between the first end 2 and the second end 3, and wherein the electrical conductor 1 is configured to change its geometry by deformation of the one or more conductor branches 5.

[0156] exist Figure 1a In Figure 1b, each conductor branch 5 is equal to the shortest distance 10 between end segments 2 and 3. In Figure 1b, each conductor branch 5 is longer than the shortest distance 10 between end segments 2 and 3.

[0157] Figure 1a The middle segment 4 includes parallel conductor branches 5, which, in a relaxed position (without applied force; "without force" should be understood as having no force other than gravity), are separated by a transverse air gap 6a in the axial directions 8a, 8b. This allows for a certain degree of axial flexibility (see...). Figure 1a Arrow X in the diagram indicates that when an axial / rotational force is applied to one or both ends, the conductor can deform slightly (rotate). However, when a force is applied perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 9 (see...),... Figure 1a (As indicated by arrow Y) This design does not allow for any special flexibility / deformation. As long as a force is applied (and causes the stress in the material to fall below its yield point), the conductor will elastically deform, and when the force is removed, the conductor can return to its reset position. If the force causes the stress to exceed the material's yield point, the deformation is plastic, meaning one or more conductor branches may bend or break, and when the force is removed, it will not return to its initial relaxed position.

[0158] It should be noted that conductor branch 5c is divided into so-called conductor branch elements 5c-1, 5c-2, and 5c-n, and conductor branch 5d is divided into so-called conductor branch elements 5d-1, 5d-2, and 5d-n. The number of branch elements 5x-n of conductor branch 5 may not be three, because the shape and length of a part called branch element 5x-n may differ from that of another branch element. Therefore, conductor branch elements can be represented together as 5x-n, where "x" represents a branch and "n" represents an element of the branch. It should be noted that in some embodiments of the present invention, a conductor branch may include only one conductor branch element.

[0159] Figure 1b illustrates a conductor 1 similar to that in Figure 1a. However, Figure 1b Conductor 1 in the middle is twisted in its relaxed position. Therefore, Figure 1a and Figure 1b All conductors 1 in the diagram are shown in a relaxed position.

[0160] It is worth noting that an air gap 6b exists between the two branch elements (i.e., branch elements 5c-2 and 5d-2) along the longitudinal direction 9 of conductor 1. This air gap 6b results in a torsional design, or the torsional design produces the air gap 6b. This air gap 6b increases the flexibility of conductor 1 in at least all directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 9. Therefore, conductor 1 in Figure 1b can undergo the same deformation regardless of whether a force is applied from the directions 8a or 8b. In fact, if a force is applied at any angle within the 360 ​​degrees around the longitudinal direction 9 (by...), the conductor 1 will deform accordingly. Figure 1b (The arrow X in the diagram indicates that) all conductors will undergo the same degree of deformation.

[0161] In fact, the air gap 6b allows for a certain deformation of the longitudinal direction 9, that is, due to the air gap 6b, the length between the two end segments 2 and 3 can be shorter or longer.

[0162] Preferably, each conductor branch 5a-5f is integrally bonded with at least a first end segment 2. This means that the end segment is constructed together with the conductor branch. In embodiments of the invention, "constructed together" should be understood as constructing together by changing the layer size, thereby separately constructing the desired structure of the conductor branch, the end segment, and the transition between them. A smooth transition can be achieved by, for example, changing the diameter of each layer slightly compared to the previous layer to construct the transition between the end segment and the intermediate segment. At the other extreme, a vertical transition is constructed, in which the first layer, second layer, etc., of the conductor branch have the same diameter (or length and width, if not circular). The construction can be understood as being carried out by an additive manufacturing method as described below.

[0163] exist Figure 1a , 1b In the illustrated embodiment, the first segment 2 and the intermediate segment 4, as well as the second segment 3 and the intermediate segment 4, are integrally joined because they are manufactured from a single piece of material that is machined to provide the electrical conductor 1. Here, the block material should be understood as the material used to make the electrical conductor 1.

[0164] The electrical conductor 1 can be manufactured using additive manufacturing processes. This manufacturing process can be based on, but is not limited to, one of the following additive manufacturing processes: 3D printing, layer-by-layer printing, line-arc additive manufacturing, fused deposition modeling, direct energy deposition, direct metal deposition, sintering-based processes, laser-based processes, etc. It is worth noting that the actual additive manufacturing process used to print or construct the electrical conductor for most types / geometry may not matter, as long as the material used to construct the electrical conductor is conductive.

[0165] Figure 1c The scribing line around the conductor branch is used to show the outer contour of the conductor branch connected to the end segment 2 when the transition between the conductor branch and the end segment 2 is made of multiple layers with varying diameters.

[0166] Please note that it is possible to manufacture, such as Figure 1a The electrical conductor shown has a clear cut at the transition from the last layer of end segment 2 to the first layer of conductor branch 5. This clarity should be understood as meaning that during layer-by-layer manufacturing, after the upper layer (the layer facing the middle segment) is constructed, the next layer to be constructed is the first layer of all conductor branches. The diameter of this first layer is the diameter of the conductor branch or the diameter of at least a portion of the conductor branch (including at least 10 layers). The electrical conductor can be manufactured using additive manufacturing.

[0167] In one embodiment, Figure 1aThe conductor branches 5a-5e shown in -c can be integrally joined to the first end segment via a circular connection (see...). Figure 1c Each of these circular connections forms a concave inner angle between one or both of the first end segments 2 and 3 and the conductor branch 5. Other alternative connection shapes may be used, such as the vertical connections between the conductor branches mentioned above, or combinations thereof.

[0168] If a larger current is expected to flow through one conductor branch than through another, a mixture of different connection shapes can be used. Therefore, rounded transitions are often preferred over vertical transitions, allowing the current flowing through the end segments to be controlled through the design of the connection shape.

[0169] In a particular embodiment, a circular connection may be selected, and the resulting concave inner angle is different from the connection between the second end segment 3 and the conductor branches 5a-5e, which does not form a concave inner angle between the second end segment 3 and the conductor branches 5a-5d (see, for example, Figure 1b).

[0170] Therefore, conductor branches 5a-5e can be connected to both end segments 2 and 3 via a concave inner angle, or connected to one of end segments 2 and 3 via or without a concave inner angle.

[0171] A concave inner corner can be created by continuously increasing or decreasing the size of one or more layers starting from end segments 2 and 3. This gradually transitions from constructing the end segments to constructing the conductor branches. This can be changed as the conductor branches are constructed, since their diameter can also vary between the two end segments.

[0172] A non-concave circular connection between an end segment and a conductor branch can be established by constructing multiple layers with the same geometry (such as a square). This allows for an "instantaneous" transition from constructing an end segment to constructing a conductor branch, moving from the last layer of the end segment to the first layer of the conductor branch.

[0173] It should be noted that when considering connections from a "layer" perspective, the connection between the end segment and the conductor branch is, in principle, always substantially perpendicular (as if one layer could be added to another). However, when referring to connections within the scope of this invention, it refers to two or more consecutive layers, i.e., multiple layers that together form the shape of the connection / transition between the end segment and the conductor branch.

[0174] Therefore, the end segments, conductor branches 5a-5e, and the transition between the end segments and conductor branches can have any given geometry that can be manufactured by additive manufacturing.

[0175] Essentially, the geometry of a circular connection further spatially separates the conductor branches 5a-5e from each other. However, other types of connection shapes also spatially separate the conductor branches from each other in the transverse and / or longitudinal directions. This separation can be established when designing the electrical conductor, and therefore it is also possible to achieve vertical or other transition shapes (including mixtures of transition spaces) between the ends and conductor branches.

[0176] The intermediate segment 4 is formed by conductor branches 5a-5e, thus this embodiment provides electrical and mechanical coupling between the two end segments 2 and 3 through conductor branches 5a-5e.

[0177] It should be noted that, although Figure 1a and 1b Conductor branches 5a-5e in the diagram are shown as more or less uniform conductors, but the design / geometry can take any machinable / printable shape. This shape can be optimized based on conduction current (skin effect), cooling (including air guidance), etc. Specifically, hollow conductor branches can be constructed for these points.

[0178] Figure 1a , 1b The specific electrical conductor 1 in 1c can be made of copper, but it can also be made of other conductive materials such as aluminum, titanium, etc.

[0179] In one embodiment, a particular branch 5 may have a uniform diameter (measured transversely) along its length. The diameters of the plurality of conductor branches 5 may be, for example, 0.5 mm. 2 1mm 2 1.5mm 2 etc., or even, for example, 6mm 2 or above (such as up to 10mm) 2 The cross-sectional area is the same for both. In fact, the cross-sectional area can be defined by the minimum and maximum size that additive manufacturing processes can produce. 2

[0180] In one embodiment, a particular branch 5 may have a non-uniform diameter along its length (measured laterally), but a well-defined branch diameter can still be determined at the transverse plane where the branch has its minimum diameter.

[0181] The spacing between two adjacent conductor branches 5 can be quantified. For branch diameter, an uneven diameter of the conductor branches will result in an uneven distance between the two conductor branches 5. Nevertheless, a well-defined spacing between adjacent branches (such as the air gap 6a between two conductors) can be determined by measurement in a transverse plane that represents the maximum spatial interval between two given conductor branches.

