Electrical local connection busbar

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical local connection busbar (1) having a first terminal (7) and a second terminal (8). The terminals are separated by an intermediate segment (4) configured to conduct current between the terminals. The electrical local connection busbar is manufactured by additive manufacturing. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a conductor is disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical local connection bus bar and a method for manufacturing such an electrical local connection bus bar by an additive manufacturing process.

Background Art

[0002] In this technical field, solid bus bars made of copper and aluminum are known and used for the distribution of electric power in electrical systems. Such bus bars become heavy and difficult to handle before, during, and after installation when they reach a certain size, i.e., when they meet the requirements for conducting high currents such as currents exceeding 16A. Therefore, there are problems in this technical field regarding the manufacture, transportation, and installation of bus bars.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The inventors of the present invention have identified the above-described problems and issues regarding electrical bus bars and the handling of bus bars, and have solved these problems by the present invention described below.

[0004] In one aspect, the present invention relates to an electrical local connection bus bar, the electrical local connection bus bar comprising at least one first terminal and at least one second terminal separated by an intermediate segment, the intermediate segment being configured to support the conduction of current between the at least one first terminal and the at least one second terminal, and the electrical local connection bus bar being manufactured by additive manufacturing.

[0005] Manufacturing high-power electrical local connection busbars (simply referred to as conductors or conductive materials) by additive manufacturing is advantageous because additive manufacturing is well-suited to manufacturing complex shapes, and therefore advantageous for manufacturing conductors used in confined spaces such as electrical cabinets. In particular, geometric features of the conductor, such as individual conductor branches, protrusions, recesses, and internal structures, may be directly additively manufactured. Thus, using additive manufacturing to manufacture conductors for high-power converters is advantageous because it allows the geometry of the conductor to be tailored to the requirements / design of the high-power converter and / or the electrical cabinet housing the high-power converter.

[0006] Therefore, a converter equipped with an electrical local connection busbar according to the present invention, manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, is advantageous in that it reduces weight and material costs due to the reduced amount of material used for the conductor. Furthermore, converter cooling is improved by increasing the surface area of ​​the conductor and by manufacturing the conductor to have internal cooling channels. In addition, the number of connections in the conductor is reduced and the conductor is more flexible compared to known busbars, which can lead to faster assembly of the converter. All of these effects can contribute to a more compact design of a power converter using, for example, an electrical local connection busbar according to the present invention.

[0007] Furthermore, the conductor may be designed to minimize the reduction in airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet of the electrical cabinet. In fact, it may be possible to design the conductor to have a geometry that guides the airflow in a predetermined direction. This predetermined direction may be towards a heat sink, a connection between the conductor and a component, or an opening into an internal channel of the conductor.

[0008] The conductor may be implemented as a cable or a busbar. Busbars are known in the industry as solid bars of copper or aluminum, typically used to distribute current between electrical components inside an electrical cabinet.

[0009] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar is selected from a list including a main busbar, a transition busbar, and a current balance busbar.

[0010] A main busbar should typically be understood as a conductor that distributes current from one or more cables entering an electrical cabinet, switchgear, panel board, or busway enclosure to electrical components located within the cabinet. Typically, a main busbar extends in the width direction (X direction) or height direction (Y direction) of the electrical cabinet. The main busbar may be fixed to the backplate of the electrical cabinet.

[0011] A transition busbar should be understood as a busbar that connects a main busbar or cable to another main busbar, another transition busbar, electrical components, etc. A transition busbar may also be referred to as a connection or transition for connecting two or more electrical components. Typically, a transition busbar extends in two or more directions, one of which is toward the opening of the electrical cabinet (Z direction). The other of these directions is typically perpendicular or parallel to the main busbar to which the transition busbar is connected. A transition busbar may have two legs at one end to connect, for example, two parallel power modules to one main busbar or to another transition busbar.

[0012] A current-balanced busbar should be understood as a form of a transition busbar. A current-balanced busbar may be, for example, a transition busbar with two connected / short-circuited legs that connect to parallel power modules. This is advantageous because, when a current-balanced busbar is connected to two parallel-connected power modules, and the currents to or from these two power modules are not identical, the connected legs conduct heat and current within the larger leg. In this way, current and heat are balanced in the current-balanced busbar.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar comprises a first end segment and a second end segment.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the end segment comprises at least a first terminal and at least one second terminal.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate segment comprises at least one first terminal and at least one second terminal.

[0016] Physical conductors may be manufactured based on digital representations.

[0017] Additive manufacturing is advantageous because it enables the simple production of complex geometric shapes, such as those found in the conductor according to the present invention. In particular, geometric features of a conductor, such as conductor branching, may be directly manufactured by additive manufacturing while spatially separating the conductor branching in two different transversal directions.

[0018] Furthermore, additive manufacturing may reduce the number of steps required for production, which is an advantage. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to a specific number of manufacturing steps.

[0019] Wire arc additive manufacturing is particularly suitable for manufacturing the conductive material according to the present invention at a relatively low cost.

[0020] The intermediate segment may be understood as a segment that electrically and mechanically connects the first terminal and the second terminal. In some embodiments, the intermediate segment is not necessarily in direct contact with both end segments. It may be formed monolithically with the first end segment, for example, while an additional segment may be positioned between the second end segment and the intermediate segment.

[0021] This is advantageous in that conductors can be manufactured to fit directly into, for example, electrical cabinets where only minimal space is available. The conductors are limited by the space or other electrical components within the electrical cabinet. A segment may be composed of a different material.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate segment comprises a plurality of conductor branching elements.

[0023] This is advantageous because it allows for the use of less material to create the conductor. Conductors have a larger surface area than solid conductors, which can help cool them. Cooling of the conductive element over a larger surface area allows the same current to flow in the conductor even with less material.

[0024] Furthermore, reducing the weight and material content of components such as conductors, which have requirements regarding vibration damping, susceptibility to structural damage, and / or current transmission capability, is particularly difficult. Simply removing material may not be feasible, as it could degrade the performance of the conductor beyond the requirements of a given application, such as specific electrical installations in certain renewable energy facilities. Therefore, the prospects for saving / removing material may be evaluated in combination with minimizing, maintaining, or improving other properties of the conductor.

[0025] A conductor may be understood as an object or element that facilitates the flow of electric charge, also known as electric current. An example of a conductor is a busbar. Another example of a conductor is a cable or wire configuration. Busbars may be used, for example, in electrical converter equipment within a wind turbine to connect high-voltage and / or high-current equipment or terminals. Typically, the material of a conductor is a metal, such as silver, copper, gold, aluminum, or one or more other metals, or any combination thereof.

[0026] The conductor may be installed / incorporated, for example, in electrical equipment in a renewable energy facility. An example of electrical equipment is a converter such as an AC-DC converter, a DC-AC converter, an AC-AC converter, or a DC-DC converter. Such a converter is often important, for example, to accurately and highly reliably convert power from one side to the other between a renewable energy facility and an electrical grid. Other examples of electrical equipment are an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a power supply device, a switch module, and electrical equipment generally provided in an electrical cabinet.

[0027] Examples of renewable energy facilities are renewable energy power generation plants such as wind turbines, solar power plants, hydroelectric power plants, bioenergy power plants, and geothermal power plants. Other examples of renewable energy facilities are power storage facilities such as battery-based power storage facilities, and power-to-x facilities such as electrolysis facilities. Further, the conductor according to the present invention may be used in the electrical system of an electric vehicle.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the conductor branching element is monolithically formed by a rounded connection, forming a concave-rounded internal corner at at least one first terminal and / or at least one second terminal.

[0029] The additive manufacturing process is suitable for manufacturing complex shapes and is thus advantageous for use in manufacturing intermediate segments formed by a plurality of conductor branches.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one terminal, at least one second terminal, and the intermediate segment are monolithically connected.

[0031] The conductor according to the present invention may be used, for example, in electrical equipment to promote vibration damping, which is an advantage. In particular, by having a conductor in which the end segments are electrically and mechanically coupled by a plurality of conductor branches and the rounded connections are monolithically integrated, thereby spatially separating the conductor branches in two different lateral directions, the conductor can improve vibration damping in any lateral direction while potentially minimizing the risk of structural damage, which is an advantage.

[0032] Large currents and fluctuating weather conditions can create a wide temperature range in renewable energy facilities. A conductor that is monolithically formed in the first end segment by rounded connections and has two laterally distributed conductor branches allows for better thermal expansion under such conditions, which is an advantage.

[0033] The so-called skin effect refers to the tendency for alternating current to flow primarily near the surface of a conductor. This effect may result in additional AC resistance in the conductor. Having multiple conductor branches potentially increases the surface area, at least locally, in the intermediate segments, resulting in reduced AC resistance, which is an advantage. At the same time, a rounded monolithic connection may facilitate the formation of multiple conductor branches in the intermediate segments while minimizing conduction losses that may occur at sharp corners and / or interfaces, which is also an advantage.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar is manufactured from an electrically conductive material.

[0035] This is advantageous in that the conductor has the effect of conducting electric current. Some examples may be conductors made of copper, aluminum, or any electrically conductive material, or alloys thereof.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar is manufactured from a non-electrically conductive material.

[0037] This is advantageous in that the materials used for manufacturing conductors are cheaper, lighter, or require shorter processing times. Conductors can be manufactured from non-electrically conductive materials and then coated / printed with conductive materials to allow current to flow.

[0038] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar is coated or printed with an insulating material.

[0039] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar is coated or printed with an electrically conductive material.

[0040] This is advantageous in that the process for creating the conductor can be faster or cheaper when the conductor is subsequently coated or printed with another material.

[0041] Furthermore, when a conductor is used, for example, in an electrical cabinet, it may be advantageous to apply additional insulating material to avoid other electrical components.

[0042] The coating / printing material applied to the conductor may be applied to the entire conductor, or only to the end segments, intermediate segments, or additional segments.

[0043] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar comprises a geometry included in the list, which includes a wedge, a cone, a cylinder, a quadrilateral, and an ellipse.

[0044] Therefore, any geometry that can be manufactured by the additive process can be used in any combination for manufacturing intermediate segments of a conductor.

[0045] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the electrical local connection busbar is manufactured in a geometry included in the list, including bionic, mesh, spongy, honeycomb, corrugated, gyroidal, and branched.

[0046] Such a geometry of a conductor is advantageous in that, when one of the aforementioned geometries is selected, the amount of material used for the conductor is reduced. It also has the advantage of increasing the surface area of ​​such a geometry of the conductor, allowing more surface area to be used for cooling and conducting high-frequency currents.

