Rack Busbar Groove Interface for Low-Resistance ESS Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dust generated during land and sea evaluation of mobile uninterruptable power supply (UPS) of an energy storage system (ESS) is introduced between the rack busbar and terminal portion, leading to increased contact resistance and reduced stability.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a rack busbar with protruding portions that are inserted into grooves of a terminal portion, preventing the formation of spaces where dust can accumulate and causing increased contact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rack busbar and terminal portion are connected using a conventional flat contact structure, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but dust accumulates in the contact space causing increased contact resistance and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The contact structure is segmented into a protruding portion on the rack busbar and a corresponding groove on the terminal portion. This segmentation creates multiple discrete contact points rather than a single flat contact surface, preventing dust accumulation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having a flat busbar contact a flat terminal surface, the design inverts the conventional approach by creating a protruding portion that fits into a groove. This inversion eliminates the dust-trapping flat contact space while maintaining ease of assembly and manufacturing.
2Device complexity
If a flat contact structure is used between rack busbar and terminal portion, then the device complexity is reduced, but foreign substances can enter the contact space causing increased contact resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The contact interface is divided into a protruding portion and a groove structure, creating a segmented design that prevents dust accumulation. This segmentation maintains simple manufacturing while effectively eliminating the harmful flat contact space where dust would accumulate.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove structure, which initially appears to create additional complexity, actually converts the potential harm of dust accumulation into a benefit by providing a dust-exclusion mechanism. The groove design naturally prevents dust entry while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Stability of the object's composition
If vibration occurs during mobile UPS operation, then dust is generated and introduced into the contact space, but a properly designed connection structure can prevent dust entry and maintain stability
Solution Approach 1:
The conventional flat contact structure is inverted into a protruding-groove configuration. This inversion creates a dust-exclusion mechanism that prevents vibration-generated dust from entering the contact space, thereby maintaining electrical connection stability during mobile UPS operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove structure converts the harmful effect of vibration-induced dust into a beneficial dust-trapping mechanism. The groove design ensures that even when vibration occurs, dust cannot enter the contact interface, maintaining stable electrical connections throughout operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage system is disclosed includes a cell assembly that includes a plurality of battery cells. A rack case accommodates the cell assembly. A terminal portion is electrically connected to the battery cells and includes an insertion portion formed in an outer surface of the terminal portion. A rack busbar is fastened to the terminal portion and includes a protruding portion inserted into the insertion portion of the terminal portion, with the protruding portion being formed on a side surface of the rack busbar.


