METHOD, APPARATUS AND CONFIGURATION FOR COOLING ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPONENTS

Abstract

This application relates to an electromagnetic component assembly (201) arranged in a power supply of a welding or cutting system. The electromagnetic component assembly (201) includes a core and a tubular winding. The tubular winding is positioned near or around the core and conducts a current for electromagnetic operation. The tubular winding includes a passage for a process fluid, an inlet at one end of the passage that receives the process fluid, and an outlet at the other end that directs the process fluid downstream to a torch assembly. The passage enhances the cooling of the electromagnetic component assembly (201) as the process fluid travels through the passage from the inlet to the outlet.

Description

METHOD, APPARATUS AND CONFIGURATION FOR COOLING ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPONENTS Cross-reference with related applications This application claims priority and is based on United States Patent Application No. 16 / 805,224, filed on February 28, 2020, entitled Electromagnetic Components Cooling Apparatus, Method and Configuration, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field This description concerns power sources for welding and / or cutting systems and, in particular, an apparatus, method and / or configuration for cooling one or more electrical components arranged within a power source for a welding and / or cutting system. Background of the Invention Welding and cutting systems, such as plasma cutting systems, commonly include multiple interconnected components. For example, a plasma cutting system might include a power source that interconnects a process fluid or gas supply, a torch assembly, and a clamp. Then, during welding or cutting operations, electrical components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, computing components (e.g., microprocessors), etc.) in the power source can be manipulated / controlled (e.g., in response to trigger or activation signals, inputs on a control panel, etc.) to control a process fluid or gas supply and a power supply to the torch assembly.For example, many power supplies for cutting and welding use one or more electromagnetic components, such as one or more transformers and / or one or more inductors, to produce the voltage and / or current required for welding or cutting operations. Unfortunately, the electrical properties of electromagnetic components can vary at different temperatures (and especially at higher temperatures), which can cause the components and / or the welding / cutting power supply in which they are housed to become unreliable during use and exhibit changes in electrical properties (as the temperature rises). Consequently, these electromagnetic components must be cooled appropriately to function effectively, insofar as the term "cooled" or variations thereof, as well as the terms "heat," "heat transfer," and variations thereof, are used herein to indicate the transmission of energy. For example, the phrase "the electrical components must be cooled appropriately" may indicate that energy must be transferred away from the electrical components via a medium (e.g., air or water) in order to maintain the electrical components at an appropriate operating temperature. Often, these electrical components are cooled by a subsonic flow of ambient air forced through the power supply by a fan. For example, a fan can force ambient air into contact with a heat sink that is in thermal communication with the electrical components in a power supply, transferring heat away from the components. Unfortunately, cooling technologies that use forced subsonic flows (e.g., ambient air driven by fans) typically have limited convection coefficients in the range of approximately 25–250 watts per square meter for a temperature difference of one Kelvin (W / m²K).Furthermore, cooling electrical components with ambient air can introduce contaminants into the power supply, and therefore, it may be necessary to separate the electrical components from the ambient airflow. However, this partitioning or division can increase the weight of the power supply and the length of the wiring harness, which is undesirable, at least for power supplies designed to be portable. In fact, a fan that forces ambient air into a power supply can also increase its weight and / or manufacturing cost, and unfortunately, it is difficult to reduce the weight and / or cost of a power supply fan without creating an undesirable decrease in the amount of cooling airflow introduced to the power supply. In some cases, forced ambient airflows are replaced or enhanced with forced liquid cooling systems to increase the amount of cooling provided within a power source. Unfortunately, these technologies often require additional components to be included in the power source and can be more expensive and complicated to implement compared to forced subsonic airflows. Furthermore, they still require the user to maintain heat exchange by expelling particles to maintain their efficiency. Therefore, power source cooling configurations and / or devices are desired, as well as methods of cooling a power source, that improve the cooling of the electromagnetic components included in a power source while minimizing or eliminating the weight and manufacturing cost of a power source. Brief Description of the Invention This description pertains to an apparatus and configuration for cooling a power source, as well as a method for cooling a power source. More specifically, this description pertains to an apparatus and configuration for cooling electronic components in a power source, as well as a method for cooling electronic components in a power source. According to one embodiment, the present description pertains to an assembly of electromagnetic components arranged in a power supply of a welding or cutting system. The electromagnetic component assembly includes a core and a tubular winding positioned near or around the core. The tubular winding conducts a current for electromagnetic operation. The tubular winding includes a passage for a process fluid, an inlet at one end of the passage that receives the process fluid, and an outlet at the other end that directs the process fluid downstream to a torch assembly. The passage enhances the cooling of the electromagnetic component assembly as the process fluid travels through the passage from the inlet to the outlet. The tubular winding includes an outer dielectric layer to prevent turn-to-turn or turn-to-turn short circuits.This layer can be an insulation sleeve or coating. Advantageously, this tubular winding conducts a current for electromagnetic operation and also cools the electromagnetic component assembly (winding) to appropriate temperatures with the process fluid without requiring specific cooling components (e.g., components dedicated to cooling and not involved in power source operations, such as energy transfer or process gas) and without requiring specific