[0047] For all geometries, such as bionic, mesh, spongy, and honeycomb, these structures are suitable for cooling conductors. All geometries consist of less material and have a larger surface area, resulting in easier cooling due to the smaller amount of material and providing a more compact geometry / conductor. More efficient cooling may allow the conductors of the present invention to conduct the same amount of current as known solid (massive) conductors, using less material.

[0048] In one example, the conductor has a shell structure and internally incorporates a bionic, mesh, spongy, or honeycomb geometry. Compared to embodiments of the conductor according to the present invention, the material removed from the conventional conductor forms pores that can be used to cool the conductor.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one intermediate segment of an electrical local connection busbar comprises at least one internal cooling channel.

[0050] The internal cooling channel may be a closed cooling channel for guiding liquid through the interior of the busbar, or an open cooling channel for guiding airflow through the interior of the busbar. It should be noted that guiding airflow through the interior of the busbar should be understood as guiding air along the back side of the outer surface of the busbar, i.e., along the sides or back of the conductor branching portion of the busbar. Therefore, it is understood that conductors, in particular certain portions of the intermediate segments of the conductor, may be manufactured to have multiple conductor branching portions that form air gaps through which air can flow.

[0051] An internal cooling channel, configured to guide a cooling fluid through at least a portion of the conductor, is advantageous in that it can thus control the temperature of the conductor, particularly around the internal cooling channel, to be reduced. Therefore, the internal cooling channel is advantageous in that it has the effect of enabling efficient temperature control of the conductor.

[0052] Furthermore, internal cooling channels are advantageous in that heat is transferred more efficiently out of the electrical cabinet than using fans to create airflow outside the electrical cabinet. Since the power converter of this invention operates at high amperages, heat is a very important design factor. Therefore, the better the temperature is controlled, the more efficiently the power converter can operate. Thus, it is important to remove as much heat as possible from inside the electrical cabinet.

[0053] Therefore, conductors having both internal cooling channels for liquid fluids and bionic geometry are advantageous for use in conducting current inside electrical cabinets equipped with power converters operating at currents exceeding 500A.

[0054] In this specification, first, second, and third cooling loops are referred to. These cooling loops may be combined in any desired manner to optimize the cooling of the high-power converter.

[0055] Having more than one internal cooling channel is advantageous in that it results in the conductor having a larger surface area when high-frequency current is conducted by the skin effect. Furthermore, this is advantageous in that a larger portion of the conductor's cross-sectional area is temperature controllable. Moreover, this is advantageous in that cooling fluids with different temperatures can flow through the conductor. In addition, multiple cooling channels allow the same cooling fluid to circulate back and forth between the ends of the intermediate segment / first and second ends. Alternatively, it is possible to have several separate flows.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one internal cooling channel is configured to include a cooling pipe.

[0057] For example, a cooling pipe / polymer tube in the form of an insulated hose may be inserted into an internal cooling channel when a conductor having an internal cooling channel is manufactured. This is advantageous because it eliminates the need to connect the external cooling channel and the internal cooling channel. The cooling pipe may simply circulate the cooling fluid from the heat exchanger through the internal cooling channel to the conductor and back to the heat exchanger.

[0058] Flow guides are advantageous in that they may be designed to form a specific flow of cooling fluid within the internal cooling channel. Such a specific flow may include creating a swirling effect in the flow of cooling fluid within the internal cooling channel, thereby enhancing the cooling effect of the cooling fluid.

[0059] Monolithically integrating an internal cooling channel with at least one (conductive) external cooling channel is advantageous in that it facilitates the installation of the internal cooling channel into the cooling system. In fact, additional portions of the external cooling channel, such as plastic pipes, can be connected to the internal cooling channel and the monolithically formed portion of the external cooling channel using hose clamps.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the high-power conductor has a resonant vibration frequency of at least 5 Hz, for example, at least 20 Hz, for example, at least 30 Hz, for example, at least 70 Hz, for example, at least 150 Hz, for example, at least 300 Hz, for example, at least 500 Hz.

[0061] A conductor has a resonant vibration frequency associated with the relative motion between the first and second end segments, and is advantageously designed and subsequently manufactured such that the resonant vibration frequency does not coincide with the natural frequency of the system containing the conductor. This is to avoid vibrations caused by the natural frequency from such an electrical or mechanical system. An example of a mechanical system is a wind turbine, which may have a natural frequency of 5 Hz. The resonant vibration frequency of a conductor can be altered, for example, by providing a structure along the length or width of the conductor, solely for the purpose of avoiding a specific resonant vibration frequency. The structure may include protrusions, wedges, etc.

[0062] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the first end segment (2) or the second end segment (3) is U-shaped or E-shaped.

[0063] This is advantageous because the connection between the two busbars is made over a wider area / surface, resulting in more efficient current flow and, consequently, reduced electrical losses.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate segment of the electrical local connection busbar includes a curved region.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate segment (4) of the electrical local connection busbar includes a twisted region.

[0066] Curved or twisted regions are advantageous in that they have the effect of not requiring the physical connection of two or more busbars to change the direction and / or arrangement of the end segments. This results in increased installation time and reduced electrical losses.

[0067] In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrical local connection busbar relating to any of the above paragraphs is manufactured according to a method relating to any of the following paragraphs.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a conductor including an intermediate segment having a non-uniform design, wherein the method is: A first layer of electrically conductive material is provided, Provides multiple subsequent layers of electrically conductive material, thereby forming a first end, an intermediate segment, and a second end of a conductor. Includes steps in the additive manufacturing process, The method is characterized in that the layer of conductive material added to the preceding layer of the conductive material forms a non-uniform cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the conductor is an electrical local connection busbar.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the conductor is selected from a list including a main busbar, a transition busbar, and a current balance busbar.

[0071] It is advantageous to manufacture electrical local connection busbars by additive manufacturing so that the entire electrical local connection busbar is manufactured as a single unit. An additional advantage of manufacturing the conductor as a single unit is that holes for either mechanical fastening or terminals are formed during the additive manufacturing process, rather than by removing material from the conductor.

[0072] Furthermore, conductors have the advantage of being able to be manufactured in specific shapes and dimensions depending on where they are intended to be used. Conductors may be made more "airy" in space, which allows for optimized cooling for the conductor and material savings. Conductors may be shaped, for example, in an electrical cabinet, to curve around other electrical components or to have a longer distance from other electrical components to ensure electrical insulation.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing an electrical body, the conductor is braided from multiple additively manufactured conductors while being printed.

[0074] Using additive manufacturing for conductive materials is advantageous, as additional layers can be added while the conductive material is being braided. Braided conductive materials are more flexible, which is advantageous in that they can be better adapted to electrical settings or used for connecting to electrical components.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a conductor, wherein the conductor to be connected to a busbar is additively manufactured by any one additive manufacturing process from the list consisting of cold spray, binder jetting, stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), digital light processing (DLP), multi-jet fusion (MJF), polyjet, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), or electron beam melting (EBM).

[0076] Many different methods can be used to manufacture conductors. Having different methods for manufacturing conductors is advantageous in that different materials or different states of matter (state forms) of materials can be used.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment of a method for manufacturing a conductor, the conductor is manufactured horizontally or vertically.

[0078] Depending on the geometry of the conductor, additive manufacturing is advantageous in both horizontal and vertical directions. The orientation of the conductor while it is being printed can save material or speed up the printing process. The orientation of the conductor while it is being manufactured is also advantageous when certain specific geometries are being produced; for example, braided geometry is manufactured vertically by the space between the conductor branches.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the conductor is manufactured such that one of the dimensions of the conductor is larger than one of the dimensions of the print volume of the device used for additive manufacturing.

[0080] It is advantageous to print conductive materials in arbitrary lengths or widths so that they can be printed directly onto specific locations, such as electrical cabinets.

[0081] The print volume is the internal volume of an additive manufacturing device, such as a 3D printer, and should be understood as the volume where the final product of the additive manufacturing process is being created. The printer's volume is typically set to the dimensions of the available size so that the conductor can have its maximum length, height, and width. Therefore, it is advantageous to continue the additive manufacturing process while simultaneously drawing out the conductor to exceed any of the maximum length, height, and width of the conductor. The conductor can be wound up simultaneously on the drum to create very long conductors.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method is: To provide a first conductor, To provide a second conductor, The method further includes the step of mechanically connecting a first conductor and a second conductor, thereby forming a multi-part conductor, and connecting the first conductor and the second conductor.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor are mechanically connected by a cover plate.

[0084] To ensure electrical connection between two conductors, it is advantageous to mechanically connect the conductors to a cover plate. The mechanical connection should be robust and gap-free to optimize the electrical connection between the conductors. Therefore, this method can be described as a method for facilitating the establishment of a conductor system comprising a first conductor and a second conductor manufactured according to the method described above, and provided by mechanically connecting the first and second conductors.

[0085] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the first conductor comprises a male connector and the second conductor comprises a female connector.

[0086] Here, the male connector should be understood as an additional portion of the conductor, and it is manufactured by additive manufacturing while the conductor is being produced. The female connector should be understood as the portion of the conductor to which additional additive manufacturing was not applied during the manufacturing process, resulting in space for the male connector.

[0087] The male and female connectors may be, for example, dowels and holes of the same dimensions configured to connect two conductors mechanically and electrically.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the male connector and the female connector are a screw locking mechanism.

[0089] This is advantageous because, when fixing and / or connecting the two parts, the screws tighten and simultaneously attract each other.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor are mechanically connected by a cover plate and a male connector and a female connector.

[0091] The combination of a cover plate and both male and female connectors is advantageous when used to ensure a stronger and faster connection between two conductors, thereby guaranteeing a better electrical connection between them.

[0092] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, a first conductor and a second conductor are mechanically connected to each other by plastic, thermal paste, or adhesive.

[0093] This is advantageous in ensuring better mechanical and electrical connections between conductors. Alternatively, one could weld the two conductors together or use some heat to "melt" them together.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the male connector and the female connector are provided with cooling channels.

[0095] Having a cooling channel connection between the two conductors allows for a more robust mechanical connection for the cooling channel, which is advantageous as it prevents leakage from the cooling channel.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the conductor after connecting the first conductor and the second conductor has a volume larger than the additive manufacturing volume.

[0097] Printing only a portion of the conductive material in segments and then connecting the segments is advantageous. The segments can be manufactured simultaneously in different additive manufacturing machines, thereby reducing the printing process time. Furthermore, printing segments individually is advantageous when the conductive material exceeds the print volume of the additive manufacturing machine.

