Flexible electrical conductor

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical conductor comprising a first end segment and a second end segment. The first and second end segments are separated in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor by an intermediate segment. The intermediate segment comprises a plurality of conductor branching elements made of a conductive material. At least two of the plurality of conductor branching elements are separated in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor by an air gap.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In this technical field, electrical conductors in the form of cables and busbars are known. However, such electrical conductors become heavy when they reach dimensions that conduct currents exceeding 16-32 amperes, making them difficult to handle manually. Therefore, mounting such electrical conductors to electrical panels is difficult and time-consuming.

[0003] An example of what is referred to as a conventional cable in this specification is described in Patent Document 1 (UK Patent Application Publication No. 2120836). This document shows a multi-core electrical cable in which multiple insulated conductors are assembled to form each core wire.

[0004] Similarly, various examples of what are referred to herein as electric busbars can be found through internet searches. Such prior art cables and busbars are solid or hollow and, by their structure, not flexible.

[0005] Patent document 2 (Korean Published Patent No. 2021-0113001) discloses a hybrid flexible busbar comprising a braided wire and a laminated thin plate structure installed across the braided wire, with terminal components fixed to both ends of the braided wire.

[0006] The drawback of conventional busbars and cables is that they are generic in that the same design can be used for a variety of different applications. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] UK Patent Application Publication No. 2120836 [Patent Document 2] Korean Published Patent Publication No. 2021-0113001 [Overview of the project]

[0008] The inventors have identified the above-mentioned problems and challenges related to the flexibility of electrical conductors and have solved these problems with the present invention described below. As a result, the electrical conductor according to the present invention is flexible, and therefore can be easily manipulated to suit the design application, i.e., easily deformed (and, when no external force is applied, i.e., when no force other than gravity is applied, it is easy to maintain a given posture in a relaxed state), uses less material, has improved cooling capacity, and has optimized current conduction capacity per unit weight of material. Furthermore, because it is an additive manufacturing process, the manufacturing process is completed in only one step.

[0009] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an electrical conductor comprising a first end segment and a second end segment separated in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor by an intermediate segment. The intermediate segment comprises a plurality of conductor branching elements, the plurality of conductor branching elements being made of a conductive material, and at least a portion of at least two of the plurality of conductor branching elements being separated in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor by an air gap.

[0010] This is advantageous in that it has the effect of being able to change the shape of the electrical conductor when force is applied. The force may be applied by a person or component mechanically connected to / in contact with the electrical conductor. In this way, a flexible electrical conductor is provided that is easy to install and can absorb vibrations.

[0011] A change in shape results in a change in the position and / or orientation of at least one end of the electrical conductor in space.

[0012] The air gap should be understood as the space between parts of two conductive branch elements. The air gap ensures that the two parts of the two conductive branch elements do not physically touch when the electrical conductors are in a stationary position, that is, when no force is acting on the electrical conductors.

[0013] It can also be said that gravity always acts on an electrical conductor. Therefore, for example, when 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 shape of the electrical conductor by pulling the end segment towards the ground.

[0014] The void spaces separate a portion of the conductor branch elements in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor. For this reason, such void spaces may be formed from the position of a portion of one conductor branch element to the position of a portion of another conductor branch element in a direction towards one of the two end segments (where the conductor branch element is connected to the end segment).

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of conductor branch elements are formed by one conductor branch.

[0016] By designing one conductor branch into a shape such as that of a harmonica, a spiral shape, etc. and then manufacturing it, a plurality of void spaces occur between parts of the same electrical conductor.

[0017] The plurality of conductor branch elements may be a single unique conductor branch. It should be noted that the electrical conductor may be configured by mixing conductor branch elements formed by individual conductor branches and conductor branch elements formed by one (or more) conductor branches forming two or more conductor branch elements.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of conductor branch elements are formed by two or more conductor branches.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor is monolithic.

[0020] Monolithic electrical conductors include those in which the connection part, end segment, and middle segment are made into one and the same member, and there is no need to physically connect two or more such elements. Thus, the manufacture of the electrical conductor can be carried out in one process step, namely, the additive manufacturing step.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor (1) is at least partially manufactured by an additive manufacturing process.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the void is defined by a certain distance, and this distance is the shortest distance between the conductor branch elements of the first conductor branch and the conductor branch elements of the second conductor branch in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the void is defined by a certain distance, and this distance is the shortest distance between two conductor branch elements of one conductor branch in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0024] Therefore, when referring to the size of the void, this size may be the distance between two conductor branches or elements / components of the same conductor branch. More specifically, it may be the maximum spatial separation between two given conductor branches or conductor branch elements. The size of the void may be measured in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the electrical conductor.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the void is less than 1 cm, preferably less than 0.5 cm, and most preferably less than 0.25 cm.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the void is less than 20 cm, preferably less than 15 cm, and most preferably less than 10 cm.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the void is 0.01 cm to 40 cm.

[0028] As can be seen from the above, the size of the void is a design choice and may depend on the size of the electrical equipment to which the conductor is installed and the degree of flexibility required. Therefore, the smaller the electrical equipment, the smaller the void size, and the larger the equipment, such as building or panel connections, the larger the void will be.

[0029] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the void is configured to change shape as a result of a force applied to an electrical conductor.

[0030] A change in shape involves a change in the distance between two points. That is, the distance between two conductor branching elements may increase or decrease. If the void is a closed void formed, for example, by four parts of two or more conductor branching elements, the void may be rhomboid in shape. Such a rhomboid shape may change by changing the distance between the diagonals of the rhomboid.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the void is configured to change by the deformation of at least two of the multiple conductor branching elements.

[0032] It should be noted that deformations that cause changes in the shape of the air gap can occur at locations distant from the area where the air gap is established. Therefore, the area where the air gap is established may be the straight section between the bends of the conductor branching element. Consequently, deformation may occur at the bends rather than the straight sections.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, multiple voids are established between multiple conductor branching elements in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0034] This is advantageous when a highly flexible / deformable electrical conductor is required, because a greater number of air gaps increases the flexibility of the electrical conductor.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the multiple conductor branching elements are configured such that the shape of one subset of the multiple voids differs from that of a second subset of the multiple voids.

[0036] The size of the gap in the first subset increases, for example, the distance between the two conductor branch elements increases, while the size of the gap in the second subset decreases, for example, the distance between the two conductor branch elements decreases.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the void extends between at least two conductor branches, separating at least two conductor branches in the longitudinal direction of the conductor branch between a first end segment and a second end segment.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least two of the multiple conductor branching elements intersect at an intersection, and at least two conductor branching elements branch off from the intersection.

[0039] This is advantageous because it has the effect of establishing an electrical conductor that maintains the desired strength (a predetermined yield point) with minimal material. As a result, the cost of conductive, and therefore relatively expensive, materials is reduced.

[0040] Note that two conductor branch elements merging at an intersection may be the same two conductor branch elements exiting that intersection. Separately, there may also be two other conductor branch elements exiting the intersection, but this can be a matter of the definition of a conductor branch element.

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of a plurality of conductor branching elements (5a-1, 5a-2, 5a-3; 5b-1, 5b-2…) branches off from the intersection (11) into at least two conductor branching elements (5a-1, 5a-2, 5a-3; 5b-1, 5b-2…).

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the multiple conductor branching elements that form multiple voids are implemented as a web-like structure.

[0043] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, multiple conductive branching elements forming multiple voids are implemented as a biomechanical structure.

[0044] Both web-like structures and biomechanical structures are advantageous in that they provide the strength and current-conducting ability required for electrical conductors. A biomechanical design should be understood as a structure with a design that technically implements abstracted natural principles. While biomechanical designs may appear unpredictable at first glance, they are essentially minimalist and logical structures optimized based on strength, structure, cooling, material use, and current conductivity. An example could be a computer-generated support structure or electrical conductor designed to meet specific requirements, leading to structures / designs that would be impossible or extremely difficult and time-consuming to construct by humans.

[0045] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the void is an axial void.

[0046] The axial gap should be understood as the gap surrounding the tubular outer circumference of a conductor branch / conductor branch element that forms a tubular electrical conductor. Thus, two conductor branches may extend between end segments along a path that is not the shortest path between them, and the axial gap separates the two conductor branches along this entire path. This is advantageous for such a design of electrical conductors in terms of flexibility, i.e., elastic deformability.

[0047] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the void separates at least two conductor branching elements in the lateral direction of the electrical conductor.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first end segment and the second end segment terminates at a connection.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connecting portion is a fastening hole.

[0050] This is advantageous in that, for example, it allows electrical conductors to be connected to adjacent components using threaded bolts.

[0051] It should be noted that the connection point can also be implemented as a protrusion suitable for connecting to the terminals of an electrical panel.

[0052] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of conductor branching elements is longer than the shortest distance between the first end segment and the second end segment, and the electrical conductor is configured to change shape by deformation of one or more conductor branching elements.

[0053] Having a conductor branch element or conductor branch longer than the shortest distance between the distal ends of the electrical conductor is advantageous because the electrical conductor is flexible and can absorb vibrations, and it can be flexibly attached to mounting points of electrical components that are not perfectly aligned with the fastening holes of the first and second end segments.

[0054] Another advantage is that the amount of material constituting the electrical conductor is optimized, for example, reduced, or the material is used for cooling fins while maintaining sufficient conductivity. The reduction in material leads to a reduction in the weight of the conductor, and consequently, the weight of the panel to which the conductor is mounted. This weight / material reduction is compared to conventional busbars that can conduct nearly the same current under nearly the same conditions.

[0055] As mentioned above, reducing the material of an electrical conductor can lead to a decrease in conductivity. However, the design of the electrical conductor according to the present invention is optimized 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 current / required current. Multiple individually spaced conductor branches, and the resulting improvement in cooling capacity, allow for a significant reduction in material while maintaining the ability of the electrical conductor to conduct the required current.

[0056] A change in shape should be understood as the physical stretching, twisting, or bending of an electrical conductor as a result of a force being applied to a part of it. Such a change in shape results in effects such as a change in the distance between the first and second end segments, a change in the spatial orientation of the first and second end segments relative to each other, and rotation of one of the end segments relative to the other around the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor.

[0057] Deformation should be understood as a change in the shape of the conductor itself. As an unrestricted example, a conductor can be bent, which deforms it. This deformation may cause the distance between the two ends of the conductor to increase along the outside of the conductor (the side away from the center of the circle that the bent conductor partially forms).

[0058] The force applied to an electrical conductor is typically applied to one of its ends, more specifically, to a terminal connecting the conductor to another electrical component, such as an electrical panel. The force can be applied in any direction, for example, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conductor, causing it to bend. Alternatively, the force can be applied parallel to the longitudinal axis, causing it to compress. Furthermore, the force can be applied between directions parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, resulting in a mixture of bending and compression. In addition, gravity can cause the conductor to exert its own weight.

[0059] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the multiple conductor branching elements are implemented as one or more conductor branches, one of the one or more conductor branches being longer than the shortest distance between the first end segment and the second end segment, and the electrical conductor is configured to change shape by deformation of the one or more conductor branches.

[0060] It should be noted that in one embodiment, multiple conductor branching elements are implemented as multiple individual conductor branches. Therefore, the electrical conductor may include conductor branches that are longer than the shortest distance between two points, one of the first segments and one of the second end segments, and the electrical conductor is configured to change shape by deformation of one or more conductor branches.

[0061] The distance between two end segments should be understood as the length of the intermediate segment extending between the two end segments. This length may not be the same across the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the end segments because the end segments may twist or tilt. As a result, the distance between two points on one side of an end segment may be longer than the distance between two points on the other side.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the deformation is elastic deformation.

[0063] Elastic deformation is advantageous because it allows electrical conductors to adapt to various configurations while simultaneously returning to their original form / shape (re-deforming). Therefore, electrical conductors are configured to reshape themselves to their original form as a result of the removal of the deformable force.

[0064] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the electrical conductor is configured to elastically deform when a force is applied to it, and the force generates a stress within the electrical conductor that is less than the yield point of the material of the electrical conductor.