cooling fluids (e.g., gas or liquids dedicated to cooling and not a process gas used for cutting or welding). Therefore, power sources that include the electromagnetic component assembly with the tubular winding can be lighter and / or more economical than power sources with specific cooling components, such as fans or liquid flow paths.Alternatively, the electromagnetic component assembly can improve the cooling provided by specific cooling components without substantially increasing the weight and / or cost of a power source. In some of these embodiments, the process fluid is plasma gas and the torch assembly is a plasma arc torch assembly. When the plasma gas reaches the plasma arc torch assembly, it is ionized to create a plasma stream. In some of these embodiments, the process fluid is a process gas or a process water mist. Additionally or alternatively, the process gas may be the only medium (e.g., gas, liquid, etc.) flowing through the passage. Furthermore, in some of these embodiments, the process fluid is provided with a heat sink or thermal dissipator from the power source at the inlet. In some embodiments, the tubular winding is a copper tubular winding. Alternatively, the core and the tubular winding together form an inductor. In some of these inductor embodiments, the core includes an E-shaped core and an I-shaped core facing a plurality of the E-shaped core's legs. The tubular winding is then wound in spaces formed between the E-shaped core's legs. In this configuration, the tubular winding is protected from external environmental factors, such as dust, because it is not exposed to ambient air currents. Furthermore, the reliability of the inductor increases with fewer junctions and fewer leakage points. Manufacturing is also simpler because fewer parts are used compared to, for example, using two E-shaped cores. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic component assembly may include a coil winding wound around the core that conducts current for electromagnetic operation. For example, the coil winding may be the primary winding of a transformer. In some of these transformer-related embodiments, the passage may include a first conductor that has the input and forms a secondary winding for the transformer, a second conductor that has the output and forms another winding for an inductor, and a common conductor connecting the first and second conductors. Alternatively, the tubular winding forms a secondary winding of the transformer, and the electromagnetic component assembly may further include another core downstream of the output, another tubular winding placed near the other core that forms an inductor, and a shared conductor connecting the tubular winding to the other tubular winding.In this arrangement, the other tubular winding may include another passage for the process fluid, another inlet at one end of the other passage that receives the process fluid from the shared conduit, and another outlet at the other end of the other passage that directs the process fluid downstream to the torch assembly. Specifically, the other passage enhances inductor cooling as the process fluid travels through the other passage from the other inlet to the other outlet. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic component assembly may also include a conduit passing through the core, a conduit inlet at one end that receives a cooling fluid, and a conduit outlet at the other end that directs the cooling fluid out of the conduit. In this case, the conduit enhances the cooling of the electromagnetic component assembly as the cooling fluid travels through the conduit from the inlet to the outlet. In particular, the conduit passing through the core enhances the cooling of the electromagnetic component. According to another modality, the present description concerns a power supply for the welding or cutting system that includes an external housing and the set of electromagnetic components as described above and arranged in an internal cavity formed by the external housing. In some of these configurations, the power source may also include an inlet port, located on a rear wall of the external housing, which receives the process fluid from a fluid supply, and at least one heat sink, located in the internal cavity near the electromagnetic component assembly, which receives the process fluid from the inlet port and supplies it to the inlet. Additionally or alternatively, the power source may also include an outlet port, located on a front wall of the external housing, which receives the process fluid from the outlet and directs it to the torch assembly. According to another embodiment, the present description concerns an assembly of electromagnetic components arranged in a power supply for a welding or cutting system, which includes a core, a coil winding positioned near or around the core and conducting a current for electromagnetic operation, and a tubular passage through the core. The assembly of electromagnetic components further includes an inlet at one end of the tubular passage that receives the process fluid and an outlet at the other end of the tubular passage that directs the process fluid downstream to a torch assembly. In particular, the tubular passage enhances the cooling of the assembly of electromagnetic components as the process fluid travels through the tubular passage from the inlet to the outlet. In some of these forms, the tubular passage may be U-shaped. Additionally or alternatively, the inlet and outlet are formed at a core base. In some of these configurations, the process fluid can be a process gas or a water mist and is the only medium flowing through the tubular passage. The process fluid can be supplied with heat from the energy source at the inlet. Additionally, water mist is used for plasma processing. According to another embodiment, the present description concerns a method of cooling an assembly of electromagnetic components arranged in a power source for a welding or cutting system. The method includes placing a tubular winding near or around a core and conducting a current for electromagnetic operation through the tubular winding. The method further includes forming a flux passage within the tubular winding and directing the process fluid through the flux passage as the process fluid flows to a torch assembly. In at least some configurations, the process fluid is plasma gas, the torch assembly is a plasma arc torch assembly, and when the plasma gas reaches the plasma arc torch assembly, it is ionized to create a plasma stream. In at least some configurations, the direction of the flow occurs during the welding or cutting operations of the welding or cutting system. This eliminates risks associated with detecting a temperature rise and also conserves energy because the electrical components do not experience a relatively extreme temperature increase between cooling cycles. Instead, when the electrical components generate heat (for example, during power supply operation), cooling is provided. Furthermore, cooling is provided by the process fluid used for the welding or cutting operation. No separate cooling fluid is required. Brief Description of the Various Views of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a welding and / or cutting system that includes a gas supply and a torch assembly that are connected to a power source that includes an assembly of electromagnetic components formed according to a modality of the present description. Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the power supply in Figure 1 with one side of the external power supply housing removed. Figure 3 is a side view of the power supply from Figure 1 with a back panel and some of its internal components removed. Figure 4 is a simplified exploded diagram of an electromagnetic component assembly from the electromagnetic component assembly of Figure 3 according to one modality of the present description. Figure 5 is a simplified electrical diagram of a set of electromagnetic components shown in Figures 3 and 4 according to one modality of the present description. Figure 6 is a perspective view of an assembly of electromagnetic components having E-shaped nuclei according to another modality of the present description. Figures 7A and 7B are perspective views of an electromagnetic component set having E-shaped nuclei and an I-shaped nucleus, according to another modality of the present description. Figure 8 is a perspective view of an electromagnetic component assembly having a tubular passage for a process fluid passing through a core, according to yet another modality of the present description. Figure 9 is a high-level flowchart depicting a cooling method for an assembly of electromagnetic components according to the techniques disclosed herein. Similar numbers identify similar components in all figures. Detailed Description This document describes an apparatus, configuration, and method for a set of electromagnetic components of a power source. The apparatus, configuration, and method direct the process fluid (i.e., working gas or liquid), such as plasma gas or water mist, through a passage formed in a tubular winding and / or through a passage formed in the core of an electromagnetic component assembly arranged in a power supply, for the purpose of cooling the electromagnetic component assembly. Although the following embodiments describe the electromagnetic component assembly with reference to a transformer and / or an inductor and / or a component having a winding and a core, this description is not limited to them. The passage may be formed by other electrical components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, computing components (e.g., microprocessors), etc.) included in the power supply.For example, the coils in one or more of these other electrical components can be replaced with tubular windings that conduct current and provide a passage for the process fluid to cool the respective electrical component. As another example, a clamping component and / or an electrical component housing, such as a core, can be modified to form a passage for the process fluid to cool the respective electrical component. In several configurations, the electromagnetic components of the power source are typically used to supply power for various operations and are modified to also pass the process fluid to a torch assembly, thus using the process fluid to cool one or more of the electrical components within it. Consequently, the apparatus and configuration provide cooling without adding specific cooling components to a power source. Furthermore, the cooling provided by the process fluid is efficient and can therefore replace or enhance cooling provided by other means. In fact, specific cooling components, such as fans, can be removed from a power source and / or replaced with smaller and / or less expensive components.For example, a power source incorporating the process fluid passage / configuration disclosed herein may not require a fan to force ambient airflow through the power source. Consequently, the cooling apparatus / configuration disclosed herein can reduce the cost, weight, and / or power consumption of a power source while still providing sufficient cooling to any electrical components included within the power source. In comparison, liquid cooling and / or phase-change cooling can only be implemented by adding (e.g., installing / including) dedicated cooling components to a power supply, provided that these components are dedicated to cooling and do not directly participate in the power supply's operational commitments (e.g., transferring process fluid and electricity to a torch assembly). For example, liquid cooling requires a power supply that includes or defines dedicated closed flow paths for passing a liquid flow (e.g., water) through the power supply solely for cooling purposes.Meanwhile, a power source that uses phase-change cooling may require that one or more heat pipes with an internal fluid that evaporates at low temperature (to extract energy from an electrical component) be attached to a heat sink or heat transfer surface with a specific void filler or bonding agent (e.g., a bonding agent that increases the strength of the thermally bonded joint and slows down heat conduction from the heat sink / heat transfer surface to the heat pipe). Since the apparatus and configuration disclosed herein use process fluid for cooling, the power source need not include components dedicated solely to cooling the power source (e.g., liquid flow paths, heat pipes, bonding agents, fans, radiators, pumps, tanks, hoses, etc.). That is, the power source uses components already present in almost all power sources (e.g., electrical windings and / or magnetic cores) to generate effective cooling. Furthermore, a power supply that includes the electromagnetic component assembly / configuration disclosed herein does not need to pass a second medium (e.g., gas, liquid, etc.) through the power supply to provide cooling.In contrast, a processing fluid used to perform cutting and / or welding operations is also used to cool the respective electrical components. Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a welding and / or cutting system (hereafter referred to as a cutting system 100) that includes a process fluid supply 110 and a torch assembly 120, which are connected to a power supply 200 having an assembly of electromagnetic components 201 (Figures 2 and 3) formed therein according to a modality of the present description. At a high level, the cutting system 100 includes the power source 200 which supplies power to the torch assembly 120 while also controlling the flow of process fluid from a process fluid supply 110 to the torch assembly 120 (however, in other embodiments, the power source 200 could supply the process fluid itself). The process fluid supply 110 is connected to the power supply 200 via a cable hose 112, and the power supply 200 is connected to the torch assembly 120 via a cable hose 122. The cutting system 100 also includes a working cable formed by a cable hose 132 and a grounding clamp 130. As illustrated, each of the cable hose 112, cable hose 122, and / or cable hose 132 can be of any length. To connect the above-mentioned components, each of the opposite ends of cable hose 112, cable hose 122 and / or cable hose 132 can be coupled to the power supply 200, torch assembly 120, process fluid supply 110 or grounding clamp 130 in any manner now known or developed in the future (e.g., a releasable connection). The power supply 200 includes an outer housing 202. That is, a top cover 204, a bottom 206, a first side 208, a rear 210 (Figure 2), a second side 212 (Figure 3), and a front 220 cooperate to form the outer housing 202, which defines an inner cavity 230 (Figure 2). The front 220 may include, but is not limited to, a control panel 222 with one or more knobs and / or a display. The front 220, the first side 208, and / or the second side 212 may include, but are not limited to, ventilation holes 224 to allow for the circulation of ambient air. In alternative embodiments, the ventilation holes 224 are provided in the rear 210 and / or the top cover 204 or are omitted entirely. Still with reference to figure 1, but now together with figures 2 and 3, in general, in the mode shown, the electromagnetic component assembly 201 uses compressed process fluid from the process fluid supply 110 to cool various electrical components in the power supply 200 as the compressed process fluid flows through the electromagnetic component assembly 201, from the process fluid supply 110 to the torch assembly 120. Specifically, first, the compressed process fluid flows from the process fluid supply 110 to the power source 200 via the cable hose 112. Second, the compressed process fluid enters the power source 200 via a process fluid inlet port 211 (Figure 2). The process fluid inlet port 211 is located at the rear 210 of the power source 200. The flow rate of the compressed process fluid can be controlled and / or regulated at the process fluid inlet port 211 by a flow controller 214 (e.g., a solenoid valve assembly). Third, the compressed process fluid flows through the power source 200, as detailed below with reference to Figure 3. Fourth, the compressed process fluid is supplied to the torch assembly 120 via a process fluid outlet port 226. In Figure 2, the inner cavity 230 houses various components of the power supply 200 and includes electrical components that in a given example are represented as the electromagnetic component assembly 201. The power supply 200 uses energy from a power source (not shown) to power various electrical components, such as the electromagnetic component assembly 201 in the power supply 200. A power plug 241 extends out of the power supply 200 from the rear 210 and mates with a power socket (not shown) to obtain current and / or voltage from a power source and supply current and / or voltage (energy) to the power supply 200 via an external cable 242.The external cable 242 is then electrically connected to one or more internal cables or wires 244 that supply power to the electromagnetic component assembly 201 for various operations and / or power to the torch assembly 120 for welding and / or cutting operations. This is only one example, and various methods now known or subsequently developed for supplying power to the power source 200 are within the scope of this description. In Figure 3, the electromagnetic component assembly 201 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) 240 extending perpendicularly upward from the bottom 206 (e.g., parallel to the first side 208 and the second side 212 of the power supply 200). Several electrical components 260 are mounted directly or indirectly to the printed circuit board 240 and are electrically connected directly or indirectly to the printed circuit board 240. The electrical components 260 operate to control the supply of electricity and / or process fluid to the torch assembly 120 based on commands / signals received from the power supply 200 (e.g., commands received at the control panel 222). In the embodiment shown, the electrical components 260 include, among others, a first winding 262 wound around a first coil 264 and a second winding 266 wound around a second coil 268. The first winding 262 and the second winding 266 are connected via a center tap 270. The first winding 262 is housed within a first core 272 and the second winding 266 is housed within a second core 274. Alternatively, the first winding 262 and the second winding 266 can be housed in a single core. Furthermore, the first winding 262 and the second winding 266 can be wound around the first core 272 and the second core 274. The above are only a few examples of the formation of electrical components 260 of the power supply 200 and many other configurations of the electrical components 260 currently known or subsequently developed are within the scope of the present description.Furthermore, the sizes and / or shapes and / or other attributes (e.g., lengths, thickness, etc.) of various windings and cores depend on a particular use case of the electrical components 260. In the embodiment shown, the first winding 262, the center tap 270, and the second winding 266 (collectively referred to as the windings) are electrically hot due to the current flowing through them. The windings must be at a temperature below 225°C and preferably below 180°C. Accordingly, one or more sensors (not shown) may be provided outside and / or inside the first core 272 and the second core 274 to monitor the current and / or voltage flowing through the windings, but this description is not limited to them. The windings must be covered with one or more insulating materials to prevent heat transfer to other components in the power supply 200, but this is not limited to them. That is, the windings include an outer dielectric layer to prevent turn-to-turn short circuits. This layer may be an insulating sleeve or coating.In addition, to direct the heat generated by the windings away from the power source 200, heat sinks 250 are generally provided close to the electromagnetic component assembly 201. In other words, various techniques and components are used to cool the electromagnetic component assembly 201 and prevent the temperature from rising above an acceptable threshold. In several example embodiments, the compressed process fluid, dedicated to welding and / or cutting operations, is now also used to cool the electromagnetic component assembly 201 during cutting system operations 100. In particular, the compressed process fluid enters the power source 200 via the process fluid inlet port 211 provided at the rear 210 (Figure 2) into a closed internal flow path 280. The process fluid then flows through a first internal tube 282 and into a first heat sink 252 among the heat sinks 250.Next, the process fluid flows through one or more of the heat sinks 250 and exits through the same first heat sink 252 to flow into the electromagnetic component assembly 201, as detailed below. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the first winding 262 and / or at least a portion of the second winding 266 and / or the center tap 270 may consist of a copper tube or conductive conduit forming a passage for the process fluid. The process fluid enters the first winding 262 via an inlet port 284, flows through the first winding 262, cooling it, and enters the second winding 266 via the center tap 270. The process fluid then exits the electromagnetic component assembly 201 via an outlet port. 286 and is supplied to the process fluid outlet port 226 on the front 220 of the power supply 200 via a second internal tube 288. When the compressed process fluid reaches the process fluid outlet port 226, the compressed process fluid is directed to the torch assembly 120.In particular, for the purposes of this description, the process fluid outlet port 226 is largely described with regard to the transfer of a single fluid or the process fluid; however, it is understood that the process fluid outlet port 226 may also allow the power source 200 to transfer additional process gases and / or process fluids and / or electricity to the torch assembly 120. By comparison, the front portion 220 also includes an additional port 134 (Figure 1) for the cable hose 132 that connects the work clamp 130 to the power source 200, and normally the port only provides an electrical connection and is not related to the flow of process fluid. In the represented modality, the coil conductor wires of one or more windings are replaced with a conductive tube or duct that still conducts the energy required for electrical operations but also forms a passage for the process fluid to cool the electromagnetic component assembly 201. In Figure 3, the electrical components 260 may include a transformer that transforms the high-voltage, low-amperage current received on a primary side (the first winding 262) into a low-voltage, high-amperage current on a secondary side (the second winding 266), which is more desirable for cutting and / or welding operations. The electrical components 260 may also include an inductor to control the power supply (prevent short circuits, etc.). The inductor helps control the current so that a constant and / or stable power supply is provided within the power source 200 and / or to the torch assembly 120. Figure 4 is a simplified exploded view diagram of the electrical components 260 shown in Figure 3. The first winding 262 can be formed from coil or wire and is wound around the first coil 264 and / or a first core (when the winding is wound around the core). The first winding 262 forms a primary winding of the transformer. The center tap 270 connects the first winding 262 to the second winding 266 wound on the second coil 268. The second winding 266 is formed from a conductive tube or conduit and is a secondary winding of the transformer. Additionally, a third winding 276 can also be wound around the second coil 268 and / or a second core (when the windings are wound around the core). The third winding 276 forms an inductor that controls and / or regulates the supply of electricity to the plasma torch zcnn i η / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ (torch assembly 120).The third winding 276 is also formed from a conductive tube or duct. At an inlet of the passage 290, the process fluid can flow to the center tap 270 and through the conductive tube formed by the second winding 266 and the third winding 276. That is, the center tap 270, the second winding 266, and the third winding 276 together form a passage for the process fluid. The process fluid exits the passage through the outlet of passage 292 and is then supplied to the torch assembly 120. Optionally, the first winding 262 can also be formed from a conductive tube or duct, and in this configuration, the process fluid enters through the inlet of passage 290 and flows respectively through the first winding 262, the center branch 270, the second winding 266, and the third winding 276.In other words, the first winding 262, the center tap 270, the second winding 266, and the third winding 276 together form the passage. Alternatively, the passage can be formed by the first winding 262 and / or the center tap 270, the second winding 266, and / or the third winding 276. Returning now to Figure 5, an electrical diagram of the electrical components 260 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is provided. The electrical components 260 include a transformer 310 and an inductor 320. The transformer 310 has the first winding 262 (primary coil winding) and the second winding 266 (secondary conductive or tubular winding). The second winding 266 is connected to the third winding 276 (conductive or tubular winding) of the inductor 320 via the center tap 270 (a common tube). As an example, a copper tube (instead of a copper wire) is used to form the secondary coil of transformer 310 and / or the coil of inductor 320. A passage can be formed by a single conductive tube extending from the secondary winding of transformer 310 (the second winding 266) and the winding of inductor 320 (the third winding 276).The primary coil (the first winding 262) of transformer 310 can remain unchanged (a wire or coil). The process fluid (e.g., plasma gas that will eventually be used to create plasma) enters the inlet of passage 290, flows through the tube or passage to cool both transformer 310 and inductor 320, and exits through the outlet of passage 292. In this configuration, the tubular windings reduce the number of electrical connections required in the power supply, decrease the number of parts included in the power supply, and improve cooling for the electromagnetic component assembly 201. This is only an example configuration of the electrical components 260, and the present description is not limited to them. In the embodiment shown, the compressed process fluid can be plasma gas, and therefore, once the compressed plasma gas reaches the torch assembly 120, the compressed plasma gas is directed through an arc in the torch assembly 120 to generate a plasma stream. However, in other embodiments, the electromagnetic component assembly 201 disclosed herein could also be used in welding systems, automated cutting systems, and / or any other system in which the electrical components 260 require cooling and the operating or process fluid flows from the power source 200 to the torch assembly 120. That is, the apparatus and configuration disclosed herein can be useful in power sources suitable for various types of welding or cutting.In these other configurations, the process fluid could be any gas used during welding or cutting operations and does not necessarily have to be compressed gas. For example, in some configurations, the process fluid can be a shielding gas or a water mist. That said, the use of a compressed process gas also takes advantage of the throttling effect of compressed gases as they expand and cool. This creates a greater temperature differential between the cooler compressed gas and the higher temperature of the heated surfaces, resulting in greater convective cooling. However, regardless of