[0098] Another advantage of printing each segment individually is that the segments can be directly connected, for example in an electrical cabinet where one or more segments need to be connected around another component, such as an electrical component or a cooling channel / component. Alternatively, segments can be connected around another component that needs to be housed inside a conductor, such as a cooling channel.

[0099] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of manufacturing a conductor, the method includes the step of coating or printing the conductor with either an insulating material or an electrically conductive material after a final layer of electrically conductive material has been added.

[0100] It is advantageous to coat or print either an insulating or electrically conductive material onto a conductor after additive manufacturing. Combining insulating and conductive materials in an assembly manufactured at least partially by 3D printing or other additive manufacturing is highly advantageous because it facilitates greater freedom in designing the shape, geometry, profile, etc., of the conductor assembly, for example, when taking advantage of the opportunity in additive manufacturing to produce geometries or profiles that cannot be manufactured by conventional methods such as moulding or extrusion. Similarly, the present invention can facilitate novel features of conductor assemblies that are impossible or difficult to achieve by conventional methods. Advantageously, 3D-printed electrically conductive components may be coated with an electrically insulating material to form a conductor assembly, or the electrically insulating material may be provided in other embodiments. The surface treatment providing the electrically insulating component may be applied to the entire surface of the conductive material, excluding terminals, or partially, for example, to selected portions of the conductor surface, i.e., areas where sufficient safety clearance gaps to adjacent conductive parts cannot be achieved, or areas to reduce the risk to workers or service technicians. Surface treatments as used herein and elsewhere may include any techniques or processes for applying or creating a substance on the surface of another substance. Surface treatments may include, for example, coating with a different substance, and examples of applicable coating methods include painting, spraying, dipping, powder coating, plating, shrinking, physical or chemical vapor deposition (PVD / CVD), low-temperature arc deposition (LTAVD), ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD), etc. Surface treatments may also include, alternatively or in addition to, chemical conversion coatings, which modify the surface to obtain different properties, and examples of applicable chemical conversion coatings include chromating, phosphate treatment, anodizing, hard anodizing, patination, plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0101] For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, references are made to the following brief description relating to the accompanying drawings and detailed description, where similar reference numbers represent similar parts. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, and elements of different drawings may be combined within the scope of the invention. [Figure 1a] Figure 1a illustrates a first electrical local connection busbar with a twisted geometry. [Figure 1b] Figure 1b illustrates a second electrical local connection busbar having a mesh geometry. [Figure 1c] Figure 1c illustrates a third electrical local connection busbar with a bionic design. [Figure 2] Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart for manufacturing an electrical local connection busbar. [Figure 3a] Figure 3a illustrates the wedge-like configuration of the electrical local connection busbar. [Figure 3b] Figure 3b illustrates an electrical local connection busbar viewed from the side. [Figure 3c] Figure 3c shows a cross-sectional view of the electrical local connection busbar from section A of 3a. [Figure 4] Figure 4 illustrates an electrical local connection busbar having U-shaped and E-shaped end segments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0102] Figures 1a–1c illustrate various embodiments of the conductor 1 according to the present invention. Figure 1a illustrates the conductor 1 having a twisted geometry / design. The conductor 1 comprises a first end 2 and a second end 3, the second end 3 being distal to the first end 2 and separated from each other by an intermediate segment 4.

[0103] In this particular embodiment, the intermediate segment 4 comprises a plurality of conductor branches 5. In this particular embodiment, the individual conductor branches are spaced apart by gaps 6 in both the longitudinal direction 6a and the transversal direction 6b of the conductor 1. This twisted design of the conductor branches imparts flexibility to the conductor 1, thereby giving it the ability to absorb vibrations. Furthermore, this design is lightweight and easy to install.

[0104] In this particular embodiment, the first end 2 is provided with a first terminal 7, and the second end 3 is provided with a second terminal 8. The first terminal 7 and the second terminal 8 may be provided with one or more terminal holes 10 for connecting the conductor 1 to other electrical components. The conductor 1 is configured to conduct current between the first terminal 7 and the second terminal 8.

[0105] Each of these two terminals 7 and 8 may be galvanically coupled via terminal holes 10, clamps, plugs, or other electrical connection means to, for example, terminals, busbars, components (e.g., circuit breakers, contactors, power modules, reactors, etc.) of electrical equipment, and other conductors according to the present invention. Typically, the conductor 1 and the terminals, busbars, components, etc. that can be connected thereto constitute an electrical box, i.e., is located inside an enclosure such as a panel or cabinet.

[0106] In various embodiments, the conductor 1 may have several first ends 2, several second ends 3, several first terminals 7 and / or several second terminals 8.

[0107] Figure 1b illustrates a conductor 1 having a mesh or grid-like geometry / design. Like the conductor illustrated in Figure 1a, the conductor illustrated in Figure 1b comprises a first end 2 and a second end 3 separated by an intermediate segment 4. The first end 2 may have a first terminal 7, and the second end 3 may have a second terminal 8. The first terminal 7 and the second terminal 8 may have one or more terminal holes 10 for connecting the conductor 1 to other electrical components.

[0108] A conductor branch section 5 of the mesh structure extends between the two terminals 7 and 8 (only one is highlighted). These conductor branch sections merge and branch at multiple intersections 9. The first end 2 and the second end 3 are also partially manufactured as a mesh design, similar to the intermediate segment 4. The first terminal 7 and the second terminal 8 have more than one terminal hole 10. The terminal holes 10 of terminals 7 and 8 are made in portions of the ends 2 and 3, and such portions have a non-perforated surface, i.e., a surface different from the mesh surface of, for example, the intermediate segment 4 of the conductor in this particular embodiment. The flat contact surfaces of terminals 7 and 8 around the terminal holes 10 preferably provide a connection surface to another plane with the lowest possible resistance, and further preferably provide a sufficiently strong contact surface between the bolt / nut and the conductor 1.

[0109] Figure 1c illustrates a conductor having bionic geometry / design. Like the conductors illustrated in Figures 1a and 1b, the conductor illustrated in Figure 1c comprises a first end 2 and a second end 3 separated by an intermediate segment 4. The first end 2 may have a first terminal 7, and the second end 3 may have a second terminal 8. The first terminal 7 and the second terminal 8 may have one or more terminal holes 10 for connecting the conductor 1 to other electrical components.

[0110] In this embodiment, the intermediate segment 4 is a so-called bionic design, preferably obtained as a computer-generated design. Such a computer-generated design is provided based on input from a user or another computer to a computer program that controls the additive manufacturing machine / additive manufacturing process, or a computer program that can export data to the controller of the additive manufacturing machine / additive manufacturing process. The input may include dimensions, the maximum current to be conducted, the required strength, the maximum deflection (elastic or plastic), etc. As shown in the conductor in Figure 1b, the conductor of this particular embodiment comprises both a longitudinal conductor branch 5a and a transverse conductor branch 5b. The conductor branches 5a and 5b together form an outgrowth of the transverse conductor branch, that is, when viewed from the side, the intermediate segment 4 of the conductor 1 in Figure 1c is thicker than the ends 2 and 3. The conductor branches 5 are spatially separated in all directions in the X direction (6a), Y direction (6b), and Z direction (6c) by a gap 6. Furthermore, terminals 7 and 8 are designed to have flat surfaces to obtain the best possible contact with a component having a flat surface to which the conductor 1 is connected, and the conductor 1 can be connected, for example, by clamping it with a bolt and nut. In addition, regardless of the geometry of ends 2 and 3, terminals 7 and 8 are aligned / raised such that, for example, the contact surfaces of all three terminals 7 are in the same plane.

[0111] All of the above embodiments of the conductor 1 have an airy geometry with gaps 5 between the conductor branches 6. In other embodiments of the present invention, the conductor 1 may have an airy geometry such as mesh, gyroid, or grid, and this porous geometry may, in various embodiments as described in more detail herein, provide improved cooling, reduced material consumption, improved flexibility, and / or other advantages as described in more detail herein. The term "-like" is used in conjunction with gyroid, grid, etc., to emphasize that in preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is an airy geometry that resembles a named structure rather than a specific regular structure.

[0112] In one embodiment, the conductor comprises a plurality of conductor branches, two or at least three of which are spaced apart from each other in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. Viewed along the longitudinal direction of two conductor branches, they may be spaced apart, for example, in one of the transverse directions (Y and Z in Figure 1c) and / or in the longitudinal direction (X in Figure 1c). Such two conductor branches may be spaced apart from a third conductor branch in one or two of the directions in which the two conductor branches are not spaced apart (X, Y, Z).

[0113] Such a ventilated design can result in multiple conductors being visible from any direction the 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 branches are viewed. Thus, the conductor can be seen through, regardless of the direction from which it is viewed. Furthermore, such a design can alternatively provide at least one opening / outlet for air to flow through the conductor from any direction (at least from any angle around the longitudinal axis of the conductor), i.e., air can enter and exit the conductor from any angle, at least from any angle around the longitudinal axis of the conductor. This is in contrast to, for example, a braided conductor, through which airflow cannot pass at least in its width direction (Y in Figure 1c). While it could be argued that air can flow through the height of a braided conductor (Z in Figure 1c), such airflow would not have the cooling effect on all the conductor branches it passes through, as would be the case with the conductor of the above-described design of the present invention. In fact, when airflow is directed towards a braided busbar, the individual conductor branches are braided together (contacting each other) to form closed intermediate segments through which airflow cannot pass. Therefore, the airflow does not pass through the conductor but flows around it.

[0114] One example of the design described above introduces a line of sight through a conductor. The line of sight may be understood as what can be seen through the conductor, and indeed, it may be possible to obtain a line of sight through the conductor from any angle around the longitudinal axis of the conductor. Such a design has the advantage of providing an inlet for airflow through the conductor from any such angle.

[0115] The design example described above allows one conductor branch to be viewed through the gap between the two other conductor branches. This can be true in any direction, i.e., at any angle around the longitudinal axis of the conductor. This allows airflow to affect all three conductor branches.

[0116] The design example described above does not allow viewing through the conductor from any angle around its longitudinal axis. Therefore, it is possible to see inside the conductor, but not through it completely. This allows for the induction of airflow for cooling the conductor, either within or through the conductor.

[0117] One example of the design described above includes multiple voids on two or more sides / surfaces of the conductor's contour, allowing for simultaneous visibility of multiple voids located opposite the conductor's contour, thereby enabling visibility of the conductor.

[0118] The design described above inherently possesses several advantages as outlined in this document. Common advantages of the design described above include reduction of materials, improved or controlled flexibility, and improved or controlled cooling, which preferably includes individual cooling of each conductor branch, carried out from any angle around the longitudinal axis of the conductor branch, for example, via airflow or other coolant.