[0065] The force required to elastically deform an electrical conductor depends on one of the following: the cross-sectional area, length, or shape of the conductor branch. Furthermore, designing an electrical conductor using multiple branch / branch elements results in a more flexible component than the conventional method, i.e., designing using a single solid cross-section. For this reason, the force required to bend, i.e., elastically deform, the electrical conductor of this invention is smaller than the force required to deform a conventional electrical conductor that satisfies the same requirements regarding current conductivity. It should be noted that the force required to reach the stress level corresponding to the yield point of the material is a design choice, and therefore the force required to elastically deform an electrical conductor is typically a design choice and often differs from one electrical conductor to another.

[0066] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the force is less than 400 N.

[0067] Most people handling electrical conductors can generate forces of less than 400 N. Therefore, designing the electrical conductor according to the present invention to deform (elastic or plastic) when subjected to forces of less than 400 N is advantageous in that most such people will be able to deform the conductor and thereby wire and install it within an electrical system (e.g., an electrical panel).

[0068] It should be noted that when a force of 400N to 1000N is applied to a conductor, it is possible to design an electrical conductor to deform by more than 400N.

[0069] As mentioned above, gravity may be sufficient to elastically deform the electrical conductor of the present invention. Therefore, a force between 10N and 40N is sufficient, which is advantageous in that workers installing the conductor on a panel can easily deform the conductor during installation. This may lead to designing the electrical conductor to elastically or plastically deform in a predetermined direction when a force between 40N and 400N, such as 100N, 200N, or 300N, is applied from a predetermined direction.

[0070] It should be noted that the electrical conductor according to the present invention is typically less than 200 cm in length. While it may be longer, it is typically less than 100 cm, and in this context, a force of less than 400 N is sufficient to elastically deform the electrical conductor of the present invention. For example, a force of less than 200 N may be applied when attaching the electrical conductor to an electrical panel.

[0071] In this specification, when considering the application of force in the context of deforming an electrical conductor, it should be noted that the force referred to is applied directly to the electrical conductor, i.e., without the use of a lever arm.

[0072] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the deformation is plastic deformation.

[0073] Enabling plastic deformation is advantageous in that it allows the electrical conductor to be adapted to configurations where it could not be used if it were not deformed. This may be due to the size / shape of such configurations. Therefore, the conductor of the present invention may be adapted to the available space by being plastically deformed, for example, behind or beside other components of the panel, after being partially mounted or inserted into the panel. In other words, the shape of the electrical conductor according to the present invention can be modified to provide flexibility to new slack shapes. Configurations in this context should be understood as general electrical systems.

[0074] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an electrical conductor is configured to plastically deform when a force is applied to it, and the force results in a stress that exceeds the yield point of the material of the electrical conductor.

[0075] This has the advantage of allowing multiple identical electrical conductors to be shaped into different forms by applying a force that brings about stress exceeding the yield point of the material, so that they can fit within the installation area of ​​one or more electrical panels.

[0076] It should be noted that a single electrical conductor can be designed to have multiple points where it undergoes plastic deformation when subjected to a force that results in a stress exceeding the material's yield point.

[0077] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the one or more conductor branches is designed in a shape that includes a plurality of voids, the plurality of voids being reduced non-uniformly as a result of a force applied to at least one of the one or more conductor branches.

[0078] This has the advantage of increasing the flexibility of the electrical conductor by increasing the number of "winding" in a single conductor branch, and thereby increasing the length of the single conductor branch. Therefore, if two parts of such a conductor branch are in physical contact, the electrical conductor may continue to bend by altering one of the gaps among several gaps. For example, a spiral shape is particularly advantageous in this regard.

[0079] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the electrical conductor is configured to return to its original shape as a result of the removal of the applied force.

[0080] Reshaping is a result of elastic deformation, and can be understood as the distance between one or more conductor branches returning to the distance between them before the force was applied.

[0081] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, each of the one or more conductor branches is interrupted by one or more voids in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0082] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the cross-sectional view is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor comprises a first deformation point and a second deformation point, and the electrical conductor is configured to deform at the first deformation point when exposed to a first force, and the electrical conductor is configured to deform at the second deformation point when exposed to a second force, and the first force and the second force are not the same.

[0084] This is advantageous in that when a person positions an electrical conductor within an electrical system, the electrical conductor may be (elastically or plastically) deformed by hand. The deformation of this electrical conductor is determined to occur at the first deformation point by design. Next, for example, when a person attaches the electrical conductor to another component using a screw or bolt, the electrical conductor may be (elastically or plastically) deformed. The deformation of this electrical conductor is determined to occur at the second deformation point by design. The force applied by hand is, for example, smaller than the force applied by a bolt. In addition, the first deformation may be an elastic deformation, and the second deformation may be a plastic deformation.

[0085] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional areas of one or more conductor branches are the same.

[0086] "The same" means the same, that is, 0.5 mm 2 , 1 mm 2 , 1.5 mm 2 and so on, up to, for example, 6 mm 2 or more, and is to be understood as such.

[0087] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional area of one or more conductor branches is 200 mm 2 or less, preferably 150 mm 2 or less, preferably 100 mm 2 or less, preferably 50 mm 2 or less, preferably 10 mm 2 or less, most preferably 0.5 mm 2 ~5 mm 2 and is.

[0088] This electrical conductor has a cross-sectional area of ​​10 mm² at each conductor branch. 2 or 20mm 2 Even so, it still has an advantage in that it remains flexible. However, it is clear that the thinner the conductor branch, the less force is required to deform the electrical conductor. Furthermore, it also has an advantage in that the flexibility of the electrical conductor can be changed by using different cross-sectional areas.

[0089] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the one or more conductor branches has a different length from the others of the one or more conductor branches.

[0090] This is advantageous in that it has the effect of imparting pre-tension to the electrical conductor, that is, bending it to a predetermined angle in space. Such pre-tension may be incorporated into the design of the electrical conductor, or / or may be imparted by external means, such as a spring.

[0091] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, at least one first portion of one or more conductor branches has a first shape in space, and at least one second portion of one or more conductor branches has a second shape in space.

[0092] The first and second shapes in space should be understood as a single conductor branch being, for example, twisted 90 degrees, such that the first part forms a flat horizontal shape before the twist, and the second part forms a flat vertical shape after the twist.

[0093] This is advantageous in that such a conductor branch has the effect of being flexible in one direction in space along the first part and flexible in another direction in space along the second part.

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

[0095] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the second end segment is configured to be displaceable in any direction relative to the first end segment without causing plastic deformation of the electrical conductor material.

[0096] Such displacement may occur due to a force applied to the first end segment when the second end is fixed, for example, to a component of an electrical panel. This is advantageous in that it has the effect of making it easier to attach the first or second end segment to a component in the electrical panel, as the electrical conductor can be bent in any direction. This allows for alignment with terminals of other components, meaning that when attaching the electrical conductor according to the present invention, the tolerance does not need to be as large as that of conventional electrical conductors.

[0097] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more of the multiple conductor branches have internal cooling channels.

[0098] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first end segment and the second end segment is monolithically joined to the connector.

[0099] Having a monolithic end segment with a connection point is advantageous because it eliminates electrical losses in the end segment.

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

[0101] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal is a connecting pin.

[0102] Such terminal holes, pins, or sticks are advantageous in that they allow electrical conductors to be connected to other components, for example, via bolt connections or quick connector terminals.

[0103] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical conductor comprises one first end segment and a plurality of second end segments.

[0104] This is advantageous because the electrical conductor acts as a splitter, allowing one phase connected to the first end segment to be divided into two or more connections at the second end segment. One advantageous implementation example is the equalization of connections between electrical components, allowing currents to flow in parallel through different electrical components.

[0105] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, all of the one or more conductor branches are of the same length.

[0106] In fact, in one embodiment, all conductor branches are nearly identical in length and shape. Therefore, one conductor branch may be a duplicate of another.

[0107] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more conductor branches have a coiled structure.

[0108] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more conductor branches have a coil-like structure.

[0109] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more conductor branches have one or more waveform structures.

[0110] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more conductor branches have a honeycomb structure.

[0111] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more conductor branches have a twisted structure.

[0112] This twisted structure is advantageous in that it forms longitudinal gaps that allow for high flexibility of the electrical conductors when force is applied. Therefore, multiple conductor branches are twisted relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate segments without physical contact between the individual conductor branches.

[0113] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the torsion structure includes uniform voids.

[0114] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more conductor branches are individually connected to both the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0115] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, one or more conductor branches are arranged around either the first end segment and / or the second end segment.

[0116] This is advantageous in that it improves the flexibility of the electrical conductor compared to embodiments in which the conductor branch is located in the center of the electrical conductor. Furthermore, it provides more space for deformation between the conductor branches.

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first end segment is configured to be displaced longitudinally compared to the second end segment.

[0118] This is advantageous in that the electrical conductor is flexible and can be compressed or stretched along its longitudinal axis.

[0119] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the first end is configured to be displaced laterally compared to the second end.

[0120] This is advantageous because the electrical conductor is flexible and can be bent.

[0121] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first end segment and the second end segment are configured to rotate around the central axis of the electrical conductor.

[0122] This is advantageous because the electrical conductor is flexible and can twist around its longitudinal axis.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, either the first end segment or the second end segment is fixed to a component constituting an electrical panel.

[0124] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrical conductor as described in any of the prior claims, wherein the manufacturing method is an additive manufacturing process.

[0125] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for coupling a first end segment of an electrical conductor to a second end segment of an electrical conductor. This method includes the steps of: monolithically coupling a first end segment to the conductor branch elements of one or more conductor branches via an additive manufacturing process; manufacturing one or more conductor branches via an additive manufacturing process such that gaps are established between two or more conductor branch elements of one or more conductor branches and that one or more conductor branch elements are spatially separated in two different directions; and electrically and mechanically coupling the first end segment to the second end segment via an intermediate segment of an electrical conductor formed by one or more conductor branches.

[0126] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the void separates two or more conductor branching elements in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0127] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the two different directions are a first transverse direction and a second transverse direction of the electrical conductor.

[0128] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, electrical and mechanical coupling are achieved by an additive manufacturing process.

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

[0130] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the additive manufacturing process includes the step of applying an insulating material to a plurality of conductor branches.

[0131] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of an electrical conductor in an electrical system as described in any of the preceding paragraphs.

[0132] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of additive manufacturing for at least partially manufacturing the electrical conductors described in any of the preceding paragraphs.

[0133] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an electrical panel comprising an electrical conductor as described in any of the preceding paragraphs.

[0134] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electric panel is comprised of a renewable power generation system.

[0135] Renewable power generation systems may include Power-to-X systems such as wind turbines, solar power systems, electrolytic devices, and battery storage. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0136] [Figure 1a] Figure 1a illustrates the principle of electrical conductors. [Figure 1b] Figure 1b illustrates the principle of electrical conductors. [Figure 1c] Figure 1c illustrates the principle of electrical conductors. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the steps of the manufacturing method for an electrical conductor. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a twisted electrical conductor. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an electrical conductor with a web-like structure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an electrical conductor with multiple intermediate segments. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an electrical conductor having a spiral intermediate segment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an electrical conductor with a wavy intermediate segment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an electrical conductor having intermediate segments with multiple corrugated structures. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an electrical conductor with a square, spiral-shaped intermediate segment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an electrical conductor having an intermediate segment with a layer of conductor branching. [Figure 11]Figure 11 shows an electrical conductor with a curved, plate-like structure and a conductor branch. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an electrical conductor with a bent rod-shaped conductor branch. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0137] For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, refer to the following brief description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and detailed description. In the drawings, similar reference numerals indicate similar parts. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, and elements of different drawings can be combined within the scope of the invention.

[0138] The present invention is described based on exemplary embodiments intended solely to illustrate the principles and implementations of the invention. Those skilled in the art may provide a number of embodiments within the claims.

[0139] Figures 1a to 1c show an electrical conductor 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, Figure 1a is a view from an oblique angle, Figure 1b is a twisted view, and Figure 1c shows the transition between the end segment and the intermediate segment 4 of the electrical conductor 1. In relation to Figures 1a to 1c, it should be noted that the axes shown represent 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. Furthermore, it should be noted that if the electrical conductor is tilted, the axes 8a, 8b, and 9 also tilt accordingly.

[0140] The electrical conductor 1 comprises a first end segment 2 and a second end segment 3, the second end segment 3 being distal to the first end segment 2 and separated from each other by an intermediate segment 4. Each of these two ends may be DC-coupled to, for example, the respective terminals of an electrical installation. For this reason, the ends 2 and 3 may include a connection portion 15, for example, a fastening hole 18, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5.