[0182] In embodiments where the transition between the end segment and the intermediate segment includes a concave rounded interior angle, these angles can be quantified, for example, as follows: The circular connection between the first end segment and the conductor branch forms an interior angle, which can be characterized by an angular radius. A first line can be drawn in the longitudinal direction as a tangent to the point where the branch diameter is measured (i.e., the location where the branch has the smallest diameter in the transverse direction). A second line can be drawn in the transverse direction at the connection between the intermediate segment and the first end segment. This second line can, for example, be a tangent to the longitudinal air gap / space interval between the first end 2 and the second end 3. A circle (or a portion of a circle) can then be drawn with the first and second lines as tangents. For a circle whose portion between the two intersections of the first and second lines is entirely within the interior angle, the radius of the largest possible circle is the angular radius. For example, the angular radius can be equal to 1.0 of the branch diameter. The ratio of the adjacent spacing of two adjacent conductor branches 5 to the branch diameter of one of these conductor branches can be 2.0.

[0183] In one embodiment, the electrical conductor comprises a plurality of conductor branches, wherein two or at least three conductor branches are separated from each other both laterally and longitudinally. Looking along the length of two conductor branches, they can, for example, be laterally ( Figure 1c 8a and 8b in the middle) and / or in the longitudinal direction ( Figure 1c There is a gap at 9). The two conductor branches can be separated from the third conductor branch in one or both of the directions in which the two conductor branches are not separated (lateral 8a, 8b and longitudinal 9).

[0184] This ventilation design allows multiple conductors to be seen from any direction. More specifically, this design includes an opening / air gap between two conductor branches, regardless of the direction from which the conductor branches are viewed. Therefore, the conductor is visible to a person from any direction. Furthermore, this design can alternatively create at least one opening / outlet to allow airflow through the conductor from any direction (at least from any angle around the conductor's longitudinal axis), meaning air can enter or exit the conductor from any angle (at least from any angle around the conductor's longitudinal axis). This contrasts with, for example, braided conductors, which at least do not allow airflow across the width (lateral) of the braided conductor. It can be argued that airflow is allowed across the height (longitudinal) of the braided conductor; however, such airflow does not have the cooling effect on all the conductor branches it passes through, as is the case with the conductor of the design described above. In fact, directing airflow to the braided busbar causes the airflow to bypass the conductor rather than pass through it, because the individual conductor branches are braided (in contact with each other), forming a closed middle section through which airflow cannot pass.

[0185] An example of the design described above is the introduction of a line of sight through the electrical conductor. A line of sight can be understood as the ability to see through the conductor; in fact, a line of sight through the conductor can be present from any angle around its longitudinal axis. The advantage of this design is that it provides an airflow inlet through the conductor from any angle.

[0186] An example of the design described above is that it allows one conductor branch to be seen through the air gap between the two conductor branches. This can be applied in any direction, i.e., at any angle around the conductor's longitudinal axis. This allows airflow to act on all three conductor branches.

[0187] The example design described above does not allow the conductor to be seen through from any angle around its longitudinal axis. Therefore, while the interior of the conductor can be seen, the entire conductor cannot be seen through. This allows for the channeling of airflow to cool the interior of the conductor or through it.

[0188] Examples of the above designs include multiple air gaps on two or more sides / surfaces of the electrical conductor profile, wherein multiple air gaps positioned relative to the electrical conductor profile can be seen through simultaneously, thereby seeing through the electrical conductor.

[0189] The above design has several advantages described herein. A common advantage of the above design is the reduction of material, increased or controlled flexibility, and increased or controlled cooling, including, preferably, individual cooling of each individual conductor branch from any angle along the longitudinal axis of the conductor branch, for example, via the flow of air or other coolant.

[0190] When the aforementioned angle is mentioned, it can be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor or a branch of the conductor.

[0191] In one embodiment, the intermediate segment 4 includes a plurality of parallel conductor branches 5. The parallel portions of the conductor branches 5 are only 2 cm or at least 2 cm apart. The parallel portions of two (or more) conductor branches may be parallel at the same or overlapping distance from the first or second end segment. Alternatively, these parallel portions may not overlap and therefore extend at different distances from the first or second end. A non-limiting example could be a first conductor branch having a portion that begins 3 cm from the first end segment and ends 8 cm from the first end segment. A second conductor branch could have a portion that begins 9 cm from the first end segment and ends 10 cm from the first end segment. Even if the portions of the first and second conductor branches do not overlap along the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor, they can be considered parallel.

[0192] It is important to note that multiple sections of a conductor branch can be parallel to multiple sections of other conductor branches and / or multiple sections of a particular conductor branch along the length of those conductor branches. Therefore, two conductor branches can be parallel multiple times between their two end segments. Furthermore, a conductor branch can be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the middle segment / electrical conductor branch multiple times between its two end segments.

[0193] Parallel portions of one or more conductor branches may extend at least 10% of the conductor branch / intermediate segment length.

[0194] The parallel portions of a conductor branch can be defined by the surfaces of two or more conductor branches, including tangents to the surfaces of one or more conductor branches. Alternatively or additionally, the parallel portions of two or more conductor branches can be the central axis of the conductor branches. Note that, according to the above definition, two or more conductor branches, such as 3 to 100 (or any natural number therein), can be parallel.

[0195] Furthermore, conductor branches can be defined as parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor, which can be defined as the shortest / direct path between the center of the first end segment and the center of the second end segment. Therefore, one or more conductor branches can be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor or a portion of the longitudinal axis.

[0196] The above-described design with parallel conductor branches offers several advantages as described herein. Common advantages of the parallel designs include reduced material usage, increased or controlled flexibility, and increased or controlled cooling, including individually cooling each individual conductor branch, preferably from any angle along the longitudinal axis of the conductor branch, for example, via the flow of air or other coolant. Furthermore, the partially parallel / non-parallel conductor branch design allows for a variety of conductor layouts, including bends, twists, and folds in the conductor between the two terminals when the first and second end segments are to be connected.

[0197] It should be mentioned that the conductor branches in the embodiment may also extend between the two end segments in a manner that is not parallel, has a parallel distance of less than 2cm, is parallel to each other but not parallel to other conductor branches, etc.

[0198] Figure 2 The illustration depicts method steps for machining an electrical conductor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The specific method involves coupling two segments of the electrical conductor, namely a first end segment and a second end segment, to a conductor branch, but can be used to produce any type of electrical conductor according to the present invention.

[0199] It is worth noting that this can include printing two end segments and conductor branches in a single process. Therefore, the method can begin by printing one end segment, then printing to the transition of the conductor, then printing the conductor, then printing to the transition of the second end segment, and finally printing the second end segment.

[0200] Alternatively, the end segments can be separate segments connected via intermediate segments. The intermediate segments can be printed, and during the manufacture of the intermediate segments, they can be attached to the end segments, such as by printing onto the end segments. The intermediate segments can be joined to the end segments by welding, printing, brazing, etc.

[0201] It should be noted that the end section may include terminals for connecting the finished electrical conductor to other electrical components / conductors in the electrical system. Such terminals may be manufactured similarly to the rest of the conductor.

[0202] In step S1 of this particular method, the first end segment and the intermediate segment in the form of conductor branches of the plurality of conductor branches are integrally joined via individual transitions. These transitions may or may not include circular connections to form concave inner angles between the first end segment and the conductor branches of the plurality of conductor branches and to spatially separate the conductor branches of the plurality of conductor branches.

[0203] Various methods can be used to achieve the step of integrally combining the first end segment and the conductor branch, such as additive manufacturing methods, 3D printing, casting, and simply removing material from a large metal sheet via machining to form the conductor branch combined with the first end segment.

[0204] In step S2 of the method, the first end segment and the second end segment are electrically and mechanically coupled via an intermediate segment of an electrical conductor formed by multiple conductor branches.

[0205] The intermediate segment can, in principle, have any design / geometry that provides flexibility, thus allowing the electrical conductor to deform. It can be formed from solid conductor branches or have internal cavities to reduce the amount of material desired for manufacturing the electrical conductor. It can be formed from a mesh or a mixture of conductor branches or meshes; only a few possible designs are mentioned.

[0206] The internal cavity can be used as a cooling channel and / or as an additional surface for conducting high-frequency currents. Therefore, the end sections and intermediate sections can be designed for the specific panel / electrical system used, to conduct specific types of current, or to have desired or dual functions, etc.

[0207] In addition to the functions mentioned above, one such function can be as structural support. Therefore, if needed, the electrical conductor can be designed to help support the weight of the electrical components connected to it. Consequently, its size can be larger than expected to support the required current. Similarly, its geometry can be designed for a combination of mechanical support and electrical conduction. This is especially true if such support is flexible / deformable, as it can both aid in support and simultaneously help absorb vibrations.

[0208] It is worth noting that the electrical conductor 1 can be manufactured at two or more resolutions. The thicker the layer, the faster the manufacturing speed. The layer thickness depends on the material and printing equipment and can vary from a few millimeters to 20 micrometers; using some combinations, the layer thickness can be between 50 and 150 micrometers. In the case of additive manufacturing, the resolution can be defined by the thickness of the layers that form the electrical conductor (another way of saying machining and processing). When manufacturing the junction between the electrical conductor and the component it is connected to, a first resolution, which is finer than the second resolution, can be used, i.e., with a thinner layer size. This junction can be the part where the terminal contacts other components. Alternatively, the resolution can be determined by the material deposition rate, material flow rate, etc., depending on the type of additive manufacturing used.

