3D-Optimized High-Voltage Electrodes for Corona-Free Tight Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage and medium voltage equipment, such as electrodes and cable terminations, face challenges including high manufacturing costs, limited design flexibility, and vulnerability to corona discharges and flashovers due to inflexible design methods and materials, particularly in cramped spaces like offshore substations, where traditional methods fail to ensure optimal local electric field strength and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving 3D design optimization and additive manufacturing to create customized high voltage electrodes, allowing for tailored designs that can be segmented for cost-effective production and repair, using non-contact surface scanners and topology optimization to ensure corona-free operation and adaptability to specific installation spaces, with surface treatments for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large radius toroid electrodes are designed to ensure adequate local electric field strength, then corona discharge and flashover are prevented, but manufacturing cost increases and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is divided into multiple segments that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. This allows each segment to be produced more efficiently while maintaining the overall large radius geometry needed for electric field control, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while preserving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode surface is equipped with sensors and insulation materials at specific locations where electric field strength is highest. This localized enhancement allows the overall electrode radius to be reduced in non-critical areas, lowering manufacturing cost while maintaining corona discharge prevention at critical points
2Reliability
If large radius toroid electrodes are designed to ensure adequate local electric field strength, then corona discharge and flashover are prevented, but the space required for installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the electrode into segments enables more flexible spatial arrangement and compact configuration, allowing the electrode to fit into constrained spaces while maintaining the necessary large radius geometry for electric field control, thus reducing installation space requirements without compromising reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented electrode design allows for three-dimensional optimization of the electrode configuration, enabling compact arrangements in vertical or radial dimensions while maintaining adequate radius in horizontal dimensions, thereby reducing overall space requirements while preserving corona discharge prevention
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional design methods with fixed radii are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to specific installation sites is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The modular segmented design allows standard segments to be manufactured using simplified processes, while the flexibility to assemble different numbers and configurations of segments enables adaptation to various installation sites, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode system incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable segments that can be dynamically arranged to match different installation geometries and space constraints, allowing the same manufactured components to adapt to various sites without requiring custom manufacturing, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while enhancing adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for designing and manufacturing high voltage and/or medium voltage electric components. The method includes receiving electric specifications for the component to be manufactured, receiving geometric boundaries for the component to be manufactured, and producing an initial 3D design of the component to be manufactured. The method includes optimizing the initial 3D design in accordance with the electric specifications and the geometric boundaries, and providing a 3D geometry of the optimized 3D design representing the component to be manufactured, and manufacturing the component.