Power Connection Module

Abstract

A power connection module is provided. The power connection device includes a first and a second submodule, a middle submodule, and a plurality of conductors disposed in the middle submodule. Each of the first and second submodules includes a plurality of internal connection points and a plurality of external connection points. The middle submodule is disposed between the first and second submodules and includes a central portion. The plurality of conductors are disposed in the middle submodule and are grouped into at least a first phase group and a second phase group, where the electrical phase of the conductors in the first phase group is different from the electrical phase of the conductors in the second phase group. In substantially all of the central portion of the middle submodule, the plurality of conductors form a predetermined matrix cross-section, where such predetermined matrix cross-section includes rows and columns. The conductors disposed in adjacent rows and / or columns of such matrix cross-section belong to different phase groups.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical power component connection module.

[0002] Background technology The power connections between the main power components of a wind turbine, such as transformers, converters, generators, etc., require long and heavy conductors such as cables or busbars that are connected, i.e. bolted, to predefined connection points at the first power component, which are then carried by workers to the second power component, where the conductors are fixed to the predefined connection points. This assembly procedure is very time-consuming and complicated, as it must be repeated for many conductors or conductor ends. Additionally, the length of the conductors can be around 10 m, or even longer in some instances, which further complicates the assembly process.

[0003] Additionally, cable mislocation can lead to poor performance, overloading of certain cables, increased non-uniform electromagnetic fields, and even fires that can damage or destroy the wind turbine and / or cause serious injury to the operators.

[0004] As a result, there is a need to provide a solution that reduces assembly time and complexity of power component connections while improving safety at a reasonable cost.

[0005] Summary of the Invention In a first aspect, a power connection module is provided. The power connection module includes a first and a second submodule, an intermediate submodule, and a plurality of conductors disposed in the intermediate submodule. Each of the first and second submodules includes a plurality of internal connection points and a plurality of external connection points. The intermediate submodule is disposed between the first and second submodules and includes a central portion. The plurality of conductors are disposed in the intermediate submodule and are grouped into at least a first phase group and a second phase group, where electrical phases conducted by the conductors in the first phase group are different from electrical phases conducted by the conductors in the second phase group. In substantially all of the central portion of the intermediate submodule, the plurality of conductors form a predetermined matrix cross-section, where such predetermined matrix cross-section includes rows and columns. The conductors disposed in adjacent rows and / or columns of such matrix cross-section belong to different phase groups.

[0006] By using a predetermined matrix cross-section, it is possible to avoid having conductors of the same electrical phase in adjacent rows and / or columns, thereby preventing electrical problems such as uneven current sharing in intermediate sub-modules, and additionally allowing the connection module to utilize the full capacity of the cable.

[0007] The use of separate (independent) submodules improves the scalability of the connection module. By having an intermediate submodule, the length of the connection module can be adapted to a specific situation, i.e. the connection (distance) of two wind turbine components, without changing the first and second submodules. That is, two or more intermediate submodules may be used to adapt the distance between two turbine components to be interconnected without requirements. Thus, the modularity of the connection module may keep the manufacturing costs low, since the basic submodules (first, second and intermediate submodules) can be adapted to achieve, for example, different connections to different components of a wind turbine or different wind turbine model configurations.

[0008] Furthermore, using different sub-modules may reduce the complexity of the connection process between two power components, such as a generator and a converter in a wind turbine, since the connection module may be a pre-assembled unit. A pre-fabricated or pre-assembled unit may have its manufacturing process outsourced to a supplier, further reducing the cost.

[0009] By using the claimed connection module, the risk of misplacement is reduced since the operator uses the module rather than handling multiple individual conductors, which contributes to improved connection quality.

[0010] Additionally, the use of the claimed connection module reduces the time required for the connection process.

[0011] In one example, the matrix cross-section can include a base pattern.

[0012] In one example, the base pattern may be shifted by one row in adjacent columns of the matrix cross section, which further reduces the probability of having electrical problems in the conductors.

[0013] In one example, the module may further include a housing, which may be made of a conductive material or may be made of a non-conductive material and include a conductive mesh. Having a conductive element may provide electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and grounding benefits.

[0014] In one example, the module may further include interconnection elements configured to enable angled connections between the multiple conductors and the power components, which may further facilitate the connection process and improve the compatibility of the connection module.

[0015] In one example, the interconnection element can include a plurality of coupling holes.

[0016] In a further aspect, a power connection system is provided that may include at least two power connection modules according to any of the disclosed examples coupled therebetween. The flexibility and scalability of the system may be enhanced since any desired number of modules may be coupled together.

[0017] In a further aspect, a wind turbine is provided that includes a power connection module according to any of the disclosed examples.

[0018] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements and in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a power connection device according to an example; [Figure 2A] 1 is a schematic diagram of an interconnection element according to an example; [Figure 2B] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of a power connection module including multiple interconnection elements according to an example embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a power connection device according to an example; [Figure 4A] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal connection point of a sub-module according to an example. [Figure 4B] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal connection point of a sub-module according to an example. [Figure 5A] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conductor matrix pattern in an intermediate submodule according to an example. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of a basic pattern and a repeating pattern according to an example.