[0209] To avoid electrical losses in the connection between two conductors, it is important that both components have flat surfaces. The finer these joints are manufactured, the less post-manufacturing processing is required to ensure sufficient flatness. That said, it should be noted that the end sections of two conductors can be connected by interlocking teeth, sliding locks, tongues and grooves, etc. This can make the assembly of conductors (such as busbars) in electrical systems easier.

[0210] For example, a second resolution fabricated with a thicker layer will be coarser, resulting in a larger surface area. This can lead to more current conduction, at least for mid- and high-frequency currents, without increasing the demand for conductor material / size. In fact, intermediate sections can be intentionally fabricated with corrugated surfaces to increase the current-carrying outer surface of the conductor (for mid- and high-frequency currents), as this results in more efficient cooling due to turbulence, such as that generated by the corrugated surface, in the form of cooling airflow. It should be noted that if the conductor includes an internal space, the inner surface of the conductor forming this internal space can also be corrugated for the same purpose. Corrugated surfaces have the effect of introducing turbulence into the flow of cooling fluids (such as air). Increasing the velocity of the cooling fluid can lead to even greater cooling efficiency.

[0211] As an example, in a particular embodiment, the depth in the conductor used for conducting current at intermediate and high frequencies can be approximately 1.5 mm. In this specific example, the conductor is made of copper with a resistivity of approximately 1.68 μΩcm and a relative permeability of approximately 1 at a frequency of 2 kHz. Therefore, the conductor used in this particular embodiment can be hollow with a conductor thickness of twice 1.5 mm. In practice, such a conductor can be manufactured to a thickness of 4-5 mm to allow for internal cooling, or simply by reducing the conductor material to reduce weight.

[0212] The skin effect is known to occur at frequencies such as 50Hz. The skin effect refers to the mid-frequency range, specifically frequencies starting around 500Hz. Conductor design can take the skin effect into account. The mid-frequency range can be between 500Hz and 10kHz; frequencies above 10kHz are considered high-frequency, where the skin effect is a fact (the higher the frequency, the closer the current is to the surface).

[0213] In addition, it is worth mentioning that the outer surface can also be corrugated or designed with fins to increase heat dissipation from the electrical conductor.

[0214] The electrical conductor produced by this method can be used as an electrical conductor in electrical equipment. The electrical installation can be an electrical panel, which may be part of renewable energy facilities such as wind turbines, solar systems, power grids, and substations. The electrical installations or systems using the electrical conductor can be electric vehicles, battery systems, universal power supply systems, ships, or other small or large electrical systems. Furthermore, the electrical conductor produced by this method can be used inside electrical panels, i.e., in cabinets / enclosures, or outside such panels, where it can be used to connect partitioned panels, etc.

[0215] The electrical conductor according to the invention is modified for connection to conventional cables or busbars. In such embodiments, conventional busbars, for example, on the back of an electrical panel or conventional cables, for example, between two electrical panels, can be connected to the electrical conductor of the invention. In this way, conventional cables or busbars can be connected to components via the conductor according to the invention. Therefore, the flexibility of the electrical conductor of the invention facilitates easy connection.

[0216] However, it should be noted that the fabrication of the electrical conductor, and thus the realization of the electrical and mechanical coupling between the first and second end segments, is typically performed before the electrical conductor is installed in the electrical installation and before the electrical installation is installed in the renewable energy installation. Therefore, according to a typical embodiment of the invention, the electrical and mechanical coupling is performed prior to the installation / integration of the electrical conductor. However, the method according to the invention is not necessarily limited to a specific sequence of steps. Furthermore, various methods according to the invention may include additional steps such as performing digital geometry optimization, additive manufacturing of the electrical conductor, and conduction of current.

[0217] In summary, designers are creating digital representations of conductors in 3D CAD software such as Solidworks, based on electrical, mechanical, and structural requirements. The files (digital representations) from this 3D development tool are exported to, for example, a 3D printer, where the conductor is printed according to the CAD file. Once printing is complete, an additional step may be to apply heat treatment to the final conductor. Depending on the material, the heat treatment may, for example, be at 400°C or higher for 4 hours. The advantage of heat treatment is that the particles of the manufactured conductor can be aligned or fused together, resulting in higher thermal and electrical conductivity. At least for... This is indeed the case for CP1 20 / 63 aluminum powder and other aluminum-iron-zirconium powder solutions. This type of powder can be used in laser powder bed fusion machinery. Using this type of powder and heat treatment can result in higher thermal stability, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, surface finish, and higher electrical conductivity.

[0218] Furthermore, in embodiments of the invention, the perimeter can vary in a transverse plane at different locations along the length of the electrical conductor (and its individual branches). The perimeter of a given segment can be simply measured as the sum of the perimeters of all regions within a given transverse plane. Therefore, the perimeter of the second end segment 3 can be the length of the perimeter of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0219] The perimeter of the intermediate segment 4 can be the sum of the perimeters of all individual conductor branches. Since a conductor branch can split from the trunk into two or more twigs, the perimeter of one part (the twig portion) of the intermediate segment 4 can differ from that of another part (the trunk portion). Therefore, the sum of the perimeters of the intermediate segment can be the sum of the perimeters of all individual twigs or all individual trunks. In the case of multiple different possible perimeters of the intermediate segment, the minimum perimeter can preferably be used to calculate the current conduction capacity of the electrical conductor.

[0220] In one embodiment, the electrical conductor may include one or more cooling channels, wherein the cooling channels may be placed in the middle section within one or more conductor branches.

[0221] The following figures illustrate various examples of electrical conductors within the scope of the invention.

[0222] Figure 3 The electrical conductor 1 shown in the embodiment of the invention includes two end segments 2 and 3, each end segment terminating at a connection portion 15 having a fastener hole 18. The fastener hole 18 is used to connect the electrical conductor to fastener holes or terminals of other electrical components. In other embodiments, end segments 2 and 3 may be equipped with rod / connector pins for securing the electrical conductor to relevant terminals of adjacent components. Regardless of how end segments 2 and 3 are terminated, the preferred objective is to enable the electrical conductor to conduct current received from or to adjacent components.

[0223] Figure 3 The electrical conductor shown also includes an intermediate segment 4. In this particular embodiment, the conductor branches 5 of the electrical conductor 1 are optimized, for example, to allow cooling fluids such as air to flow through all the conductor branches of its intermediate segment 4.

[0224] In this particular embodiment, the plurality of conductor branches 5 are divided into groups of conductor branches 5, more specifically into three groups (the number of groups is a design choice). In other embodiments, the electrical conductor 1 may include additional groups, such as 5, 7, 9 or more groups of these conductor branches. As shown, the conductor branches 5 in each group are twisted. In this embodiment, the number of conductor branches in a group may be 3, or any other suitable number determined based on geometry or conductivity.

[0225] The conductor branches in each group of conductor branches are twisted. The group of twisted conductor branches is also twisted. The twisted design creates an air gap 6b between at least the first and second conductor branches. More specifically, an air gap 6b is created between a specific branch element of one branch and a specific branch element of the second branch.

[0226] All individual conductor branches 5 are connected to end segments 2 and 3. This can be achieved via fillet or perpendicular connections between conductor branches 5 and end segments 2 and 3. The advantage of the design shown is that it facilitates a linear current path that reduces resistance.

[0227] It is important to note that the three sets of torsional conductor branches 5 are also torsionally intertwined, constantly changing position, causing the inner and outer sides to shift. All conductor branches become part of the outer surface / periphery of the electrical conductor, with at least a portion (one branch element) directly cooled by the surrounding air.

[0228] The conductor 1 shown is manufactured using additive manufacturing technology, which ensures the distance between each individual conductor branch 5. Figure 3 The design shown is inspired by so-called Liz wires to achieve the advantages of this conductor design. Because it can be manufactured using methods such as 3D printing, it can be shaped into any form by utilizing the free space between conductor branches (also known as an air gap in electrical panels).

[0229] like Figure 3 and Figure 5The torsion conductor design shown has advantages, including increased flexibility in the electrical system. This allows for lower precision in the fastener holes / terminals 18 of the conductor and the additional electrical components to which it is connected. This is because the terminal / fastener holes 18 can be moved and adapted to the other components to which they are to be installed by pulling or pushing the conductor branches. Furthermore, the torsion design allows for tolerances in the longitudinal, transverse, and axial directions, thus reducing the tension or force acting on the additional electrical components. This applies to both vibration-induced forces and static forces, such as those generated by forcing the conductor into a position where it can be installed onto the additional electrical components.

[0230] Regarding this embodiment and other embodiments of the invention presented herein, it should be mentioned that if electrical insulation of the conductor 1 is required, the conductor 1 can be immersed in a liquid bath such as an insulating material. In this way, all outer surfaces of the intermediate and end sections can be electrically insulated when the insulating material solidifies. Alternatively, the insulating material can be sprayed or printed onto one or more conductor branches of the conductor in a non-conductive material.

[0231] Figure 4 The conductor branches of conductor 1 shown are fabricated as a mesh-like structure 31. Therefore, there are no individual conductor branches, but rather a network or structure of multiple conductor branches through which current can be conducted through conductor 1. This mesh-like or biomimetic design structure can be referred to as multiple conductor branches, which converge and branch multiple times in multiple directions relative to the longitudinal direction 9 of the electric conductor 1.

