Bus bar module and bus bar
By using a busbar module design with a twin-module structure, the problems of current carrying capacity and mechanical strength of existing busbar modules are solved, achieving an improvement in both current carrying capacity and mechanical strength, making it suitable for high power density power environments.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IND SAS
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing bus modules cannot meet high current carrying capacity requirements, especially for intelligent computing centers with a single rack power density exceeding 100 kW/rack. Furthermore, the mechanical strength of existing buses decreases as the cavity height increases, resulting in limited conductor cross-sectional area and difficulty in carrying currents greater than 1250 A.
The device employs a dual-module structure, comprising a first submodule and a second submodule. The first submodule has an open surface to accommodate the phase conductor, while the second submodule has an auxiliary phase conductor with a closed profile. The two submodules are connected in parallel to form a phase conductor group, and electrical connection is achieved through a connector, thereby enhancing mechanical strength and current carrying capacity.
The current-carrying capacity of the busbar module has been improved, and its mechanical strength has been enhanced, enabling it to carry higher currents and meet the future demand for high power density electricity.
Smart Images
Figure CN224191597U_ABST
Abstract
Description
bus module and bus Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the electrical field, specifically to a busbar module and a busbar. Background Technology
[0002] With the continuous development of technology, the demand for electricity is also increasing. For example, the power requirements of intelligent computing centers for AI technology far exceed those of general data centers, with the power density of a single rack exceeding 100 kW / rack. Some existing busbars cannot handle such high current-carrying requirements, and even if a single circuit uses double-row busbars, it may not be able to meet the future power supply needs of the racks.
[0003] Existing busbars typically have a single-cavity shell structure, with one side being an open track. As the height of the open cavity increases, its mechanical strength gradually decreases. Therefore, each phase of this busbar generally uses one or two conductors, and the cross-sectional area of the conductors is constrained by the geometry of the shell, limiting the maximum current of the track busbar to generally no more than 1250A. To achieve a busbar with a current greater than 1250A, more complex and costly solutions are required.
[0004] Therefore, to meet future market demands, a bus module with higher current carrying capacity is needed to solve these problems. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to at least address the shortcomings of existing technologies. This disclosure proposes a busbar module including a first sub-module comprising a first housing extending in a first direction and a plurality of phase conductors. The first housing includes a plurality of first receiving portions with open surfaces, each phase conductor being received in one of the first receiving portions. A second sub-module includes a second housing extending in the first direction and a plurality of auxiliary phase conductors corresponding to the plurality of phase conductors. The first sub-module and the second sub-module are electrically connected such that each phase conductor and its corresponding auxiliary phase conductor are connected in parallel to form a phase conductor group, with different phase conductor groups insulated from each other. The second sub-module is mounted to the first sub-module such that the first and second sub-modules are aligned along their lengths in the first direction in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The open surfaces are parallel to the first direction and allow electrical components outside the busbar module to be electrically connected to the respective phase conductors.
[0006] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the plurality of auxiliary phase conductors are surrounded by a closed profile in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction, and the second housing constitutes at least a portion of the closed profile.
[0007] For example, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second housing includes a plurality of second accommodating portions, each of which is accommodated in one second accommodating portion.
[0008] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the second receiving portion has a closed profile in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction to surround the auxiliary phase conductor received therein.
[0009] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, a plurality of auxiliary phase conductors in the second housing are arranged adjacent to each other along a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and each auxiliary phase conductor is provided with an insulating material on its outer periphery. The width of the closed profile formed by the second housing in the third direction is smaller than that of the first housing.
[0010] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the phase conductor and the auxiliary phase conductor are made of different materials and / or have different cross-sectional areas in a section perpendicular to the first direction.
[0011] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the bus module includes a plurality of second sub-modules.
[0012] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the auxiliary phase conductors in the plurality of second sub-modules are made of different materials and / or have different cross-sectional areas in a section perpendicular to the first direction.
[0013] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the first housing and all the second housings are integrally formed, or the first housing and each of the second housings are separately formed and detachably mounted to each other, or all the second housings are integrally formed and separately formed from the first housing and detachably mounted to each other.
