Temperature control of high-power electrical systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical system (16), which comprises a plurality of conductors (1) configured to distribute power within the electrical system (16) in particular to electrical components (17). At least one of the plurality of conductors (1) has a first end (2) separated from a second end (3) by an intermediate segment (4), the intermediate segment (4) comprising at least one internal channel (11), one end or both ends being monolithically formed with the intermediate segment (4). In addition, the electrical system comprises a temperature control system (18) comprising a temperature control loop (19), the temperature control loop comprising the internal channel (11). The temperature control system (18) is configured to control the temperature of the high-power system (16) by controlling / inducing a fluid to pass through the temperature control loop (19) and thereby through the internal channel (11).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a high-power electrical system comprising a conductor having an internal channel, a method for manufacturing such a conductor, and the use of such a conductor for temperature control of an electrical cabinet comprising a high-power electrical system. [Background technology]

[0002] In this technical field, for example, in European Patent Publication No. EP1057369, it is known that hollow standard conductors, such as tubes, exist. The interior of such conductors can be stabilized by a cross-sectional profile that forms a duct for the flow of cooling water. Furthermore, a water-cooled high-voltage cable is known in Patent No. DE2402851.

[0003] These two prior art documents describe the latest technologies and problems related to connecting / separating a conductor from the cooling fluid inside the conductor at its ends and connecting the conductor to an electrical component. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0004] The inventors identified the above-mentioned problems and challenges related to temperature control and solved them with the present invention described below.

[0005] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a high-power electrical system. A plurality of high-power conductors configured to distribute power to the high-power electrical system, At least one of the high-power conductors is mechanically and electrically connected to a heat-generating electrical component constituting the high-power electrical system, and the high-power conductor (1) is A temperature control system equipped with a temperature control loop, Equipped with, At least one of the plurality of high-power conductors has a first end separated from the second end by an intermediate segment, The intermediate segment comprises at least one internal channel, which is included in the temperature control loop and is configured to guide a temperature control fluid circulating within the temperature control loop. At least one of the first end and the second end is formed monolithically with the intermediate segment.

[0006] High-power electrical systems should be understood as electrical systems that include at least a portion of the electrical systems of wind power plants, solar power systems, power grids, substations, or electric vehicles.

[0007] "High-power" should be understood as power that can be drawn by an electricity consumer at voltages of 110V or higher, up to, for example, 400kV. In other words, the high-power conductor according to the present invention should be able to conduct at least 10A and up to, for example, 2000A.

[0008] Monolithically integrating the ends and intermediate segments of the conductor has the advantage of avoiding the manual process of assembling these parts. This eliminates a potential source of error.

[0009] Furthermore, the footprint of the conductor, which has intermediate segments and monolithically formed ends, is reduced because bushings or union nuts are not required.

[0010] Furthermore, the end and intermediate segments of the monolithically formed conductor do not separate due to vibrations generated by the environment in which the conductor is installed.

[0011] The conductor design of the present invention may have no excess material that is not used to conduct current when supplied to a power module with a rated current of, for example, 1400A. Where excess material is used, it is preferably used to cool / heat the conductor and / or its surroundings. The amount of such excess material can be measured relatively accurately by the software used to design the conductor. As a rule of thumb, higher amperages can be conducted as the surface area for cooling increases. When designing the geometry of the conductor / individual conductor branches, the design software may weight amperage, cooling / heating characteristics (cooling medium, surface, etc.), and current frequency.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the temperature control system is a cooling system configured to circulate a cooling fluid within the internal channel.

[0013] Such a cooling system circulates a cooling fluid, such as a cooling coolant. Such a cooling coolant may be selected as, for example, a type of oil that is non-electrically conductive and thus can function as both a cooling fluid and an insulator, or as water, deionized water, glycol, or a liquid metal such as gallium or mercury. The cooling system may circulate the cooling fluid into a temperature control loop, which may in this case be referred to as a cooling loop, and has a flow rate in the range of 4 L / min to 10 L / min per power module. Therefore, the cooling system should be able to provide a cooling fluid flow in the range of 48 L / min to 120 L / min in an electrical system having power modules in parallel on each three phase (12 power modules × 4 – 10 L / min). The temperature of the cooling coolant is preferably below 55°C, as it is often desired to maintain the high-power system at a temperature below 55°C.

[0014] In this embodiment, it can be referred to as an internal cooling channel defined by a conductor or inside the conductor. As described above, the internal cooling channel is configured to guide the cooling fluid to pass through at least the intermediate segment of the high-power conductor (which may simply be referred to as a conductor). In this way, the temperature around the high-power conductor, especially around the internal cooling channel, can be reduced.

[0015] Therefore, by sufficiently cooling through the internal cooling channel, for example, the current conducted to the power module and / or processed by the power module can be increased. This is because compared with the power module of a known electrical system that is cooled only by the air flow flowing outside the conductor, the temperature no longer functions as a limiting factor.

[0016] The cooling system of the temperature control system may include a heat pump, a heat exchanger or an equivalent thereof to facilitate the temperature drop of the cooling fluid circulating in the internal channel.

[0017] The internal cooling channel is advantageous in that it enables temperature control of the conductor to efficiently reduce the temperature.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the temperature control system is a heating system configured to circulate a heating fluid through the internal channel.

[0019] Circulating the heating fluid is advantageous, for example, as part of a method of starting the electrical system after it has been stopped. It is important for both safety and functionality that the conductor is, for example, dry before starting the system, which can be ensured by heating the conductor.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the temperature control system is a combination of a heating system and a cooling system for circulating a temperature control fluid through the internal channel to control the temperature of at least one of the plurality of high-power conductors.

[0021] The same fluid circulating within the internal channel can be used for heating or cooling depending on ambient temperatures such as the temperature of the fluid and the temperature of the conductor. Thus, before startup, the conductor has a temperature below that of the fluid, whereby the fluid can act as a heater for the conductor. During operation, the temperature of the fluid can become less than the temperature of the conductor, whereby it can act as a cooler for the conductor.

