Conductor Joint Nested Sleeve Core Rod Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conductor joints for high voltage cables compromise bending properties and tensile strength, often resulting in joints with larger diameters than the connected cables, which cannot withstand the same forces as the cables themselves and have impaired mechanical strength.
Innovation Solution
A conductor joint design featuring a tubular sleeve and core rod configuration that allows for hydraulic compression, maintaining the same or similar cross-sectional diameter as the connected conductors, with a merge structure and stepped surfaces to ensure secure locking and high friction contact, thereby preserving the mechanical strength and flexibility of the cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional conductor joints are used to connect high voltage cable conductors, then the conductors can be joined together, but the joint diameter becomes larger than the cable diameter, resulting in impaired bending properties and reduced tensile strength
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor joint employs a nested structure where the core rod is positioned inside the tubular sleeve, and the conductor strands are nested within both components. This multi-layer nesting allows the joint to maintain a compact cross-sectional diameter comparable to the original cable, eliminating the diameter enlargement problem while preserving structural integrity and mechanical strength
Solution Approach 2:
The joint is divided into distinct functional segments: the core rod for central support and strand anchoring, the tubular sleeve for external compression and confinement, and the conductor strands. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the core rod for tensile load bearing, the sleeve for compressive confinement - resulting in a joint that maintains both strength and flexible properties
2Strength
If conventional conductor joints are used to connect high voltage cable conductors, then the conductors can be joined together, but the joint cannot withstand the same tensile forces as the cables themselves
Solution Approach 1:
The core rod acts as an intermediary element between the conductor strands and the external loading. It provides a rigid central anchor point to which the strands are attached, distributing tensile forces uniformly across all strands and preventing stress concentration. This intermediary structure enables the joint to withstand tensile forces equal to or greater than the original cable
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular sleeve is designed to be compressed hydraulically during assembly, creating uniform radial pressure that confines the conductor strands and core rod assembly. This hydraulic compression ensures tight contact between all components, eliminates gaps, and creates frictional locking that enhances tensile force resistance and overall mechanical reliability
3Ease of operation
If conventional conductor joints are used to connect high voltage cable conductors, then the conductors can be joined together, but the joint has impaired bending properties
Solution Approach 1:
The nested configuration of core rod inside tubular sleeve with conductor strands in between creates a compact, space-efficient structure. This nesting eliminates the need for enlarged protective housings, allowing the joint to maintain a diameter similar to the original cable and preserving bending flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular sleeve functions as a flexible confining structure that can accommodate the bending movements of the cable. Its thin-walled design provides sufficient mechanical constraint to hold the conductor assembly together while allowing the joint to bend flexibly, maintaining the cable's original bending properties
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a conductor joint that maintains the same tensile strength and bending properties as the connected cables, with improved mechanical strength and conductive properties, allowing for efficient and simple installation while avoiding the limitations of prior art.
Implementation Method 1
compressing said tubular sleeve radially towards the core rod, thereby locking the conductor joint to the conductor end of the second conductor
Implementation Method 2
with a merge structure and stepped surfaces to ensure secure locking and high friction contact
Data Source
AI summary
A conductor joint (1) is provided for connecting two conductors along a longitudinal direction. The conductor joint comprises a first segment having a first segment end (202) adapted connecting to an end portion of a first conductor and a second segment (300) comprising a second segment end (302) relative to the longitudinal direction adapted for receiving a second conductor end of a second conductor. The second segment further has an opposite second segment end (304) fixed, or forming an integral part with, an opposite first segment end (204) of the first segment (200), a tubular sleeve (310) and a core rod (320) wherein ends (310a, 320a) of the tubular sleeve (310) and the core rod (320) are arranged with a radial offset forming a sleeve opening for receiving at the end portion of the second conductor end of the second conductor.