[0141] Typically, such holes 18 are terminals 13 (as shown in Figures 7 and 8a), but they may also be used to fix the conductor to a mechanical support, such as a panel. If such holes 18 are terminals 13, the terminals will be used to connect busbars in an electrical panel to other busbars or components. Terminals and busbars in such enclosures need to be able to handle high voltages, i.e., voltages exceeding 24V, for example, voltage levels in electrical installations where the electrical conductors of the present invention are suitable, such as 110V, 230V, 400V, 690V, etc. The voltage (and thus current) may be either AC or DC, and these electrical conductors may be used in HVDC applications, i.e., at voltage levels of several hundred kilovolts or more.

[0142] In relation to such voltages, it should be noted that, in principle, there are no lower limits on voltage and current. That is, such types of electrical conductors may be used in 24V or 48V systems conducting currents of less than 2A, for example. For this reason, the electrical conductors of the present invention may be manufactured as wire harnesses used as an alternative to wiring on printed circuit boards or as wire harnesses used for mounting to electrical panels.

[0143] With respect to current, the electrical conductor according to the present invention may conduct from several hundred amperes (16, 32, 64, ... up to 100, 200, ... and up to, for example, 900 A) to several thousand amperes (1000 A to 3000 A). Such electrical installations may be installed, for example, in energy facilities, and as a result, the electrical conductors can facilitate the transmission of current and / or voltage in such panels / energy facilities. Energy facilities may be, for example, renewable energy facilities.

[0144] The first end segment 2 and the second end segment 3 are electrically and mechanically coupled by an intermediate segment 4. The intermediate segment 4 is formed by a plurality of conductor branches 5a to 5d. In the specific embodiment shown in Figures 1a to 1c, a total of six conductor branches 5a to 5f are arranged in a 2x3 two-dimensional array. Note that in Figures 1a and 1c, two of the conductor branches are almost invisible because they are hidden behind the other conductor branches 5b and 5c.

[0145] In other words, in one embodiment, the present invention relates to an electrical conductor 1 having a first end 2 and a second end 3 separated by an intermediate segment 4. The intermediate segment 4 comprises one or more conductor branches 5, one or more of which are made of a conductive material, and 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 the electrical conductor 1 is configured to change shape by deformation of one or more conductor branches 5.

[0146] In Figure 1a, 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.

[0147] The central segment 4 in Figure 1a, in its relaxed position (a state where no force is applied; "no force applied" should be understood as a state where there are no forces other than gravity), has parallel conductor branches 5 separated by a lateral gap 6a in the direction of axes 8a and 8b. This ensures a certain degree of axial flexibility (see arrow X in Figure 1a). That is, if an axial force / rotational force is applied to one or both ends, the electrical conductor may be able to deform (rotate) slightly. However, in this design, no special flexibility / deformation is permitted when a force perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 9 is applied (see arrow Y in Figure 1a). As long as such a force is applied (and brings stress to the material below its yield point), the conductor may elastically deform, and when the force is removed, the conductor may return to its original position. If the force produces stress exceeding the yield point of the material, the deformation is plastic deformation, that is, one or more of the conductor branches may bend or break to the extent that they do not return to their original relaxed position when the force is removed.

[0148] Note that conductor branch 5c is divided into conductor branch elements called conductor branch elements 5c-1, 5c-2, and 5c-n, and conductor branch 5d is divided into conductor branch elements called conductor branch elements 5d-1, 5d-2, and 5d-n. The number of branch elements 5x-n in conductor branch 5 may differ from 3 because the shape and length of a portion called branch element 5x-n may differ from that of other branch elements. For this reason, the conductor branch elements are sometimes collectively referred to as 5x-n. Here, "x" represents a branch and "n" represents an element of the branch. Note that in some embodiments of the present invention, a single conductor branch may comprise only one conductor branch element.

[0149] Figure 1b shows conductor 1 that is almost identical to conductor 1 in Figure 1a. However, conductor 1 in Figure 1b is twisted in its relaxed position. Therefore, both conductor 1 in Figure 1a and Figure 1b are shown in their relaxed position.

[0150] Note that a gap 6b exists between the two branching elements, specifically between branching elements 5c-2 and 5d-2, in the longitudinal direction 9 of conductor 1. This gap 6b either causes torsional design or the torsional design creates the gap 6b. This gap 6b imparts flexibility to conductor 1 in all directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 9. Therefore, conductor 1 in Figure 1b can deform uniformly regardless of whether a force is applied from direction 8a or 8b. In fact, the conductor deforms the same way regardless of which direction (indicated by arrow X in Figure 1b) a force is applied in within the 360 ​​degrees around the longitudinal direction 9.

[0151] In fact, the gap 6b allows for a certain deformation in the longitudinal direction 9. That is, the length between the two end segments 2 and 3 can be shortened or lengthened by the gap 6b.

[0152] Preferably, each of the conductor branches 5a to 5f is monolithically coupled to at least the first end segment 2. This means that the end segments are constructed integrally with the conductor branches. In one embodiment of the present invention, integral construction should be understood as being constructed integrally by modifying the dimensions of the layers to construct a desired structure for the conductor branches, each end segment, and the transitions between them. The transitions between the end segments and the intermediate segments may be constructed as smooth transitions, for example, by slightly changing the diameter of each layer compared to the previous layer. Another extreme example is constructing orthogonal transitions where each layer, such as the first layer, second layer, etc., of the conductor branch has the same diameter (length and width if not circular). Construction should be understood as being manufactured by one of the additive manufacturing methods described later.

[0153] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1a and 1b, the first segment 2 and intermediate segment 4, and the second segment 3 and intermediate segment 4 are monolithically bonded together because they are manufactured from a single bulk material that is machined to provide the electrical conductor 1. Here, the bulk material should be understood as the material that constitutes the electrical conductor 1.

[0154] The manufacture of electrical conductor 1 may be carried out by an additive manufacturing process. Such a manufacturing process may be based on any of the additive manufacturing processes listed herein, but is not limited to 3D printing, layer-by-layer printing, wire arc additive manufacturing, fused deposition modeling, direct energy deposition, direct metal deposition, sintering, or laser methods. It should be noted that for most types / shapes, the actual additive manufacturing process used to print or build the electrical conductor may not be important, as long as the material of the electrical conductor is a conductive material.

[0155] The defined lines surrounding the conductor branch in Figure 1c indicate the outer circumference of the conductor branch connected to end segment 2, when the transition between end segment 2 and the conductor branch is created by multiple layers with varying diameters.

[0156] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 1a, it is possible to manufacture an electrical conductor in which the transition from the final layer of the end segment 2 to the first layer of the conductor branch 5 has a clear contour. Such a clear contour should be understood as, in layer-by-layer manufacturing, when the upper layer (the layer toward the intermediate segment) is constructed, the next layer to be constructed is the first layer of the entire conductor branch. 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 may be manufactured by additive manufacturing.

[0157] In one embodiment, the conductor branches 5a to 5e shown in Figures 1a to 1c may be monolithically coupled to the first end segment via rounded connectors (see Figure 1c). Each of these rounded connectors forms a concave, rounded inner corner between one or both of the first end segments 2 and 3 and the conductor branch 5. Other connection shapes, such as the aforementioned orthogonal shapes or combinations thereof, may be used as the connection shape between the conductor branches.

[0158] When it is necessary to pass a higher current through one conductor branch than through another, different connection shapes may be mixed and used. For this reason, rounded transitions tend to be preferred over orthogonal transitions, and therefore, the current flowing through the end segments may be controlled by the design of the connection shape.

[0159] In certain embodiments, a rounded connection portion is selected, and the resulting concave, rounded inner corner is different from the connection portion between the second end segment 3 and the conductor branches 5a to 5e. No concave, rounded inner corner is formed between the second end segment 3 and the conductor branches 5a to 5d (see, for example, Figure 1b).

[0160] Therefore, the conductor branches 5a to 5e may be connected to both end segments 2 and 3 via the concave, rounded inner corners, to one of end segments 2 and 3 via the concave, rounded inner corners, or connected without using the concave, rounded inner corners.

[0161] The concave, rounded inner corners may be established by sequentially increasing or decreasing the size of one or more layers from one of the end segments 2, 3. This creates a gradual transition from the construction of the end segments to the construction of the conductor branches, which may change as the conductor branches are constructed, and their diameters may also change between the two end segments.

[0162] The non-concave, rounded connection between the end segment and the conductor branch may be established by constructing multiple layers having the same shape, such as a square. This allows for an "instantaneous" transition from the construction of the end segment to the construction of the conductor branch, from the final layer of the end segment to the first layer of the conductor branch.

[0163] It should be noted that, in principle, the connections between end segments and conductor branches are always substantially orthogonal when viewed at the "layer level" (orthogonal as long as one layer can be added to another). However, when referring to a connection in the context of this invention, it refers to two or more consecutive layers, i.e., multiple layers that form the shape of the connection / transition between the end segment and the conductor branch.

[0164] Therefore, the end segments, conductor branches 5a to 5e, and the transitions between the end segments and conductor branches may have any shape that can be manufactured by additive manufacturing.

[0165] Essentially, the rounded shape of the connection further spatially separates the conductor branches 5a to 5e from one another. However, other types of connection shapes can also spatially separate the conductor branches from one another in the lateral and / or longitudinal directions. Such separation may be established during the design of the electrical conductor, and for this reason, such separation can also be achieved by orthogonal shapes or other transition shapes (including mixtures of transition spaces) between the end and the conductor branch.

[0166] The intermediate segment 4 is formed by conductor branches 5a to 5e, and thus, in this embodiment, electrical and mechanical coupling of the two end segments 2 and 3 is provided via the conductor branches 5a to 5e.

[0167] Although the conductor branches 5a-5e in Figures 1a and 1b are shown as nearly uniform conductors, it should be noted that the design / shape can be any shape that is machineable / printable. Such shapes may be optimized according to conduction current (skin effect), cooling including air induction, etc. Specifically, hollow conductor branches may be constructed taking these points into consideration.

[0168] The specific electrical conductor 1 shown in Figures 1a, 1b, and 1c may be made from copper, but it may also be made from other conductive materials such as aluminum or titanium.

[0169] In one embodiment, a particular branch 5 may have a uniform diameter (measured in the transverse direction) along its longitudinal direction. The diameter of the multiple conductor branches 5 may have a cross-sectional area of, for example, 0.5 mm. 2 , 1mm 2 , 1.5mm 2 For example, up to 6mm 2 For example, up to 10mm 2 It may also be such that the cross-sectional area is defined by the minimum and maximum sizes that can be manufactured by the additive manufacturing process.

[0170] In one embodiment, the diameter of a particular branch 5 (measured in the transverse direction) may be non-uniform along the longitudinal direction, but even so, a clearly defined branch diameter can be determined in the cross-section where the diameter of that branch is smallest.

[0171] The adjacent spacing between two adjacent conductor branches 5 may be quantified. With respect to branch diameter, if the diameter of the conductor branches is non-uniform, the distance between two conductor branches 5 may be non-uniform. However, by measuring in the cross-section where the spatial isolation between the two conductor branches is greatest, a clearly defined adjacent spacing (e.g., the gap 6a between the two conductor branches) can be determined.

[0172] In embodiments where the transition between the end segment and the intermediate segment includes a concave, rounded inner corner, such a corner may be quantified, for example, as follows: The rounded connection between the first end segment and the conductor branch forms an inner corner, which may be characterized by a corner radius. A first line may be drawn longitudinally as a tangent to the point where the branch diameter is measured (i.e., the point where the branch has its smallest diameter in the lateral direction). A second line may be drawn transversely where the intermediate segment and the first end segment are joined. This second line may be, for example, a tangent to the longitudinal gap / space separation between the first end segment 2 and the second end segment 3. Next, a circle (or part of a circle) may be drawn tangent to the first and second lines. The corner radius is the largest possible radius of the circle such that the part of the circle between the two intersection points of the first and second lines lies entirely within the inner corner. For example, the corner radius is equal to 1.0 branch diameter. The ratio of the distance between two adjacent conductor branches 5 to the diameter of one of these conductor branches may be 2.0.