[0022] Thus, even if the channel can be referred to as a cooling channel, in practice it can be used to heat the conductor before the operating state of the electrical system. For example, in such situations where the cooling fluid is higher than the ambient temperature of the conductor, it may be more appropriate to simply refer to the internal cooling channel as an internal channel. Such an internal channel can be used to circulate a fluid capable of controlling the temperature of the busbar comprising the internal channel. In this way, it is possible to raise or lower the temperature of the busbar and thereby the temperature of the cabinet surrounding the busbar. This is advantageous in that it has the effect of being able to evaporate water droplets such as condensation on the busbar before passing an electric current through the busbar. In this way, the risk of an arc flash occurring is reduced.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel extends in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate segment.

[0024] Thus, even if not included in the first end or the second end, the internal channel extends between the first end and the second end. Thereby, when extending over the entire intermediate segment, the entire intermediate segment can be temperature-controlled by the fluid flowing through the internal channel.

[0025] It should be noted that an internal channel having a S-shape across the sides in the lateral direction of the conductor is also considered to extend in the longitudinal direction of the conductor. Further, the ends also comprise an internal channel, i.e., the internal channel can extend from one end of the conductor to the other end.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel extends coplanar through the intermediate segments of the intermediate segments.

[0027] This is advantageous in that, in contrast to embodiments in which the internal channel extends diagonally, for example, through the interior of the intermediate segment in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate segment, the current path through the intermediate segment is "blocked once" by the internal channel.

[0028] It should be noted that this same location could be a location in the X or Y direction of the intermediate segment.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel extends for at least one-quarter, preferably at least half, and most preferably at least three-quarters of the longitudinal length of the intermediate segment.

[0030] Internal channels extending longitudinally in the intermediate segments are advantageous because they allow a large portion of the conductor to exchange heat with the flow of temperature-controlled fluids, such as cooling fluids, within the internal channels.

[0031] Furthermore, the internal channel extends laterally into the intermediate segment, depending on its cross-sectional area.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel is longer than the shortest distance between the two ends of the intermediate segment.

[0033] The ends of the intermediate segment can be defined as transition points between the intermediate segment of the conductor and the first and second ends, respectively. That is, this connection may or may not be monolithic, as it is the distance between the terminal or end and the connection point to the intermediate segment.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel extends longitudinally along the intermediate segment and follows a zigzag path from one side of the intermediate segment to a second side of the intermediate segment, coplanar with the intermediate segment.

[0035] This is advantageous in that it has the effect that a large portion of the intermediate segment and thus a large portion of the conductor can be cooled / temperature controlled by the fluid flow in the channel. Such a design involves a trade-off between the desired cooling of the entire conductor, the fluid flow, and the conductivity of the current through the conductor.

[0036] A coplanar surface should be understood as a single layer of intermediate segments manufactured by additive manufacturing. Here, "one layer" should be understood as the number of layers required to define the internal cooling channels.

[0037] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of high-power conductors comprises at least two, preferably at least three, and most preferably at least four internal channels.

[0038] Having two or more internal channels, such as two or more internal cooling channels, is advantageous in that the conductor has a larger surface area when high-frequency current is conducted due to the skin effect. Furthermore, it is advantageous in that a large portion of the conductor's cross-sectional area can be temperature-controlled. Furthermore, it is advantageous in that heating / cooling fluids with different temperatures can flow through different parts of the conductor. In addition, multiple channels allow the same cooling fluid to circulate before and after the end / first and second ends of the intermediate segment, or allow it to have multiple separate flows.

[0039] Multiple internal channels may be provided in layers with different cross-sectional areas of the conductor, and aligned in such a way to minimize their influence on the current path through the conductor.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel branches into at least two internal channel branching points.

[0041] This is advantageous in that the conductor is branched into two or more conductive branches, each of which is equipped with an internal channel branch, thereby allowing each to be cooled / temperature controlled.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least two of the internal channels are configured to conduct the flow of temperature-controlled fluids at different temperatures.

[0043] This is advantageous in that different parts of the conductor can be cooled differently. For example, the fluid with the lowest temperature is the conductor where the conductor has the highest temperature. Therefore, for example, the return path may pass through parts of the conductor that are colder than the parts the forward path passes through.

[0044] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the at least one internal channel has a geometry selected from a list including diloid, mesh, circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, square, pentagonal, and polygonal shapes.

[0045] The geometry of the internal channel should be designed to minimize flow resistance as much as possible. In this regard, establishing some swirling effects in the flow through the internal channel can be of great value, for example, to increase its cooling effect. This can be achieved by providing grooves arranged in a predetermined pattern, such as those known from rifle barrels, on the walls of the internal channel. In addition, as mentioned above, it is desirable to have as large a channel surface as possible, for example, to increase the cooling capacity.

[0046] The combination of these requirements can, depending on the conductor design software, lead to so-called bionic designs, that is, logical designs where the magnitude and direction of the current path are unpredictable.

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel is configured to include a pipe.

[0048] For example, a pipe / polymer tube in the form of an insulated hose can be inserted into the internal channel when a conductor with an internal channel is manufactured / before or after the conductor is installed in the system. This is advantageous in that it has the effect of eliminating the need for a connection of the external channel to the internal cooling channel. The pipe can simply circulate the cooling fluid from the heat exchanger through the conductor and back to the heat exchanger through the internal channel. The same applies to the heating fluid.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel comprises a plurality of flow guides.

[0050] Flow guides are advantageous in that they can be designed to establish a specific flow of cooling fluid within the internal channel. Such a specific flow may include, for example, establishing a swirling effect in the flow of cooling fluid inside the internal channel, thereby enhancing the cooling effect of the cooling fluid.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of flow guides has a non-uniform geometry.

[0052] Non-uniform geometry should be understood as a single guide element being cylindrical, elliptical, triangular, etc.

[0053] Having a flow guide section with a non-uniform geometry is advantageous because it provides the effect of obtaining a non-uniform flow of the cooling fluid through the internal cooling channel. This non-uniform flow of the cooling fluid can lead to an increased cooling effect.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of flow guides protrudes in different directions from the inner wall of the at least one internal channel.

[0055] Therefore, in one embodiment, one flow guide may extend from one side of the rectangular internal channel toward the second side. Another flow guide may extend from the second side toward one side. Another flow guide may extend from one of the third side or the fourth side, etc.

[0056] By extending and changing the flow guide section in this way, a desired or controlled flow of the cooling fluid can be achieved, thereby increasing or decreasing the flow velocity, generating a swirling effect, and so on.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of flow guides is protruding.