[0119] When referring to the angles mentioned above, the angles may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conductor or to the conductor branch.

[0120] The three different designs of the conductor of the present invention illustrated in Figures 1a–1c do not limit the designs or geometries and structures that can be manufactured according to the present invention. Other designs that can be represented digitally and transferred to an additive manufacturing apparatus, and thereby manufactured by additive manufacturing, are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. These include designs with internal ducts and planar surfaces, designs manufactured from different materials, designs manufactured with protrusions or recesses, and designs manufactured to have auxiliary functions in addition to conducting electric current. In particular, high-power conductors are advantageous to be manufactured according to the present invention.

[0121] Embodiments of the present invention, such as the conductor described above, may further include terminals 7 and 8 between ends 2 and 3, although these are not shown. The multiple conductors 1 shown may be connected to form a complete conductor. In this case, the first end 2 and the second end 3 are referred to as the ends of the complete conductor, which may include terminals 7 and 8 and terminal holes 10 for connecting the complete conductor to other components, for example. The terminals 7 and 8 of multiple conductors may be connected between the first end 2 and the second end 3 of the complete conductor, as shown.

[0122] The cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor / conductor branch can be utilized to the maximum extent in the conductor of the present invention. The conductor is designed and manufactured to have a cross-sectional area that can satisfy the requirements for current conduction without using excessive material. The design of the conductor does not need to have excess material that is not used for current conduction, for example, when a rated current of 1400A is supplied to a power module. If excess material is used, it is used for cooling the conductor or for a safety margin. The amount of such excess material can be determined relatively accurately by the software used to design the conductor. As a rule of thumb, higher amperes can be conducted as the surface area for cooling increases. When designing a conductor, such as when designing the conductor geometry, the design software may give weight to amperage, cooling characteristics (cooling medium, surface, etc.), current frequency, etc. Thus, the conducting cross-sectional area of ​​a conductor as shown in Figure 1b may be 80 mm², which may be sufficient to conduct a current of 1300A in some embodiments, as a ventilated design allows for very advantageous cooling. In fact, tests have shown that the temperature of a conventional solid busbar with a conductive cross-sectional area of ​​516 mm² and a current of 1300 A rises to a temperature that puts adjacent plastic components at risk of melting.

[0123] Therefore, conductors may be designed and subsequently manufactured such that the proportion of the conductor's cross-sectional area used to conduct current during normal operation is, for example, more than 80%, for example, between 90% and 100%. This is in contrast to known solid busbars, which do not utilize the material in the center of the solid busbar for conducting current. This is at least true for most frequencies of current conducted in high-power systems, including renewable energy systems and vehicles.

[0124] Because the conductor of the present invention and the individual conductor branches therein are designed so that their combined cross-sectional areas can conduct a current of a given frequency, the conductor of the present invention and the individual conductor branches therein can achieve a higher utilization rate of the cross-sectional area for conducting current compared to known solid conductors. Furthermore, since the inside of the conductor can also be cooled, material reduction is possible. In fact, the conductor branches can be cooled from all angles along most of their length, and in some embodiments along their entire length, i.e., 360-degree cooling of the conductor branches is possible.

[0125] As described above, the conductors of the present invention may form a porous geometry, but depending on the form of the ventilated structure, it may not be easy to obtain a safe or robust platform or structure for fixing the conductor to, for example, an electrical cabinet. Therefore, the geometry of the conductor does not have to be ventilated near through-holes for fixing the conductor, or through-holes such as terminal holes for connecting the conductor to a component or other conductor. Preferably, around the through-hole, the density of the conductor is higher or more concentrated, for example, to form a flat surface, thereby providing the best possible conditions for conducting current between the two parts of the joint and for distributing the forces required to fix the conductor to the joint or to a support structure. Therefore, the through-hole may be designed as a cylinder through which a bolt can pass, with flat upper and lower portions extending from the periphery of the cylinder to facilitate the distribution of force and / or current at the joint. Other mounting and / or terminal points, such as flanges, protrusions, plugs, or sockets, may be preferred in some embodiments, but with or without through holes, involve similar considerations to ensuring sufficient robustness and stability of the conductor for the intended mounting or connection method. The through holes may be 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, or 12 mm in diameter.

[0126] It should be noted that terminals for electrical connections may be located at the ends of the conductor or between the ends of the conductor. Therefore, in principle, the conductor may be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, and when the first end and the first portion of the intermediate segment are manufactured, these may be wound onto a conductor holder while the intermediate segment continues to be manufactured. Alternatively, the conductor may be guided out of the print area, for example, by a conveyor belt, as the conductor is being manufactured. This may result in a long conductor having two ends. Terminals may be created within the conductor either during or after manufacturing, or the conductor may be cut to the desired length after manufacturing. Thus, terminals may be manufactured or provided at either the ends of the conductor or between its ends.

[0127] The term “monolithic” is used herein to describe the geometry or structure of a conductor according to the present invention. Such a conductor is preferably manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, thereby manufacturing the conductor as a single part, unit, or block from one end to the other, or at least one end and an intermediate segment as a single part. Thus, such a conductor may be formed from a single material as a single part, unit, or block, with one or more ends monolithically formed together with an intermediate segment connecting one or more ends, and “monolithically integrated or formed” should be understood as being made in one continuous process without requiring one part to be added to other parts. That is, one or more ends are manufactured as a single unit together with the intermediate segment without welding, soldering, or any connection by clamping or fastening means, except for minute connections specific to the particular additive manufacturing technique used, such as layer-by-layer melting, sintering, liquid bonding, or spraying. However, it should be noted that additional elements such as terminals and cooling fins can be added during the post-manufacturing process, for example, by a cold spray process.

[0128] In other words, the conductor of the present invention is the result of a process for forming a conductor as a single structure, and is a conductor composed of an electrically conductive material without joints, soldering, welding, or seams, and thus constitutes a conductor that forms a rigid whole, exhibiting uniformity maintained with rigidity. Additional conductors can be connected to such a conductor via terminals, thereby enabling the branching of one current path into two or more current paths, or vice versa. Such branching may occur within the maintained uniformity of the conductor, and / or from one conductor to another, for example, via the joining / fixing of two conductors.

[0129] It should be noted that conductors may be manufactured from more than one type of material. In this context, the conductor may be said to be polylithic. The term "polylithic" in this context should be understood as the geometry or structure of a conductor manufactured as a monolithic structure, in which the conductor is made from two or more types of materials, as described above. Therefore, the polylithic conductor of the present invention is a conductor resulting from a process of forming a conductor into a single structure, which uses two or more different materials. Such two or more materials may be a combination of conductive or nonconductive materials.

[0130] In most embodiments, the conductor 1 is designed to accommodate high voltages, i.e., voltages exceeding 24V, such as 110V, 230V, 400V, 690V, 1000V, 1500V, and kV-class systems. These are merely some of the voltage levels in which the conductor 1 of the present invention is suitable for electrical installations. With respect to current, the conductor 1 according to the present invention may be designed to conduct hundreds of amperes (16A, 32A, 64A, etc., up to 100A, further up to 200A, and even further up to, for example, 900A) up to several thousand amperes (1000A–3000A). The conductor may be designed to conduct currents exceeding 3000A by improving the cooling of the conductor, for example, in combination with increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the conducting portion of the conductor.

[0131] In principle, there are no lower limits on voltage and current when listing these voltages. That is, the conductor may be designed for use in systems of, for example, 3.3V, 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V, 20V, 24V, or 48V, such as USB Power Delivery (PD) systems, and may be designed to conduct currents of less than 10A, i.e., 5A, 3A, 2.4A, or 2A, but these are just a few examples.

[0132] Therefore, the conductor 1 of the present invention is suitable for use in most electrical installations of any kind. This includes all AC and / or DC systems from low voltage to high voltage where the transmission / conductance of current or communication signals is required.

[0133] The present invention is particularly advantageous for electric busbars designed for high-power electrical systems, which include, for example, 10kW to 22kW, 50kW, 110kW, 150kW, 225kW, 300kW, 350kW, 500kW, 800kW, 1MW, 2MW, 3MW, and even up to, for example, 5MW or 10MW; voltages such as 110V, 230V, 400V, 690V, 800V, 1000V, 1500V, 6kV or 10kV; and currents such as 16A, 32A or 64A to several hundred amperes, for example, 100A, 200A or 500A, and even several thousand amperes, for example, from 1000A to 4000A. A local connection busbar refers to a busbar for local connections within such a high-power electrical system, for example, contained within an electrical cabinet housing a power converter, inverter, transformer, generator, electric motor, circuit breaker, high-power battery system, battery charger, or similar power system, which may include capacitors, reactors or inductors, power resistors, dump loads, etc. A system, component, or conductor may be classified as a high-power system, high-power component, or high-power conductor if it operates with currents in the range of 800A–1000A or higher.

[0134] Such electrical equipment / systems include, for example, energy equipment such as grid components like substations equipped with grid support, voltage regulation, and power-to-X plants; energy generation systems such as wind turbines, wind power plants, and solar power plants; electrical equipment in private homes and industries, industrial machinery, household appliances, etc.; and means of transport such as airplanes, heavy vehicles, light vehicles such as automobiles, trains, and ships.

[0135] Therefore, conductors may be high-power conductors in high-power electrical systems. In high-power electrical systems, conductors may be spaced / separated from each other by a distance greater than possible in, for example, an electric motor. This distance is called safety clearance, and its magnitude depends on the voltage difference in the system. Therefore, when relying on air as an insulator between a non-insulated busbar / conductor and another conductor or a conductive material structure such as a metal cabinet, the distance must be considered in accordance with safety regulations. It should be noted that the quality / contamination of the air, such as humidity and particulate matter, may also be related to the safety clearance distance. When conductors are used in high-voltage systems, their surfaces are manufactured to reduce electric field concentration.

[0136] Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the current path through the conductor according to the present invention is larger than, for example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the windings of an electric motor. This can be true with respect to the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor at a given point, the cross-sectional area over a distance of, for example, 20 cm or 30 cm in the longitudinal direction of the conductor, and also with respect to physical dimensions.

[0137] Current-conducting busbars in high-power equipment or systems are typically secured to structures containing the system at intervals of 25 cm–35 cm. If the current is conducted by cables, the distance between cable fasteners may be even smaller. Securement may be achieved by bolting to a support structure such as an electrical cabinet, or by screwing clamps to the support structure and then closing the clamps to secure the cables / busbars. Conducting cables / busbars are, of course, insulated from the support structure.