[0232] Each "hole" in a mesh or honeycomb structure can be considered an air gap 6. As shown in the figure (and for example in...). Figure 3 In the middle, the multiple air gaps 6 are uniform. Figure 3 The specific air gap 6 shown extends longitudinally and has a certain distance between the two intersection points 11, which can be referred to as air gap 6b. Similarly, this air gap 6 can extend laterally and has a certain distance between the two intersection points 11, which can be referred to as air gap 6a.

[0233] In this design, the current will preferentially choose the most direct path provided by the conductor branches between the connection portions 15; that is, these branches together form the shortest path between them. The conductor branches are branched, thus creating (potentially increasingly) longer paths 15 between the two connection portions, which, in addition to conducting current, can also serve as current-carrying structural parts of the electrical conductor 1 to maintain its geometry or as cooling fins / cooling areas.

[0234] Figure 4The advantage of the design shown is that it has a larger surface area compared to standard known conductors. This large surface area is particularly advantageous in mid- and high-frequency applications. Furthermore, in terms of cooling, the mesh-like structure allows air to pass through the conductor and effectively cool a large area.

[0235] It is obvious that using less material not only reduces material costs but also lightens weight. For example, reduced weight leads to fewer fasteners (such as brackets) required to secure conductor 1, ensuring safe operation even in environments where conductors / panels are exposed to vibration. Furthermore, lighter weight is expected to result in lower transportation costs.

[0236] It should be mentioned that the ends 2 and 3 of the terminals or connecting portions 15 of the mesh-like electrical conductor 1 can also be manufactured at least partially in a mesh design. Therefore, the longitudinal transition between the intermediate section and the end section is more or less eliminated.

[0237] However, at least if conductor 1 is connected to additional electrical components using nuts and bolts, portions of end sections 2 and 3 should include solid parts. The end sections can be entirely mesh-like, for example, if connected to additional electrical components via twisting or other quick-locking principles.

[0238] Figure 4 The terminal portion 15 of the end segments 2 and 3 in the illustrated embodiment includes a solid abutment plate (see first end segment 2) to which additional electrical components can be attached. On the other side of the end segment (indicated at the second end segment 3), surrounding a hole for a connecting bolt, the end segment includes a solid portion extending through the end segment to ensure sufficient strength when the conductor 1 is fastened to the additional electrical components using nuts and bolts.

[0239] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the connecting portion 15 of the conductor 1 is integrally manufactured with the end sections 2, 3 and the intermediate section 4. Therefore, compared with conventional cables and busbars that include braided conductors, there are no mechanical connections between the various parts of the conductor of the present invention, thus eliminating electrical losses, which is advantageous. Furthermore, when the conductor according to the present invention is integrally manufactured between the connecting portion 15 and the end sections 2, 3, the manufacturing process of attaching the terminal ends of the braided conductor is avoided.

[0240] Figure 5 The embodiments shown can be considered as a combination of several different electrical conductor designs of the present invention. Figure 5The conductor 1 shown is of the torsion type. It has three central body segments 19a, 19b, and 19c. The first 19a is a large torsion section extending between 19a and 19b, divided into six torsion sections (extending between 19a and end segment 2), each torsion section having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the larger torsion section of the conductor between 19a and 19b. Central body segments 19b and 19c connect the portion between 19a and 19b and the portion extending between 19b and end segment 3, with inductor portion 20 extending between 19b and 19c. Each of the six torsion conductor portions terminates at a first end segment 2. These six first end segments 2 are connected to an additional electrical component 21 via nuts and bolts 22. Second end segments 3 are also connected to the additional electrical component 21 via nuts and bolts 22.

[0241] As shown in the figure, the conductor 1 includes an inductor component 20 with five windings. A magnetic core 23 (such as a ferrite core) extends through each of these windings. Therefore, with the design of the conductor 1 shown, four ferrite cores around the conductor 1 can be avoided without affecting the noise reduction effect.

[0242] All central body segments 19 and inductor sections 20 are composed of conductor branches 5 with air gaps 6 between them.

[0243] Figure 5 The illustrated embodiment is an example of electrical conductors with different sizes, namely, the thicker portion connected to the second end segment 3 and the thinner inductor portion 20, which in turn is connected to the thicker portion. The advantage of this design of the electrical conductor is that it has the effect that the thinner portion of the electrical conductor ( Figure 5 The inductor portion 20) can be wound around the magnetic core. The magnetic core can be a ferrite core as shown in the figure, but it can also be, for example, a transformer core, or an electrical conductor can be wound up to form a reactor.

[0244] By manufacturing an electrical conductor 1 with a thinner portion and using that thinner portion for winding (instead of winding a thicker portion), the size of ferrite cores, transformer cores, reactors, etc., can be reduced. This is because if the thicker portion were wound and needed to pass through the coil, the window in the ferrite core would need to be larger, for example, compared to the wound portion of the thinner portion. The core can be smaller and more compact, thus reducing weight and therefore saving on the cost and installation space of the power system.

[0245] The drawback of reducing the diameter is that the thinner section will get hotter than the thicker section because the same current flows through both. However, the conductor can be designed to reduce its diameter just before the winding begins and to reshape it back to a thicker diameter just after the winding ends. In such a design, heat can be dissipated from the coil / inductor section (the thinner section) to the thicker section. Furthermore, the winding section is small, so its resistance is higher than the rest of the conductor, which reduces heat generation. Additionally, the illustrated design allows air to circulate within the twisted conductor branches, thus facilitating better cooling.

[0246] and Figure 3 , 4 Compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the embodiments shown in Figures 6-12 present several variations of the intermediate segment design according to the invention. These embodiments are characterized by having a component or region that provides flexibility to the conductor, primarily the intermediate segment 4. Therefore, when Figure 3 When the embodiment shown in Figure 6 has a more or less uniform design along the entire conductor, the design of the embodiment shown in Figure 6-12 promotes flexibility only at the reduced portion of the conductor length.

[0247] As shown in the design of Figure 6-12, the end segments 2 and 3 and the flexible middle segment 4 are not like... Figure 3 As shown in Figures 6-12, the segments can be separated / distinguished. Therefore, one end of the intermediate segment 4 may include, or be referred to as, the first end segment 2. The second end segment 3 may be considered as part of the rod denoted as 3, 4, or as part of the intermediate segment 4 opposite to the first end segment transitioning to the rods 3, 4. One way to define the end segment is to provide a terminal 13 in the conductor. Thus, in some embodiments of Figures 6-12, the rod is defined as the second end segment 3, while in other embodiments, the rod is defined as part of the intermediate segment 4.

[0248] It is advantageous to provide flexibility only in a portion of the middle section or a portion of the conductor length, because the length from that portion to a terminal, for example, at the end of the rod, can be used to change the degree of flexibility according to the lever principle.

[0249] It should be noted that a conductor can have multiple intermediate segments to promote flexibility along its length. These regions do not need to be identical in design; in fact, they can promote controlled flexibility in different directions relative to the direction of the current flowing through the conductor. It should also be noted that the flexible portion of the intermediate segment can also be implemented along the entire length of the conductor, such as… Figure 1b As shown.

[0250] The designs in Figures 6, 8, 9, and 10 allow for substantially equal deformation, independent of where a force perpendicular to the arm / second end 3 shown is applied. Figure 7 , 11The middle section of 12 allows for greater "upward and downward" deformation than "lateral" deformation (in the embodiment, lateral and upward and downward can refer to the directions of axes 8a and 8b in Figure 1).

[0251] Figures 6a-6c The electrical conductor 1 has a combination of a helical intermediate section 4 facing the first end section 2 and a rod-shaped second end section 3. The intermediate section includes multiple conductor branches 5a, 5b, ..., 5n (collectively referred to as 5) separated by multiple free spaces / air gaps 6b. The two ends of the intermediate section 4 are respectively connected to plates, i.e., two vertical plates. These plates mark the ends of the intermediate section 4 and the starting points of the first and second end sections 2 and 3. Thus, the intermediate section 4 is attached to / continues to the end sections 2 and 3, and establishes a transition therebetween, as described with respect to Figure 1.

[0252] In this design, the second end segment 3 is embodied as a rod-like structure; that is, this example illustrates that the two end segments 2 and 3 do not need to be identical (terminals are not shown). The rod-like structure can be designed to have multiple conductor branches 5 or a solid rod (as shown in the figure).

[0253] Figure 6a and 6b The conductors shown are depicted in a stationary position where no force is acting on them. Most of the conductors in the figure are also shown in a stationary position. Figure 6c The conductor shown represents the case where a force is applied in the downward direction.

[0254] Figures 6a-6c The conductor 1 shown has the following advantages: the intermediate segment 4 of the helical structure enables a high degree of flexibility (deformation) toward the second end segment 2. The free space / air gap 6b between the conductor branches 5 in the intermediate segment 4 of the helical structure provides flexibility for the rod / second end segment 3. The flexibility of the second end 3 formed by the rod is advantageous because it provides flexibility in any direction due to the circular shape of the intermediate segment 4 of the helical structure.

[0255] The free space / air gap 6b between the conductor branches 5 in the middle section of the spiral structure also increases the possibility of allowing coolant fluid to pass through in order to cool the conductor 1.