[0058] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel is formed monolithically with respect to the channel extension.

[0059] The channel extension facilitates, for example, the easy connection of an extended cooling channel to a cooling loop. Monolithically integrating the internal channel and the channel extension, and thereby monolithically integrating it with a portion of the external channel (for a high-power conductor or its intermediate segment), has the advantage of facilitating the installation of the internal channel to a cooling system, for example. An external channel / cooling loop, such as a plastic pipe, can be connected to the channel extension and thereby to the internal channel having a hose clamp. Thus, easy installation of the cooling loop is possible.

[0060] It should be noted that the channel extension may be made of a different type of material than the conductor. In such cases, it may be more accurate to refer to it as an internal channel and channel extension formed in polylithic material.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the channel extension terminates with a threaded portion.

[0062] This is advantageous in that the external channel can be easily connected to the channel extension using a union nut or bushing, thereby enabling easy connection to the internal channel.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the channel extension is manufactured from the same electrically conductive material as one of the end segments or intermediate segments of the conductor.

[0064] This is advantageous because it has the effect that the channel extension can be manufactured using the same process as the conductor, such as additive manufacturing.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one internal channel is an internal cooling channel that can be connected to an external cooling loop via a cooling channel inlet and a cooling channel outlet.

[0066] This is advantageous in that it has the effect of allowing the internal cooling channel to be connected to the external cooling channel.

[0067] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the channel inlet and / or the channel outlet are mounted as threaded portions entering or exiting the conductor.

[0068] This is advantageous in that the external channel can be easily connected by screwing it into the conductor and / or by clamping it to the conductor with, for example, a union nut.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the channel inlet and / or the channel outlet are provided at the first end, the second end and / or the intermediate segment.

[0070] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the high-power conductor is selected from a list including a main busbar, a transition busbar, and a current-balancing busbar.

[0071] 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 inside the cabinet. Typically, a main busbar extends laterally (X-direction) or vertically (Y-direction) within the electrical cabinet. The main busbar may be fixed to the rear plate of the electrical cabinet.

[0072] A transition section should be understood as a busbar that connects a main busbar or cable to another main busbar, another transition busbar, an electrical component, etc. A transition busbar may also be referred to as a connector or transition section for connecting two or more electrical components. Typically, a transition busbar extends in two or more directions, one of which is toward an opening in an electrical cabinet (Z-direction). Another of these directions is typically perpendicular or horizontal to the main busbar to which it is connected, for example. A transition busbar may have two legs at one end to connect, for example, two parallel power modules to a main busbar or another transition busbar.

[0073] A current-balanced busbar should be understood as a variation of a transition busbar. A current-balanced busbar can be, for example, a transition busbar with two connected / closed legs that connect to parallel power modules. This is advantageous because, when a current-balanced busbar is connected to parallel power modules and the currents to or from these two power modules are not identical, the heat from the connected legs conducts the current to one larger leg. In this way, the current and heat are balanced in the current-balanced busbar.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the high-power system further comprises an electrical cabinet having the plurality of high-power conductors, the plurality of high-power conductors being connected to a high-power load or a high-power power supply.

[0075] The high-power load or grid connected to the high-power electrical system of the present invention may be, for example, a power-to-x system such as a power grid, energy storage, or electrolyzer.

[0076] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the high-power electrical system (16) is provided in one of the following: a renewable energy generation plant, a land vehicle, and a floating vessel.

[0077] Renewable energy power plants include wind power plants and solar power systems. Land vehicles include light vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles. Floating vessels include ships.

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the at least one heat-generating electrical component comprises a semiconductor switch.

[0079] Semiconductor switches can be insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) or metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) that are mounted in heat-exchanging electrical components such as rectifiers, inverters, and converters. Semiconductor switches can be embedded in a unit called a power module, which in turn can include semiconductor switches in certain configurations.

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate segment is formed monolithically from an electrically conductive material.

[0081] Therefore, regardless of the geometry, the intermediate segments are integrated, which has the advantage of eliminating the need to manually connect the intermediate segments. This improves the installation speed of the electrical system to which the conductors are attached, and at the same time reduces, if not eliminates, the risk of human error in the assembly of the conductors.

[0082] The integrated intermediate segment can be manufactured by additive manufacturing, molding, extrusion, or similar processes.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate segment is formed monolithically with the first end of the conductor at the first end and monolithically with the second end of the conductor at the second end.

[0084] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the high-power conductor is manufactured at least partially by an additive manufacturing process.

[0085] Manufacturing the conductor according to the present invention by an additive manufacturing process is advantageous in that the end and intermediate segments, including internal cooling channels, can be formed monolithically. The cooling channel inlets and outlets can be manufactured monolithically so as to be formed within the end and / or intermediate segments of the conductor.

[0086] This is advantageous in that it has the effect that no fittings or union nuts are required to connect the internal cooling channels to the external cooling channels.

[0087] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate segment comprises a plurality of conductor branches.

[0088] One conductor branch can be designed in a harmonica shape, a helical shape, etc. and then produced, which can result in a plurality of voids between some of the same or adjacent conductor branches.

[0089] It should be noted that the high-power conductor can be composed of a mixture of conductor branches of different geometries.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the one or more conductor branches are identical.

[0091] "Identical" may be understood to mean having the same cross-sectional area, i.e., the cross-sectional area can be, for example, 0.5 mm 2 , 1 mm 2 , 1.5 mm 2 etc. up to 6 mm 2 or more.

[0092] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional area of the one or more conductor branches (6) is 200 mm2 or less, preferably less than 150 mm 2 , preferably less than 100 mm 2 , preferably less than 50 mm 2 , preferably less than 10 mm 2 , most preferably less than 0.5 mm 2 and 5 mm 2 and is in the range between.

[0093] The high-power conductor has each conductor being 10 mm 2 or 20 mm 2Even with a cross-sectional area of ​​5000 mm², it is advantageous in that the high-power conductor can still retain flexibility. However, it is clear that the thinner the conductor branch, the smaller the force required to deform the high-power conductor. In this case, the additive manufacturing machine can, for example, have a cross-sectional area of ​​5000 mm². 2 It is possible to construct conductors up to a certain point, which may be necessary in several applications.