[0138] In high-power equipment where the primary purpose of a conductor is to distribute electrical energy to components, the magnetic field around the conductor of the present invention is not as important as, for example, around the windings of an electric motor. Therefore, since the magnetic field is not the primary objective for manufacturing conductors for high-power equipment, the conductors are typically not designed to have a specific magnetic field when conducting current.

[0139] Furthermore, comparing again to, for example, the windings of an electric motor, the conductors of the present invention will, in principle, be designed to have the largest possible surface area so as to be optimized for the conceivable advantages of the present invention as described herein. Depending on the purpose of the conductor, the surface may be designed, for example, to conduct electric current, to conduct electric current and dissipate heat, or to dissipate heat. Thus, even though all parts of the conductor of the present invention may be made of electrically conductive material, not all parts are necessarily used to conduct electric current through the conductor. Generally, the usable area around the conductor is effectively utilized to enlarge the surface of the conductor for one of the purposes of heat dissipation or current conduction, or for other purposes described, such as improved flexibility, reduced material consumption, or air induction. The usable area is limited by safety clearances to other conductors of different phases with different voltage levels, or to grounded structures such as elements of an electrical cabinet.

[0140] An example of a conductive portion primarily used for non-conductive purposes, such as heat dissipation or air induction, is a projection from the surface of the conductor, which is not connected at the end of the portion extending beyond the surface of the conductor. Such projections or protrusions may preferably have a kind of bionic design with a gap between the branches for heat dissipation purposes, and may also have a continuous surface facing the direction of airflow for air induction purposes. Such a portion will be referred to as a conductor branch when it is part of an intermediate segment that conducts current from one end to the other. Such projections can, in principle, take any form or geometry that makes effective use of the open space around the region, as long as a safe clearance distance is maintained. In such examples, the proportion of current conducted by the surface region of the projection conductive portion is very small, if not zero.

[0141] An example of a conductive part used solely for conducting current is, in principle, impossible, given that heat is dissipated even from solid blocks and flat surfaces. What should be understood as a conductive part primarily used for conducting current is the modified structure or geometry of the intermediate segment of a conductor between the first and second terminals. When the space between components in an electrical system is narrowed, and other conductors must pass through, or when a conductor must pass through a current sensor or bushing, the surface area of ​​that particular portion of the intermediate segment of the conductor may be reduced to fit the available space, which typically increases the density of the conductor and allows for a narrower external dimension. In this example, in this particular portion of the conductor, the portion of the conductor's surface area that conducts current becomes larger, sometimes so large that a hot spot is created, requiring additional cooling to maintain a certain current-conducting capability. Thus, this is an example of how, for example, on both sides of a narrowed portion of a conductor, one may benefit from the combination of conductive and protruding portions as described above. Thus, by combining it with, for example, an internal cooling channel, heat generated in a confined space can be dissipated through a nearby overhang.

[0142] An example of a conductor portion used for both heat dissipation and current conduction is an intermediate segment between terminals, having a ventilated design or geometry. In such an example, the surface area primarily for heat dissipation and the surface area primarily for current conduction may be identical or nearly identical. This is due to a geometry with spaced-out conductor branches, which allows cooling airflow to freely pass beside each conductor branch, i.e., through the gaps defined by the conductor branches. In this example, the surface area for conducting current is larger compared to, for example, conventional conductors / busbars and windings in an electric motor. Another difference between motor windings and the conductors of the present invention can be found around the conductor. The limited space inside a motor clearly restricts the periphery of the winding. This is not to the same extent in, for example, an electrical cabinet with the conductors of the present invention. More space is available, which allows for a larger periphery and results in a ventilated design with gaps for enhanced cooling. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​each conductor branch of the conductor according to the present invention may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the motor winding.

[0143] As described, the conductor 1 may comprise a first end 2 and a second end 3 separated by an intermediate segment 4. A complete or final conductor may comprise a plurality of interconnected conductors 1 of the illustrated / described type. In such embodiments, the illustrated conductor may be used as a part of the final or complete conductor. Thus, the final or complete conductor comprises a first end 2 and a second end 3 and may have a plurality of first terminals 7 and second terminals 8 at or between the ends, and may have, for example, terminal holes 10 for connecting the illustrated / described plurality of conductors to form the final or complete conductor.

[0144] Terminals 7 and 8 may be provided with one or more terminal holes 10 or other structures for connecting the conductor 1 to busbars, cables, or other conductors such as the aforementioned conductor, or to electrical components such as circuit breakers, power modules, or batteries.

[0145] Alternatively, in one embodiment, one or both of the terminals 7 and 8 of the conductor 1 form part of an electrical component instead of being provided as freely connectable locations on the conductor 1.

[0146] In a simple embodiment, terminals 7 and 8 may have terminal holes 10 through which terminals 7 and 8 pass. Through such holes, a bolt can pass, and a component to which the conductor 1 is connected may also pass. The conductor and the component are then clamped together via nuts and bolts.

[0147] Alternatively, terminals 7 and 8 may be click terminals, which are designed to receive a click portion from a component to which a conductor is to be connected, or to have a click portion that is inserted into such other component.

[0148] Alternatively, the terminals 7 and 8 at the ends 2 and 3 of the conductor may be manufactured with threads, which can assist in clamping the component to the conductor 1 when engaged with a bolt.

[0149] Furthermore, a complete conductor comprising a conductor as shown in the figure or multiple conductors as described above may have more than one first end 2 or more than one second end 3. Thus, one end of the conductor 1 may branch into, for example, three terminals having terminal holes. This can be advantageous in that the geometry of the conductor is designed specifically for the component to be connected. Also, branching an end into several terminals can, in some cases, improve heat dissipation in the denser terminal portion, improve the electrical connection between the conductor and the component, and eliminate the need for additional connecting components or shunts to connect adjacent components to a common conductor.

[0150] The intermediate segment 4 may have one conductor branch 5, but preferably multiple conductor branch 5. The conductor branch 5, like the end segments 2 and 3, is at least partially made of an electrically conductive material such as copper, aluminum, or an alloy thereof, thereby enabling the conductor 1 to conduct current between its terminals 7 and 8. The design of the conductor branch 5 may be optimized according to specific purposes such as cooling, material consumption, flexibility (control in a particular direction), footprint, etc. Thus, depending on the parameters to which the conductor 1 is designed, the conductor branch may be designed as a longitudinal cylinder (or other geometry such as an ellipse or square), mesh, bionic, gyroid, lattice, branched or spongy, coil or solenoid, helical, etc.

[0151] Therefore, the conductor may have a perforated surface, a non-porous surface, a solid structure, or a structure with internal channels, thereby optimizing the conductor according to factors such as skin effect and cooling.

[0152] Two or more conductor branches 5 may merge at the intersection 9, and two or more conductor branches 5 may branch off from the intersection 9. This has the effect of realizing a conductor that maintains the desired strength (determined yield point) with a minimum amount of material. In particular, this can reduce the cost of the electrically conductive material and reduce the weight of the conductor. It should be noted that two conductor branches that merge at the intersection 9 may be the same as two conductor branches that extend from the intersection 9. Alternatively, two other conductor branches may extend from the intersection, but this may be a matter of definition of a conductor branch. Furthermore, one conductor branch may branch into multiple conductor branches, and multiple conductor branches may converge or merge at the intersection to form a smaller number of conductor branches.

[0153] Therefore, the conductor 1 may have one first conductor branch 5 that can branch into a plurality of second conductor branch sections 5, and each of these second conductor branch sections may further branch into a plurality of third conductor branch sections 5, and so the branching may continue through the intermediate segments of the conductor 1. In this way, along the direction of the current flowing through the conductor 1 from the first end to the second end, the current may flow through the first conductor branch section, then it may be divided into the second conductor branch section, and then it may be divided again into the third conductor branch section, and so the branching continues to an additional nth conductor branch section.

[0154] 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 third conductor branch may have a cross-sectional area smaller than the second cross-sectional area. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor branch may vary in size along the longitudinal direction of the intermediate segment.

[0155] As described above, the conductor branch of a conductor may branch into a number of additional (nth) conductors. Similarly, the conductor branch may converge from a larger number of conductor branches to a smaller number of conductor branches.

[0156] The cross-sectional area of ​​an intermediate segment at a certain distance from the first end segment may be the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​an intermediate segment at a second distance from the first end segment, but it should be noted that the number of conductor branches at the first distance is different from the number of conductor branches at the second distance.

[0157] Furthermore, it should be noted that the cross-sectional areas of the intermediate segments at the first and second distances from the first end segment may differ, but the number of conductor branches may be the same. Naturally, the cross-sectional area and the number of conductor branches may be the same at the first and second distances from the first end segment.

[0158] The branching may be within a single plane. This plane may be a tangent plane to the surface of a conductor having a curved design. Furthermore, such branching may be within the fixed uniformity of the conductor, and / or may be a branching from one conductor to another via, for example, the joining / fixing of two conductors.

[0159] Furthermore, it should be noted that embodiments of the conductor may include a design in which the conductor branching portion branches from the first end segment into multiple conductor branching portions, and converges again to the second end segment without branching between the first end segment and the second end segment.

[0160] Furthermore, it should be noted that conductor 1 may be designed as a plurality of conductors, specifically as a combination of three-phase conductors, or as traces or wire harnesses for printed circuit boards used for mounting to an electrical panel.

[0161] At least the first end 2 and intermediate segment 4, and preferably the second end 3, of the conductor 1 of the present invention are also manufactured from a single block of material and are therefore formed monolithically, and the material is machined to provide the conductor 1. Here, the block of material should be understood as a material such as an electrically conductive material that makes up the conductor 1, such as a solid, powder, liquid, or wire. Here, "machined" should be understood as being manufactured by additive manufacturing, that is, the conductor 1 is made as a single unit without any mechanical connections between the first end 2, the second end 3 and the intermediate segment 4.

[0162] Furthermore, more than one type of material, for example, two or more materials, may be used to manufacture the conductor. One of these two or more materials may be non-conductive.

[0163] In some embodiments, it may be necessary to manufacture the conductor in multiple parts. In this situation, the conductor may be referred to as a final or complete conductor comprising multiple conductors 1 as described above. This may be the case, for example, when the conductor needs to be mounted in a location where it cannot be inserted unless it is separated into two or more parts, or when the complete conductor must be larger than what can be manufactured by additive manufacturing. In such a situation, the terminals of two conductors are connected to extend the length of the intermediate segment, thereby extending the current path between the first end 2 and the second end 3, and thereby extending the current path of the complete conductor. Such a connection may be prepared by designing terminal holes in the conductor, to which, for example, a fish plate or other joint is fixed, thereby connecting the two intermediate segments.

