Heat Pipe Busbar Cooling for High-Current Circuit Breakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal management systems for circuit breakers, particularly for larger ones, face challenges in effectively dissipating heat generated at high temperature areas due to limited cooling capacity and space constraints, leading to reliability issues, reduced lifespan, and potential damage to contacts and moving parts.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management device incorporating a heat pipe with an evaporator, adiabatic, and condenser section embedded within a conducting busbar and integrated with an array of fins, allowing for efficient heat dissipation from high temperature areas to the ambient, reducing the need for external heat pipes and enhancing cooling capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat pipes are added outside the circuit breakers, then heat dissipation capacity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and space availability is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat pipe with the busbar into a single integrated component. The busbar serves dual functions as both an electrical conductor and a heat dissipation device, eliminating the need for separate external heat pipes. This integration reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining effective heat dissipation from the circuit breaker contacts.
2Temperature
If heat pipes are added outside the circuit breakers, then heat dissipation capacity is improved, but device space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is merged with the busbar, utilizing the existing space within the circuit breaker assembly. The integrated finned busbar structure provides heat dissipation functionality without requiring additional external space, as the fins are attached to the busbar itself which is already positioned near the heat-generating contacts.
3Device complexity
If thermal conduction by conductors is used, then simplicity is maintained, but cooling capacity becomes insufficient for larger circuit breakers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase change materials within the heat pipe structure to enhance heat dissipation. The phase transition mechanism allows for significantly improved cooling capacity compared to simple thermal conduction, enabling the busbar to effectively manage heat in larger circuit breakers while maintaining a relatively simple integrated structure.
4Ease of manufacture
If heat pipes are integrated on or sandwiched inside hollow busbar sections, then manufacturing is simplified, but heat dissipation to ambient is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends heat dissipation into a third dimension by attaching fins to the busbar surface. This dimensional expansion significantly increases the surface area available for heat transfer to the ambient environment, overcoming the limitation of internal heat pipe integration alone and enabling effective cooling while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
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
This solution effectively reduces the operating temperature of circuit breaker contacts and load conductors, increases the lifespan of components, and allows for a smaller circuit breaker to handle higher rated currents, while reducing manufacturing costs and preventing thermal-related damages.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pipe having an evaporator section, an adiabatic section and a condenser section
Implementation Method 2
thermal radiation and convection of the thermal energy to the ambient
Implementation Method 3
thermal radiation and convection of the thermal energy to the ambient
Implementation Method 4
the conductors (e.g., a busbar) cool down a high temperature area by its thermal properties and conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management device for a circuit breaker includes: a heat pipe having an evaporator section, an adiabatic section and a condenser section; a busbar having a first portion including at least a portion of the adiabatic section of the heat pipe; a conducting busbar having a first end, a second end opposite the first end and a groove disposed on a top surface of the conducting busbar, the first end disposed adjacent to primary contacts, the second end integrated in the first portion of the busbar, the groove extending from the first end to the second end and including the evaporator section and the at least a portion of the adiabatic section of the heat pipe embedded therein; and an array of fins integrated to the second portion of the busbar, the condenser section of the heat pipe extending through the array of fins.