[0094] 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.

[0095] Conductors are advantageously designed and subsequently manufactured such that the conductor has a resonant vibration frequency relating to the relative motion between the first and second end segments, such that the natural frequencies of the system containing the conductor do not occur simultaneously. This is to avoid vibrations caused by the natural frequencies of such electrical or mechanical systems. An example of a mechanical system is a wind turbine, which may have a natural frequency of 5 Hz. The resonant frequency of a conductor can be altered solely for the purpose of avoiding a specific resonant frequency, for example, by applying a structure along the longitudinal or transverse direction of the conductor. The structure may include protrusions, wedge shapes, etc.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the channel inlet or channel outlet of the internal channel is provided in the first end segment or the second end segment.

[0097] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the first end segment or the second end segment is U-shaped or E-shaped.

[0098] Having channel inlets or outlets in end segments, specifically U-shaped or E-shaped end segments, is advantageous because it allows the internal channels of one conductor to be continuous with another conductor when connected to another busbar via the end segments.

[0099] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the high-power conductor described above is manufactured according to the method described later.

[0100] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to the use of a high-power conductor, the high-power conductor comprising an internal channel for temperature control of an electrical cabinet surrounding a high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 38.

[0101] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a high-power conductor having an internal channel, wherein the method is To provide a first layer of an electrically conductive material, To provide a plurality of subsequent layers of the electrically conductive material, thereby forming the first end, intermediate segment, and second end of the high-power conductor, This includes steps performed by an additive manufacturing process, The method described above is characterized in that the layer of high-power conductor added to the front layer of the high-power conductor covers only a portion of the cross-sectional area of ​​the front layer.

[0102] This is advantageous because the uncovered portion of the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate segment thereby forms the geometry of the internal channel layer by layer.

[0103] In this way, it may be possible to manufacture internal cooling channels having approximately any "printable" geometry. This involves including flow guides within the internal cooling channels, and such internal cooling channels can be manufactured in the same manner, i.e., formed layer by layer, thereby having printable geometry.

[0104] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the preceding layer not covered by the subsequent layer is the intermediate portion of the cross-sectional area of ​​the high-power conductor.

[0105] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the preceding layer not covered by the subsequent layer is located within the central 95% range of the preceding layer, preferably within the central 80% range, and most preferably within the central 50% range.

[0106] Furthermore, if multiple individual cooling channels are provided within the conductor, they may be evenly distributed across the entire cross-section of the conductor. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0107] 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 the first electrical local connection busbar having 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 3] Figure 3 illustrates a conductor having an internal channel. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the intermediate segment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 illustrates a conductor having branched internal channels. [Figure 6] Figure 6 illustrates an internal channel having a channel extension. [Figure 7]Figure 7 illustrates a conductor having an internal channel with a flow guide section. [Figure 8-11] Figures 8–11 illustrate various conductors with different internal channels. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0108] The present invention is illustrated in the diagrams of exemplary embodiments, which are intended solely to illustrate the principles and practices of the invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to provide various embodiments within the scope of the claims.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] A conductor branch 5 of the mesh structure extends between the two terminals 7 and 8 (only one is emphasized). 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.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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 this conductor does not need to have excess material that is not used for current conduction, for example, when a rated current is supplied to a 1400A 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 amperages 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 weight amperage, cooling characteristics (cooling medium, surface, etc.), current frequency, etc. Thus, the conducting cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor as shown in Figure 1b is 80 mm². 2 This may be the case, and in one embodiment, a ventilated design allows for very advantageous cooling, which may be sufficient to conduct a current of 1300A. In fact, in tests, a 516mm tube conducting 1300A was found to be sufficient. 2 It has been shown that the temperature of a conventional solid busbar with a conductive cross-sectional area can rise to a temperature that puts adjacent plastic components at risk of melting.

[0122] 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.

[0123] 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.

[0124] 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.

[0125] 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, they 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.

[0126] 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.

[0127] In other words, the conductor of the present invention is the result of a process for forming a conductor as a single integrated structure, and is a conductor composed of an electrically conductive material without joints or seams, thus constituting a conductor that forms a rigid whole and exhibits 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.

[0128] 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.

[0129] 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.

[0130] In principle, there are no lower limits on voltage and current when listing these voltages. That is, the form of 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 some examples.

[0131] 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.

[0132] 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.

[0133] 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, ships, etc.

[0134] 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.

[0135] 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.

[0136] 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.

[0137] 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.

[0138] 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.

[0139] 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.

[0140] 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.

[0141] 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.

[0142] 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.

[0143] 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.

[0144] 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.

[0145] 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.

[0146] 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.

[0147] 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.

[0148] 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.

[0149] 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.

[0150] 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.

[0151] Two or more conductor branches 5 may merge at an 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 an intersection 9 may be the same as two conductor branches that extend from that 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 merge to form a smaller number of conductor branches.

[0152] 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.

[0153] 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.

[0154] Furthermore, more than one type of material, for example, a block of two or more materials, may be used to manufacture the conductor. One of these two or more materials may be non-conductive.

[0155] 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.

[0156] The conductor 1 may have a non-uniform geometry / design. The design / geometry may take any shape that is machinable / 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.

[0157] 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.

[0158] 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.

[0159] 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.

[0160] 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.

[0161] 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.

[0162] 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.

[0163] Figure 2 illustrates the steps of a method for machining 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.

[0164] 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 include a transition section or be connected to such a transition section.

[0165] 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 thermal 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).

[0166] 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.

[0167] 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.

[0168] 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.

[0169] 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.

[0170] 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.

[0171] 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.

[0172] 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.

[0173] 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, just like the other parts of the electrical conductor, i.e., they may be formed monolithically together with the ends.

[0174] 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.

[0175] The process of monolithically forming the first end segment and the conductor branch may be carried out using various 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.

[0176] More specifically, a known solid conductor such as a main busbar with a length of 3-5m is 1mm 2 Each may conduct 1-2A. If the same busbar is manufactured with a ventilated design and, for example, internal cooling, the same 1-2A / mm² may be maintained even with reduced material due to improved cooling. 2However, they can conduct with the same efficiency. Typical conductive materials such as aluminum and copper have a temperature coefficient of about 0.4% / degC. When such conductors are efficiently cooled to a temperature, for example, 25°C lower than that of conventional conductors, the resistance is reduced by about 10%. Therefore, about 10% of the material can be removed without worsening the 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.