[0020] Detailed Description 1 shows a power connection module 1 for electrically coupling together two power components of a wind turbine, such as a generator and a converter. The module 1 may include first and second terminal sub-modules 100, 200 and a middle sub-module 300 that includes a number of conductors 6 (see FIG. 3 ) disposed therein.

[0021] The first and second (terminal) sub-modules 100, 200 may include a plurality of internal connection points 120A-120C, 220A-220C and a plurality of external connection points 110A-110C, 210A-210C. The external connection points may be located at any point on the sub-modules 100, 200. In one example, the internal connection points 120A-120C, 220A-220C and the external connection points 110A-110C, 210A-210C may form a straight connection. In one example, the internal connection points 120A-120C, 220A-220C and the external connection points 110A-110C, 210A-210C may form an angled connection (e.g., 90 degrees or any other angle).

[0022] The connection points may include fastening holes to allow electrical leads to be coupled thereto, for example by bolts or other suitable means.

[0023] The connection points may be arranged according to a predefined standard scheme to properly match the connection of a power component to an external device, e.g., another module or converter. In one example, multiple connection points may be in parallel and aggregated according to their respective electrical phases. That is, conductors sharing the same electrical phase or configured to conduct or carry the same electrical phase may be arranged in parallel (see FIG. 4A), i.e., adjacent to each other in the same row.

[0024] The internal and / or external connection schemes or arrangements may be the same or different in the first sub-module 100 and the second sub-module 200 .

[0025] The connection points may be individual orifices, for example male and female connectors, or may be bus bars to which multiple conductors of the same phase may be connected.

[0026] The first sub-module 100 may be an elongated or L-shaped body that may include angled connections between the external connection points 110A-110C and the internal connection points 120A-120C.

[0027] The second sub-module 200 may be an elongated or L-shaped body that may include angled connections between the external connection points 210A-210C and the internal connection points 220A-220C.

[0028] The connection module 1 or each of the first, second, and intermediate sub-modules may further include a housing. The housing may be made of a conductive material, such as a metal or metal alloy. In other examples, the housing may be made of a non-conductive material, such as a plastic, and may further include a conductive material mesh. In examples in which each of the first, second, and intermediate sub-modules include a housing, the housing may include a coupling element for assembling the sub-modules together.

[0029] The housing may include a handle (not shown) to facilitate transportation and the connection process of the connection module, i.e., connection to an external device, such as a generator of a wind turbine.

[0030] The housing may include a number of holes (not shown) configured to mate with the external connection points of the first and second terminal sub-modules, thereby enabling connection between the power connection device and an external component, such as a converter.

[0031] The connection module 1 may be a prefabricated or preassembled unit, further reducing the complexity of the connection process and allowing for cost savings.

[0032] In some examples, the connection module 1 may further include interconnection elements 50 (at least one per phase) that enable an angled connection between the module 1 and an external component, such as a converter, i.e. a connection different from a straight or 0 degrees.

[0033] FIG. 2A illustrates an interconnection element 500 according to one example.

[0034] The interconnection element 500 can include two sides 510, 520 joined together by a joint 530. The two sides can form any desired angle, for example, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, etc. In the example of Figure 2A, both sides are perpendicular, which allows for a 90 degree connection angle.

[0035] Each side 510, 520 may include a number of coupling holes 540 for securing the interconnection element 500 to, for example, a bus bar.

[0036] 2B shows a first or second terminal sub-module 100, 200 including six interconnection elements 500 (two per phase) coupled to internal connection points, e.g., internal bus bars, and external connection points, e.g., external bus bars. In this example, the interconnection elements 500 allow the external connection points or bus bars, to which, e.g., a generator is connected, to form a 90 degree angle with respect to the conductor 6.

[0037] The interconnection element 500 may be made of a metal or any other conductive material or alloy.

[0038] FIG. 3 further shows an internal view of the middle sub-module of the power connection module 1 of FIG.

[0039] The multiple conductors 6 in the middle section may have one end coupled to the internal connection points 120A-120C of the first submodule 100 and the other end coupled to the internal connection points 220A-220C of the second submodule 200. The conductors do not have to be arranged in a straight line, i.e. not forming about 0 degrees between both ends. For clarity, in FIG. 3, an example of three phases A, B, C is implemented, where the conductors for each (electrical) phase are represented by different dashed lines, although any number of conductors per phase may be used.

[0040] The middle sub-module 300 may include a central portion 350 that may be approximately 20-60% of the overall length of the middle sub-module 300 .

[0041] The plurality of conductors 6 may be configured to conduct predefined (electrical) phases, which may be grouped into at least a first phase group and a second phase group, where the phases conducted by the conductors in the first phase group are different from the phases of the conductors in the second phase group. The number of phase groups may be proportional to the number of phases. In case the device may be a three-phase device, the conductors may be grouped into first, second and third phase groups.

[0042] For the sake of clarity and simplicity, in FIG. 3 three conductors 6 (with different dashed lines) are shown, ie one conductor per electrical phase.

