Electrical system having bus bar for use as cooling element

Abstract

An electrical system having a bus bar for use as a cooling element comprises: an electrical component (101b, 101d, 101e) such as a capacitor and / or a battery element; and at least one bus bar (102a, 102d) arranged to electrically connect the two or more poles of the electrical component to each other. The bus bar is tubular to allow a cooling medium, such as air or a cooling liquid, to flow through the bus bar. Since the bus bar is tubular, an inner surface and an outer surface thereof can be used as a cooling surface of the bus bar. Therefore, the cooling area of the bus bar can be increased without excessively increasing the space required by the bus bar. In addition, one or more tubular bus bars may facilitate flow management of the cooling medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electrical system comprising electrical components electrically connected to each other via one or more busbars, said one or more busbars serving as one or more cooling elements. The electrical components may include, for example, energy storage components, such as capacitors and / or battery elements. Background Technology

[0002] In many electrical systems, multiple electrical components need to be electrically connected to each other using one or more busbars. Such electrical systems can be, for example, energy storage devices, where multiple capacitors and / or battery elements are electrically connected to each other using busbars. Published document CN221304925U describes a battery pack including battery elements and busbars arranged to electrically connect the terminals of the battery elements to each other. The busbar includes a plate-like body with a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion for providing current contact with the terminals of the battery elements. Furthermore, the busbar includes a heat dissipation structure having a heat-conducting plate with multiple cooling fins. The heat dissipation structure is arranged in a direction away from the body of the busbar, and one end of the heat-conducting plate is connected to the body. Therefore, the heat-conducting plate is arranged to conduct heat from the body of the busbar to the cooling fins, thereby improving the heat dissipation performance of the busbar.

[0003] A disadvantage associated with electrical systems in which the busbar has a heat dissipation structure of the type described above is that the heat dissipation structure provides a reasonable increase in the cooling surface of the busbar only when the space required for the heat dissipation structure is significantly greater than the space required for the body of the busbar to achieve the desired current connection between the electrical components. In some cases, providing sufficient space for the heat dissipation structure of the busbar can be challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is a simplified overview to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various embodiments. This overview is not a broad overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or essential elements of the invention nor to depict the scope of the invention. The following overview presents some concepts in a simplified form only as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments.

[0005] In this document, the word “geometry” as a prefix refers to a geometric concept that is not necessarily part of any physical object. A geometric concept can be, for example, a geometric point, a straight or curved geometric line, a geometric plane, a non-planar geometric surface, a geometric space, or any other geometric entity that is zero, one, two, or three-dimensional.

[0006] According to the present invention, a novel electrical system is provided, comprising:

[0007] Electrical components, such as energy storage components, such as capacitors and / or battery elements; and

[0008] At least one busbar is arranged to electrically connect two or more poles of the electrical component to each other, and the busbar is tubular to allow cooling medium to flow through it.

[0009] Because the busbar is tubular, it has an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface of which can be used as a cooling surface. Therefore, the cooling area of ​​the busbar can be increased without excessively increasing the space required for the busbar. Furthermore, in many cases, one or more of these tubular busbars facilitate the flow management of the cooling medium (e.g., gas or liquid). The flow can be forced flow or it can be based on natural convection.

[0010] In an electrical system according to exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, cooling fins are provided on the inner and / or outer surfaces of the busbar to further increase the cooling area of ​​the busbar.

[0011] Exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are described in the appended dependent claims.

[0012] When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the various exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of both the construction and operation methods, as well as their additional purposes and advantages, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplary and non-limiting embodiments.

[0013] The verbs “include” and “contain” are used as open restrictions in this article, neither excluding nor requiring the existence of unlisted features.

[0014] Unless otherwise expressly stated, the features described in the dependent claims may be freely combined with each other.

[0015] Furthermore, it should be understood that the use of “one” or “a” (i.e., the singular form) throughout this document does not preclude multiple instances. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The exemplary and non-limiting embodiments and their advantages are explained in more detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1a and Figure 1b A portion of an electrical system according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment is shown, and

[0018] Figure 2a and Figure 2b An electrical system according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The specific examples provided in the description below should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or applicability of the invention. The lists and sets of examples provided in the description below are not exhaustive unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0020] Figure 1a and Figure 1b A portion of an electrical system according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment is shown. Figure 1b It shows along Figure 1a The cross-section is shown by geometric line AA. The plane of this cross-section is parallel to the geometric xz plane of coordinate system 199. The electrical system includes electrical components and busbars arranged to electrically connect the multiple poles of these components to each other. Figure 1a and Figure 1b In the figure, five electrical components are indicated by reference numerals 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d, and 101e, and four busbars are indicated by reference numerals 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d. Figure 1a In the figure, the multiple poles of multiple electrical components 101a-101c that are electrically connected to each other by busbar 102a are indicated by reference numerals 110a, 110b, and 110c. Figure 1b In the figure, the multiple poles of electrical component 101b are indicated by reference numerals 110b and 110d.

[0021] The electrical components may include, for example, energy storage components such as capacitors and / or battery elements. The electrical system may be, for example, a capacitor array, such that the capacitors are arranged to form capacitor banks connected in parallel with the busbar, and these banks may be connected in parallel, in series, or otherwise connected to each other. Each capacitor may be, for example, a foil capacitor, an electrolytic capacitor, or a supercapacitor, such as an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) or a carbon capacitor. In the electrical system according to embodiments of the invention, the electrical components do not need to be similar to each other, but it is also possible that different electrical components, such as capacitors, battery elements, inductor coils, resistors, semiconductors such as diodes, and / or other electrical components, are electrically connected to each other via the busbar.