the type of process fluid used, the process fluid is the only medium that travels through the formed passage; no water, other liquids, or other gases pass through, and no specific coolants are required. In several embodiments, the power source 200 does not include a fan, and the process fluid cooling described above replaces the cooling provided by the forced subsonic airflow created by the fan. However, in other embodiments, process fluid cooling may be in addition to a forced subsonic airflow system, and in these embodiments, the power source 200 could include one or more fans in the internal cavity 230 (Figure 2). Returning now to Figures 6-7B, these figures generally illustrate various sets of electromagnetic components suitable for the cooling disclosed herein. In Figure 6, transformer 400 has two E-shaped cores 402 facing each other, with the windings wound in spaces between the legs of the E-shaped cores 402. Specifically, the primary winding 404 is coil wire (represented by dots), and the secondary winding 406 is conductive duct (represented by circles). The process fluid enters transformer 400 via an inlet port of transformer 408, flows through a passage formed by the secondary winding 406, and exits transformer 400 via an outlet port of transformer 410.The passage defined by the secondary winding 406 transfers heat (e.g., from the electrical component) to or cools the primary winding 404 and / or the secondary winding 406 (e.g., the electrical components) by allowing the process fluid to flow through them. The transformer inlet port 408 and the transformer outlet port 410 may both be located in the vicinity of or near the bottom of 206, but are not limited to this; other configurations are within the scope of this description. In Figures 7A and 7B, the electromagnetic component assembly 500 includes the transformer 400 with two E-shaped cores 402 and an inductor 510 having an E-shaped core 512 and an I-shaped core 514. As shown in Figure 7A, the two E-shaped cores 402 of the transformer 400 face each other and form a housing for both the primary winding 404 and the secondary winding 406. The two E-shaped cores 402 completely cover and / or surround the primary winding 404 and the secondary winding 406, thus providing protection from external elements (e.g., dust) and resulting in a more robust and reliable configuration (e.g., preventing leakage, fewer joints, etc.). An E-shaped core 512 and an I-shaped core 514 of the inductor 510 form a housing zcnn i η / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ for an inductor winding 516.The E-shaped core 512 and the I-shaped core 514, when placed together (Figure 7B), completely cover and / or surround the inductor winding 516. Consequently, the inductor winding 516 is protected from external elements (e.g., dust) and has a more robust and reliable construction. Furthermore, the core is easier to manufacture because it provides a simpler structure than an E-shaped core and is less expensive because it requires fewer materials, for example. In Figure 7B, the primary winding 404 consists of coil wires, and the secondary winding 406 consists of an electrically conductive copper tube that forms a passage for the process fluid. A shared tube 520 (e.g., copper conduit) connects the secondary winding 406 to the inductor winding 516. The shared tube 520 may form part of the process fluid passage. In the illustrated embodiment, the process fluid is directed to the electromagnetic component assembly 500 at an inlet 530, flows through the secondary winding 406 of the transformer 400 and to the inductor 510 via the shared tube 520. The process fluid then flows through the inductor 510 (the inductor winding 516) and is directed out of the electromagnetic component assembly 500 at an outlet 532. The above are only some of the possible configurations; a number of variations are within the scope of this description. For example, one of the windings, multiple windings, and / or parts thereof can be replaced with a conductive tube to form a passage for the process fluid. Furthermore, the passage can be formed by a number of sub-passages (for example, by having branches or dividing into parallel sub-passages). Furthermore, the windings are not the only components through which the process fluid can be directed to cool the electrical components of the power supply 200. Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating an electromagnetic component assembly 600 in which the windings 602 are coil windings and a non-conductive tubular conduit 604 for the process fluid is provided through the core 606. The process fluid is directed into the electromagnetic component assembly 600 at an inlet port of the core 608 located on the underside of one side of the core 606 and is directed out of the electromagnetic component assembly 600 at an outlet port of the core 610 located on the underside of the other side of the core 606. The tubular conduit 604 is non-conductive and is dedicated to directing the process fluid through the core 606 for cooling.The tubular conduit 604 forms an inverted U, as shown in Figure 8, to improve the cooling of the windings 602. This is only one modality, and other shapes and configurations of the tubular conduit 604 provided through the core 606 are within the scope of this description. For example, the tubular conduit 604 may be I-shaped, C-shaped, or V-shaped, etc. Furthermore, the tubular conduit 604 could be divided into a number of sub-conduits. In addition to the process fluid flowing through the tubular conduit 604, the process fluid may also flow through one or more of the windings 602. According to yet another variation, the tubular conduit 604 may be connected to the windings 602 (tubular conduit) to form a passage for improved cooling using the process fluid. According to another embodiment, the tubular conduit 604 can provide a first passage for a cooling fluid, and the windings 602 can be formed from a tubular conduit to provide a second passage for the process fluid. Cooling is then enhanced by having the cooling fluid flow through the first passage and the process fluid flow through the second passage, thereby improving the cooling of the electromagnetic component assembly 600. With general reference to Figures 1-8, in some embodiments, the electromagnetic component assembly may include a flow controller (not shown) dedicated to the assembly to control the amount of process fluid zcnn i η / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ flowing into the inlet port 284. The flow controller can control the flow of process fluid into the passage (from the first internal tube 282) and can determine what portion or percentage of that process fluid flow to divert to another passage. That is, the passage in the electromagnetic component assembly may have a split or bifurcation (as explained above), and the flow controller can control the amount of process fluid flowing through a first path of the split (and into / over a tubular conduit of a winding and / or core), while the process fluid that does