[0173] In one embodiment, the electrical conductor includes a plurality of conductor branches, two or at least three of which are spaced apart from each other in both the transverse and longitudinal directions. Viewed along the length of two conductor branches, the conductor branches may be spaced apart, for example, in one of the transverse directions (8a and 8b in Figure 1c) and / or in the longitudinal direction (9 in Figure 1c). Such two conductor branches may be spaced apart from a third conductor branch in one or two directions in which the two conductor branches are not spaced apart (transverse directions 8a, 8b and longitudinal direction 9).

[0174] Such a breathable design allows multiple conductors to be visible from any direction the electrical conductor is viewed from. More specifically, such a design provides an opening / gap between two conductor branches, regardless of the direction from which the conductor branch is viewed. Therefore, the conductor can be seen through, regardless of the direction from which a person views the electrical conductor. Furthermore, such a design may provide at least one opening / outlet for airflow through the electrical conductor from any direction (at least any angle around the longitudinal axis of the conductor). That is, air can enter and exit the electrical conductor from any angle, at least any angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor. This is in contrast to, for example, a braided conductor through which airflow cannot pass at least across the width (lateral direction) of the braided conductor. It could also be argued that while airflow is permitted in the height direction (longitudinal direction) of a braided conductor, it does not provide a cooling effect to all conductor branches through which such airflow passes, as in the case of a conductor in the above design of the present invention. In fact, when airflow is directed through a braided busbar, the individual conductor branches are braided (in contact with each other) to form closed intermediate segments through which the airflow cannot pass. Therefore, the airflow flows around the conductor rather than through it.

[0175] One example of the above design is the introduction of a line of sight that penetrates the electrical conductor. A line of sight can be understood as the ability to see through the electrical conductor. In practice, it is sometimes possible to obtain a line of sight that penetrates the electrical conductor from any angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor. Such a design has the advantage of providing an inlet for airflow that penetrates the electrical conductor from such any angle.

[0176] In the example design described above, one conductor branch can be seen through the gap between the other two conductor branches. This is true in any direction, i.e., any angle around the longitudinal axis of the conductor. This allows airflow to affect any of the three conductor branches.

[0177] In the example design described above, it is impossible to see through the electrical conductor from any angle around its longitudinal axis. Therefore, while the inside of the electrical conductor is visible, it is not possible to completely penetrate it. This allows for the induction of airflow to cool the inside of the electrical conductor or to cool it through the electrical conductor.

[0178] In the example design described above, multiple voids are provided on two or more sides / surfaces of the contour of the electrical conductor, and multiple voids positioned on the opposite side of the contour of the electrical conductor can be simultaneously viewed through, thereby allowing the electrical conductor to be seen through.

[0179] The above design has several advantages as described herein. Common advantages of the above design include a reduction in material, improved or controlled flexibility, and improved or controlled cooling, which includes, for example, cooling individual conductor branches individually, preferably from any angle of the longitudinal axis of the conductor branches, via airflow or other coolants.

[0180] When referring to the angles mentioned above, those angles may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor or to the conductor branch.

[0181] In one embodiment, the intermediate segment 4 comprises a plurality of parallel conductor branches 5. The parallel portion of the conductor branches 5 is only 2 cm or at least 2 cm long. The parallel portions of two (or more) conductor branches may be parallel at the same distance or overlapping distance from the first or second end segment. Alternatively, such parallel portions may not overlap and therefore extend at different distances from the first or second end. As a non-limiting example, a first conductor branch may have a portion that starts 3 cm from the first end segment and ends 8 cm from the first end segment. The second conductor branch may have a portion that starts 9 cm from the first end segment and ends 10 cm from the first end segment. It is possible to consider parts of the first and second conductor branches to be parallel even if they do not overlap along the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor.

[0182] It should be noted that multiple portions of one conductor branch may be parallel to multiple portions of other conductor branches and / or multiple portions of one particular conductor branch along the length of such conductor branch. For this reason, two conductor branches may be parallel multiple times between two end segments. Furthermore, one conductor branch may be parallel multiple times between two end segments to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate segment / electrical conductor branch.

[0183] One or more parallel sections of conductor branches may extend over at least 10% of the length of the conductor branch / intermediate segment.

[0184] The parallel portion of a conductor branch may be defined by the surfaces of two or more conductor branches, including tangents to the curved surfaces of one or more conductor branches. Separately or in addition to this, the parallel portion of two or more conductor branches may be the central axes of the conductor branches. Note that, according to the above definition, there may be three or more conductor branches in parallel, such as 3 to 100 (or any natural number in between) conductor branches.

[0185] Furthermore, a conductor branch may be defined as being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor. This axis may be defined as the shortest / straight path between the center of the first end segment and the center of the second end segment. Thus, one or more conductor branches may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor or a portion of the longitudinal axis.

[0186] Designs having the parallel conductor branches described above may have several advantages as described herein. Common advantages of the parallel designs include material reduction, improved or controlled flexibility, and improved or controlled cooling, including, for example, cooling individual conductor branches individually from any angle of the longitudinal axis of the conductor branches, preferably via airflow or other coolants. Furthermore, partially parallel / non-parallel conductor branch designs may allow for various electrical conductor layouts, such as curvature, twisting, and bending of the electrical conductors between two terminals when connecting a first end segment and a second end segment.

[0187] In the embodiment, the conductor branches may extend between two end segments even if they are not parallel, they may be parallel over a distance of less than 2 cm, and they may be parallel to each other but not parallel to other conductor branches.

[0188] Figure 2 shows the steps of a machining method for an electrical conductor according to one embodiment of the present invention. This particular method relates to the step of joining two segments of an electrical conductor, namely a first end segment and a second end segment, with a conductor branch, but may be used to manufacture any type of electrical conductor according to the present invention.

[0189] It should be noted that this method may involve printing both end segments and conductor branches in a single process. For example, this method might begin by printing one end segment, then the conductor transition, then the conductor, then the transition to the second end segment, and finally the second end segment.

[0190] Separately, the end segments may be separate elements connected via the intermediate section. The intermediate section may be printed, or may be attached to the end segments during the manufacturing of the intermediate section, for example, by printing on the end segments. The intermediate section may be joined to the end segments by means of welding, printing, soldering, etc.

[0191] The end segments may be provided with terminals for connecting the finished electrical conductor to other electrical components / conductors in an electrical system. Such terminals may be manufactured in the same way as the rest of the conductor.

[0192] In step S1 of this particular method, the first end segments and intermediate segments of the multiple conductor branches in the form of conductor branches are monolithically joined via separate transitions which may or may not include rounded connectors, forming a concave, rounded inner corner between the first end segments and conductor branches of the multiple conductor branches, thereby spatially separating the conductor branches of the multiple conductor branches.

[0193] The step of monolithically joining the first end segment and the conductor branch may be carried out using various methods, such as additive manufacturing including 3D printing, casting, and machining to simply remove material from a bulk metal slab to form the conductor branch joined to the first end segment.

[0194] In step S2 of this 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 a plurality of conductor branches.

[0195] The intermediate segment may, in principle, have any design / shape that provides flexibility to allow deformation of the electrical conductor. The intermediate segment may be formed by solid conductor branches or may be formed to have an internal cavity to reduce the amount of material required to manufacture the electrical conductor. Some examples of possible designs include the intermediate segment being formed by a web or as a hybrid of conductor branches and a web.

[0196] Internal cavities may be used as cooling channels and / or additional surfaces for conducting high-frequency currents. For this reason, end segments and intermediate segments may be designed for the specific panel / electrical system used, the specific type of current to conduct, the desired function or dual function, etc.

[0197] In addition to the above, another such function may be structural support. For this reason, electrical conductors may be designed to help bear the weight of connected electrical components, if necessary. For this reason, their dimensions may be larger than those required to conduct the necessary current. Similarly, their shape may be designed to consider both mechanical support and electrical conductivity. This is particularly true when such supports are flexible / deformable, as they can help provide support while simultaneously absorbing vibrations.

[0198] It should be noted that 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 the printing equipment and can vary from a few millimeters to 20 μm, but in some combinations, the layer thickness is between 50 μm and 150 μm. In additive manufacturing, the resolution may be defined by the thickness of the layer on which the electrical conductor is constructed (another way of saying machining and fabrication). When manufacturing the interface between the electrical conductor and the component to which it is connected, a first resolution finer than the second resolution, i.e., with a thinner layer size, may be used. Such an interface may be the part of the terminal that comes into contact with other components. Separately, depending on the type of additive manufacturing used, the resolution may be determined by the material deposition rate, material flow rate, etc.

[0199] To avoid electrical loss at the connection between two electrical conductors, it is important that the two components have flat surfaces. The finer the manufacturing of such interfaces, the better and less post-manufacturing work is required to ensure sufficient flatness. However, it should be noted that the end segments of two electrical conductors may be joined by interlocking teeth, slider locks, tongues and grooves, etc. This can facilitate the assembly of electrical conductors, such as busbars in electrical systems.

[0200] For example, a second resolution, manufactured with a thicker layer, will be coarser, resulting in a larger surface area. This can potentially increase the current conducted without increasing the material / dimensions required for the conductor, at least for medium and high-frequency currents. In fact, intermediate segments may be intentionally manufactured with a corrugated surface to increase the current-carrying outer surface of an electrical conductor (for medium and high-frequency currents), for example, because the turbulence of the cooling airflow generated by the corrugated surface improves cooling efficiency. If the conductor has an internal space, the inner surface of the conductor forming such an internal space may also be corrugated for the same purpose. Corrugated surfaces have the effect of generating turbulence in the flow of a cooling fluid, such as air. A higher velocity of the cooling fluid may result in a greater cooling effect.

[0201] For example, the depth of a conductor used to conduct current at medium and high frequencies is about 1.5 mm in certain embodiments. In this particular example, the conductor is made of copper, with a resistivity of about 1.68 μΩcm and a relative permeability of about 1 at a frequency of 2 kHz. For this reason, the conductor in this particular embodiment may have a hollow structure twice the thickness of 1.5 mm. In practice, such conductors may be manufactured with a thickness of 4-5 mm to leave room for internal cooling or simply to reduce weight by reducing the amount of conductor material.

[0202] Considering that the skin effect can occur even at 50Hz, for example, the mid-frequency range in relation to the skin effect refers to frequencies starting around 500Hz, where the skin effect can be considered in conductor design. The mid-frequency range is between 500Hz and 10kHz, and frequencies above 10kHz are sometimes called high frequencies where the skin effect appears (the higher the frequency, the closer the current conducts to the surface).

[0203] Furthermore, it should be noted that the outer surface may also be designed with a corrugated shape or fins to enhance heat dissipation from the electrical conductors.

[0204] The electrical conductors obtained by this method may be used as electrical conductors in electrical installations. These installations may include electrical panels that are part of renewable energy facilities such as wind turbines, solar power systems, power grids, and substations. The electrical installations or systems in which the electrical conductors are used may include electric vehicles, battery systems, Power to X facilities, ships, or other small or large-scale electrical systems. Furthermore, the electrical conductors obtained by this method can be used inside electrical panels, i.e., within cabinets / enclosures, or outside such panels, or to connect distant panels.

[0205] Modified versions of the electrical conductor according to the present invention are connected to conventional cables or busbars. In such embodiments, for example, a conventional busbar on the back of an electrical panel or a conventional cable between two electrical panels may be connected to the electrical conductor of the present invention. In this way, conventional cables or busbars may be connected to components via the conductor according to the present invention. This allows for easy connection due to the flexibility of the electrical conductor of the present invention.

[0206] However, it should be noted that the manufacture of the electrical conductor, and consequently the achievement of the electrical and mechanical coupling between the first and second end segments, is typically carried out before the electrical conductor is installed in an electrical installation and before the electrical installation is carried out in a renewable energy facility. For this reason, according to a typical embodiment of the present invention, the electrical and mechanical coupling is carried out before the installation / integration of the electrical conductor. However, the method according to the present invention is not necessarily limited to a specific order of steps. Furthermore, various methods according to the present invention may include additional steps such as performing digital shape optimization, additive manufacturing of the electrical conductor, and conducting current.

[0207] In summary, designers use 3D CAD software, such as Solidworks, to design digital representations of conductors according to electrical, mechanical, and structural requirements. The resulting files (digital representations) are then exported to a 3D printer, where the conductors are printed according to the CAD files. Additional steps, such as heat treatment, may be required after printing. Depending on the material, heat treatment may be performed at temperatures above 400°C for 4 hours. The benefits of heat treatment include improved thermal and electrical conductivity due to the positioning or fusion of the conductor particles. This is at least true for Aheadd® CP1 20 / 63 aluminum powder and other aluminum-iron-zirconium powder solutions. Such powders may also be used in laser powder bed fusion equipment. Using this type of powder with heat treatment can potentially improve thermal stability, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, surface finish, and electrical conductivity.

