Additively Manufactured Electrical Conveyance Assembly With Integrated Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical conveyance assemblies are not robust enough for various applications and often involve complex assembly processes, lacking versatility and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An electrical conveyance assembly is created using a substrate with an electrically insulating material, where electrical conductors are connected via additive manufacturing, allowing for customizable shapes and configurations, including internal lattice structures and integrated sensors, identifiers, and cooling systems, to enhance strength, versatility, and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional electrical conveyance assemblies are used, then assembly processes are complex, but robustness and versatility are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components (substrate, electrical conductors, cooling channels, sensors, identifiers) into a single integrated assembly manufactured via additive manufacturing. This merging eliminates complex assembly processes while producing a robust, versatile electrical conveyance assembly suitable for aircraft applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical conveyance assembly is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: electrical conduction, thermal management through integrated cooling channels, structural support, and identification/tracking via embedded sensors and identifiers. This multi-functionality increases versatility without requiring separate components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used to create integrated structures, then versatility and customization are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Additive manufacturing enables customization of the electrical conveyance assembly's geometry, cooling channel configurations, and component placements by changing manufacturing parameters and digital models. This allows adaptation to different aircraft applications while using a single integrated manufacturing process.
3Temperature
If integrated cooling systems are added to manage thermal loads, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are nested within the substrate structure itself, with coolant flow paths integrated into the internal geometry of the electrical conveyance assembly. This nesting approach provides effective thermal management while maintaining a compact, unified structure rather than adding external cooling components.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical conveyance assembly includes a substrate that may include an electrically insulating material. The electrical conveyance assembly may include a plurality of electrical conductors connected to the substrate via additive manufacturing. The substrate may include an internal lattice structure formed via additive manufacturing. The substrate may include an internal fluid channel.