not flow through the first path can flow through a second path.The process fluid flowing along the second path can flow through another tubular conduit of another winding and / or core or can be diverted to another set of electromagnetic components or another electrical component of the power source 200. For example, a portion of the process fluid can be directed to the heat sinks 250 and another portion of the process fluid can be directed to the windings and / or core. As another example, a portion of the process fluid can be directed to a first electromagnetic component and another portion of the process fluid can be directed to a second electromagnetic component, thus cooling both electromagnetic components substantially simultaneously. Additionally, or alternatively, in some embodiments, any electrical component with a passage can include a dedicated flow controller so that the flow of process fluid through that component can be controlled, for example, to provide additional or reduced cooling to a particular electrical component compared to other electrical components. The flow of process fluid can be controlled based on the detected temperature received from a temperature sensor dedicated to that component. That is, when the detected temperature of that component exceeds a first threshold, the controller can direct 30% of the process fluid through the component. On the other hand, when the detected temperature rises to a second threshold (higher than the first threshold), the controller can direct 60% of the process fluid through the component.In other words, the controller can be pre-configured to change the amount or portion of the process fluid to direct through the component based on the detected temperature and a pre-set table that correlates the temperature with an amount / portion of the process fluid (e.g., when the detected temperature exceeds 125°C, open the valve to 50% so that half of the process fluid flows through the component, and when the detected temperature exceeds 150°C, open the valve to 100% so that all of the process fluid flows through the component because it is overheating). zcnn i η / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Returning now to Figure 9, a high-level flowchart is provided representing a method 700 for cooling an assembly of electromagnetic components of a power source according to the techniques disclosed herein. Initially, in 710, a tubular winding is placed near or around a core. For example, the tubular winding may be wound around the core. Alternatively, the tubular winding may be placed in at least one space formed by the core, such that the core forms a housing for the tubular winding. The tubular winding may be a primary winding of one or more electrical components and / or a secondary winding of these electrical components, as shown in Figures 3-7B. In 720, a current and / or voltage for electromagnetic operation is conducted through the tubular winding.In other words, the tubular winding can be a copper tube or other conductive conduit that conducts electricity through it for electromagnetic operation and / or to provide power to the torch assembly 120, as shown in Figure 2. At 730, a flow passage is formed within the tubular winding, as shown in Figures 3-7B, and at 740, the process fluid is directed through the flow passage as the process fluid flows into a torch assembly, thereby cooling the electromagnetic component assembly. An alternative method may involve placing the tubular conduit through a core, conducting a current for electromagnetic operation through a coil wound around or placed in spaces formed by the core. In this method, the tubular conduit forms a flow passage through the core to cool the coil winding as the process fluid flows through the flow passage to the torch assembly. In summary, this assembly provides an electromagnetic power source for a welding or cutting system and is suitable for cooling one or more electrical components within the assembly. The assembly includes a core and a tubular winding placed in one or more spaces formed by the core or wound around it. The tubular winding conducts current for electromagnetic operation and cools the assembly by having an inlet, an outlet, and a passage between them. The inlet receives the process fluid, and the outlet directs the process fluid to the torch assembly. The process fluid flows through the passage from the inlet to the outlet, cooling or enhancing the cooling of the assembly. In another form, a power source for a welding or cutting system is disclosed herein, the power source includes an external housing and the electrical components mentioned above that are placed in an internal cavity formed by the external housing. zcnn i η / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ In another form, an assembly of electromagnetic components is provided within a welding or cutting system's power source. This assembly includes a core, a coil winding, and a tubular passage. The coil winding is wound around the core or placed in one or more spaces formed by the core. The coil winding conducts a current for electromagnetic operation. The tubular passage runs through the core and has an inlet at one end to receive the process fluid and an outlet at the other end to direct the process fluid out of the tubular passage and downstream to the torch assembly. The tubular passage cools, or enhances the cooling of, the electromagnetic component assembly as the process fluid travels through the passage from inlet to outlet. In another form, a method for cooling an assembly of electromagnetic components arranged in a power source for a welding or cutting system is disclosed herein. The method includes placing a tubular winding near or around a core, conducting a current for electromagnetic operation through the tubular winding, forming a flux passage within the tubular winding, and directing the process fluid through the flux passage as the process fluid flows toward a torch assembly. zcnn i η / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Although the techniques are illustrated and described herein as implemented in one or more specific examples, the specific details of the examples are not intended to limit the scope of the techniques disclosed herein, as various modifications and structural changes may be made within the scope and extent of the invention. For example, a power source comprising an assembly of electromagnetic components formed according to the techniques disclosed herein may include any number of closed flow paths extending from an input to an output of an assembly of electromagnetic components and / or a power source. As another example, a flow path may include any number of branches so that any number of components may be incorporated into the flow path in series or in parallel.Furthermore, several features of one of the examples discussed herein can be implemented in any other example. Consequently, the appended claims should be interpreted broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of this description.