[0164] The conductor 1 may have a non-uniform geometry / design. The design / geometry may take any shape that is machineable / printable. Such a shape may be optimized in accordance with current conduction (skin effect), cooling, induction of cooling fluid flow, other components in the panel, resistors, power loss, or current displacement.

[0165] In certain embodiments, the conductor 1 may have a non-uniform diameter (measured transversely) along its longitudinal direction. However, a clearly defined diameter may be determined, for example, in a transverse plane where the conductor 1 has its smallest diameter.

[0166] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the perimeter of the conductor 1 or its conductor branch 5 may vary in a transverse plane at different locations in the longitudinal direction of the conductor 1. The perimeter of a given portion of an intermediate segment may simply be measured as the sum of all the lengths of the branch perimeters in a given transverse plane. Thus, the perimeter of a given portion may be the length of the conductor branch measured transversely / perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the conductor in that portion. A portion of a conductor may also be referred to as a portion of a conductor, and should be understood as a reference to a specific portion of a conductor, such as an end or an intermediate segment.

[0167] The circumference of the conductor branch 5 may be the sum of the circumferences of all the individual conductor branch 5. Since one conductor branch can branch off from the trunk into two or more branches, i.e., it can become a branch of a branch, the circumference of one part of the conductor branch may differ between one part (e.g., a small branch) and another part (e.g., the trunk). Therefore, the sum of the circumferences of the conductor branch may be the sum of all the individual branches, or the sum of all the individual trunks. When there are several different possible circumferences for a conductor portion along the length of the conductor, the smallest circumference may preferably be used in calculating the current conduction capability of the conductor 1.

[0168] Similarly, the cross-sectional area of ​​a conductor in a given portion is measured as the sum of the cross-sectional areas of all conductive branches in that portion along the length of the conductor. The cross-section in that portion should be measured perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the conductor.

[0169] In one embodiment, the conductor 1 may have one or more cooling channels, in which case the cooling channels may be arranged in the lateral and / or longitudinal direction inside one or more conductor branch portions.

[0170] The conductor 1 may be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process. Such a manufacturing process may be based on, but is not limited to, one of the following additive manufacturing processes: 3D printing, layer-by-layer printing, wire arc additive manufacturing, fused deposition modeling (FDM), directed energy deposition, direct metal deposition, sinter-based processes, laser-based processes such as powder bed fusion (PBF), selective laser melting (SLM), or selective laser sintering (SLS), cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM), binder jetting, or binder jet 3D printing, etc. It should be noted that the actual additive manufacturing process used to print or construct the conductor 1 may not be important, as long as the material used to construct the conductor is an electrically conductive material.

[0171] Figure 2 illustrates method steps for processing a conductor 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The particular method relates to forming a conductor having two ends or two terminals, i.e., a first end / terminal and a second end / terminal via an intermediate segment, but may be used to manufacture any type of conductor of the present invention.

[0172] It should be noted that this may involve manufacturing both the end and intermediate segments in a single process. Therefore, in additive manufacturing along the longitudinal direction of a conductor, the method may begin by manufacturing one end, for example, by printing; then manufacturing a transition to an intermediate segment; optionally manufacturing one or more conductor branches; then manufacturing an intermediate segment; then manufacturing a transition to a second end; and finally manufacturing the second end. In another embodiment, additive manufacturing is carried out transversely to the longitudinal direction of the conductor, thereby manufacturing both the end and intermediate segments simultaneously, for example, increasing the cross-section with each additional layer. In yet another embodiment, additive manufacturing may be radial to the longitudinal direction of the conductor, or even in any direction, and may be carried out, for example, using cold spray (CSAM) or fused deposition modeling (FDM), while rotating or freely moving either or both of the conductor unit or nozzle being constructed. Preferably, the segments mentioned are manufactured in a single process, for example, while the next segment is being manufactured. A transition section may be formed between the two segments, and this transition section may begin with the first segment or include the first segment. Similarly, the second segment may be a transition section or be connected to such a transition section.

[0173] It should also be noted that, in some embodiments, the method may involve manufacturing intermediate segments and then connecting end segments. The end segments may be connected during additive manufacturing or after they are formed using additive manufacturing paste or adhesive. Alternatively, the end segments may be connected to the intermediate segments by welding, bonding or any other method, for example, by cold spray (CSAM).

[0174] An additional embodiment of the present invention may be a manufacturing method comprising additive manufacturing of two or more intermediate segments. The two or more intermediate segments may be additively manufactured in the same process as two end segments to form a conductor. Alternatively, the two or more intermediate segments may be additively manufactured separately and then joined together to form a conductor.

[0175] Two or more intermediate segments may be identical, or they may be characterized by different shapes or other features depending on, for example, the location where the conductor is to be placed in the electrical cabinet.

[0176] A transition may be simply defined as a change in the size of a layer compared to the previous layer. Thus, the transition may be formed as a vertical transition between the conductor branching portion of the end segment and the intermediate segment. Alternatively, the transition may be formed as a rounded transition by a change in the cross-sectional area of ​​the subsequent layer, which may be advantageous in reducing the resistance of the current conducting between the ends of the conductor.

[0177] The monolithic conductor according to the present invention may be made from a single material. One or more additional materials may be used, for example, as an insulator, for heat dissipation, etc., in which case the conductor may be referred to as a polylithic conductor. Regardless of the number of materials, the conductor produced by additive manufacturing is produced bit by bit, starting at a first spatial coordinate (x, y, z) and ending at a second spatial coordinate. At least when the conductor is completed, the first and second spatial coordinates are electrically / mechanically connected. As mentioned above, there are several methods for manufacturing conductors, all of which involve the deposition, joining, or soldering of some material to manufacture the conductor in a single monolithic form.

[0178] In this document, a conductor may refer to something that is manufactured layer by layer, regardless of the additive manufacturing method used. Therefore, if a conductor is sliced ​​(regardless of direction) and its cross-section is observed, it is easy to imagine that the conductor is manufactured starting with material at a first point, then material at a second point, and so on. Since a conductor is volumetric, i.e., has three-dimensional geometry, the first point differs from the second point and subsequent points in at least one of the spatial X, Y, Z directions / planes. Thus, it can be said that a conductor is constructed from multiple subsequent layers based on the spatial X, Y, Z planes, but during manufacturing, not all material in one plane such as X=1, Y=0, Z=0 is provided as one layer or within one layer before the material for the next layer (e.g., the layer at X=2) is provided.

[0179] Therefore, regardless of the process used to manufacture a three-dimensional object such as a conductor, and even if some of these manufacturing processes are based on the deposition, joining, or solidification of materials together in regions, lines, points, etc., it can be said that the conductor is manufactured layer by layer. This is because, regardless of the additive manufacturing process, the conductor is manufactured from one point to another. Multiple points on the same plane (e.g., X=3) can be considered a single layer, even if they are not physically connected in this plane. And when all the points of this layer have been added, the points of the next layer (e.g., X=4) have been added to the points of the layer at X=3. As mentioned above, layers may be defined in any plane of the spatial Cartesian coordinate system.

[0180] Alternatively, the end may be a separate segment connected via an intermediate segment. The intermediate segment may be printed, or it may be attached to the end by printing, heating, bonding, etc., on the end during the manufacturing of the intermediate segment. The intermediate segment may be joined to the end by means of welding, printing, soldering, etc.

[0181] The ends may also be provided with terminals for connecting the conductor to other electrical parts / conductors / windings of an electrical system. Such terminals may be manufactured by additive manufacturing, similar to the rest of the electrical conductor, i.e., they may be formed monolithically together with the ends.

[0182] In step S1 of this particular method, considering that the conductor is additively fabricated in its longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end, the first end segment and intermediate segments, which are the form of conductor branches among the plurality of conductor branches, may be formed monolithically through individual transitions, and these individual transitions may or may not include rounded connections, and a concave, rounded internal corner may be formed between the first end segment and the conductor branches among the plurality of conductor branches, and the conductor branches among the plurality of conductor branches may be configured to be spatially separated.

[0183] The step of monolithically forming the first end segment and the conductor branch may be carried out using a variety of methods, such as additive manufacturing like 3D printing, casting, and a method of forming the conductor branch combined with the first end segment by removing simple material from a block of metal slab by machining.

[0184] More specifically, a known solid conductor, such as a main busbar 3–5 m long, may conduct 1–2 A per mm². If the same busbar is manufactured with a ventilated design and, for example, internal cooling, the improved cooling allows the same 1–2 A / mm² to conduct with the same efficiency, even with reduced material. Typical conductive materials such as aluminum and copper have a temperature coefficient of about 0.4% / degC. If such a conductor is efficiently cooled to a temperature, for example, 25°C lower than that of a conventional conductor, the resistance is reduced by about 10%. Therefore, about 10% of the material can be removed without worsening losses. Furthermore, in AC conductors, the current is not uniformly distributed throughout the entire volume of the conductor. Typically, the current density decreases towards the center of the conductor. Such considerations allow for further material removal without compromising the efficiency of the conductor.

[0185] In step S2 of the method, the first end segment is electrically and mechanically connected to the second end segment via an intermediate segment of an electrical conductor formed by a plurality of conductor branches. This is achieved monolithically, for example, by continuing additive manufacturing as described in step S1.

[0186] The end segments may also be connected to the intermediate segments by welding, bonding, a male / female locking mechanism, or any other method of mechanically and electrically connecting the segments.

[0187] Any additional step in the method for manufacturing a conductor of the present invention includes a step prior to the step of additively manufacturing any of the first segment, second segment, or intermediate segment. The step prior to manufacturing the conductor is the step of designing a digital representation of the conductor in a software program, such as 3D CAD software. The step of designing a digital representation of the conductor in a software program includes taking into account the electrical, mechanical, structural geometry and other physical aspects of the conductor. Thus, based on these inputs, provided, for example, by a user of the 3D CAD software, a digital representation of the conductor is provided by the 3D CAD software. When the digital representation of the conductor is complete, the additive manufacturing process may be initiated.

[0188] Further optional steps may be applied, namely, heat treatment of the finished conductor. Depending on the material, the heat treatment may be, for example, 400°C for 4 hours or more. The advantage of heat treatment is that the particles of the manufactured conductor are aligned or fused with each other, thereby increasing both electrical and thermal conductivity. This is at least true for Aheadd® CP1 20 / 63 aluminum powder and other aluminum-iron-zirconium powder solutions. Such powders may be used in a laser powder bed melting machine. The use of this type of powder and heat treatment may result in increased electrical conductivity in addition to thermal stability, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and surface finish.