[0177] 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.

[0178] 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.

[0179] 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.

[0180] 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 improved electrical conductivity in addition to thermal stability, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and surface finish.

[0181] 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.

[0182] 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.

[0183] 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.

[0184] 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.

[0185] 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.

[0186] 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.

[0187] 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.

[0188] 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).

[0189] 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.

[0190] 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.

[0191] 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.

[0192] 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.

[0193] 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.

[0194] As described above, Figures 1a–1c illustrate various embodiments of a conductor 1 in which an internal channel 11 according to the present invention may be present or manufactured within the conductor 1. Figure 3 illustrates in more detail a high-power electrical system 16 in which multiple conductors 1 are used to distribute power.

[0195] Three parallel busbars 1, sometimes referred to as main busbars, are illustrated. This is because each of these busbars 1 can supply power to a component of the system, such as a heat-generating electrical component 17. Although only one connection / transition busbar 1a is illustrated connecting one of the main busbars to component 17, all three main busbars can provide a three-phase power supply to the component.

[0196] The transition busbar 1a is connected to component 17 at its first end 2 and to the main busbar at its second end 3. An internal channel 11 is shown in the intermediate segment 4 of the transition busbar 1a. In this particular embodiment, the internal channel 11 is connected to a heat exchanger 20 via a temperature control loop 19. The internal channel 11, the control loop 19, and the heat exchanger 20 may together be referred to as a temperature control system 18. Such a system 18 may include dedicated controllers, valves, sensors, etc., required for the system to operate as desired.

[0197] The temperature control system 18 and its heat exchanger 20 may include control loops, which are not shown. Such additional control loops may be used to control the temperature of electrical components such as power modules or the ambient temperature in, for example, an electrical cabinet.

[0198] It should be noted that the heat removed from the conductor by the temperature control system can be reused to control the temperature of mechanical or electrical components or the ambient temperature of the electrical cabinet. Therefore, heating or cooling of the conductor can be transferred from the coolant in the internal channel 11 to components not shown via the control loop 19.

[0199] The heat-generating components 17 may be, for example, a reactor, a power module with semiconductor switches, a transformer, a contactor, etc. Thus, some degree of heat is generated in almost all electrical components within the high-power electrical system 16, including the busbar. Therefore, temperature control of the electrical system 16 can be improved by replacing the known air cooling on the surface of the busbar with internal cooling. The conductor 1 may also be combined with an internal channel 19, such as the one described in relation to Figures 1a-1c, thereby increasing the cooling of the conductor.

[0200] For example, connections such as those between two busbars, between a busbar and a component, or between a cable and a busbar can create hot spots due to resistance in the connection. Therefore, where possible, internal cooling channels 11 are provided as close as possible to the locations where the ends 2, 3 of conductor 1 or the terminal holes 10 of the conductor are located. In this way, heat is removed as close as possible to the heat source in order to prevent an overall temperature rise in the system 16.

[0201] The internal channel 11 is preferably formed during the manufacturing of the conductor 1. Therefore, the channel 11 is formed when the conductor is manufactured layer by layer by removing a portion of the layer 12. In this way, the cavity forming the channel 11 can be established. The channel 11 may also extend through the transition portion between the intermediate segment 4 and the ends 2 and 3, thereby beginning and / or ending at either of these ends 2 and 3. Only the portion of layer 12 necessary to illustrate the channel formed in layer 12 is shown.

[0202] The channel inlet 14 and channel outlet 15 may be formed, for example, as or having channel extensions 21. Therefore, the inlet and / or outlet may be manufactured when the conductor 1 is manufactured. In this way, the fluid connection with the channel 11 by the loop 19 can be easily established by providing a loop pipe on the extension and, in addition, providing, for example, a hose clamp around the pipe. Such extensions 21 may be designed in any desired relevant manner and may be relatively long to terminate at a desired location. Such desired locations may be desired, for example, with respect to maintenance and upkeep, installation, etc.

[0203] Alternatively, the inlet 14 and / or outlet 15 may be manufactured as threaded portions. Such threaded portions may have threads inside the conductor 1, i.e., the outermost part of the channel 11 becomes the threaded portion. Alternatively, the threaded portions may extend from the surface of the conductor 1. Such threaded portions can provide a good connection between pipes that constitute at least part of the loop 19, such that the pipes can be screwed into the threads by union nuts. Thus, the inlet 14 / outlet 15 may be connected to the pipes of the loop 19 in different embodiments, including the embodiments described above. An example of a temperature control system is given below.

[0204] Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a busbar 1 according to the present invention. The cross-sectional view may also be of an intermediate segment 4 of the busbar 1, in which six internal channels are illustrated. The number of channels is adapted to the design of the busbar 1 to ensure that the temperature reaches a desired temperature when a given current is conducted through the busbar 1.

[0205] As shown by the illustrated cross-section of layer 12, the channel 11 is formed by layer 12 forming the busbar 1. The inner surface may have a structure designed for a given purpose. Such purpose may be to optimize fluid flow, i.e., a smooth surface may result in a desired large flow rate. Another purpose may result in a rough surface on the inner wall. This may be desired, for example, when it is necessary to attach insulating material to the inner wall to increase the degree of freedom in the selection of the fluid to be induced. A rough inner wall may result in turbulence in the induced fluid, which may result in optimized cooling. In fact, the wall portion may have projections from the inner wall portion to form a flow guide portion, as will be described later in relation to Figure 7.

[0206] Preferably, the channel 11 extends through the conductor 1 in the same plane (or layer), such as the X-plane or the Y-plane. In this way, the channel avoids interrupting the current path through the conductor as much as possible. Channels that extend diagonally, i.e., when the layer in which the channel is formed changes, may be functional but undesirable.

[0207] Figure 5 illustrates a conductor 1 comprising an intermediate segment 4 and a first end 2 and a second end 3 according to the present invention. In this particular embodiment, the intermediate segment 4 comprises a channel that branches into two inner channel branch portions 11a and 11b. In addition, the intermediate segment comprises a single-channel extension 21 at the first end 2 and a double-channel extension 21 at the second end 3. This is to illustrate that the design geometry of the conductor 1 can be made to suit the system 16 in which it is used.