[0256] Figure 6b and 6c The illustrated conductor 1 is an example of the flexibility provided by the deformation of conductor branches 5 and / or the relative displacement of conductor branches in space allowed by the air gap 6b. Note that only the longitudinal air gap 6b is illustrated.

[0257] Figure 6b The conductor 1 shown is rigid enough that it will not change shape solely due to gravity acting upon it (at least negligibly). Figure 6cFor example, a downward force of 10N is applied to the tip of the second end segment 3. Figure 6c As shown, this causes a change in the geometry of the intermediate segment 4, which in turn causes a change in the geometry of the conductor 1. This change is represented by a distance D, which is 11.5 mm in this example. Of course, this distance depends on the material and cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor branch 5.

[0258] Figure 7 The conductor 1 shown has a corrugated intermediate section 4, one end of which is connected to a first end section 2, and the other end is attached to a second end section 3. In this embodiment, the second end section 3 is a rod (fastening device / connection portion 15 is not shown). The transition portion between the intermediate section 4 and the second end section 3 can be designed as described above.

[0259] The intermediate segment 4 consists of only one conductor branch 5a. This conductor branch 5a is designed with multiple parallel conductor branch elements 5a-1, 5a-2, ..., 5a-n. The elements are separated by air gaps 6b. Therefore, in this embodiment, only one conductor branch 5 is used to establish the flexible electrical conductor 1.

[0260] As mentioned above, Figures 6a-6c The conductor 1 shown has 360-degree flexibility. In principle, Figure 7 The conductor 1 shown also has 360-degree flexibility; however, its flexibility in the vertical direction is greater than its lateral flexibility. The degree of flexibility can be controlled by, for example, the number of conductor branch elements / air gaps (the number of corrugations), the thickness of the branch elements and the area of ​​each corrugation, and the size of the air gap (the distance between two branch elements in the longitudinal and transverse directions).

[0261] The conductor branch 5a of the conductor branch element 5a-n, which forms a wavy structure, is perpendicular to the rod of the second end segment. It is worth mentioning that the rod can be tilted or rotated.

[0262] The distance between conductor branches in a wavy structure (air gap size) allows for the use of various coolants to cool the electrical conductors.

[0263] Figure 8a and 8b Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated. In this embodiment, the electrical conductor 1 has as shown in the figure. Figure 7 The rod end is shown. The intermediate section 4 connects to two separated plates, forming part of the first end section 2 and the second end section 3 as described above. It should be noted that these plates may also be referred to as part of the intermediate section without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0264] The intermediate segment 4 in the embodiments shown in Figures 8 and 8a includes multiple electrical conductors 5, more specifically three electrical conductor elements 5a, 5b, and 5c. These electrical conductors 5a, 5b, and 5c have a wavy structure. This wavy structure can be arranged according to... Figure 7 The same principles are used in the design. Variations of this paper can be implemented, and therefore V-turns / U-turns / waves do not need to be exactly the same in size and form.

[0265] like Figure 8b As shown, the conductor branches 5a-5c are vertically separated by air gaps. In principle, the space between them can also be called an air gap. The conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5c-n are horizontally separated by air gap 6b.

[0266] Figure 8a , 8b The design shown has advantages in terms of flexibility and space between the conductor branches that allow coolant cooling / flow.

[0267] Figure 8a , 8b The design shown can be said to be similar to Figure 7 The designs shown are similar, in which Figure 8a , 8b The design includes multiple conductor branches 5a-5c, while Figure 7 The design includes only one conductor branch 5.

[0268] The design shown in Figure 9 also includes only one conductor branch 5a, which includes multiple conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5a-n, with a longitudinal (horizontal) air gap 6b and a transverse (vertical) air gap 6a between the conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5a-n.

[0269] The first end segment 2 is formed by one of the conductor branch elements 5a-x / in one of the conductor branch elements 5a-x / as one of the conductor branch elements 5a-x. The second end segment 3 may also be formed as one of the conductor branch elements 5a-x (the innermost part of the conductor branch forming the middle segment 4).

[0270] The rod can be integrally manufactured with the second end segment 3. Therefore, the rod (including the fastener hole 18) can be considered part of the electrical conductor 1. This embodiment, along with other embodiments including the rod, is an example of an electrical conductor 1 extending beyond one of the first end segment 2 and the second end segment 3. In Figure 10 below, the rod is considered part of the second end segment 3; that is, this is more a matter of definition than a characteristic of the electrical conductor.

[0271] Figure 9a and 9bThe illustrated embodiment of the invention has an intermediate segment 4 established by a conductor branch 5a formed as a square helix. This conductor branch 5a includes a plurality of conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5a-n separated by air gaps 6. It is worth noting that other forms can also be used, and have the same advantages as the square helix.

[0272] The first end segment 2 is connected to or forms part of the intermediate segment 4. Similarly, the second end segment 3 is connected to or forms part of the intermediate segment 4. It is worth noting that in this embodiment, the second end segment 3 is located in the middle of the intermediate segment 4. It should also be noted that the rod is connected to the second end segment 3 and can therefore be considered part of the second end segment 3.

[0273] Therefore, in various embodiments of the present invention, if the end segments 2, 3 and the intermediate segment 4 are integral, then the end segments 2, 3 can also be considered to begin from the end of the intermediate segment 4. If these terminal holes 18 are located at the other end of the rod, such as... Figure 9a , 9b As shown, they can also be considered as stopping at their terminal holes 18 (or other connecting devices). In this embodiment, the second end segment can be said to extend from the middle of the intermediate segment 4 to the end of the rod after the terminal hole 18.

[0274] exist Figure 9a , 9b In the illustrated embodiment, it is noteworthy that the conductor element branch has a through-hole through which the rod extends. Figure 9a The diagram illustrates the air gap 6 between the conductor branch elements and the rod. This air gap, together with the air gaps 6a and 6b between the individual conductor branch elements of the square helix, contributes to the flexibility of the rod.

[0275] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment shown in -9, conductor branch elements may meet when the geometry of the electrical conductor changes. Therefore, the size of a particular air gap, i.e., the distance between two particular conductor branch elements, may decrease until contact is achieved between the two conductor branch elements. Before this, other air gaps may only decrease slightly. After this contact is achieved, the size of another air gap can begin to decrease faster than the remaining air gaps. Thus, the more air gaps included in the design, the greater the flexibility of the electrical conductor.

[0276] It is conceivable that as the air gap decreases until it contacts as described above, the size of the other air gap (or another portion of the same air gap) can increase, i.e., the distance between the two conductor branch elements can increase. Which air gaps / air gap portions increase or decrease is defined by the direction of the applied force, and thus by the direction of movement of the electrical conductor in space.

[0277] Even if two or more branches or branch elements come into contact or are close to contact, no electric arc will be generated because the potential on the branches / branch elements is the same.

[0278] Therefore, when force is applied, the multiple air gaps in the electrical conductor of the present invention can change unequally (non-uniformly). The same applies to the deformation of the conductor branches / conductor branch elements.

[0279] Figure 10a Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated, which is very similar to the main body segment 19 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. However, from Figure 10b In the close-up view, it should be noted that multiple conductor branch elements, all labeled 5x-n, define the outer perimeter of intermediate segment 4. Furthermore, although difficult to see, there is also a set of conductor branch elements defining the inner perimeter of intermediate segment 4. Therefore, intermediate segment 4 comprises at least two axial layers of conductor branch elements. An axial layer should be understood as a set of conductor branches or conductor branch elements forming the circular intermediate segment 4.

[0280] As described above, the space / air gap 6b between the square spiral conductor branches increases the flexibility of the rod of the conductor branch 1. Furthermore, the circular spiral shape provides flexibility at the ends of the rod in any direction.

[0281] Figure 11 and 12 The illustrated embodiments are further examples of various electrical conductors 1 within the scope of this invention. Figure 11 In this embodiment, conductor branches 5a-5c are formed as blades separated by air gaps 6. Depending on the location of the measured air gaps, they can be longitudinal 6b or transverse 6a. In this embodiment, air gaps 6b exist between elements within the same conductor branch and between elements of two conductor branches. Three blades are illustrated in the figure, but the number of blades, as well as their width and thickness, can be varied depending on requirements such as flexibility.

[0282] exist Figure 12 The diagram illustrates multiple conductor branches 5a-5n. An air gap exists between elements with two different conductor branches.

[0283] Please note that both the rod and the portion connecting to the conductor branch in the middle section can be represented as 3. This is to indicate that the rod can be considered as part of or a separate part of the second end section 3. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that since the rod is not required, the electrical conductor 1 in the figure can terminate at the first and second end structures 2, 3.

[0284] It should be noted that the conductor 1 may include a first conductor branch 5, which may branch into multiple second conductor branches 5, each of which may further branch into multiple third conductor branches 5, and so on, through the middle section of the conductor 1. Thus, following the direction of current flow from the first end through the conductor 1 to the second end, the current can flow in the first conductor branch, then be divided into currents in the second conductor branches, again into currents in the third conductor branches, and so on, resulting in additional n branches. th Current in a conductor branch.

[0285] In one embodiment, if current flows from the first end segment to the second end segment, the first conductor branch may have a first cross-sectional area, and the second conductor branch may have a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the third conductor branch may be smaller than that of the second conductor branch. Thus, the size of the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor branches can vary longitudinally in the intermediate segment.