[0022] Each of the busbars 102a-102d described above is tubular to allow cooling medium to flow through it. Therefore, each of the busbars 102a-102d has an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface of which can serve as a cooling surface for the busbar. The cooling medium can be a gas, such as air, or it can be a liquid. The liquid can be, for example, transformer oil, or, in the case where the liquid circulation system does not include busbars at different potentials, water. It is advantageous to combine cooling via the busbar with electrical components (e.g., capacitors) where the electrical components are advantageously cooled via their electrodes.

[0023] exist Figure 1a and Figure 1b In the exemplary electrical system shown, each of the busbars 102a-102d has a rectangular cross-section such that the first wall and the second wall parallel to the first wall of the pole attached to the electrical component are wider than the third and fourth walls that constitute the side walls of the busbar. Figure 1b In the drawing, the first and second walls of the busbar 102a are indicated by reference numerals 106 and 107. In this exemplary case, cooling fins are provided on the inner surface of the first wall and on the outer surface of the second wall. Figure 1b In the figure, one of the multiple cooling fins on the inner surface of wall 106 is indicated by reference numeral 105, and one of the multiple cooling fins on the outer surface of wall 107 is indicated by reference numeral 108.

[0024] Figure 2a and Figure 2b An electrical system according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment is shown. Figure 2b It shows along Figure 2a The cross-section is shown by geometric line AA. This cross-sectional plane is parallel to the geometric xz plane of coordinate system 299. The electrical system includes electrical components 201a and 201b, and a busbar 202 arranged to electrically connect the multiple poles of the electrical components to each other. In this exemplary case, electrical components 201a and 201b are battery elements connected in series by means of the busbar 202.

[0025] The aforementioned manifold 202 is tubular, giving it parallel channels 203 and 204 for conducting the cooling medium (i.e., liquid or gas). Alternatively, the manifold may have more than two parallel channels, such as three or four, for conducting the cooling medium. The walls between these parallel channels increase the cooling surface of the manifold in the same manner as the cooling fins. Figure 2bAs shown, the manifold 202 also has cooling fins on its inner and outer surfaces. In this exemplary case, the cooling medium is air, and the electrical system includes a motorized device 208 configured to drive the cooling airflow through the manifold 202. In this case, the motorized device 208 is a blower. Figure 2a In the diagram, the flow of cooling air is depicted by dashed arrows. In the electrical system according to exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, cooling liquid circulates through one or more manifolds, the corresponding motored device being a pump. However, natural convection can also be used to move the cooling medium, such that one or more tubular manifolds are positioned vertically or at least obliquely relative to the horizontal direction, the cooling medium being either a gas or a liquid.

[0026] The specific examples provided in the description above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and / or interpretation of the invention. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the list and set of examples provided in the description above are not exhaustive.

Claims

1. An electrical system comprising: Electrical components (101a-101e, 201a, 201b); as well as At least one busbar (102a-102d, 202) is arranged to electrically connect two or more poles (110a-110d) of the electrical component to each other. The feature is that the manifold is tubular to allow cooling medium to flow through it.

2. The electrical system according to claim 1, wherein, The busbar (202) has two or more parallel channels (203, 204) for conducting the cooling medium.

3. The electrical system according to claim 1, wherein, The inner surface of the busbar is provided with cooling fins (105).

4. The electrical system according to claim 2, wherein, The inner surface of the busbar is provided with cooling fins (105).

5. The electrical system according to claim 1, wherein, The outer surface of the busbar is provided with cooling fins (108).

6. The electrical system according to claim 2, wherein, The outer surface of the busbar is provided with cooling fins (108).

7. The electrical system according to claim 3, wherein, The outer surface of the busbar is provided with cooling fins (108).

8. The electrical system according to claim 4, wherein, The outer surface of the busbar is provided with cooling fins (108).

9. The electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The cross-section of the busbar (102a-102c, 202) is rectangular, such that the first wall (106) of the two or more poles attached to the electrical component (101b) and the second wall (107) parallel to the first wall are wider than the third and fourth walls that constitute the sidewalls of the busbar.

10. The electrical system according to claim 9, wherein, The inner surface of the first wall is provided with cooling fins (105).

11. The electrical system according to claim 9, wherein, The outer surface of the second wall is provided with cooling fins (108).

12. The electrical system according to claim 10, wherein, The outer surface of the second wall is provided with cooling fins (108).

13. The electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The electrical components (101a-101e, 201a, 201b) include energy storage components.

14. The electrical system according to claim 13, wherein, The energy storage component includes one or more capacitors.

15. The electrical system according to claim 14, wherein, The one or more capacitors include one or more double-layer capacitors.

16. The electrical system according to claim 14, wherein, The one or more capacitors include one or more carbon capacitors.

17. The electrical system according to claim 13, wherein, The energy storage components (201a, 201b) include one or more battery elements.

18. The electrical system according to claim 13, wherein, The energy storage component includes: one or more battery elements; and one or more capacitors.

19. The electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The electrical system includes a motor-driven device (209) configured to drive the cooling medium through the busbar.

20. The electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The at least one manifold is positioned vertically or obliquely relative to the horizontal direction to utilize natural convection to move the cooling medium through the manifold.

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