[0208] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the perimeter may vary in cross-sections at different locations along the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor (and individual conductor branches). The perimeter of a given segment may simply be measured as the sum of the perimeters of regions within a given cross-section. For this reason, the perimeter of the second end segment 3 may be the length of the perimeter of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor.

[0209] The perimeter of intermediate segment 4 may be the sum of the perimeters of all the individual conductor branches. Since one conductor branch may branch into two or more branches from one trunk, the perimeter of one part of intermediate segment 4 (the branch part) may differ from that of another part (the trunk part). For this reason, the sum of the perimeters of the intermediate segments may be the sum of the lengths of all the individual branches or the sum of the lengths of all the individual trunks. When multiple perimeters of the intermediate segments are possible, the smallest perimeter may preferably be used in calculating the current conducting capacity of the electrical conductor.

[0210] In one embodiment, the electrical conductor may have one or more cooling channels, where the cooling channels may be located in the intermediate portion of one or more conductor branches.

[0211] The following figures illustrate various examples of all electrical conductors within the scope of the present invention.

[0212] The electrical conductor 1 in the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 3 comprises two end segments 2, 3, each terminated at a connection portion 15, each having fastening holes 18. The fastening holes 18 are used to connect the electrical conductor to fastening holes or terminals of other electrical components. In other embodiments, the end segments 2, 3 may be equipped with bars / connector pins for securing the electrical conductor to corresponding terminals of adjacent components. Regardless of how the end segments 2, 3 are terminated, the preferred intent is to allow the electrical conductor to conduct current received from or to adjacent components.

[0213] The electrical conductor shown in Figure 3 also includes an intermediate section 4. In this particular embodiment, the conductor branch 5 of the electrical conductor 1 is optimized so that, for example, a flow of a cooling fluid such as air can pass through all the conductor branches of the intermediate section 4.

[0214] In this particular embodiment, the multiple conductor branches 5 are divided into sets of conductor branches 5, more specifically into three sets (the number of sets is a design choice). In other embodiments, the electrical conductor 1 may have additional sets of such conductor branches, for example, five sets, seven sets, nine sets, or more. As shown in the figure, the conductor branches 5 in each set are twisted. The number of conductor branches in a set may be three, as in this embodiment, or it may be any other suitable number determined based on shape or conductivity.

[0215] The conductor branches of each set of conductor branches are twisted. The set of twisted conductor branches is also twisted. In the twisted design, a gap 6b is formed between at least the first conductor branch and the second conductor branch. More specifically, the gap 6b is formed between a specific branch element of one branch and a specific branch element of the second branch.

[0216] All of the individual conductor branches 5 are connected to end segments 2 and 3. This may be done via rounded corners or orthogonal connections between the conductor branches 5 and end segments 2 and 3. The illustrated design may have the advantage of facilitating a linear current path and reducing resistance.

[0217] Note that the three sets of twisted conductor branches 5 are also twisted relative to each other, meaning they are continuously changing, and therefore their inner and outer positions change. By ensuring that all of the conductor branches are part of the outer surface / periphery of the electric conductor, at least a portion of them (one branch element) is directly cooled by the surrounding air.

[0218] The conductor 1 shown in the figure is manufactured by additive manufacturing, which allows for the spacing between each individual conductor branch 5. This design, shown in Figure 3, is inspired by so-called Liz wires and realizes the advantages of this wire design. For example, because it can be manufactured by 3D printing, it can be molded into any shape by utilizing the free space between conductor branches, also known as the voids in an electrical panel.

[0219] For example, torsion conductor designs, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, are advantageous in that they add flexibility to the electrical system. Therefore, the precision of the fastening holes / terminals 18 of the electrical conductor and any additional electrical components connected to it does not need to be very high. This is because pulling or pushing the conductor branch can cause the terminals / fastening holes 18 to move, thereby potentially mating with other components to which they are attached. Furthermore, the torsion design allows for tolerances in the longitudinal, transverse, and axial directions, potentially reducing the tension or force acting on additional electrical components. This applies not only to forces caused by vibration, but also to static forces, for example, caused by pushing the electrical conductor into a position where it can be attached to additional electrical components.

[0220] In embodiments including this embodiment presented herein, it should be noted that if electrical insulation is required for the electrical conductor 1, the electrical conductor 1 may be immersed in a bath of liquid insulating material. In this way, as the insulating material solidifies, the entire outer surface of both the intermediate and end segments may be electrically insulated. Alternatively, the insulating material may be spray-painted or printed onto one or more conductor branches of the electrical conductor with a non-conductive material.

[0221] The conductor branches of conductor 1 shown in Figure 4 are manufactured as a web-like structure 31. Therefore, there are no individual conductor branches themselves, but rather multiple webs or structures of conductor branches that can conduct current through conductor 1. Such webs or bio-engineered structures are sometimes referred to as multiple conductor branches that branch by contacting the longitudinal direction 9 of conductor 1 multiple times in multiple directions.

[0222] Each of the "holes" in the web-like or honeycomb structure can be considered a void 6. As shown (for example, in Figure 3), multiple voids 6 are uniform. A particular void 6 shown in Figure 3 extends longitudinally at a certain distance between two intersections 11, and this distance may be called void 6b. Similarly, such a void 6 extends laterally at a certain distance between two intersections 11, and this distance may be called void 6a.

[0223] In such a design, the current would prefer the most direct path provided by the conductor branching between the connection points 15, i.e., the branch that collectively forms the shortest path between them. Conductor branches that branch out, thereby (potentially) lengthening the path between the two connection points 15, may be used not only to conduct current but also as support structural components to maintain the shape of the conductor 1, or as cooling fins / cooling areas.

[0224] The design shown in Figure 4 has the advantage of a larger surface area compared to standard known conductors. This large surface area is particularly advantageous for medium-to-high frequency applications. Furthermore, in terms of cooling, the web-like structure has the advantage of allowing air to pass through the conductor and efficiently cool a wide area.

[0225] Using fewer materials is advantageous not only because it reduces material costs but also because it reduces weight. Reduced weight means, for example, fewer fasteners (such as brackets) are needed to secure conductor 1, ensuring safe operation even in environments where the conductor / panel to which the fasteners are attached is exposed to vibration. Furthermore, lower weight is expected to reduce transportation costs.

[0226] It should be noted that the ends 2 and 3, including the terminals or connectors 15 of the web-like electrical conductor 1, can also be manufactured with a web-like design, at least partially. This eliminates, to some extent, the longitudinal transition between the intermediate segment and the end segment.

[0227] However, if nuts and bolts are used to connect at least conductor 1 to additional electrical components, then portions of end segments 2 and 3 must be solid. The end segments may be entirely web-like in design, for example, if the connection to the additional electrical components is made by twisting or other quick-locking methods.

[0228] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the terminal portions 15 of the end segments 2 and 3 are provided with solid contact plates (see first end segment 2) to which additional electrical components can be connected. On the opposite side of the end segment (shown in the second end segment 3) around the holes for the connecting bolts, the end segment has a solid portion that penetrates the end segment, providing sufficient strength when the conductor 1 is secured to the additional electrical component using nuts and bolts.

[0229] As shown in the figures, the connection portion 15 of the electrical conductor 1 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is manufactured monolithically with the end segments 2 and 3 and the intermediate segment 4. Therefore, compared to conventional cables and busbars that include braided conductors, the electrical conductor of the present invention has the advantage of having no mechanical connections between its components, thus eliminating electrical loss. Furthermore, since the electrical conductor of the present invention is manufactured monolithically between the connection portion 15 and the end segments 2 and 3, the manufacturing process of attaching the terminal ends of the braided conductor is unnecessary.

[0230] The embodiment shown in Figure 5 may be considered a combination of several different electrical conductor designs of the present invention. The electrical conductor 1 shown in Figure 5 is of the twisted type. This electrical conductor has three central body segments 19a, 19b, and 19c. The first segment 19a divides one large twisted section extending between segments 19a and 19b into six twisted sections (extending between segment 19a and end segment 2), each having a smaller diameter than the large twisted section of the electrical conductor between segments 19a and 19b. The central body segments 19b and 19c connect the section between segments 19a and 19b, and the section extending between segment 19b and end segment 3, to an inductor section 20 extending between segments 19b and 19c. Each of the six twisted conductor sections is terminated by a first end segment 2. These six first end segments 2 are connected to additional electrical components 21 via connections of nuts and bolts 22. The second end segment 3 is also connected to an additional electrical component 21 via a connection of nuts and bolts 22.

[0231] As shown in the figure, the conductor 1 comprises an inductor section 20 having five windings. Each of these windings has one core 23, such as a ferrite core, passing through it. Therefore, with the design of the conductor 1 shown in the figure, it is not necessary to arrange four ferrite cores around the conductor 1 without compromising the noise reduction effect.

[0232] Both the central main body segment 19 and the inductor section 20 are constructed from conductor branches 5 with an air gap 6 between them.

[0233] The embodiment shown in Figure 5 is an example of an electrical conductor having different dimensions. Specifically, a thicker portion is connected to a second end segment 3, and a thinner inductor portion 20 is connected to the thicker portion again. This method of designing an electrical conductor is advantageous in that it has the effect of allowing the thinner portion of the electrical conductor (inductor portion 20 in Figure 5) to be wound around a core. The core may be a ferrite core as shown in the figure, but it may also be a transformer core, for example, or an electrical conductor may be wound into a coil to form a reactor.

[0234] Manufacturing electrical conductors 1 using thinner portions and using these thinner portions to wind coils (instead of using thicker portions) leads to miniaturization of ferrite cores, transformer cores, reactors, and other components. This is because, for example, the window of a ferrite core needs to be larger when using thicker portions compared to when using thinner portions, and the coil needs to pass through it. The core becomes even smaller and more compact, reducing weight and saving cost and footprint in electrical systems.

[0235] Reducing the diameter has the disadvantage that the thinner section will heat up more than the thicker section because the same current flows through both parts. However, the electrical conductor may be designed so that its diameter is reduced just before the coil section begins and then returns to a thicker diameter immediately after the coil section ends. In such a design, heat can be dissipated from the coiled / inductor section (thinner section) to the thicker section. Furthermore, because the coil section is small, it will have higher resistance than the rest of the conductor, thus reducing heat generation. In addition, the illustrated design may allow for air circulation through the twisted conductor branch, which could further improve the cooling effect.

[0236] Compared to the embodiments shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 12 present several variations of the intermediate segment design according to the present invention. These embodiments are characterized in that a portion or region of the intermediate segment 4 primarily imparts flexibility to the conductor. Thus, while the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 6 have a substantially uniform design throughout the entire conductor, the designs of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 12 only improve flexibility in the shortened portion of the conductor.

[0237] As shown in the illustrations, in the designs of Figures 6 to 12, the end segments 2 and 3 and the flexible intermediate segment 4 are neither separable nor clearly distinguishable, as in Figure 3, for example. For this reason, one end of the intermediate segment 4 may constitute or be referred to as the first end segment 2. The second end segment 3 may be considered as part of the rods shown in 3 and 4, or as part of the intermediate segment 4 on the opposite side of the first end segment that transitions to rods 3 and 4. One way to form the end segments is to provide terminals 13 on the conductor. For this reason, in some embodiments of Figures 6 to 12, the rod is formed as the second end segment 3, and in other embodiments, the rod is formed as part of the intermediate segment 4.

[0238] Having flexibility provided only by a portion of the intermediate segment or a portion of the length of the conductor is advantageous because the degree of flexibility can be varied according to the principle of leverage using the length from this portion to, for example, the terminal at the end of the rod.

[0239] It should be noted that a single conductor may have multiple intermediate segments that enhance its flexibility along its length. The design of such regions does not necessarily have to be identical, and in practice, they may improve control of flexibility in different directions relative to the direction of the current flowing through the conductor. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1b, it should be noted that the flexible portion of the intermediate segments may also be implemented along the entire length of the conductor.