[0286] As mentioned above, the conductor branch of an electrical conductor can branch into multiple additional (n) branches. th Conductors. In the same way, conductor branches can also converge from a larger number of conductor branches to a smaller number of conductor branches.

[0287] It is worth mentioning that the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment at a distance from the first end segment can be the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment at a second distance from the first end segment, while the number of conductor branches at the first distance is different from the number of conductor branches at the second distance.

[0288] Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment at the first and second distances from the first end segment can be different, while the number of conductor branches can be the same. Of course, the cross-sectional area and number of conductor branches can also be the same at the first and second distances from the first end segment.

[0289] The branch can be on a plane. This plane can be tangent to the surface of an electrical conductor with a curved design. It should also be noted that such a branch can be within the fixed uniformity of the conductor, and / or, for example, via the joining / fixation of two conductors from one conductor to another.

[0290] It is worth mentioning that embodiments of the electrical conductor may also include a design in which the conductor branches from the first end segment into multiple conductor branches and converges again into the second end segment, without branching between the first and second end segments.

[0291] According to the present invention, the electrical conductor 1 can have any "printable" form / design. Various such forms / designs have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the designs shown.

[0292] Therefore, the design not shown, still within the scope of this invention, is a T-shaped electrical conductor 1. This T-shaped conductor can extend between points A and B, with the intermediate point M located between points A and B. The conductor also includes a portion extending from the intermediate point M to point C (theoretically, it also includes several other points in space). It should be noted that the intermediate point M should be located exactly between points A and B, so the shape may also be close to an L-shape.

[0293] The intermediate segment can be positioned between points A and M, B and M, M and C, or any combination thereof. Therefore, this conductor can be designed to maintain its shape between points A and B while positioning the intermediate segment with conductor branching elements / conductor branches between points M and C. Thus, by applying a force to point C below the yield point, the segment between points M and C can elastically deform.

[0294] Another embodiment, not shown, within the scope of this invention, comprises only an intermediate section of the electrical conductor. In such an embodiment, fastener holes / terminals may be included at the ends of the intermediate section, i.e., branched by one or more conductors. In such an embodiment, the end section may be the end of one or more conductor branches. More specifically, in this embodiment, the end section may be part of an electrical conductor designed for connection and attachment to another electrical component.

[0295] Another embodiment of the electrical conductor 1 within the scope of this invention has a conductor branch, the first portion of which has a first spatial geometry and the second portion of which has a second spatial geometry. A non-limiting example of a conductor branch having the first and second spatial geometries is a conductor branch 5, which can be twisted, for example, by 90 degrees, such that before the twist, the first portion forms a flat horizontal geometry, and after the twist, the second portion forms a flat vertical geometry. Its advantage is that such a conductor branch is flexible in one direction along the space of the first portion and flexible in another direction along the space of the second portion.

[0296] Another embodiment, not shown, within the scope of this invention, is an electrical conductor designed to utilize any free space in the electrical / mechanical layout of the electrical system / panel. The conductor branch 5 of the electrical conductor 1 can branch into one or more sub-conductor branches. In this way, the electrical conductor 1 branches by approaching the component, goes around both sides of the component, and rejoins. Similarly, one or more conductor branches can form a loop around the magnetic core, or another conductor branch / electrical conductor can pass through the loop. In this way, the inductor can be designed in any way that the available space in the power system allows.

[0297] Another embodiment, not shown, within the scope of this invention is a wire harness. This wire harness can replace known wire harnesses or printed circuit board traces made of conventional block or threaded conductors. Using this wire harness, multiple electrical components can be interconnected via electrical conductors manufactured according to the method of the invention. This is especially true if the method includes connecting two conductor branches with a non-conductive material, allowing the application of insulating materials, etc.

[0298] Another embodiment, not shown, within the scope of this invention, is an electrical conductor that functions as a connection between two components (such as two conventional large busbars). As an alternative to known braided busbars, conductor 1 can be produced by additive manufacturing with a design according to the invention, designed for specific connections in terms of vibration absorption, installation space, etc. Thus, conventional cables or busbars can be used between electrical panels, and this can be accomplished using the electrical conductor according to the invention when they are to be connected to components or branches within the panels.

[0299] Another embodiment, not shown, within the scope of this invention, is an electrical conductor having two or more deformation points. A deformation point can be a portion of the conductor, such as the midpoint, i.e., the location where the designed deformation is determined. Alternatively, a deformation point can be a groove (or other weakening or strengthening design) in a portion of the conductor rod, where deformation (typically plastic deformation) occurs when a force is applied. The force required for deformation at such a groove can be predetermined and is related to the size of the groove. Another portion of the electrical conductor can be reinforced to ensure that the reinforced portion does not deform. Furthermore, for example, around terminal hole 18, the electrical conductor can be reinforced to plastically deform to a predetermined level, thereby facilitating a desired electrical connection with another conductor or component. The force applied, for example, when mounting the electrical conductor via bolts can be determined using a torque wrench and is referred to as clamping force. Figure 5 An example of a conductor with multiple deformation points is illustrated.

[0300] For example, from Figure 3 and Figure 7 As can be seen from the comparison in Figure 8, the length of the intermediate segment 4 relative to the conductor 1 can vary. In these figures, the intermediate segment 4 is located between the end segments 2 and 3.

[0301] exist Figure 4 In the middle section, the lengths of end sections 2 and 3 are basically the same, that is, the distance from the connection point of the middle section 4 with end sections 2 and 3 to the fastener hole 18 is roughly the same.

[0302] However, in the electrical conductor shown in Figure 8, the second end segment 3 connected to the middle segment 4 is much longer than the first end segment 2. As shown, the second end segment extends into the hole 23 in a conductor branch, so the length of the second end segment 3 is several times longer than the length of the first end segment 2.

[0303] In this way, the middle section can be positioned within the conductor in a location where flexibility is desired, either towards the end section or towards the middle of the conductor.

[0304] From the above, it can also be understood that the design and manufacturing freedom of the middle segment 4 is very high in order to achieve the desired flexibility. Desired flexibility should be understood as the directional flexibility of the electrical conductor. (See also...) Figure 7 In examples 8, the flexibility in these illustrated embodiments is designed to be "up and down". However, if the middle section of the illustration is rotated 90 degrees, the flexibility of the electrical conductor will tilt to the side.

[0305] Therefore, design freedom means that the flexibility of the electrical conductor can be designed and manufactured at any angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor by “rotating the middle section” through additive manufacturing.

[0306] Furthermore, the design of the intermediate section allows us to determine the force required to deform and bend the conductor. The intermediate section of the conductor shown in Figure 8 is most likely to deform only due to gravity acting on the longer second end section 3. Conversely, Figure 3 The middle section of the conductor shown requires a force to deform.

[0307] Clearly, the thinner conductor branch 5 is, the smaller the force required to deform conductor 1, indicating a relationship between conductor stiffness and conductor cross-section. Furthermore, the relationship between material and orientation also affects the magnitude of the force required to provide sufficient stress to deform the conductor. In fact, the mentioned (and others unmentioned) parameters can all influence the deformation force (the force required to provide the stress that leads to deformation). This applies to the conductor itself and the individual conductor branches, and to both elastic and plastic deformation.

[0308] Flexible / deformable conductors are particularly advantageous when a conductor is connected to a sensitive electronic component, because force / vibration is not transmitted to the sensitive electronic component via the conductor.

[0309] Rigid conductors are particularly advantageous when the electrical conductor 1 is used as a structural component, for example, in an electrical system or panel, or when connected to other rigid components of an electrical system or panel.

[0310] Of course, the force required to deform the intermediate section depends on several factors, including the size of the conductor branch / conductor branch element, the length of the end section, the material used, the orientation of the conductor branch, etc. The electrical conductor according to the invention is suitable for a wide range of applications, from very small (wire harness type conductors) where a force of 10 N or less may be required to deform a specific part of the electrical conductor, to very large where a force of 10^7 N or more may be required to deform it.

[0311] According to the present invention, the deformation of an electrical conductor should be understood as a change in the form or shape of one or more conductor branches (and thus conductor branch elements or portions thereof) included in the intermediate segment.

[0312] This deformation causes a change in the spatial geometry of the electrical conductor. Examples of such geometric changes include rotation of one end segment relative to another, an increase or decrease in the relative distance between electrical branches and / or conductors, and bending of the conductor.

[0313] As described above, one or more conductor branches 5 are separated from each other by one or more air spaces / free spaces. These air spaces can separate one or more conductor branches in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the electrical conductor. If the shape of the conductor branch is, for example, spiral, harmonica-shaped, twisted, etc., it is possible to separate a conductor branch by air spaces.

[0314] The conductor branches can be separated along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the electrical conductor. Some conductor branches can be separated from several other conductor branches by multiple air gaps in different directions, while some conductor branches can be separated from other branches only in one direction.

[0315] Spacing out the conductor branches is advantageous because, for example, an airflow or other medium used for cooling can pass through the air gap and thus through the space between the conductor branches. Therefore, the free space / air gap establishes one or more cooling paths between the conductor branches, resulting in improved cooling efficiency of the electrical conductor of the present invention compared to known electrical conductors. Higher cooling efficiency, i.e., lower conductor temperature, allows for a greater current to be conducted by the electrical conductor.