[0189] The intermediate segment may, in principle, have any design / geometry, for example, to provide flexibility to the intermediate segment and allow the conductor to deform. The intermediate segment may be formed by a solid or hollow conductive branch to reduce the amount of material required to manufacture the conductor. The intermediate segment may be formed by a mesh, or as a hybrid of conductive branch and mesh, but this is merely a list of a few possible designs.

[0190] Internal cavities may be used as cooling channels and / or additional surfaces for conducting high-frequency currents. Therefore, end segments and intermediate segments may be designed for the specific panel / electrical system used, for conducting specific types of currents, or for desired functions or dual functions, etc.

[0191] In addition to the functions described above, one such function may be that of a structural support. Therefore, if necessary, the conductor may be designed to assist in supporting the weight of electrical components connected to it. Thus, its dimensions may be larger than those required by the conductor to conduct the desired current. Similarly, its geometry may be designed for a combined purpose of mechanical support and electrical conduction. This is especially true if such support is flexible / deformable and can assist in both support and vibration absorption.

[0192] It should be noted that the conductor 1 may be manufactured with two or more resolutions. The thicker the layer, the faster the manufacturing process. The layer thickness depends on the material and the printing equipment and may vary from a few millimeters to 20 μm, and by using several combinations, the layer thickness can be between 50 μm and 150 μm. In additive manufacturing, the resolution may be determined by the thickness of the layer in which the conductor is constructed (in other words, machined and processed). A first resolution, which has finer, i.e., thinner layer dimensions than the second resolution, may be used when manufacturing the interface between the conductor and the part connected to it. Such an interface may be part of a terminal that contacts other parts. Alternatively, the resolution may be determined by the material deposition rate, material flow rate, etc., depending on the type of additive manufacturing used.

[0193] To avoid electrical losses in the connection between two conductors, it is preferable that the two parts have a mating surface, which can be most easily achieved by having a flat surface, but can also be achieved by a combination of convex and concave parts, mortises or finger joints, tooth engagements, cylinders and pegs, tongue and groove joints, slide locks, etc., thereby achieving additional advantages such as increased connection area and easier assembly of conductors such as busbars in an electrical system by self-locking, as long as good electrical connection is prioritized. The more precisely these interfaces are manufactured, the better they become, and the fewer post-manufacturing processes are required to ensure a sufficient mating surface, such as a flat surface.

[0194] For example, a second resolution manufactured to have a thicker layer will be coarser and result in a larger surface area. At least for medium and high frequency currents, this can result in conducting more current without increasing the required amount of conductor material / dimensions. In fact, intermediate segments may be intentionally manufactured to have a corrugated surface to enlarge the outer surface through which the current (medium and high frequency currents) of the conductor flows, for example, due to turbulence in the cooling airflow caused by the corrugated surface for more efficient cooling. Furthermore, if the conductor contains an internal space, the inner surface of the conductor forming such an internal space may also be corrugated for the same purpose. In addition to providing a larger surface area, a corrugated surface has the effect of introducing turbulence into the flow of a cooling fluid, such as air. An increase in the velocity of the cooling fluid can result in a greater cooling effect.

[0195] As an example, the depth of a conductor used to conduct medium and high-frequency currents may be about 1.5 mm in certain embodiments. In this particular example, the conductor is formed from copper having a resistivity of about 1.68 μΩ·cm and a relative permeability of about 1 at a frequency of 2 kHz. Therefore, the conductor for this particular embodiment may be hollow, and its thickness is twice 1.5 mm. In fact, such a conductor may be manufactured with a thickness of 4–5 mm, leaving room for internal cooling or for a simple reduction in the material and thus the weight of the conductor.

[0196] Since the skin effect is known to appear even at 50Hz, for example, the mid-frequency reference for the skin effect is a reference to frequencies starting from around 500Hz, when conductor design can take the skin effect into account. The mid-frequency range may be between 500Hz and 10kHz, and frequencies above 10kHz may be referred to as high frequencies where the skin effect reliably occurs (the higher the frequency, the closer the conducted current is to the surface).

[0197] Furthermore, it should be noted that the outer surface may be corrugated, or it may be designed to have fins to enhance heat dissipation from the conductor.

[0198] The conductors resulting from this method may be used as conductors in electrical installations. These electrical installations may include electrical panels that are part of renewable energy facilities such as wind turbines, solar power systems, grids, and substations. The electrical installations or systems in which the conductors are used may include electric vehicles, battery systems, Power-to-X facilities, ships, or other small or large-scale electrical systems. Furthermore, the conductors resulting from this method may be used inside electrical panels, i.e., in cabinets / enclosures, or outside such panels, for example, to connect spaced-out panels.

[0199] One embodiment of the conductor according to the present invention is connected to a conventional cable or busbar. In such an embodiment, a conventional busbar on the back of an electrical panel, for example, or a conventional cable between two electrical panels, for example, may be connected to the conductor of the present invention. In this embodiment, the conventional cable or busbar may be connected to a component via the conductor according to the present invention. Thus, simple connections are facilitated by the flexibility of the conductor according to the present invention.

[0200] However, the fabrication of the conductor, i.e., achieving the electrical and mechanical coupling between the first and second end segments, is typically performed before incorporating the conductor into an electrical installation and before installing the electrical installation in a renewable energy facility. Therefore, in a typical embodiment of the present invention, the electrical and mechanical coupling is performed before the introduction / integration of the conductor. Nevertheless, the methods according to the present invention are 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 geometry optimization, additive manufacturing of the conductor, and conducting electricity.

[0201] In short, a designer uses 3D CAD software, such as Solidworks, to design a digital representation of a conductor according to electrical, mechanical, and structural requirements. This file (digital representation) from the 3D development tool is then exported to a 3D printer, where the conductor is printed according to the CAD file.

[0202] Figures 3a–c illustrate an embodiment of the present invention in which the electrical local connection busbar 1 has a wedge-shaped geometry. The electrical local connection busbar 1 (also referred to as a conductor or busbar) comprises a first end 2 and a second end 3, the second end 3 being located away from the first end 2 and separated from each other by an intermediate segment 4. The conductor 1 is made of an electrically conductive material.

[0203] Compared to the conductors illustrated in Figures 1a and 1c, the conductor 1 illustrated in Figure 3a differs in that it has two first terminals 7, three second terminals 8, and one fixing hole 11. These terminals are located along the longitudinal direction of the conductor, i.e., in the direction of the current flowing through the conductor 1. The current flows along / through the intermediate segment 4 from the three second terminals 8 to the two first terminals 7. The two first terminals 7 and the fixing hole 11 serve to support a busbar. The fixing hole 11 may be for a mechanical structure other than a busbar or conductor, and the terminals 7 may be for a mechanical structure such as a busbar or conductor. The holes 7 and 11 may be perpendicular to the direction of the current flowing through the conductor.

[0204] The conductor 1 becomes thicker where the first terminal 7 is located, due to the amount of current flowing through the conductor 1. As the currents conducted by each of the three second terminals 8 are added together, the total current increases toward the first terminal 7, and therefore the thickness of the conductor 1 increases toward the first terminal 7. In other words, the thickness and the resulting material consumption may be reduced toward the ends of the conductor 1 where the current is 0A or where only current from a single cable connected to the first of the second terminals 8 is conducted.

[0205] As described above, the conductor 1 has a fixing hole 11 at the second end 3. The hole 11 is for fixing the conductor 1, for example, inside an electrical cabinet. Mechanically securing the conductor 1 is very important so that it can be protected from vibrations within the system. The fixing to the electrical cabinet is insulated. Also, mechanically securing the two first terminals 7 to the busbars to which they are connected is important to ensure good electrical connection from the conductor 1 to other parts of the system inside the electrical cabinet, for example, other parts of the system inside the electrical cabinet may be other busbars.

[0206] The embodiment shown in Figure 3a is formed so that the conductor has flat surfaces along its longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the sides may be formed concave along the longitudinal direction of the conductor 1, as shown in Figure 3c, which may reduce the amount of material used for the conductor 1. The concave surface may be configured to cool the conductor more effectively by directing airflow towards the concave surface and further guiding it into the voids 6 within the structure of the conductor 1.

[0207] Figure 3b shows a side view of the conductor 1, where both the fixing hole 11 and the terminal hole 10 are shown through the mesh structure of the conductor 1. Figure 3b also shows the height difference between the first end 2 and the second end 3.

[0208] Figure 3c illustrates the conductor in a cross-sectional view from viewpoint A in Figure 3a. In Figure 3c, the conductor shows a concave surface along the longitudinal direction of the conductor 1. Figure 3c also illustrates the higher density of the conductor around the terminal hole 10. The higher density around the terminal hole 10 is similar to that of both the fixing hole 11 and the terminal hole 10 in the conductor 1.

[0209] The through-holes that define the terminal holes 10 and / or fixing holes 11 and penetrate the conductor have solid walls. The solid walls may be made of the same or different material as the rest of the conductor and may be used to reinforce these holes when the terminal holes / fixing holes are used, for example, to bolt two conductors together or to fix a conductor in place. The cross-sectional area of ​​the solid walls is determined, for example, by the force that the bolts apply to the conductor to secure it sufficiently. For example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the solid walls may be between 0.2 mm and 20 mm, or between 0.3 mm and 15 mm, between 0.4 mm and 10 mm, or between 0.5 mm and 0.8 mm.

[0210] If the solid wall of the fixing hole 11 is made of the same conductive material as the conductor material, the diameter of the fixing hole 11 may be large enough to allow an insulating bushing between the conductor material and the bolt. Such an insulating bushing comprises a collar placed on the surface of the conductor, thereby insulating the bolt head from the conductor material. Such a bushing with a collar may be manufactured by additive manufacturing. Alternatively, the solid portion of the fixing hole 11 may be formed from an electrically insulating material. The electrically insulating material in the form of a filament may consist of a thermoplastic resin such as polylactic acid (PLA) or acrylonitrile bradiene styrene (ABS) filament.

[0211] Figures 3a and 3c illustrate that for both the fixing holes 11 and the terminal holes 10, the density of the conductor used in the conductor is higher than that of the rest of the conductor. For both types of holes, the conductor is reinforced around the holes to ensure better fixation of either the electrical or mechanical connection. The holes also have mounting surfaces to ensure good fixation of the electrical and mechanical connections, thereby ensuring the electrical connection and fixing of the conductor.

[0212] The fixing holes 11 disrupt the path of the current flowing through the conductor and reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the current path. Therefore, when removing electrical conductive material to establish fixing holes, it is preferable that an additional amount of material is added to the conductor. The material added around the holes is added to maintain the cross-sectional area throughout the conductor 1 for the current flowing through the conductor.