[0014] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the bus module further includes a connector that electrically connects the first submodule and the second submodule such that each phase conductor and its corresponding auxiliary phase conductor are connected in parallel to form a phase conductor group, and different phase conductor groups are insulated from each other. The connector is disposed at the ends of the first submodule and the second submodule in a first direction, the phase conductor extends out of the first housing at the end to connect with the connector, and the auxiliary phase conductor extends out of the second housing at the end to connect with the connector.
[0015] For example, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, two connected bus modules share a connector to connect the two bus modules in series.
[0016] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a busbar is also proposed, comprising a plurality of busbar modules connected in series according to any embodiment of this disclosure.
[0017] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an electrical device is also proposed, comprising a bus module or a bus according to any embodiment of this disclosure, and an electrical component electrically connected to a phase conductor of the first sub-module. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bus module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the connector is not connected to the first sub-module and the second sub-module;
[0019] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the busbar module shown in Figure 1 at the middle section;
[0020] Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a busbar module in the middle section perpendicular to the first direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0021] Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a busbar module at the intermediate section according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0022] Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-section of the bus module shown in Figure 1 at the connector, perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the bus module is connected to the first sub-module and the second sub-module by the connector;
[0023] Figure 6 illustrates a first sub-module and a second sub-module of a bus module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0024] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the busbar module shown in Figure 6, including a cross-section at the middle section;
[0025] Figure 8 shows an enlarged perspective view of the second sub-module shown in Figure 6 at its end;
[0026] Figure 9 shows a schematic cross-section of the bus module shown in Figure 6 at the connector, perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the bus module is connected to the first sub-module and the second sub-module by the connector;
[0027] Figures 10a-10d illustrate different embodiments of the first and second housings of the bus module according to the present disclosure.
[0028] Figure Labels
[0029] 1. First submodule
[0030] 11 First shell,
[0031] 111 First Reception Section
[0032] 112 Open face,
[0033] 12-phase conductor,
[0034] 2. Second submodule,
[0035] 21 Second shell,
[0036] 211 Second Reception Section
[0037] 22 auxiliary phase conductors,
[0038] 3 connectors,
[0039] 31-phase connection part,
[0040] D1 First Direction,
[0041] D2 second direction,
[0042] D3 third direction Detailed Implementation
[0043] To make the objectives, solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise stated, the terms used herein have their ordinary meanings in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same parts.
[0044] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure based on the specific circumstances.
[0045] In this disclosure, the direction in which the busbar module extends is designated as the first direction D1, the direction in which the first sub-module and the second sub-module are arranged is designated as the second direction D2, and the direction in which the phase conductors are arranged is designated as the third direction D3, wherein the first direction D1, the second direction D2, and the third direction D3 are perpendicular to each other.
[0046] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a busbar module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The busbar module according to the present disclosure may include a first sub-module 1, a second sub-module 2, and a connector 3. In Figure 1, the connector 3 is shown separated from the first sub-module 1 and the second sub-module 2. The entire busbar module extends in a first direction. In the present disclosure, a busbar module is a segment of a busbar. A busbar may include multiple busbar modules that can be connected in series and may also be connected at their ends to form a longer busbar extending in the first direction.
[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the first submodule 1 extends in a first direction D1 and may include a first housing 11 extending in the first direction D1 and a plurality of phase conductors 12 extending in the first direction D1. The phase conductors 12 are housed within the first housing 11 and protrude from the first housing 11 at both ends. The plurality of phase conductors 12 correspond to multiple phases of electricity, for example, three phases (U, V, W), or four or five phases with added grounding and / or neutral points. As shown in Figure 1, the plurality of phase conductors 12 may be arranged in a second direction and insulated from each other, which can be achieved, for example, by providing an insulating layer on the outer periphery of each phase conductor 12, and / or by the internal structure of the first housing 11.
[0048] Specifically, the first housing 11 may include a plurality of first receiving portions 111 having open surfaces 112, each phase conductor 12 being received in one of the first receiving portions 111, as shown in FIG2. The walls defining the first receiving portions 111 may be made of an insulating material to provide insulation between the phase conductors 12. The open surfaces 112 may be parallel to a first direction D1 to allow electrical components outside the bus module to be electrically connected to the respective phase conductors 12. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 2-4, the orientation of the respective open surfaces 12 may be uniform to further facilitate the connection of external electrical components.