[0240] The designs in Figures 6, 8, 9, and 10 allow for substantially equal deformation regardless of where the force perpendicular to the illustrated arm / second end 3 is applied. The intermediate segments in Figures 7, 11, and 12 allow for greater deformation in the "vertical" direction than in the "lateral" direction (in embodiments, the lateral and vertical directions may refer to the directions of axes 8a and 8b in Figure 1).

[0241] The electrical conductor 1 in Figures 6a and 6c has a combination of a helical intermediate segment 4 positioned on the first end segment 2 side and a rod-shaped second end segment 3. The intermediate segment has multiple conductor branches 5a, 5b, ..., 5n (commonly indicated by the letter 5) separated by multiple free spaces / gaps 6b. At each end of the intermediate segment 4, it is attached to a plate, i.e., two orthogonal plates. Such plates indicate the ends of the intermediate segment 4 and the beginnings of the first and second end segments 2 and 3. Thus, the intermediate segment 4 is attached to or continuous with the end segments 2 and 3, and a transition between them is established, as described with respect to Figure 1.

[0242] In this design, the second end segment 3 is embodied as a rod-shaped structure. That is, as an example, it is shown that the two end segments 2 and 3 do not need to be identical (terminals are not shown). The rod-shaped structure can be designed to have multiple conductor branches 5, or it can be designed as a single solid rod as shown.

[0243] The conductors shown in Figures 6a and 6b are shown in their stationary position where no force is acting. Most of the conductors in the figures are also shown in their stationary position. The conductor shown in Figure 6c is shown with a downward force acting on it.

[0244] The electrical conductor 1 shown in Figures 6a to 6c has the advantage that the intermediate segment 4 of the helical structure has a high degree of flexibility (deformability) toward the second end segment 2. The free space / gap 6b between the conductor branches 5 of the intermediate portion 4 of the helical structure allows for flexibility to be imparted to the rod / second end segment 3. The flexibility of the rod-shaped second end segment 3 is advantageous in that it provides flexibility in all directions because the intermediate segment 4 of the helical structure is circular.

[0245] The free space / gap 6b between the conductor branches 5 in the intermediate segment of the helical structure also provides the possibility of passing a coolant through to cool the conductor 1.

[0246] The electrical conductor 1 shown in Figures 6b and 6c is an example of the flexibility obtained by the deformation of the conductor branch 5 and / or the mutual displacement in the space of the conductor branch made possible by the gap 6b. Note that only the longitudinal gap 6b is shown.

[0247] The conductor 1 shown in Figure 6b is sufficiently rigid that its shape does not change based solely on the acting gravity (at least gravity can be ignored). In Figure 6c, for example, a downward force of 10 N is acting on the tip of the second end segment 3. As shown in Figure 6c, this changes the shape of the intermediate segment 4, and consequently the electrical conductor 1 itself. This change is shown as 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.

[0248] The electrical conductor 1 shown in Figure 7 has a corrugated intermediate segment 4, one end of which is terminated by a first end segment 2, and the other end is attached to a second end segment 3. In this embodiment, the second end segment 3 is a rod (fixing means / connecting parts 15 are not shown). The transition between the intermediate segment 4 and the second end segment 3 may be designed as described above.

[0249] The intermediate segment 4 is constructed from only one conductor branch 5a. This conductor branch 5a is designed to comprise multiple parallel conductor branch elements 5a-1, 5a-2, ..., 5a-n. These elements are spaced apart by air gaps 6b. Therefore, in this embodiment, only one conductor branch 5 is used to establish the flexible electrical conductor 1.

[0250] As mentioned above, the electrical conductor 1 shown in Figures 6a to 6c is 360-degree flexible. In principle, the electrical conductor 1 shown in Figure 7 is also 360-degree flexible, but its flexibility in the vertical direction is higher than in the horizontal direction. The degree of flexibility may be controlled by, for example, the number of conductor branching elements / gap (number of waves), the thickness of the branching elements and the area of ​​each wave, and the size of the gap (distance between two branching elements not only in the longitudinal direction but also in the lateral direction).

[0251] The conductor branch 5a, which forms the conductor branch elements 5a-n constituting the corrugated structure, is perpendicular to the rod of the second end segment. Note that the rod may be angled or rotated.

[0252] Depending on the distance (gap size) between conductor branches in the corrugated structure, various cooling fluids can be used to cool the electrical conductors.

[0253] Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 8a and 8b. In this embodiment, the electrical conductor 1 has a rod end as shown in Figure 7. The intermediate segment 4 is connected to two spaced plates that form part of the first and second end segments 2 and 3 as described above. Such plates may also be referred to as part of the intermediate segment without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0254] The intermediate segment 4 of the embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 8a comprises a plurality of electrical conductors 5, more specifically, three electrical conductor elements 5a, 5b, and 5c. Such electrical conductors 5a, 5b, and 5c have a corrugated structure. This corrugated structure may be designed according to the same principle as shown in Figure 7. Various modifications may be implemented here, and therefore the V-turn / U-turn / waveforms do not necessarily have to be identical in size or shape.

[0255] As shown in Figure 8b, the individual conductor branches 5a to 5c are separated vertically by air gaps. In principle, the space between them can also be called an air gap. The individual conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5c-n are separated horizontally by air gaps 6b.

[0256] The designs shown in Figures 8a and 8b are advantageous in terms of both flexibility and the space between conductor branches that allows for cooling / refrigerant flow.

[0257] The designs shown in Figures 8a and 8b can be said to be similar to the design shown in Figure 7. The designs in Figures 8a and 8b include multiple conductor branches 5a to 5c, whereas the design in Figure 7 includes only one conductor branch 5.

[0258] In addition, the design shown in Figure 9 includes only one conductor branch 5a, which contains multiple conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5a-n. Between such conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5a-n, there are longitudinal (horizontal) gaps 6b and transverse (vertical) gaps 6a.

[0259] The first end segment 2 is formed by one of the conductor branch elements 5a-x in one. The second end segment 3 may also be formed by one of the conductor branch elements 5a-x (the innermost part of the conductor branch forms the intermediate segment 4).

[0260] The rod may be manufactured monolithically together with the second end segment 3. For this reason, the rod (with the fastening hole 18) may be considered part of the electrical conductor 1. This, along with other embodiments including the rod, is an example of an electrical conductor 1 extending beyond either the first or second end segments 2, 3. In Figure 10 below, this rod is considered part of the second end segment 3, which is a matter of definition rather than a characteristic of the electrical conductor.

[0261] Embodiments of the present invention shown in Figures 9a and 9b have an intermediate segment 4 established by a single conductor branch 5a formed in a square spiral shape. This conductor branch 5a comprises a plurality of conductor branch elements 5a-1 to 5a-n separated by a gap 6. It should be noted that other shapes having substantially the same advantages as the square spiral may also have been used.

[0262] 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. Note that in this embodiment, the second end segment 3 is located in the center of the intermediate segment 4. Furthermore, note that the rod is connected to the second end segment 3, and therefore the rod may be considered part of the second end segment 3.

[0263] Therefore, in various embodiments of the present invention, even when the end segments 2 and 3 are integrated, they may be considered to start from the end of the intermediate segment 4. Also, as shown in Figures 9a and 9b, even when such a terminal hole 18 is at the other end of the rod, the end segments 2 and 3 may be considered to stop at the terminal hole 18 (or other connecting means). In this embodiment, it may be said that the second end segment extends from the center of the intermediate segment 4 to the end of the rod after the terminal hole 18.

[0264] In the embodiments shown in Figures 9a and 9b, the conductor element branch has a through hole through which the rod passes. Figure 9a shows the air gap 6 between the conductor branch element and the rod. This air gap, in conjunction with the air gaps 6a and 6b between the individual conductor branch elements of the square spiral, enhances the flexibility of the rod.

[0265] In embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 9, when the shape of the electrical conductor changes, the conductor branching elements may come into contact. Therefore, the size of one particular gap, i.e., the distance between two particular conductor branching elements, may decrease until the two conductor branching elements come into contact. Until contact occurs, only the other gaps shrink slightly. After such contact is achieved, the size of another gap may begin to decrease faster than the remaining gaps. Thus, the greater the number of gaps included in the design, the greater the degree of flexibility of the electrical conductor.

[0266] As can be imagined from the above, when the gaps shrink to the point of contact as described above, the size of another gap (or another part of the same gap) may increase. That is, the distance between the two conductor branching elements may increase. Which gaps / parts of gaps increase and which decrease is defined by the direction of the applied force, and consequently, the direction in which the electrical conductors move in space.

[0267] Even if two or more branches or branching elements are in contact or nearly in contact, the potential of the branches / branching elements is the same, so no electric arc will be generated.

[0268] Therefore, the multiple air gaps in the electrical conductor of this invention may change unevenly (not uniformly) when a force is applied. The same applies to the deformation of conductor branches / conductor branch elements.

[0269] Figure 10a shows yet another embodiment of the present invention, which is very similar to the main segment 19 of the embodiment shown in Figure 6. However, it should be noted from the close-up view in Figure 10b that multiple conductor branching elements, indicated by 5x-n, form the outer circumference of the intermediate segment 4. Furthermore, although difficult to see, there are also sets of conductor branching elements that form the inner circumference of the intermediate segment 4. Thus, the intermediate segment 4 comprises at least two axial layers of conductor branching elements. The axial layers should be understood as conductor branches or sets of conductor branching elements that form the circular intermediate segment 4.

[0270] As mentioned above, the square, spiral-shaped space / gap 6b between the conductor branches enhances the flexibility of the rod of the electrical conductor branch 1. In addition, the circular spiral shape provides flexibility in any direction to the end of the rod.

[0271] The embodiments shown in Figures 11 and 12 are examples of various additional electrical conductors 1 within the scope of the present invention. In the embodiment of Figure 11, conductor branches 5a to 5c are formed as blades spaced apart by gaps 6. Depending on the measurement location of the gaps, the gaps are in the longitudinal direction 6b or the transverse direction 6a. In this embodiment, gaps 6b are found both between elements of the same conductor branch and between (elements of) two conductor branches. Three blades are shown, but this number can be changed as well as the width and thickness, depending on requirements such as flexibility.

[0272] Figure 12 shows multiple conductor branches 5a to 5n. There is an air gap between the elements of two different conductor branches.

[0273] Note that both the rod and the portion connected to the conductor branch of the intermediate segment may be indicated by 3. This indicates that the rod may be considered part of the second end segment 3, or it may be considered a separate part. In addition, since the rod is not necessary, please note that the electrical conductor 1 in the figure may be terminated at the first and second end structures 2 and 3.

[0274] Furthermore, the electrical conductor 1 may have one first conductor branch 5 that can branch into a plurality of second conductor branches 5, and each of these second conductor branches may further branch into a plurality of third conductor branches 5, etc., via an intermediate segment of the electrical conductor 1. In this way, along the direction of the current flowing through the electrical conductor 1 from the first end to the second end, the current flows through the first conductor branch, then is divided into the flow of the second conductor branch, then further divided into the flow of the third conductor branch, and so on, and so on, and is further divided into the flow of the nth conductor branch.

[0275] In one embodiment, when 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. Subsequently, the cross-sectional area of ​​the third conductor branch may be smaller than the second cross-sectional area. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor branches may vary in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate segment.

[0276] As described above, a conductor branch of an electrical conductor may branch into multiple additional (nth) conductors. Similarly, a conductor branch may converge from the conductor branch with a larger number of branches to the conductor branch with a smaller number of branches.

[0277] Note that the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment at a first distance from the first end segment may be the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment at a second distance from the first end segment, but the number of conductor branches at the first distance may be different from the number of conductor branches at the second distance.

[0278] Note that the cross-sectional areas of the intermediate segment at the first and second distances from the first end segment may be different, but the number of conductor branches may be the same. Of course, in addition, the cross-sectional areas and the number of conductor branches at the first and second distances from the first end segment may be the same.

[0279] The branches may be in one plane. This plane may be a plane that touches the surface of the electrical conductor having a curved design. Further, note that such branches may be implemented within a certain range of conductor uniformity and / or may be implemented, for example, from one conductor to another by joining / fixing two conductors.

[0280] Note that the embodiments of the electrical conductor further include a design in which the conductor branches branch from the first end segment into a plurality of conductor branches and converge again at the second end segment without branching between the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0281] According to the present invention, the electrical conductor 1 may have any "printable" shape / design. Although various shapes / designs have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such illustrated designs.