[0208] This particular design has a high fluid flow in the extension 21 and channel 11 at the first end, and a low flow at the two branch sections 11a and 11b. Furthermore, the extension 21 is located between the terminal holes 10 at the first end, and at the second end 3, the terminal holes are located between the extensions.

[0209] Figure 6 illustrates a portion of the intermediate segment 4 of the conductor according to the present invention, i.e., the end is not shown. The illustrated internal channel 11 may have an inlet 14, and the outlet 15 of the channel 11 is at the same end of the intermediate segment, which may be advantageous in terms of the layout / foot of the electrical system 16 and / or control system 18. The channel 11 thereby guides fluid from the first end toward the second end and back toward the first end. The inlet / outlet may terminate within the channel extension 21 as shown.

[0210] The inlet 14 / outlet 15 may, alternatively or additionally, extend from any position in the intermediate segment. Thus, the placement of the fluid and the guidance of the fluid inside the conductor, i.e., within the channel 11, may be designed for the specific needs of the conductor 1. Such needs may relate to maximum cooling capacity, the layout of one or more channels 11, hot / cold spots, the temperature of the fluid flowing into the channel, etc.

[0211] Figure 7 illustrates a non-limiting example of a flow guide section 13 inside the channel 11. The flow guide section 13 may have different geometries depending on the desired turbulence of the fluid guided into the channel 11. Such geometries may include rhomboid, circular, triangular, inclined, etc. Two or more flow guide sections may be strategically placed within the channel 11 to enhance or maintain a turbulent / swirling effect on the fluid flow.

[0212] The internal channel 11 described above may include a replaceable pipe or other pipe that extends through the channel 11. In this embodiment, the fluid does not directly contact the inner wall of the channel 11. Instead, the fluid is guided by the pipe, which is passed through the channel 11 after the conductor 1 having the channel 11 has been manufactured.

[0213] Such pipes may be replaced if necessary and are advantageous in that they prevent clocking of channel 11 and the inner wall of the conductor is not worn down by the fluid flow. Furthermore, loop 19 is made of a single pipe without any joints, thereby reducing or eliminating the risk of leakage at the joint between channel 11 and loop 19, as the pipe does not pass through channel 11.

[0214] It should be noted that the cooling loop may have two or more channels 11. Therefore, the channels 11 of two conductors 1 may be connected by a pipe or hose of nonconductive material. The outlet 15 of one conductor may be fluidly connected to the inlet 14 of another conductor, thus establishing a loop 19 containing multiple channels 11 of one or more conductors 1. If the hose is made of a nonconductive material, the busbars may not, in principle, need to be in the same layer. In this case, it may be preferable to have a fluid circulating within the nonconductive hose.

[0215] Therefore, the cooling loop 19 may comprise a first manifold that supplies a flow of cooling fluid to two or more channels 11, and a second manifold that collects fluid from the two or more channels 11 to guide the fluid to the heat exchange section of the cooling system 18.

[0216] Furthermore, it should be noted that the same cooling system 18 may comprise several cooling loops 19, each of which may include zero or one or more internal cooling channels 11.

[0217] In one embodiment, the temperature control system 18 conducts a cooling fluid through an internal channel 11, in which case such internal channel 11 may be referred to as an internal cooling channel.

[0218] The temperature control system 18 may include a heat exchanger 20, which may be a conventional heat exchanger operating on well-known principles. Thus, the cooling fluid circulating within the loop 19 is heated as it passes through the internal channels 11, and then exchanges heat within the heat exchanger 20 with another fluid in another loop, or with another fluid such as air.

[0219] Alternatively, the control system 18 may be equipped with a heat pump. Such a heat pump may operate according to well-known principles, such as pumping liquid into the channel 11, where the liquid evaporates and returns to the pump / compressor as a gas. Here, the fluid pressure increases, and the resulting heat is exchanged with the surroundings before the fluid is reintroduced into the channel 11.

[0220] Liquid cooling fluids are preferred over airflow and the like in that the heated liquid can be transferred to the outside of the electrical system 16 directly or via some type of heat exchanger. The liquid cooling fluid may be a phase-change cooling fluid in which the layers change at least partially in at least a portion of the cooling loop 19. A wide range of variations of the cooling fluid can be selected, such as carbon dioxide, R32, and R410A.

[0221] Even when referred to as a cooling system or internal cooling channel, heat may be transferred to the conductor 1 via the channel 11 due to the temperature difference between the conductor 1 having the channel 11 and the cooling fluid.

[0222] This temperature difference is controlled by a controller in the temperature control system 18, which can control the heat pump, the flow of cooling fluid in the cooling loop, etc. Such control of the temperature of the cooling fluid circulating in the channel 11 can be performed based on input from temperature sensors located inside or outside the electrical system 16 and a desired reference temperature.

[0223] Therefore, even if there are no changes to the control system 18, the adjustment of the reference temperature may be excluded in some cases, but the control system can operate as a system that combines heating and cooling of the busbars.

[0224] Therefore, if heating of the busbars is required, for example, before conducting current to the busbars, to raise the temperature within the electrical system 16 or to remove condense from the surface of the busbars, the control system 18 can facilitate this. Subsequently, for example, when power loss raises the temperature of the busbars, the temperature can be reduced or at least the rate at which the temperature rises can be reduced. Both adding and removing heat can be facilitated by circulating a fluid within the internal channels 11 (referred to as heating or cooling).

[0225] It should be noted that the fluid may not be the same when heating or cooling is required. The valve can guide different types of fluid into the channel 11 depending on the purpose. Therefore, the controller of the control system 18 can further control the characteristics of the cooling system, such as the valve, flow rate, and the type of fluid used for cooling or heating.

[0226] Figure 8 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 8 in the portion toward the first end segment 2. These two parts may at least partially surround the intermediate segment or end of the 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.

[0227] Similarly, the fixing holes may be implemented, for example, as an end segment of a busbar or as a separate fixing segment or fixing area, such as a U-shaped portion.

[0228] Furthermore, such alternative end segment designs may be formed in various forms, including an E-shape, such as the second end segment in Figure 8, 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.

[0229] 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.