[0049] Furthermore, a guide rail feature may be provided on the first housing 11 for mounting and fixing the aforementioned external electrical components. This guide rail feature can be any type of guide rail feature in the art, but since it is not the focus of this disclosure, it will not be elaborated upon here.
[0050] Since the first receiving portion 111 of the first housing 11 is an open structure, its mechanical strength gradually decreases as the cross-sectional area of the first receiving portion 111 perpendicular to the first direction D1 continuously increases. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the phase conductor 12 is constrained by the geometric dimensions of the first housing 11, and the phase conductor 12 of the first sub-module 1 alone cannot withstand a current greater than 1250A. Therefore, the bus module according to this disclosure also includes a second sub-module 2 to increase the current that the bus module can withstand.
[0051] Specifically, as shown in FIG1, the second submodule 2 may include a second housing 21 extending in the first direction D1 and a plurality of auxiliary phase conductors 22. The auxiliary phase conductors 22 are housed within the second housing 21 and protrude from the second housing 21 at both ends. As shown in FIG1 and FIG2, the phase conductors 12 and the auxiliary phase conductors 22 are corresponding. Each phase conductor 12 has a corresponding auxiliary phase conductor 22, meaning that the first submodule 1 and the second submodule 2 have the same number of phases. The phase conductors 12 and their corresponding auxiliary phase conductors 22 are connected in parallel to form phase conductor groups, which are insulated from each other. For example, the phase conductors 12 and their corresponding auxiliary phase conductors 22 may be in direct contact with each other at their ends, or may be connected by an additional connecting conductor, or may be connected by a connector 3 according to this disclosure to achieve parallel connection.
[0052] As shown in Figure 1, auxiliary phase conductors 22 corresponding to different phases can be arranged in the second direction D2, and the auxiliary phase conductors 22 corresponding to different phases are insulated from each other. This can be achieved, for example, by providing an insulating layer on the outer periphery of each auxiliary phase conductor 22, and / or by the internal structure of the second housing 21. Furthermore, the second submodule 2 can include multiple auxiliary phase conductors 22 corresponding to each phase, and the auxiliary phase conductors 22 corresponding to the same phase are connected in parallel with each other.
[0053] As shown in Figures 2-4, the second housing 21 can be closed in a cross-section perpendicular to the first direction D1 to enclose all the auxiliary phase conductors 22 within the second submodule 2, thereby providing enhanced mechanical strength and allowing for a larger cross-sectional area of the auxiliary phase conductors 22 housed within the second housing 21. Furthermore, the second housing 21 can form only a portion of the closed profile enclosing all the auxiliary phase conductors 22 within the second submodule 2; that is, the second housing 21 can form this closed profile together with other housings (e.g., the first housing 11 connected to it and / or the second housing 21 of another second submodule 2 connected to it), as shown in Figures 10a and 10c.
[0054] In particular, as shown in Figures 1-4, the first housing 11 and all the second housings 21 can be manufactured as a single unit, forming a complete housing, thus eliminating the need for installation during use. Alternatively, the first housing 11 and each of the second housings 21 can be manufactured separately, as shown in Figures 10a and 10b, and detachably installed together, thereby allowing for the addition of different models and quantities of the second modules 2 to adapt to different scenarios. Alternatively, all the second housings 21 can be manufactured as a single unit, while this unit is manufactured separately from the first housing 11 and detachably installed together, as shown in Figures 10c and 10d. According to this disclosure, "manufacturing as a single unit" means that the parts of the component are fixed together, and its manufacturing method can be either integral molding or assembly.
[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second housing 21 may include a plurality of second receiving portions 211, each of the auxiliary phase conductors 22 being accommodated in one of the second receiving portions 211. Although not shown, a plurality of auxiliary phase conductors 22 may be accommodated in one second receiving portion 211.
[0056] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the second receiving portion 211 can be closed in a profile in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction D1 to surround the auxiliary phase conductor 22 housed therein. This provides better fixation of the auxiliary phase conductor 22, higher mechanical strength of the housing, and phase-to-phase insulation so that no insulation layer is required on the outer periphery of the auxiliary phase conductor 22.