[0282] For this reason, there is a T-shaped electrical conductor 1 as a design not shown that is still within the scope of the present invention. Such a T-shaped conductor may extend between points A and B with an intermediate point M in between. This electrical conductor further includes a portion extending from the intermediate point M to point C (and theoretically a plurality of other points in space). Note that the intermediate point M may be between points A and B, and thus the shape may be close to an L-shape.

[0283] Intermediate segments may be provided on line segments between A and M, between B and M, or between M and C, or any combination thereof. For this reason, such a conductor may be designed to maintain its shape between points A and B, but an intermediate segment with a conductor branch element / conductor branch is positioned between points M and C. This allows the line segment between points M and C to be elastically deformable by applying a force below the yield point to point C.

[0284] Another embodiment not shown within the scope of the present invention is an electrical conductor comprising only an intermediate segment. In such an embodiment, the fastening holes / terminals may be formed by the ends of the intermediate segment, i.e., one or more conductor branches. In such an embodiment, the end segment can also be said to be one or more ends of the conductor branches. More specifically, the end segment in such an embodiment may be part of an electrical conductor designed to be connected to and secured to another electrical component.

[0285] Another embodiment of the electrical conductor 1 within the scope of the present invention is a conductor branch in which a first portion has a first shape in space and a second portion has a second shape in space. A non-limiting example of a conductor branch having a first shape and a second shape in space is a conductor branch 5 which can twist 90 degrees such that the first portion forms a flat horizontal shape before twisting and the second portion forms a flat vertical shape after twisting. This is advantageous in that such a conductor branch is flexible in one direction of space along the first portion and flexible in the other direction of space along the second portion.

[0286] Another embodiment not shown within the scope of the present invention includes an electrical conductor designed to take advantage of available space in the electrical / mechanical layout of an electrical system / panel. Conductor branch 5 of electrical conductor 1 may branch into one or more sub-conductor branches. In this way, electrical conductor 1 branches as it approaches a component, separates into both directions around the component, and then rejoins. Similarly, one or more conductor branches may form a loop around the core, or another conductor branch / electrical conductor may pass through the loop. In this way, the inductor may be designed in any way as long as the available space in the electrical system allows.

[0287] Another embodiment not shown within the scope of the present invention is an electrical wire harness. Such a wire harness may be a replacement for conventional known wire harnesses made of block conductors or threaded conductors, or for wiring on a printed circuit board. Using such a wire harness, multiple electrical components may be connected to each other with electrical conductors of the present invention manufactured according to the method of the present invention. This is particularly true if the method of the present invention includes steps such as connecting two conductor branches with a non-conductive material, or enabling the application of an insulating material.

[0288] Another embodiment not shown within the scope of the present invention is an electrical conductor that functions as a connection between two components, such as two conventional block busbars. As an alternative to known braided busbars, the conductor 1 may be manufactured by additive manufacturing using the design according to the present invention. This design is tailored to a specific connection in terms of vibration absorption, footprint, etc. For this reason, conventional cables or busbars may be used between electrical panels, and when connecting the cables or busbars to components or branches within the panels, this may be done using the electrical conductor according to the present invention.

[0289] Another embodiment not shown within the scope of the present invention is an electrical conductor having two or more deformation points. The deformation points may be parts of the conductor, for example, midpoints, i.e., points where the deformation by design is determined. Alternatively, the deformation points may be recesses in the rod portion of the electrical conductor (or other weakening or strengthening designs) where deformation (typically plastic deformation) will occur when a force is applied. The force required to deform in such recesses may be predetermined and associated with the size of the recesses. Additional portions of the electrical conductor may be strengthened to ensure that no deformation of the electrical conductor occurs in the strengthened portions. Furthermore, for example, around terminal holes 18, the electrical conductor may be strengthened by plastic deformation to a predetermined level to facilitate a desired electrical connection with another conductor or component. The force applied when the electrical conductor is attached, for example, with bolts, is measured by a torque wrench and is called the clamping force. An example of a conductor having multiple deformation points is shown in Figure 5.

[0290] For example, as can be seen by comparing Figure 3 with Figure 7 or Figure 8, the extent to which the intermediate segment 4 extends relative to the length of the electrical conductor 1 can vary. In such a figure, the intermediate segment 4 is located between the end segments 2 and 3.

[0291] In Figure 4, the lengths of end segments 2 and 3 are substantially the same. That is, the distance from the point where the intermediate segment 4 connects to end segments 2 and 3 to the fastening hole 18 is approximately the same.

[0292] However, in the electrical conductor shown in Figure 8, the second end segment 3 to which the intermediate segment 4 is connected is much longer than the first end segment 2. As shown in the figure, the second end segment continues to hole 23 with one conductor branch, and therefore the length of the second end segment 3 is several times longer than the length of the first end segment 2.

[0293] Thus, the intermediate segment may be positioned within the electrical conductor depending on where flexibility is desired. It may be positioned toward one end segment or toward the center of the electrical conductor.

[0294] As can be understood from the above, there is a great deal of freedom in the design and manufacturing of the intermediate segment 4 to obtain the desired flexibility. The desired flexibility should be understood as directional flexibility of the electrical conductor. Referring again to Figures 7 and 8, the flexibility in these illustrated embodiments is designed to be "up and down". However, if the illustrated intermediate segment is rotated 90 degrees, the flexibility of the electrical conductor becomes sideways.

[0295] Therefore, design freedom means that by designing the flexibility of the electrical conductor and "rotating the intermediate segment," it is possible to manufacture the electrical conductor at any angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical conductor using additive manufacturing.

[0296] Furthermore, the design of the intermediate segment allows for the deformation of the electrical conductor and the determination of the force required to bend it. The intermediate segment of the electrical conductor shown in Figure 8 would most likely be deformed solely by gravity acting on the long second end segment 3. In contrast, the intermediate segment of the electrical conductor shown in Figure 3 would require the application of force to deform.

[0297] It is clear that the thinner the conductor branch 5, the smaller the force required to deform the electrical conductor 1. In other words, there is a relationship between the stiffness of the conductor and its cross-sectional area. Furthermore, there is also a relationship between the material and orientation, which also affects the magnitude of the force required to impart sufficient stress to deform the electrical conductor. In fact, all of the aforementioned parameters (and other unmentioned parameters) can affect the deformable force (the force required to impart stress that leads to deformation). This applies to both the electrical conductor itself and the individual conductor branches, and to both elastic and plastic deformation.

[0298] Flexible / deformable conductors are particularly advantageous when the conductor is connected to a sensitive electronic component, as forces / vibrations are not transmitted through the conductor to the sensitive electronic component.

[0299] The rigid conductor is particularly advantageous when the electrical conductor 1 is used, for example, as a structural component of an electrical system or panel, or when connected to other rigid components of an electrical system or panel.

[0300] The force required to deform the intermediate segment naturally depends on several factors, such as the dimensions of the conductor branch / conductor branch element, the length of the end segments, the material used, the orientation of the conductor branches, etc. The present invention is applicable to a wide range of applications, from very small-scale applications (conductors such as wire harnesses) that require only a small force of 10 N or less to deform a specific part of the electrical conductor, to very large-scale applications that require a force of 10^7 N or more to deform.

[0301] According to the present invention, the deformation of the electrical conductor should be understood as a change in the form or shape of one or more conductor branches (and thus the conductor branch element or a part thereof) included in the intermediate segment.

[0302] Such deformation results in a change in the shape of the electrical conductor in space. Examples of shape changes include rotation of one end segment relative to the other end segment, increase or decrease in the relative distance between electrical branches and / or electrical conductors, bending of the electrical conductor, and the like.

[0303] As described above, one or more conductor branches 5 are separated from each other by one or more voids / free spaces. Such voids may separate one or more conductor branches in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor. Separating one conductor branch by a void is possible, for example, when such conductor branch is in a shape such as spiral, harmonica, twisted, etc.

[0304] The separation of the conductor branches may be carried out in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor. Some conductor branches may be separated from other conductor branches in various directions by a plurality of voids, and some conductor branches may be separated from other branches in only one direction.

[0305] Spacing out the conductor branches is advantageous in that, for example, airflow or other media used for cooling can pass through the gaps and, consequently, between the conductor branches. Therefore, the free space / gap establishes one or more cooling paths between the conductor branches, resulting in improved cooling efficiency in the electrical conductor of this invention compared to known electrical conductors. The higher the cooling efficiency, i.e., the lower the conductor temperature, the greater the current that can flow through the electrical conductor.

[0306] In fact, tests have shown that the amount of material used to manufacture the electrical conductor according to the present invention can be reduced by 80% to 95%, and can be reduced even further with specific design and appropriate cooling.

[0307] This separation is advantageous in that it allows for deformation of the electrical conductor, i.e., twisting, bending, compression, and / or stretching, which facilitates installation, absorbs vibrations, and reduces the transmission of tension from one component connected to an electrical conductor to the other. One example is a configuration in which a gap defines the distance between one or more conductor branches, and that distance decreases or increases as a result of an applied force. This is advantageous in that when a force is applied, the distance between the two conductor branches changes (increases or decreases), thereby making the electrical conductor deformable.

[0308] 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 several 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 cm to 50 cm.

[0309] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a high-voltage conductor having first and second ends 2, 3 connected to each other via an intermediate segment 4 having a plurality of conductor branch paths 5. Each of the two ends 2, 3 may have a connection portion 15 that allows the high-voltage conductor to be connected to other electrical components. The high-voltage conductor is manufactured by additive manufacturing.

[0310] High voltage refers to a voltage of 48V to 700V, for example, 1000V or 1500V, preferably 48V to 10kV, and most preferably 48V to 1000kV. High voltage may be either AC or DC such as HVDC (high voltage DC).

[0311] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for bending an electrical conductor having first and second ends 2, 3 connected to each other by an intermediate segment 4 having a plurality of conductor branches 5. Each of the two ends 2, 3 may have a connection portion 15 to which a high-voltage conductor can be connected to other electrical components. The force used to bend the electrical conductor is such that it imposes a stress on the material constituting the electrical conductor that exceeds the yield point of the material, and this force is applied manually. Manual application should be understood as being applied, for example, by a worker installing the electrical conductor on an electrical panel or by a worker packaging and shipping the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor may be manufactured by additive manufacturing.

[0312] 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). The intermediate segment (4) comprises a plurality of conductor branches (5a, ..., 5n), the plurality of conductor branches (5a, ..., 5n) being made of a conductive material, and at least two of the plurality of conductor branches (5a, ..., 5n) being separated by a gap (6). The intermediate segment may separate the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor (1). The gap may be in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

[0313] 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). The intermediate segment (4) comprises a conductor branch (5), the conductor branch (5) being made of a conductive material, and at least two portions of the conductor branch (5) being separated by a gap (6). The intermediate segment may separate the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) in the longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor (1). The gap may be in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1). The conductor branch (5) may comprise a plurality of conductor branch elements (5x-n), and it may be two of such conductor branch elements that are separated by the gap (6).

[0314] In certain embodiments, the present invention further includes an electrical conductor (1) for electrical installation. The electrical conductor comprises a first end segment (2), a second end segment (3), and an intermediate segment (4) formed by a plurality of conductor branches (5a to 5n) electrically and mechanically coupling the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3). The first end segment (2) and the conductor branches of the plurality of conductor branches (5a to 5d) are monolithically coupled by a connector, thereby forming an inner corner (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) in two different lateral directions (8a, 8b).

[0315] In this particular embodiment, the multiple conductor branches (5) are twisted relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate segment (4) without causing physical contact between the individual conductor branches.

[0316] In certain embodiments, the electrical conductor (1) includes a cooling structure extending from the longitudinal direction of the intermediate portion (4).

[0317] In certain embodiments, the electrical conductor (1) comprises a plurality of cooling structures arranged at intervals that facilitate the installation of a ferrite core between two cooling structures.

[0318] In certain embodiments, the cooling structure extends further from the electrical conductor (1) than the ferrite core.

[0319] In a particular embodiment, two of the multiple conductor branches are mechanically and electrically coupled by lateral branch protrusions.

[0320] In a particular embodiment, the intermediate segment is a first intermediate segment, and the electrical conductor further comprises a second intermediate segment formed by a second plurality of conductor branches, the second intermediate segment further electrically and mechanically coupling the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0321] In certain embodiments, the second end segment and the conductor branches of the second plurality of conductor branches are monolithically coupled by a rounded connector, thereby forming a concave, rounded inner corner 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.