[0230] The intermediate segment 4 of the illustrated conductor 1 has a diamond pattern on the outside and an internal structure. The internal structure may have a diamond pattern or other patterns, i.e., it may have a structure that at least partially forms a flow guide. The internal structure may have a closed or solid surface so that the pipe can conduct flow. The fluid may be in a gaseous state, such as air or other gas temperature control gases including a coolant, or in a liquid state, such as water or other liquid temperature control liquids including a coolant.

[0231] The internal structure / channel may extend from one of the ends 2, 3 into the intermediate segment, or from a portion of the intermediate segment 4 into the intermediate segment. Preferably, fluid also flows out from the intermediate segment to establish a temperature control circuit 18 (not shown in Figure 8). The internal channel, although not visible in Figure 8, extends behind the outer rhombic structure.

[0232] The inner channel may begin at one of the end segments 2, 3, for example, between two parts of the U-shaped first end segment 2, or at the channel entrance 14 shown by the defined line. The inner channel may exit the conductor at the channel exit 15 located at the second end 3.

[0233] As described above (and as illustrated in Figure 3), the channel outlet 15 / inlet 14 may be located in an intermediate segment, in which case the inner channel 11 of one conductor is connected to the inner channel of another conductor. One way to implement this is to establish a channel outlet on the side of the first conductor and a channel inlet on the end segment of the second conductor (as shown by the defined lines in Figure 3). In this way, the temperature control circuit 18 includes at least two conductors, thereby providing loops 19 connected in parallel or in series to the circuit 18.

[0234] The conductor of the present invention, illustrated in Figure 8 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 8, 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.

[0235] Furthermore, the conductors of the present invention, as shown in Figure 8 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.

[0236] The conductor 1 shown in Figure 8 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.

[0237] 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.

[0238] 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.

[0239] 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.

[0240] 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.

[0241] 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.

[0242] 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.

[0243] Figure 9 illustrates another conductor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes internal channels 11. In fact, this conductor has multiple internal channels 11. All of these channels connect an inlet opening 14 and an outlet opening 15. These openings are provided in the external structure of the conductor through two openings into the interior of the conductor. The internal channels 11 are partitioned by walls or flow guides 13 to ensure that the fluid flowing into the channel openings is distributed within the conductor.

[0244] Figure 10 illustrates a conductor according to an embodiment of the present invention. This conductor comprises an external heat sink 22, which may be formed to have internal channels. These internal channels of the heat sink 22 may be connected in series or in parallel to form a cooling loop of a cooling circuit. Similarly, the intermediate segment 4 of the conductor 1 may comprise an internal channel 11, which may be connected to a cooling circuit.

[0245] Figures 11a and 11b illustrate the same conductor from two different angles. This conductor 1 is a connecting or transition conductor connected to a heat-generating component 17, such as an electrical switch. Heat from the heat-generating component can be induced from the end / contact surface of the conductor 1 connected to the switch, through the internal channel 11, and out through the channel outlet 15 into the open space surrounding the conductor 1. Furthermore, airflow may be generated or provided through the channel inlet 14 to assist in the removal of heat from the contact surface. Note that the direction of the airflow and the heat transition path indicated by the dotted arrow may be in other forms, especially if the airflow is controlled in such a way.

[0246] The two main busbars may be connected to conductor 1 via terminals indicated by reference numerals 7 and 8. Thus, as stated, the internal channel 11 may also be used as a bolt enclosure or guide section; that is, when installed, the internal channel 11 may accommodate bolts connecting conductor 1 to the busbars.

[0247] Such busbars may be considered as heat-generating components 17. In Figures 11a and 11b, heat from the upper busbar 17a may be removed through an internal channel 11. More specifically, the dotted arrow pointer shown below Figure 11b indicates the outer portion of the internal channel, indicated by reference numeral 11. Although busbars 17a and 17b are shown as two busbars, there may be only one.

[0248] Furthermore, to optimize heat dissipation and heat exchange with the surrounding air, the outer surface of the conductor 1 is equipped with a heat sink 22.

[0249] From the above, it is clear that the present invention relates to a high-power system 16, and such a high-power system comprises a plurality of high-power conductors 1 configured to distribute power within the high-power system, particularly to electrical components. At least one of the plurality of high-power conductors 1 has a first end 2 separated from a second end 3 by an intermediate segment 4, the intermediate segment 4 having at least one internal channel 11, one end or both ends of which are monolithically formed with the intermediate segment 4.

[0250] In addition, the high-power electrical system 16 includes a temperature control system 18, which has a temperature control loop, and such temperature control loop includes an internal channel 11. The control system 18 is configured to control the temperature of the high-power system 16 by controlling / inducing a fluid to pass through the cooling loop and thereby through the internal channel 11.

[0251] Therefore, temperature control of a high-power electrical system is provided, which is performed via a conductor 1 such as a busbar having an internal channel 11. Such a busbar having an internal channel can either cool or heat the busbar 1 and its surroundings. This is done by connecting the channel 11 to a temperature control loop 19 of a temperature control system 18.

[0252] The conductor 1 having an internal channel 11 is preferably manufactured by additive manufacturing and may include a channel extension for easily attaching, for example, a cooling loop 19 to the channel 11. In this way, temperature control of an electrical panel housing, for example, a high-power electrical system is established, and no additional cooling equipment, for example, is required within the cabinet. This allows for the maintenance of a compact cabinet without additional parts that could lead to failures and maintenance.

[0253] Such temperature control is efficient because cooling is applied to hot spots, thereby reducing the capacity of the cooling system and resulting in a cheaper and smaller cabinet.