[0057] Figure 4 shows another embodiment according to this disclosure, in which the outline of the second receiving portion 211 in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction D1 is not closed. In this case, an insulating layer must be provided on the outer periphery of the auxiliary phase conductor 22. The advantage of this embodiment is that the second housing 21 is easier to manufacture and saves materials.
[0058] Further, as shown in Figure 1, the second submodule 2 is mounted to the first submodule 1, specifically, it is mounted to the first housing 11 via the second housing 21, such that the lengths of the first submodule 1 and the second submodule 2 along the first direction D1 are aligned along the second direction D2. Thus, the phase conductors 12 and auxiliary phase conductors 22 extending from both ends of the first submodule 1 and the second submodule 2 can be conveniently used for connection.
[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the bus module may include a plurality of second sub-modules 2 to further enhance the current-carrying capacity of the bus module. The plurality of second sub-modules 2 may be arranged, for example, in a second direction and mounted relative to each other, such that all the second sub-modules 2 are aligned with the length of the first sub-module 1 along the first direction D1 in the second direction D2.
[0060] As shown in Figure 2, the phase conductor 12 of the first submodule 1 and the auxiliary phase conductor 22 of the second submodule 2 can be made of the same or different materials. Optionally, the phase conductor 12 of the first submodule 1 and the auxiliary phase conductor 22 of the second submodule 2 can have the same or different cross-sectional areas in a section perpendicular to the first direction D1. Thus, different auxiliary phase conductors 22 can be flexibly configured according to power requirements. Furthermore, multiple submodules 2 can be identical or different. For example, the auxiliary phase conductors 22 in multiple second submodules 2 can be made of the same or different materials, and / or the auxiliary phase conductors 22 in multiple second submodules 2 can have the same or different cross-sectional areas in a section perpendicular to the first direction D1. For example, the phase conductor 12 can be a copper conductor, the auxiliary phase conductor 22 can be an aluminum conductor, and the cross-sectional area of the phase conductor 12 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the auxiliary phase conductor 22.
[0061] Furthermore, the first submodule 1 and the second submodule 2 of this disclosure can be electrically connected via a connector 3, wherein each phase conductor 12 is connected in parallel with a corresponding auxiliary phase conductor 22. The connector 3 can be disposed at the ends of the first submodule 1 and the second submodule 2 in a first direction D1, wherein the phase conductor 12 extends out of the first housing 11 at its end to connect with the connector 3, and the auxiliary phase conductor extends out of the second housing 21 at its end to connect with the connector 3. Specifically, as shown in FIG5, the connector 3 also includes a corresponding number of phase connection portions 31, which are arranged in a third direction D3 and insulated from each other. At the ends, the phase conductor 12 and the auxiliary phase conductor 22 of each phase are aligned in a second direction D2, thereby facilitating electrical connection by the phase connection portions 31 of the connector 3, thus forming a phase conductor group corresponding to each phase.
[0062] In addition, connector 3 can also be used to connect two different busbar modules in series. In particular, two different busbar modules can share a single connector, so that the phase conductor 12 and auxiliary phase conductor 22 of the same phase belonging to different busbar modules are electrically connected through the phase connection part 31, thereby realizing the series connection of two different busbar modules.
[0063] Furthermore, this disclosure also proposes a second submodule 2 according to another embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 to 8. In this embodiment, the second housing 21 of the second submodule 2 may not have separate plurality of second receiving portions 211. Instead, a plurality of auxiliary phase conductors 22 within the second housing 21 are arranged adjacent to each other along a third direction D3, with insulating material provided on the outer periphery of each auxiliary phase conductor 22, as shown in the cross-section of Figure 7. Thus, the width of the closed profile of the second housing 21 in the third direction D3 is smaller than that of the first housing. This saves more space and housing material, reduces the weight and cost of the bus module, and is more conducive to installing external components on the bus module.
[0064] For the second submodule 2 of this embodiment, in order to make it still applicable to the connector 3 of the embodiment shown in FIG1 to achieve universality and connection convenience, the end of the auxiliary phase conductor 22 is deformed. As shown in the enlarged view in FIG8, the end of the auxiliary phase conductor 22 is bent so that the end of the auxiliary phase conductor 22 can be aligned with the phase conductor 12 in the third direction D3 for connection through the connector 3, as shown in FIG9.