[0316] In fact, tests have shown that the materials used to produce the electrical conductors according to the present invention can be reduced by 80% to 95%, and may be reduced even more under specific design and proper cooling conditions.

[0317] The advantage of this separation is that it allows the electrical conductor to deform—that is, to twist, bend, compress, and / or stretch—leading to easier installation, vibration absorption, and reduced tension transmission from one component connected to the electrical conductor to another. As an example here, it can be mentioned that an air gap defines the distance between one or more conductor branches, and this distance is configured to decrease or increase with the applied force. The advantage of this design is that it has the effect that the distance between two conductor branches can change (increase or decrease) when a force is applied, thereby deforming the electrical conductor.

[0318] The distance between conductor branches / branch elements, i.e., the size of the air gap 6b, can vary from a fraction of a millimeter to a few centimeters, depending on factors such as the magnitude of the current to be conducted and the weight of the conductor. In larger electrical systems, the air gap can range from 30 centimeters to 50 centimeters.

[0319] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a high-voltage conductor having a first end 2 and a second end 3 connected to each other by an intermediate segment 4, the intermediate segment 4 including a plurality of conductor branches 5. The two ends 2 and 3 may each have a connecting portion 15, through which the high-voltage conductor can be connected to other electrical components. The high-voltage conductor is manufactured using additive manufacturing technology.

[0320] High voltage is a voltage between 48V and 700V, such as 1000V or 1500V, preferably between 48V and 10kV, and most preferably between 48V and 1000kV. High voltage can be AC ​​or DC, such as HVDC (high voltage DC).

[0321] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for bending an electrical conductor having a first end 2 and a second end 3 connected to each other by an intermediate segment 4, the intermediate segment 4 including a plurality of conductor branches 5. The two ends 2 and 3 may each have a connecting portion 15 through which a high-voltage conductor can be connected to other electrical components. The force applied to bend the electrical conductor generates stresses in the material in which the conductor is manufactured, exceeding the material's yield point, and this force is applied manually. "Manual" should be understood as being performed by workers, such as by workers installing the electrical conductor in an electrical panel or by workers packaging and transporting the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor may be manufactured using additive manufacturing.

[0322] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an electrical conductor comprising: a first end segment (2) and a second end segment (3) separated by an intermediate segment (4), wherein the intermediate segment (4) comprises a plurality of conductor branches (5a, ..., 5n), wherein the plurality of conductor branches (5a, ..., 5n) are made of a conductive material, and wherein at least a portion of at least two of the plurality of conductor branches (5a, ..., 5n) are separated by an air gap (6). The intermediate segment may separate the first and second end segments (2, 3) in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor (1). The air gap may be in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

[0323] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an electrical conductor (1) comprising: a first end segment (2) and a second end segment (3) separated by an intermediate segment (4), wherein the intermediate segment (4) includes a conductor branch (5) made of a conductive material, and wherein at least two portions of the conductor branch (5) are separated by an air gap (6). The intermediate segment may separate the first and second end segments (2, 3) in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor (1). The air gap may be located in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1). The conductor branch (5) may include a plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n), and two of these conductor branch elements may be separated by the air gap (6).

[0324] In a specific embodiment, the present invention also includes an electrical conductor (1) for an electrical facility, the electrical conductor comprising: a first end segment (2); a second end segment (3); and an intermediate segment (4) formed by a plurality of conductor branches (5a-5n), which is electrically coupled and mechanically coupled to the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3), wherein the first end segment (2) and the conductor branches of the plurality of conductor branches (5a-5d) are integrally joined by connection, thereby forming an interior angle (6) between the first end segment (2) and the conductor branches (5) of the plurality of conductor branches (5), and spatially separating the conductor branches (5) of the plurality of conductor branches (5) on two different transverse directions (8a, 8b).

[0325] In a specific embodiment, multiple conductor branches (5) are twisted to each other, and there is no physical contact between the conductor branches in the longitudinal direction of the middle section (4).

[0326] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor (1) includes a cooling structure extending longitudinally from the intermediate segment (4).

[0327] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor (1) includes a plurality of cooling structures spaced apart at a certain distance to facilitate the installation of a ferrite core between two cooling structures.

[0328] In a specific embodiment, the cooling structure extends further from the electrical conductor (1) than the ferrite core.

[0329] In a specific embodiment, two conductor branches among the multiple conductor branches are mechanically and electrically coupled through transverse branch protrusions.

[0330] In a specific embodiment, the intermediate segment is a first intermediate segment, wherein the electrical conductor further includes a second intermediate segment formed by a second plurality of conductor branches, the second intermediate segment being electrically and mechanically coupled to the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0331] In a specific embodiment, the second end segment and the conductor branches of the second plurality of conductor branches are integrally connected by a circular connection, thereby forming a concave inner angle between the second end segment and the conductor branches of the second plurality of conductor branches, and spatially separating the conductor branches of the second plurality of conductor branches in different lateral directions.

[0332] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor is manufactured at least in part by an additive manufacturing process.

[0333] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor (1) includes two or more central body segments, wherein the conductor portions connected to the same central body segment have different geometries.

[0334] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor (1) includes two central body segments connected to the inductor component.

[0335] In a specific embodiment, the ferrite core is connected through the inductor component.

[0336] In a specific embodiment, the diameter of the conductor branch among the plurality of conductor branches is less than 3cm, for example less than 2.5cm, for example less than 2cm, for example less than 1.5cm.

[0337] In a specific embodiment, one of the conductor branches has a circular connection that forms one or more concave inner corners. The concave inner corner has an angular radius that is at least 0.2 times the branch diameter of the conductor branch, for example, at least 0.3 times the branch diameter, for example, at least 0.5 times the branch diameter, for example, at least 0.8 times the branch diameter, such as at least 1.2 times the branch diameter.

[0338] In a specific embodiment, two adjacent conductor branches among a plurality of conductor branches have a circular connection, the circular connection forming one or more concave inner angles, the radius of which is at least 0.05 times the adjacent distance between the two adjacent conductor branches, for example at least 0.1 times the adjacent distance, for example at least 0.2 times the adjacent distance, for example at least 0.3 times the adjacent distance, such as at least 0.4 times the adjacent distance.

[0339] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor has a resonant frequency related to the relative motion between the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0340] The resonant frequency is at most 300 Hz, for example at most 150 Hz, for example at most 70 Hz, for example at most 30 Hz, for example at most 20 Hz, or at least 300 Hz, for example at least 500 Hz, for example at least 1 kHz, such as at least 5 kHz.

[0341] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor includes an internal body structure and an external surface structure, wherein the internal body structure and the external surface structure have different material compositions.

[0342] In a specific embodiment, the electrical conductor (1) includes a first portion having a first outer diameter and a second portion having a second outer diameter, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

[0343] In a particular embodiment, the present invention includes a method for coupling a first end segment of an electrical conductor to a second end segment of an electrical conductor within an electrical installation, the method comprising the steps of: integrally joining the first end segment and a conductor branch of a plurality of conductor branches via a connection to form an interior angle between the first end segment and the conductor branch of the plurality of conductor branches, and spatially separating the conductor branch of the plurality of conductor branches in two different directions; and electrically and mechanically coupling the first end segment and the second end segment via an intermediate segment of an electrical conductor formed by the plurality of conductor branches.

[0344] In the method of a specific embodiment, the electrical facilities consist of renewable energy facilities.

[0345] In a specific embodiment of the method, the method includes the step of establishing a digital representation of the electrical conductor.

[0346] In a particular embodiment of the method, the method includes the step of performing digital geometry optimization on the digital representation of the electrical conductors to at least partially form the plurality of conductor branches.

[0347] In a specific embodiment of the method, the method includes the step of additively manufacturing an electrical conductor based on a digital representation of the electrical conductor.

[0348] In a specific embodiment of the method, the step of additive manufacturing an electrical conductor includes selective laser melting.

[0349] In a specific embodiment of the method, the step of additive manufacturing the electrical conductor includes arc additive manufacturing.

[0350] As can be clearly seen from the above, the present invention relates to flexible electrical conductors such as busbars. It is particularly relevant when the busbars of the present invention are used in most conductors in electrical panels and renewable energy power plants (such as wind turbines). This is because it possesses flexible properties (an air gap inherent in the design of the electrical conductor), which arises from the ability of the conductor branches / branching elements to deform and thus change the shape of the electrical conductor. Because the electrical conductor is designed with conductor branches / branching elements separated by air gaps, it is able to carry large currents while simultaneously changing its geometry (changing its spatial form).

[0351] The electrical conductor is able to carry large currents because it comprises multiple conductor branches / branch elements. Because it has air gaps designed between these branches, the weight of the electrical conductor is reduced compared to known electrical conductor designs that carry the same current. Furthermore, due to its deformability and the air gaps, the electrical conductor according to the invention can absorb vibrations and also achieve enhanced cooling.

[0352] Finally, the reason it is possible to equip an electrical conductor with such properties is that it is automatically designed or manually designed by a computer program based on relevant inputs, and the result of this design can be produced / manufactured through additive manufacturing processes.

[0353] The invention has been illustrated above by way of specific examples of methods and designs for purposes of illustration and not limitation. Details such as specific methods and structures have been provided to facilitate understanding of embodiments of the invention. Note that detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods have been omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the invention with unnecessary detail.