[0254] The present invention has been described above for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting it by reference to specific embodiments. Details of specific embodiments are provided for the purpose of understanding the purpose of the present invention. Detailed descriptions of known systems, apparatus, circuits, and methods have been omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the present invention with unnecessary details. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0255] 1. Conductor 1a Connection / Transition Busbar 2 First end 3 Second end 4. Intermediate Segment 5. Conductor branching section 5a Longitudinal conductor branch section 5b Transverse conductor branching section 6 void 6a Longitudinal gap (X direction) 6b Lateral gap (Y direction) 6c Vertical gap (Z direction) 7 1st terminal 8 2nd terminal 9 intersection 10 Terminal hole 11 Internal Channels 11a, 11b Internal channel branching section 12 layers 13 Flow guidance section 14 Channel Inlet 15 Channel Exit 16. High-power electrical systems 17. Heat-generating electrical components 18. Temperature control system 19. Temperature control loop 20 Heat exchanger 21 Channel extension section 22 Heatsinks

Claims

1. A high-power electrical system (16), A plurality of high-power conductors (1) configured to distribute power to the high-power electrical system (16), wherein at least one of the high-power conductors (1) is mechanically and electrically connected to a heat-generating electrical component (17) constituting the high-power electrical system (16), A temperature control system (18) equipped with a temperature control loop (19), Equipped with, At least one of the plurality of high-power conductors (1) has a first end (2) separated from the second end (3) by an intermediate segment (4), The intermediate segment (4) comprises at least one internal channel (11), the internal channel being included in the temperature control loop and configured to guide a temperature control fluid circulating within the temperature control loop (19), At least one of the first end (2) and the second end (3) is monolithically formed with the intermediate segment (4), High-power electrical systems (16).

2. A high-power electrical system according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control system (18) is a cooling system configured to circulate a cooling fluid within the internal channel (11).

3. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the temperature control system (18) is a heating system configured to circulate a heating fluid through the internal channel (11).

4. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature control system (18) is a combination of a heating system and a cooling system for circulating a temperature control fluid within the internal channel (11) to control the temperature of at least one of the plurality of high-power conductors (1).

5. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) extends in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate segment (4).

6. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) extends in the same plane through the intermediate segment (4) of the intermediate segment.

7. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) extends for at least one-quarter, preferably at least half, and most preferably at least three-quarters of the longitudinal length of the intermediate segment (4).

8. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) is longer than the shortest distance between the ends of the intermediate segment (4).

9. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) extends in the longitudinal direction of an intermediate segment (4) and follows a zigzag path from one side of the intermediate segment (4) to a second side of the intermediate segment (4) in the same plane as the intermediate segment (4).

10. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plurality of high-power conductors (1) comprises at least two, preferably at least three, and most preferably at least four internal channels (11).

11. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) branches into at least two internal channel branch sections (11a, 11b).

12. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least two of the internal channels (11) are configured to conduct the flow of temperature-controlled fluids at different temperatures.

13. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) has a geometry selected from a list including diloid, mesh, circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, square, pentagonal and polygonal shapes.

14. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) is configured to include a pipe.

15. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) comprises a plurality of flow guide units (13).

16. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein each of the plurality of flow guides (13) has a non-uniform geometry.

17. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein each of the plurality of flow guides (13) protrudes in different directions from the inner wall of the at least one internal channel (11).

18. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein each of the plurality of flow guides (13) is protruding.

19. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) is monolithically formed with a channel extension (21).

20. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the part of the channel extension portion (21) is terminated with a threaded portion.

21. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the portion of the channel extension (21) is made of the same electrically conductive material as one of the end segments (2, 3) or the intermediate segment (4) of the conductor (1).

22. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the at least one internal channel (11) is an internal cooling channel that can be connected to an external cooling loop (19) via a cooling channel inlet and a cooling channel outlet.

23. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the channel inlet (14) and / or the channel outlet (15) are mounted as threaded portions to the inside or outside of the conductor (1).

24. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the channel inlet (14) and / or the channel outlet (15) are provided in the first end (2), the second end (3), and / or the intermediate segment.

25. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the high-power conductor (1) is selected from a list including a main busbar, a transition busbar and a current-balancing busbar.

26. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the high-power electrical system (16) further comprises an electrical cabinet having the plurality of high-power conductors (1), and the plurality of high-power conductors (1) are connected to a high-power load or a high-power power supply.

27. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the high-power electrical system (16) is provided in one of the list of renewable energy power plants, land vehicles and floating vessels.

28. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein at least one of the heat-generating electrical components (17) comprises a semiconductor switch.

29. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the intermediate segment (4) is monolithically formed of an electrically conductive material.

30. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 29, wherein the intermediate segment (4) is monolithically formed with the first end (2) of the conductor (1) at the first end (4a) and monolithically formed with the second end (3) of the conductor (1) at the second end (4b).

31. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein the high-power conductor (1) is manufactured at least in part by an additive manufacturing process.

32. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 31, wherein the intermediate segment (4) comprises a plurality of conductor branching sections (6).

33. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 32, wherein the one or more conductor branch sections (6) are identical.

34. A high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 33, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​one or more conductor branch sections (6) is 200 mm². ２ Preferably 150 mm ２ Less than 100 mm, preferably 100 mm ２ Less than 50 mm, preferably 50 mm ２ Less than 10 mm, preferably 10 mm ２ Less than 0.5 mm, most preferably 0.5 mm ２ and 5mm ２ A high-power electrical system that falls within the range of [a certain range].

35. A high-power conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 34, 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.

36. A high-power conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 35, wherein the channel inlet (14) or channel outlet (15) of the internal channel (11) is provided in the first end segment (2) or the second end segment (3).

37. The high-power conductor (1) according to claim 36, wherein the first end segment (2) or the second end segment (3) is U-shaped or E-shaped.

38. A high-power conductor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 37, wherein the high-power conductor (1) is manufactured according to the method described in any one of claims 40 to 42.

39. Use of a high-power conductor (1), wherein the high-power conductor (1) comprises an internal channel (11) for temperature control of an electrical cabinet surrounding a high-power electrical system according to any one of claims 1 to 38.

40. A method for manufacturing a high-power conductor (1) having an internal channel (11), wherein the method is To provide a first layer of an electrically conductive material, The invention provides a plurality of subsequent layers of the electrically conductive material, thereby forming the first end (2), intermediate segment (4), and second end (3) of the high-power conductor (1). This includes steps performed by an additive manufacturing process, The method is characterized in that the layer of high-power conductor added to the front layer of the high-power conductor covers only a portion of the cross-sectional area of ​​the front layer.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the portion of the preceding layer not covered by a subsequent layer is an intermediate portion of the cross-sectional area of ​​the high-power conductor.

42. A method according to any one of claims 40 to 41, wherein the portion of the preceding layer not covered by the subsequent layer is located within 95% of the center of the preceding layer, preferably within 80% of the center, and most preferably within 50% of the center.

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