[0322] In certain embodiments, the electrical conductor is manufactured at least partially by an additive manufacturing process.

[0323] In certain embodiments, the electrical conductor (1) comprises two or more central body segments, and the shapes of the conductive portions connected to the same central body segment are different.

[0324] In a particular embodiment, the electrical conductor (1) comprises two central body segments connected to the inductor section.

[0325] In certain embodiments, the ferrite core is connected via the inductor section.

[0326] In certain embodiments, the branch diameter of one of the multiple conductor branches is less than 3 cm, for example, less than 2.5 cm, for example, less than 2 cm, for example, less than 1.5 cm.

[0327] In a particular embodiment, one of the multiple conductor branches has a rounded connector that forms one or more concave, rounded inner corners having a corner radius of at least 0.2 branch diameter, e.g., at least 0.3 branch diameter, e.g., at least 0.5 branch diameter, e.g., at least 0.8 branch diameter, e.g., at least 1.2 branch diameter.

[0328] In a particular embodiment, one conductor branch of two adjacent conductor branches among a plurality of conductor branches has a rounded connector that forms one or more concavely rounded inner corners having a corner radius of at least 0.05 adjacent spacing between the two adjacent conductor branches, for example, at least 0.1 adjacent spacing, for example, at least 0.2 adjacent spacing, for example, at least 0.3 adjacent spacing, for example, at least 0.4 adjacent spacing.

[0329] In certain embodiments, the electrical conductor has a resonant vibration frequency related to the relative motion between the first end segment and the second end segment, where the resonant vibration frequency is at most 300, 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, for example, at least 5 kHz.

[0330] In certain embodiments, the electrical conductor comprises an internal bulk structure and an external structure, the internal bulk structure and the external structure having different material compositions.

[0331] In a particular embodiment, the electrical conductor (1) comprises a first portion having a first outer diameter and a second portion having a second outer diameter, wherein the first outer diameter is larger than the second outer diameter.

[0332] In certain embodiments, 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. This method includes the steps of: monolithically coupling the first end segment and the conductor branches of a plurality of conductor branches via a connector to form an inner corner between the first end segment and the conductor branches of the plurality of conductor branches, thereby spatially separating the conductor branches 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.

[0333] In the method of a particular embodiment, the electrical installation includes a renewable energy facility.

[0334] In a particular embodiment of the method, the method includes the step of establishing a digital representation of an electrical conductor.

[0335] In a particular embodiment of the method, the method includes the step of performing digital shape optimization of a digital representation of an electrical conductor in order to form at least partially a plurality of conductor branches.

[0336] In a particular embodiment of the method, the method includes the step of additively fabricating an electrical conductor based on a digital representation of the electrical conductor.

[0337] In a particular embodiment of the method, the step of additively fabricating an electrical conductor includes selective laser melting.

[0338] In a particular embodiment of the method, the step of additively manufacturing an electrical conductor includes wire arc additive manufacturing.

[0339] From the above, it is clear that the present invention relates to flexible electrical conductors such as busbars. In particular, the busbars of the present invention are suitable for use in electrical panels and most conductors in renewable energy power plants such as wind turbines. This is due to their flexibility (air gaps inherent in the design of the electrical conductor), which arises from the ability of the conductor branches / branch elements of the electrical conductor to deform, thereby changing the shape of the electrical conductor. Since the electrical conductor is designed with conductor branches / branch elements spaced apart by air gaps, the electrical conductor can carry high currents while simultaneously changing shape (changing its form in space).

[0340] Electrical conductors can carry high currents by having multiple conductor branches / conductor branching elements. Because the electrical conductors are designed with gaps between such branches, the weight of the electrical conductor is reduced compared to known electrical conductor designs that carry the same current. Furthermore, the electrical conductors of this invention can absorb vibrations and have improved cooling effects due to their deformability and gaps.

[0341] Finally, the reason why electrical conductors with such characteristics can be equipped is that they can be designed by a computer program that is either automatically designed based on the relevant inputs or manually designed, and the result of this design can be produced / manufactured by an additive manufacturing process.

[0342] The present invention is illustrated above, not limited to, specific examples of methods and designs, for illustrative purposes only. Details of specific methods and structures are provided to help understand embodiments of the present invention. Detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods have been omitted to avoid complicating the explanation of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0343] 1 Electrical conductor 2. First end segment 3. Second end segment 4. Middle section 5 Conductor branch x Conductor branch 1 Conductor branching element 6 void 8. Horizontal 9 Longitudinal direction 10. The shortest distance between the first end segment and the second end segment. 11 Intersections 12 Web-like structure 13 terminals 15 Connection part 18 fastening holes 19 Central Main Segment 20 Inductor section 21 Additional electrical components 22 volts 23 cores

Claims

1. An electrical conductor (1), The electrical conductor (1) comprises a first end segment (2) and a second end segment (3) separated in the longitudinal direction by an intermediate segment (4), The aforementioned intermediate segment (4) comprises a plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n), The aforementioned plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) are made from a conductive material. An electrical conductor (1) wherein at least two of the plurality of conductor branching 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) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) are formed by a single conductor branch (5).

3. The electrical conductor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) are formed by two or more conductor branches (5).

4. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electrical conductor (1) is monolithic.

5. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electrical conductor (1) is manufactured at least partially by an additive manufacturing process.

6. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gap (6) is defined by a distance, the distance being the shortest distance between the conductor branching element of the first conductor branch and the conductor branching element of the second conductor branch in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

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

8. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the 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 claims 1 to 8, wherein the 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 claims 1 to 9, wherein the gap is between 0.01 cm and 40 cm.

11. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the gap (6) is configured to change shape as a result of a force applied to the electrical conductor (1).

12. The shape of the gap (6) is configured to change by the deformation of at least two of the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n), as described in claim 11.

13. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a plurality of air gaps (6) are established between the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) in the longitudinal direction (9) of the electrical conductor (1).

14. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) are configured to deform the shape of one subset of the plurality of air gaps (6) in a manner different from that of a second subset of the plurality of air gaps (6).

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

16. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein at least two of the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) intersect at an intersection (11), and at least two conductor branching elements (5x-n) branch off from the intersection (11).

17. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) branches from the intersection (11) to at least two conductor branching elements (5x-n).

18. The plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) that form a plurality of voids (6) are implemented as a web-like structure (12), the electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) that form a plurality of voids (6) are implemented as a biomechanical structure.

20. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the gap (6) is an axial gap (6).

21. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the gap (6) separates the at least two conductor branching elements (5x-n) in the lateral direction of the electrical conductor (1).

22. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein at least one of the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) is terminated at a connecting portion (15).

23. The electrical conductor (1) according to claim 22, wherein the connecting portion (15) is a fastening hole (18).

24. At least one of the plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) is longer than the shortest distance (10) between the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3), The electrical conductor (1) is configured to change shape by deformation of one or more conductor branching elements (5x-n) according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. The plurality of conductor branching elements (5x-n) are implemented as one or more conductor branches (5), one of the one or more conductor branches (5) is longer than the shortest distance (10) between the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3), and the electrical conductor (1) is configured to change shape by deformation of the one or more conductor branches (5), as described in any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. The electrical conductor (1) according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the deformation is elastic deformation.

27. The electrical conductor (1) according to claim 26, wherein the electrical conductor (1) is configured to elastically deform when a force is applied to the electrical conductor (1), and the force generates a stress in the electrical conductor (1) that is smaller than the yield point of the material of the electrical conductor (1).

28. The aforementioned force is less than 400 N, the electrical conductor (1) according to claim 27.

29. The electrical conductor (1) according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the deformation is plastic deformation.

30. The electrical conductor (1) is configured to undergo plastic deformation when a force is applied to the electrical conductor (1), and the force generates a stress that exceeds the yield point of the material of the electrical conductor (1), as described in claim 29.

31. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein at least one of the one or more conductor branches (5) is designed to have a shape that includes a plurality of voids, and the plurality of voids are reduced non-uniformly as a result of a force applied to at least one of the one or more conductor branches (5).

32. The electrical conductor (1) is configured to return to its original shape as a result of the removal of the applied force, according to any one of claims 25 to 31.

33. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein each of the one or more conductor branches (5) is interrupted by one or more of the air gaps (6) in a cross-sectional view (7) along the longitudinal direction (9) of the electric conductor (1).

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

35. The electrical conductor (1) comprises a first deformation point and a second deformation point, the electrical conductor (1) is configured to deform at the first deformation point when exposed to a first force, and the electrical conductor is configured to deform at the second deformation point when exposed to a second force, wherein the first force and the second force are not the same, according to any one of claims 1 to 34.

36. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 35, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the one or more conductor branches (5) is the same.

37. The cross-sectional area of ​​the one or more conductor branches (5) is 200 mm². ２ Preferably 150 mm ２ Less than 100 mm, preferably 100 mm ２ Less than 50 mm, preferably 50 mm ２ Less than 10 mm, preferably 10 mm ２ Less than 0.5 mm, most preferably 0.5 mm ２ ~5mm ２ The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 36.

38. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 37, wherein at least one of the one or more conductor branches (5) has a different length from the others of the one or more conductor branches (5).

39. An electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 38, wherein at least one first portion (5a-1, 5b-1, ...) of the one or more conductor branches (5) has a first shape in space, and at least one second portion (5a-2, 5b-2, ...) of the one or more conductor branches (5) has a second shape in space.

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

42. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 41, wherein one or more of the aforementioned plurality of conductor branches have an internal cooling channel.

43. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 42, wherein at least one of the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3) is monolithically joined to the connecting portion (15).

44. The terminal (8) is a fastening hole (18), as described in any one of claims 1 to 43, the electrical conductor (1).

45. The aforementioned terminal is a connecting pin, the electrical conductor (1) according to claim 43 or to 44.

46. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 45, comprising one first end segment (2) and a plurality of second end segments.

47. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 46, wherein all of the one or more conductor branches (5) are of the same length.

48. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 47, wherein the one or more conductor branches (5) have a coil-like structure.

49. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 48, wherein the one or more conductor branches (5) have a coil-like structure.

50. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 49, wherein the one or more conductor branches (5) have one or more corrugated structures.

51. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 50, wherein the one or more conductor branches (5) have a honeycomb structure.

52. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 51, wherein the one or more conductor branches (5) have a twisted structure.

53. The twisted structure includes a uniform void (6), as described in any one of claims 1 to 52, the electrical conductor (1).

54. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 53, wherein the one or more conductor branches (5) are individually connected to both the first end segment (2) and the second end segment (3).

55. The electric conductor (1) according to any one of claims 25 to 54, wherein the one or more conductor branches (5) are arranged around either the first end segment (2) and / or the second end segment (3).

56. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 55, wherein the first end segment (2) is configured to be displaced longitudinally compared to the second end segment (3).

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

58. The electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 57, 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 claims 1 to 58, wherein either the first end segment (2) or the second end segment (3) is fixed to a component constituting an electrical panel.

60. A method for manufacturing an electrical conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 59, wherein the manufacturing method is an additive manufacturing process.

61. A method for connecting a first end segment (2) of an electrical conductor (1) to a second end segment (3) of the electrical conductor, - A step of monolithically bonding the first end segment (2) and the conductor branch elements (5x-n) of one or more conductor branches (5) via an additive manufacturing process, - A step of manufacturing the one or more conductor branches (5) via the additive manufacturing process such that a gap (6) is established between two or more conductor branch elements (5x-n) of the one or more conductor branches (5) and the one or more conductor branch elements are spatially separated in two different directions, A method comprising the steps of electrically and mechanically coupling the first end segment and the second end segment via an intermediate segment (4) of an electrical conductor formed by the one or more conductor branches (5).

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

63. The method according to claim 61 or 62, wherein the two different directions are a first transverse direction (8a) and a second transverse direction (8b) of the electrical conductor (1).

64. The method according to any one of claims 61 to 63, wherein the electrical and mechanical coupling is achieved by the additive manufacturing process.

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

66. The method according to any one of claims 61 to 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 to 59 in an electrical system.

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

69. An electric panel comprising an electric conductor (1) as described in any one of claims 1 to 59.

70. The electric panel according to claim 69, wherein the electric panel is included in a renewable power generation system.

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