[0354] List

[0355] 1. Electrical conductor

[0356] 2. First end segment

[0357] 3. Second end segment

[0358] 4. Middle section

[0359] 5. Conductor branching

[0360] x. Conductor branch

[0361] 1. Conductor branching element

[0362] 6. Air gap

[0363] 7. Not used

[0364] 8. Horizontal

[0365] 9. Vertical

[0366] 10. The shortest distance between the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0367] 11. Intersection

[0368] 12. Network-like structure

[0369] 13.Terminal

[0370] 14. Not used

[0371] 15. Connection part

[0372] 16. Not used

[0373] 17. Not used

[0374] 18. Fastener holes

[0375] 19. Central body segment

[0376] 20. Inductor components

[0377] 21. Additional electrical components

[0378] 22. Bolt

[0379] 23. Magnetic core

Claims

1. An electrical conductor (1), comprising: The first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) are separated by the middle segment (4) in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor (1). The intermediate segment (4) includes multiple conductor branch elements (5x-n). The plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) are made of conductive material. At least a portion of at least two of the plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) are separated by an air gap (6) in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

2. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) are formed by a single conductor branch (5).

3. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) are formed by two or more conductor branches (5).

4. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The electrical conductor (1) is integral.

5. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The electrical conductor (1) is manufactured at least in part by an additive manufacturing process.

6. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap (6) is defined by a distance, wherein the distance is the shortest distance between the conductor branch element of the first conductor branch and the conductor branch element of the second conductor branch on the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

7. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap (6) is defined by a distance, wherein the distance is the shortest distance between two conductor branch elements of a conductor branch on the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

8. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap (6) is less than 1 cm, preferably less than 0.5 cm, and most preferably less than 0.25 cm.

9. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap (6) is less than 20 cm, preferably less than 15 cm, and most preferably less than 10 cm.

10. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap is between 0.01 cm and 40 cm.

11. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap (6) is configured to change its geometry due to the force applied to the electrical conductor (1).

12. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The geometry of the air gap (6) is configured to be altered by deformation of at least two of the plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n).

13. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Multiple air gaps (6) are established between the multiple conductor branch elements (5x-n) along the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

14. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) are configured to deform in order to change the geometry of a subset of the plurality of air gaps (6) in a manner different from a second subset of the plurality of air gaps (6).

15. The electrical conductor (1) as described in claims 3-14, wherein, The air gap (6) extends between the at least two conductor branches (5) and separates the at least two conductor branches (5) along the longitudinal direction (9) of the conductor branches (5) between the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3).

16. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least two of the plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) meet at the intersection (11), and at least two of the conductor branch elements (5x-n) branch out from the intersection (11).

17. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 1-15, wherein, At least one of the plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) branches from the intersection (11) into at least two conductor branch elements (5x-n).

18. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) forming multiple air gaps (6) are realized as a mesh-like structure (12).

19. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) forming multiple air gaps (6) are realized as a biomimetic structure.

20. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap (6) is an axial air gap (6).

21. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air gap (6) separates the at least two conductor branch elements (5x-n) in the transverse direction of the electrical conductor (1).

22. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least one of the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) is terminated in the connecting portion (15).

23. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 22, wherein, The connecting portion (15) is a fastener hole (18).

24. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least one of the plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) is longer than the shortest distance (10) between the first end segment and the second end segment (2, 3). Furthermore, the electrical conductor (1) is configured to change its geometry by deforming the one or more conductor branch elements (5x-n).

25. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n) are implemented as one or more conductor branches (5), wherein one of the one or more conductor branches (5) is longer than the shortest distance (10) between the first and second end segments (2, 3), and wherein the electrical conductor (1) is configured to change its geometry by deformation of the one or more conductor branches (5).

26. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 24 or 25, wherein, The deformation is an elastic deformation.

27. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 26, wherein, The electrical conductor (1) is configured to elastically deform when a force is applied to it, wherein the force generates a stress within the electrical conductor that is less than the yield point of the material of the electrical conductor (1).

28. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 27, wherein, The force is less than 400N.

29. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 24 or 25, wherein, The deformation is plastic.

30. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 29, wherein, The electrical conductor (1) is configured to undergo plastic deformation when a force is applied to the electrical conductor (1), wherein the force results in a stress higher than the yield point of the material of the electrical conductor (1).

31. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25-30, wherein, At least one of the one or more conductor branches (5) is designed to have a geometry including a plurality of air gaps, wherein the plurality of air gaps decrease non-uniformly due to the force applied to the at least one of the one or more conductor branches (5).

32. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-31, wherein, The electrical conductor (1) is configured to be reshaped to its original geometry due to the removal of the applied force.

33. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-32, wherein, Each of the one or more conductor branches (5) is interrupted in its longitudinal direction (9) by one or more of the air gaps (6) in the cross-sectional view (7) of the electrical conductor (1).

34. The electrical conductor (1) as claimed in claim 33, wherein, The cross-sectional view (7) is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor (1).

35. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The electrical conductor (1) includes a first deformation point and a second deformation point, wherein the electrical conductor (1) is configured to deform at the first deformation point when subjected to a first force, and wherein the electrical conductor is configured to deform at the second deformation point when subjected to a second force, wherein the first force and the second force are different.

36. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-35, wherein, The cross-sectional area of ​​the one or more conductor branches (5) is the same.

37. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-36, wherein, The cross-sectional area of ​​one or more conductor branches (5) is equal to or less than 200 mm². 2 Preferably less than 150mm 2 Preferably less than 100mm 2 Preferably less than 50mm 2 Preferably less than 10mm 2 The most preferred size is 0.5mm. 2 and 5mm 2 between.

38. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-37, wherein, At least one of the one or more conductor branches (5) has a different length than the other conductor branches (5).

39. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-38, wherein, The first portion (5a-1, 5b-1, ...) of at least one of the one or more conductor branches (5) has a first spatial geometry, and the second portion (5a-2, 5b-2, ...) of at least one of the one or more conductor branches (5) has a second spatial geometry.

40. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-39, wherein, The first end segment (2) is configured to be displaced in any direction compared to the second end segment (3) without causing plastic deformation of the material of the electrical conductor (1).

41. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-40, wherein, The second end segment (3) is configured to be displaced in any direction compared to the first end segment (2) without causing plastic deformation of the electrical conductor (1) material.

42. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, One or more of the plurality of conductor branches have internal cooling channels.

43. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least one of the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) is integrally joined with the connecting portion (15).

44. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The terminal (8) is a fastener hole (18).

45. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 43-44, wherein, The terminal is a connection pin.

46. ​​The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The electrical conductor (1) includes a first end segment (2) and a plurality of second end segments.

47. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, All of the one or more conductor branches (5) have the same length.

48. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-47, wherein, The one or more conductor branches (5) have a winding structure.

49. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-48, wherein, The one or more conductor branches (5) have a wound coil structure.

50. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-49, wherein, The one or more conductor branches (5) have one or more wavy structures.

51. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-50, wherein, The one or more conductor branches (5) have a honeycomb structure.

52. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-51, wherein, The one or more conductor branches (5) have a torsion structure.

53. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The torsion structure includes a uniform air gap (6).

54. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-53, wherein, The one or more conductor branches (5) are respectively connected to both the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3).

55. The electrical conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 25-54, wherein, The one or more conductor branches (5) are located around the first end segment (2) and / or the second end segment (3).

56. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first end segment (2) is configured to be longitudinally displaced compared to the second end segment (3).

57. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first end (2) is configured to be laterally shifted compared to the second end (3).

58. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) are configured to rotate about the central axis of the electrical conductor (1).

59. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first end segment (2) or the second end segment (3) is fixed to the components included in the electrical panel.

60. A method for manufacturing an electrical conductor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The manufacturing method is additive manufacturing process.

61. A method for coupling a first end segment (2) of an electrical conductor (1) to a second end segment (3) of the electrical conductor, the method comprising the steps of: The first end segment (2) and the conductor branch elements (5x-n) of one or more conductor branches (5) are integrally combined via an additive manufacturing process; The one or more conductor branches (5) are manufactured via the additive manufacturing process to create an air gap (6) between two or more conductor branch elements (5x-n) of the one or more conductor branches (5), thereby spatially separating the one or more conductor branch elements in two different directions; as well as The first end segment and the second end segment are electrically and mechanically coupled via the middle segment (4) of the electrical conductor formed by the one or more conductor branches (5).

62. The method of claim 61, wherein, The air gap (6) separates the two or more conductor branch elements (5x-n) in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

63. The method of any one of claims 61 and 62, wherein, The two different directions are the first transverse (8a) and the second transverse (8b) of the electrical conductor (1).

64. The method according to any one of claims 61-63, wherein, The electrical and mechanical couplings are achieved through the additive manufacturing process.

65. The method according to any one of claims 61-64, wherein, The method includes the step of applying an insulating material to the plurality of conductor branches (5).

66. The method according to any one of claims 61-65, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes the step of applying an insulating material to the plurality of conductor branches (5).

67. Use of the electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1-59 in an electric power system.

68. Use of additive manufacturing for at least partially manufacturing an electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1-59.

69. An electrical panel comprising an electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1-59.

70. The electrical panel of claim 69, wherein, The electrical panel is included in the renewable power generation system.

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