[0065] Furthermore, this disclosure also proposes a busbar comprising a plurality of (not shown) busbar modules connected in series with each other.
[0066] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electrical device is also proposed, comprising a busbar module or busbar according to this disclosure, and an electrical component (not shown) that can be mounted on the busbar module, particularly on a rail feature of a first submodule 1, and the electrical component is electrically connected to the phase conductor 12 of the first submodule 1 via an open surface 112. In particular, this cabinet can be used in intelligent computing centers required for AI technology.
[0067] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. For example, the above embodiments (and / or aspects thereof) can be used in combination with each other. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of this disclosure without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The functions or performance of the various elements or modules described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are by no means limiting, but merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should be determined by reference to the appended claims and the full scope of their equivalents.
[0068] In the appended claims, the terms “comprising” and “wherein” are used as simple English equivalents to the corresponding terms “including” and “in which”. Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used merely as notations and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
Claims
1. A busbar module, characterized in that, The system includes a first submodule (1), comprising a first housing (11) extending in a first direction (D1) and a plurality of phase conductors (12), the first housing (11) comprising a plurality of first receiving portions (111) having open surfaces (112), each phase conductor (12) being received in one of the first receiving portions (111); and a second submodule (2), comprising a second housing (21) extending in the first direction (D1) and a plurality of auxiliary phase conductors (22) corresponding to the plurality of phase conductors (12), wherein the first submodule (1) and the second submodule (2) are connected. The phase conductor (12) is electrically connected such that each phase conductor (12) is connected in parallel with the corresponding auxiliary phase conductor (22) to form a phase conductor group, and different phase conductor groups are insulated from each other. The second submodule (2) is installed to the first submodule (1) such that the length of the first submodule (1) and the second submodule (2) along the first direction (D1) is aligned in a second direction (D2) perpendicular to the first direction (D1). The open surface (112) is parallel to the first direction (D1) and allows electrical components outside the bus module to be electrically connected to each phase conductor (12).
2. The busbar module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of auxiliary phase conductors (22) are surrounded by a closed profile in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction (D1), and the second housing (21) constitutes at least a portion of the closed profile.
3. The busbar module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second housing (21) includes a plurality of second accommodating portions (211), each auxiliary phase conductor (22) being accommodated in one of the second accommodating portions (211).
4. The busbar module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second receiving portion (211) has a closed profile in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction (D1) to surround the auxiliary phase conductor (22) housed therein.
5. The busbar module according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the second housing (21), a plurality of auxiliary phase conductors (22) are arranged adjacent to each other along a third direction (D3) perpendicular to the first direction (D1) and the second direction (D2). Each auxiliary phase conductor (22) is provided with an insulating material on its outer periphery. The width of the closed profile formed by the second housing (21) in the third direction (D3) is smaller than that of the first housing (11).
6. The busbar module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The phase conductor (12) and the auxiliary phase conductor (22) are made of different materials and / or have different cross-sectional areas in a section perpendicular to the first direction (D1).
7. The busbar module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The bus module includes multiple second sub-modules (2).
8. The busbar module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The auxiliary phase conductors (22) in the plurality of second sub-modules (2) are made of different materials and / or have different cross-sectional areas in a section perpendicular to the first direction (D1).
9. The busbar module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first housing (11) and all the second housings (21) are made as a whole, or the first housing (11) and each of the second housings (21) are made separately and detachably installed on each other, or all the second housings (21) are made as a whole and are made separately from the first housing (11) and detachably installed on each other.
10. The busbar module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bus module further includes a connector (3) that electrically connects the first sub-module (1) and the second sub-module (2) so that each phase conductor (12) and the corresponding auxiliary phase conductor (22) are connected in parallel to form a phase conductor group, and different phase conductor groups are insulated from each other. The connector (3) is disposed at the ends of the first sub-module (1) and the second sub-module (2) in a first direction (D1). The phase conductor (12) extends out of the first housing (11) at the end to be electrically connected to the connector (3), and the auxiliary phase conductor (22) extends out of the second housing (21) at the end to be electrically connected to the connector (3).
11. The bus module according to claim 10, characterized in that, Two connected bus modules share a connector (3) to connect the two bus modules in series.
12. A busbar, characterized in that, It includes multiple bus modules connected in series according to any one of claims 1-11.