Claims

1. An assembly of electromagnetic components arranged in a power supply of a welding or cutting system, the assembly of electromagnetic components being characterized in that it comprises: a core and a tubular winding positioned near or around the core and conducting a current for an electromagnetic operation, the tubular winding comprising: a passage for a process fluid, an inlet at one end of the passage receiving the process fluid and an outlet at the other end of the passage directing the process fluid downstream to a torch assembly, wherein the passage enhances the cooling of the assembly of electromagnetic components as the process fluid travels through the passage from the inlet to the outlet.

2. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 1, characterized in that the process fluid consists of plasma gas and the torch assembly is a plasma arc torch assembly, and wherein, when the plasma gas reaches the plasma arc torch assembly, the plasma gas is ionized to create a plasma stream.

3. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 1, characterized in that the process fluid is a processing gas or a processing water mist and is the only medium flowing through the passage and wherein the process fluid is provided by a heat sink from the power supply to the inlet.

4. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 1, characterized in that the tubular winding is a copper tubular winding.

5. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 1, characterized in that the core and the tubular winding form an inductor.

6. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 5, characterized in that the core comprises an E-shaped core and an I-shaped core facing a plurality of legs of the E-shaped core, and wherein the tubular winding is wound in spaces formed between the plurality of legs of the E-shaped core.

7. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: a coil winding that is placed near the core and that conducts current for electromagnetic operation, wherein the coil winding is a primary winding of a transformer.

8. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 7, characterized in that the passage comprises: a first conduit having the inlet and forming a secondary winding for the transformer; a secondary conduit having the outlet and forming another winding for an inductor; and a common conduit connecting the first conduit and the second conduit.

9. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 7, characterized in that the tubular winding forms a secondary winding of the transformer and the electromagnetic component assembly further comprises: another core downstream of the outlet; another tubular winding is positioned close to the other core and forming an inductor and a shared conduit connecting the tubular winding to the other tubular winding, wherein the other tubular winding comprises: another process fluid passage, another inlet at a first end of the other passage receiving the process fluid from the shared conduit and another outlet at a second end of the other passage directing the process fluid downstream to the torch assembly, wherein the other passage enhances the cooling of the inductor as the process fluid travels through the other passage from the other inlet to the other outlet.

10. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: a conduit traversing the core; a conduit inlet at a first end of the conduit receiving a cooling fluid and a conduit outlet at a second end of the conduit directing the cooling fluid out of the conduit, wherein the conduit enhances the cooling of the electromagnetic component assembly as the cooling fluid travels through the conduit from the conduit inlet to the conduit outlet.

11. The power source for the welding or cutting system, characterized in that it comprises: an outer housing and the set of electromagnetic components of claim 1, which is arranged in an internal cavity formed by the outer housing.

12. The power source of claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises: an inlet port located in a wall of the external housing and receiving the process fluid from a fluid supply, and at least one heat sink located in the internal cavity near the electromagnetic component assembly, which receives the process fluid from the inlet port and supplies the process fluid to the inlet.

13. The power source of claim 11, zcnn i η / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ characterized in that it further comprises: an outlet port that is placed in a wall of the external housing, which receives the process fluid from the outlet and directs the process fluid towards the torch assembly.

14. An assembly of electromagnetic components arranged in a power source of a welding or cutting system, the assembly of electromagnetic components being characterized in that it comprises: a core; a coil winding that is placed near or around the core and that conducts a current for an electromagnetic operation; a tubular passage through the core; an inlet, at one end of the tubular passage, that receives a process fluid and an outlet, at the other end of the tubular passage, that directs the process fluid downstream to a torch assembly, wherein the tubular passage enhances the cooling of the assembly of electromagnetic components as the process fluid travels through the tubular passage from the inlet to the outlet.

15. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 14, characterized in that the tubular passage is non-conducting and U-shaped. zcnn i η / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ 16. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 15, characterized in that the input and output are formed on a core base.

17. The electromagnetic component assembly of claim 14, characterized in that the process fluid is a processing gas or a processing water mist and is the only medium flowing through the tubular passage and wherein the process fluid is supplied from a heat sink from the power source to the inlet.

18. A method for cooling an assembly of electromagnetic components arranged in a power source for a welding or cutting system, the method being characterized in that it comprises: placing a tubular winding near or around a core; conducting a current for an electromagnetic operation through the tubular winding; forming a flux passage within the tubular winding and directing the process fluid through the flux passage as the process fluid flows into a torch assembly.

19. The method of claim 18, characterized in that the process fluid is plasma gas and the torch assembly is a plasma arc torch assembly and wherein, when the plasma gas reaches the plasma arc torch assembly, the plasma gas is ionized to create a plasma stream.

20. The method of claim 18, characterized in that directing the process fluid through the flow passage 5 occurs during welding or cutting operations of the welding or cutting system.

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