Flexible Busbar Insulation Protrusions Reduce Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible busbars face reduced flexibility due to excessive adhesion between the central conductor and insulation, which occurs when the materials have smooth surfaces, leading to increased rigidity and difficulty in bending or twisting.
Innovation Solution
The internal surface of the insulation sleeve features protrusions and grooves, reducing the contact area between the central conductor and the sleeve, thereby decreasing adhesion and enhancing flexibility, with a roughness of at least 0.8 micrometers and materials like PVC or silicone compounds being used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the insulation sleeve has a smooth interior surface, then maximum contact area and adhesion between the central conductor and insulation are achieved, but the flexibility of the busbar is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The interior surface of the insulation sleeve is designed with non-uniform properties: protrusions and grooves are created at specific locations to reduce adhesion in critical bending areas, while other areas maintain sufficient contact for electrical insulation. This local differentiation allows the busbar to flex more easily without compromising overall insulation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions and grooves are pre-formed on the interior surface of the insulation sleeve before the busbar is assembled. This preliminary structuring of the surface reduces adhesion forces in advance, allowing the conductor to slide more freely within the insulation during subsequent bending or twisting operations.
2Reliability
If the contact area between central conductor and insulation is increased, then adhesion is improved, but the ability to bend and twist is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing contact area, the invention creates localized protrusions and grooves that strategically reduce contact in areas where bending occurs most frequently, while maintaining adequate contact area in other regions to preserve adhesion and insulation effectiveness.
3Reliability
If a sheath coating is applied through extrusion process, then electrical insulation is provided, but the gap between conductor and insulation disappears reducing flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion process is modified to create a sheath coating with non-uniform interior surface characteristics. Protrusions and grooves are incorporated into the extruded material itself, creating local variations in contact area that maintain electrical insulation while allowing relative movement between conductor and insulation during flexing.
Data Source
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AI summary
A flexible busbar (100) includes a central conductor (104)(generally of rectangular cross section comprising multiple layers of thin aluminum, copper or other alloys with good electrical properties (conductivity)) and a sleeve (102) having a shape on the internal surface (110) to reduce the adhesion between the two conductors and the sleeve when the flexible busbar is bent, folded, or twisted. This increases the flexibility of the flexible busbar.