[0213] In addition, the structural properties of the conductor are preferably reinforced around the fixing holes 11 and terminals 7, which may be done by providing solid, cylindrical fixing holes 11 and terminals 7 throughout the busbar. In this way, the clamp acts on this cylinder and not on the weaker mesh structure of the illustrated design of the busbar 1.

[0214] Figure 4 illustrates a conductor such as a transition section or main busbar having, for example, U-shaped and E-shaped end segments 2, 3. The intermediate segment of the first conductor toward one or both ends may branch, thereby dividing the end into two parts. Such branching may form a U-shaped end section. Such a U-shaped end section with an intermediate segment may form a conductor having a Y-shape toward one or both ends. This is illustrated in Figure 4 in the portion toward the first end segment 2. These two parts may at least partially surround the intermediate segment or end of a second conductor connected to the first conductor. Thus, the branched ends 2, 3 provide a pair of terminal holes 7, 8, allowing a bolt to pass through both terminal holes and through-holes in the conductors while the first and second conductors are secured. In one embodiment, the first conductor may be a transition busbar, and the second conductor may be a main busbar.

[0215] In the same embodiment, the fixing holes may be implemented, for example, as part of an end segment or as a separate fixing segment or fixing area of ​​the busbar, for example, a U-shaped portion.

[0216] Furthermore, such alternative end segment designs may be formed in various forms, including an E-shape, such as the second end segment in Figure 4, which is configured to receive and enclose two end segment portions. These may originate from one or two different busbars. In fact, additional end segments may be connected to the outer portion of such an E-shaped end segment. Thus, end segments with alternative designs may facilitate the connection of multiple individual busbars.

[0217] Therefore, U-shaped and E-shaped end segments may facilitate sandwich-type connections of end segments of two or more busbars to reduce electrical losses in the connection. Alternative connections of end segments may be formed in circular, triangular, quadrilateral, or polygonal shapes. If end segment designs having such shapes or geometries are formed to interlock with each other so that one can be inserted into the other, busbars having these end segments may be connected by a turn-lock type fastening. This may include recesses and projections that connect the two end segments when joined and rotated or displaced. In addition, bolts or equivalents may be provided to ensure that the end segments are held in the connected position.

[0218] The conductor of the present invention, illustrated in Figure 4 and manufactured by additive manufacturing, may be manufactured as a curved conductor, meaning that no post-processing for bending the conductor is required. The curvature is typically 90 degrees or less, as illustrated in Figure 4, but can be any angle in principle. Such a curved conductor can reduce the number of connections in a panel, thereby reducing installation time and losses in the connecting conductors.

[0219] Furthermore, the conductors of the present invention, as shown in Figure 4 and manufactured by additive manufacturing, may be twisted in the range of 1 to 359 degrees. In this way, the end segments are oriented in different directions and may be fixed to other conductors using bolts having non-parallel central axes, for example. This may provide greater flexibility in the design of the layout in the panel and also allow for easier mounting of the conductors in the panel.

[0220] In one embodiment, the intermediate segment 4 comprises a plurality of parallel conductor branches 5. Some of the parallel conductor branches 5 are only a few centimeters, or at least 2 cm long. Two (or more) parallel portions of conductor branches may be parallel at the same or overlapping distance from the first or second end segment. Alternatively, such parallel portions may not overlap and may extend at different distances from the first or second end. A non-limiting example is a first conductor branch having 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. Even if the portions of the first and second conductor branches do not overlap along the longitudinal axis of the conductor, they may still be considered parallel.

[0221] Furthermore, multiple portions of one conductor branch may be parallel to multiple portions of other conductor branches and / or to multiple portions of a particular conductor branch along the longitudinal direction of these conductor branches. Thus, two conductor branches may be parallel multiple times between their two end segments. Moreover, one conductor branch may be parallel multiple times between its two end segments with respect to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate segment / conductor branch.

[0222] One or more parallel portions of a conductor branch may extend over at least 10% of the total length of the conductor branch / intermediate segment.

[0223] The parallel portion of a conductor branch may be defined by the surfaces of two or more conductor branches, including tangents to the curved surface of one or more conductor branches. Alternatively or additionally, the parallel portion of two or more conductor branches may be the central axis of the conductor branches. Furthermore, according to the above definition, more than two conductor branches, for example, from 3 to 100 (or any natural number in between), may be parallel.

[0224] Furthermore, the conductor branch may be defined as parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conductor, which may be defined as the shortest / direct path between the center of the first end segment and the center of the second end segment. Thus, one or more conductor branch may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conductor or a portion thereof.

[0225] The above-described design having parallel conductor junctions inherently possesses several advantages as described herein. Common advantages of the above-described parallel design include reduction of material, improved or controlled flexibility, and improved or controlled cooling, which preferably includes individual cooling of each conductor junction, carried out from any angle of the longitudinal axis of the conductor junction, for example, via airflow or other coolant. Furthermore, partially parallel / non-parallel conductor junction designs may allow for various layouts such as curvature, twisting, and bending of the conductor between the two terminals when the first and second end segments are connected.

[0226] Furthermore, it should be noted that the conductor branch in the embodiment may extend between two end segments, and in this case, the conductor branch may not be parallel, may be parallel over a distance of less than 2 cm, and may be parallel to each other but not parallel to other conductor branch. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0227] 1. Conductor 2 First end 3 Second end 4. Intermediate Segment 5. Conductor branching section 5a Longitudinal conductor branch 5b Transverse conductor branching section 6 void 6a Longitudinal gap (in the X direction) 6b Transverse gap (in the Y direction) 6c Vertical gap (in the Z direction) 7 1st terminal 8 2nd terminal 9 intersection 10 Terminal hole 11 Fixing hole 12 internal cooling channels

Claims

1. An electrical local connection busbar (1) comprising at least one first terminal (7) and at least one second terminal (8) separated by an intermediate segment (4), wherein the intermediate segment (4) is configured to conduct current between the at least one first terminal (7) and the at least one second terminal (8), The aforementioned electrical local connection busbar (1) is characterized in that it is manufactured by additive manufacturing.

2. An electrical local connection busbar according to claim 1, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) is selected from a list including a main busbar, a transition busbar, and a current balance busbar.

3. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) comprises a first end segment (2) and a second end segment (3).

4. An electrical local connection busbar according to claim 3, wherein the end segments (2, 3) each have at least one first terminal (7) and at least one second terminal (8).

5. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the intermediate segment (4) comprises at least one first terminal (7) and at least one second terminal (8).

6. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the intermediate segment (4) comprises a plurality of conductor branching elements (5a-1, 5a-2, 5a-3, 5b-1, 5b-2...).

7. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the conductor branching elements (5a-1, 5a-2...) are monolithically formed by rounded connections, and the at least one first terminal (7) and / or the at least one second terminal (8) have concave, rounded internal corners.

8. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least one terminal (7), the at least one second terminal (8), and the intermediate segment (4) are monolithically connected.

9. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) is made of an electrically conductive material.

10. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) is made of a non-electrically conductive material.

11. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) is coated or printed with an insulating material.

12. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) is coated or printed with an electrically conductive material.

13. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) has a geometry included in the list including a wedge, a cone, a cylinder, a quadrilateral, and an ellipse.

14. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the electrical local connection busbar (1) is manufactured in a geometry included in the list, including bionic, mesh, spongy, honeycomb, corrugated, gyroidal, and branched.

15. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one of the electrical local connection busbars (1) has at least one intermediate segment (4) comprising at least one internal cooling channel (12).

16. An electrical local connection busbar according to claim 15, wherein the at least one internal cooling channel (12) is configured to include a cooling pipe.

17. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the high-power conductor (1) has a resonant vibration frequency of at least 5 Hz, for example at least 20 Hz, for example at least 30 Hz, for example at least 70 Hz, for example at least 150 Hz, for example at least 300 Hz, for example at least 500 Hz.

18. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the first end segment (2) or the second end segment (3) is U-shaped or E-shaped.

19. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the intermediate segment (4) of the electrical local connection busbar comprises a curved region.

20. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the intermediate segment (4) of the electrical local connection busbar comprises a torsion region.

21. An electrical local connection busbar according to any one of claims 1 to 20, manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 22 to 37.

22. A method for manufacturing a conductor (1) including an intermediate segment (4) having a non-uniform design, wherein the method is: A first layer of an electrically conductive material is provided. A plurality of subsequent layers of the electrically conductive material are provided, thereby forming the first end (2), intermediate segment (4), and second end (3) of the conductor (1). Includes steps in the additive manufacturing process, The method is characterized in that the layer of the conductor (1) added to the front layer of the conductor (1) forms a non-uniform cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment (4).

23. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to claim 22, wherein the conductor (1) is an electrical local connection busbar (1).

24. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 23, wherein the conductor (1) is selected from a list including a main busbar, a transition busbar and a current balance busbar.

25. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the conductor (1) is braided from a plurality of additively manufactured conductors while being printed.

26. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein the conductor (1) connected to a busbar is additively manufactured by any one additive manufacturing process from the list consisting of cold spray, binder jetting, stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), digital light process (DLP), multi-jet fusion (MJF), polyjet, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), or electron beam melting (EBM).

27. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the conductor (1) is manufactured horizontally or vertically.

28. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein the conductor (1) is manufactured such that one of the dimensions of the conductor (1) is greater than one of the dimensions of the print volume of the device used for additive manufacturing.

29. A method for producing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein the method is: To provide a first conductor (1a), To provide a second conductor (1b), A method further comprising the step of mechanically connecting the first conductor (1a) with the second conductor (1b), thereby forming a conductor consisting of multiple parts, thereby connecting the first conductor (1a) and the second conductor (1b).

30. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 29, wherein the first conductor (1a) and the second conductor (1b) are mechanically connected to a cover plate.

31. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein the first conductor (1a) is provided with a male connector and the second conductor (1b) is provided with a female connector.

32. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to claim 31, wherein the male connector and the female connector are screw locking mechanisms.

33. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 31 to 32, wherein the first conductor (1a) and the second conductor (1b) are mechanically connected to a cover plate, a male connector, and a female connector.

34. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 33, wherein the first conductor (1a) and the second conductor (1b) are mechanically connected by a plastic, thermal paste, or adhesive between the two conductors.

35. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 34, wherein the male connector and the female connector are provided with a cooling channel (12).

36. A method for manufacturing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 35, wherein the conductor (1) after connecting the first conductor (1a) and the second conductor (1b) has a volume greater than the additive manufacturing volume.

37. A method for producing a conductor according to any one of claims 22 to 36, the method comprising the step of coating or printing the conductor (1) with either an insulating material or an electrically conductive material after the final layer of the electrically conductive material has been added.

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