[0043] The length of the conductor 6, and therefore the length of the intermediate sub-module 300, may vary, for example according to the distance between the external power components, or may have a pre-fixed length.

[0044] In some examples, the length of the multiple conductors may be about 10 m, 5 m, or any other desired length.

[0045] In some examples, the connection module 1 may include two or more interconnected intermediate sub-modules to avoid the manufacture of long intermediate sub-modules, and therefore the connection module may be more flexible as it may be easily adapted to a specific case.

[0046] The ends of the multiple conductors 6 may be connected in parallel to the first and second submodules using the same electrical phase conductor according to a standard scheme, i.e., according to a row in which adjacent cables belong to the same phase group. Alternatively, the conductors may be arranged in a predefined matrix shape at least in the cross section of the central section 350 of the middle submodule 300 to avoid electrical issues such as current sharing.

[0047] The predetermined matrix cross-section may include rows and columns. In such a predetermined matrix cross-section 40, the conductors 6 may be arranged such that in adjacent rows and columns, conductors having different electrical phases, i.e., conductors belonging to different phase groups (see Figures 5A and 5B), are arranged.

[0048] In some examples, the predetermined matrix cross-section may be continuous along the entire or substantial portion of the central portion 350 of the middle submodule. That is, the arrangement of the conductors may hold position in at least a portion of the central portion 350. In other examples, the predetermined matrix cross-section may be repeated multiple times, i.e., two or more times, in different portions, i.e., different cross-sections, along the middle submodule 300. In those examples, the conductors may be twisted a variety of times, so that the predetermined matrix cross-section is formed two or more times along the central portion 350 of the middle submodule. Thus, the conductors in the middle submodule may be straight in some portions or regions. A cooling effect may be obtained due to the separation or gaps that exist between the conductors. Alternatively, in other portions, i.e., the central portion, the conductors may be twisted to form the predetermined matrix cross-section and to avoid or at least minimize uneven current sharing, i.e., to maximize the current conducted by each conductor.

[0049] 4A shows a schematic diagram of a (standard) arrangement of multiple internal connection points or busbars 120A-120C, 120A'-120C' of the first and / or second sub-modules 100, 200 according to an example. In the figure, a three-phase sub-module is shown with 12 conductors per electrical phase (arranged in two respective separate busbars). Conductors 6 in the same row may have the same phase or may be configured to carry the same phase.

[0050] FIG. 4B shows a sub-module 200 including a plurality of conductors 3 coupled to interconnect points (bus bars) 120A-120C, 120A'-120C' according to the arrangement of FIG. 4A.

[0051] 5A shows a matrix cross-section 40 at a central portion of a middle sub-module 300 of a three-phase connection module that includes 12 conductors per electrical phase. The example matrix cross-section of FIG. 5A includes six rows and six columns, where conductors in adjacent rows and columns may have different phases or may be configured to conduct different phases.

[0052] In one example, the matrix cross-section may include a base pattern 50 that may be repeated to form a predetermined matrix cross-section 40. This base pattern 50 may be a predetermined arrangement of conductors configured to avoid positioning conductors that conduct the same phase in adjacent rows and / or columns.

[0053] The base pattern 50 can be shifted row by row in adjacent columns, thereby creating a repeating pattern 51 .

[0054] FIG. 5B shows a three-phase example of the shifting of a basic pattern 50 and the creation of a repeating pattern 51.

[0055] While specific embodiments are disclosed herein, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, which embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. 1. A power connection module for electrically coupling two separate components together, the power connection device comprising: first and second sub-modules, each of the first and second sub-modules including a plurality of internal connection points and a plurality of external connection points; an intermediate submodule disposed between the first submodule and the second submodule, the intermediate submodule including a central portion; a plurality of conductors disposed in the intermediate submodule; the plurality of conductors are grouped into at least a first phase group and a second phase group; an electrical phase currently conducted by conductors in the first phase group is different from an electrical phase currently conducted by conductors in the second phase group; At least in a cross section of the intermediate submodule, the plurality of conductive lines form a predetermined matrix cross section, the predetermined matrix cross section including rows and columns; Conductors arranged in adjacent rows and / or columns of such a matrix cross-section belong to different phase groups. Power connection module.

2. The power connection module of claim 1 , wherein the matrix cross-sections include a base pattern.

3. The power connection module of claim 2 , wherein the base patterns are shifted by one row in adjacent columns of the matrix cross-section.

4. The power connection module according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate sub-module comprises a housing.

5. The power connection module of claim 4 , wherein the housing is made from a conductive material.

6. The power connection module of claim 4 , wherein the housing is made from a non-conductive material and includes a conductive mesh.

7. The power connection module of claim 1 , further comprising an interconnection element configured to enable an angled connection between the plurality of conductors and an external power component.

8. The power connection module of claim 7 , wherein the interconnection element includes two sides joined together by a joint.

9. The power connection module of claim 7 or 8, wherein the interconnection element includes a plurality of coupling holes.

10. 10. The power connection module of claim 1, comprising two or more interconnection modules.

11. A wind turbine comprising a power connection module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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