Insulated Hollow-Cylinder Clutch for Flashover-Free Torque Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing couplings in vehicle drives fail to adequately break electrical contact between the drive and output sides, leading to high capacitance and inhomogeneous insulation layers, which can result in voltage flashovers and reduced heat dissipation due to thermal insulation interference with electrical insulation, especially when located near gearing.
Innovation Solution
A coupling design featuring at least two hollow cylinders, one conductive and one insulating, arranged in a bore with knurling on the lateral surfaces, providing a form-fitting and force-locking connection to ensure complete electrical insulation and prevent voltage flashovers, using materials like epoxy resin or fiberglass-reinforced plastics with a dielectric constant of at most 9, positioned away from gearing to maintain thermal dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an electrically insulating layer is applied between coupling components to interrupt electrical contact, then electrical insulation is improved, but the insulation layer becomes inhomogeneous with high capacitance, leading to voltage flashovers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a fiber-reinforced plastic insulation layer that combines flexibility with electrical insulation properties. The fiber reinforcement provides structural integrity while the plastic matrix ensures electrical insulation, creating a uniform thin film that maintains consistent capacitance and prevents voltage flashovers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of fibers embedded in a plastic matrix for the insulation layer. This composite structure provides both mechanical strength and electrical insulation properties, ensuring uniform thickness and homogeneous electrical characteristics throughout the insulation layer, thereby preventing localized high-capacitance areas that could cause flashovers.
2Reliability
If an electrically insulating layer is applied between coupling components, then electrical contact is interrupted, but heat dissipation is reduced due to thermal insulation interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a thin film insulation layer that is sufficiently thin to provide electrical insulation while minimizing thermal resistance. The thin film design allows heat to conduct through the insulation layer efficiently, preventing excessive temperature buildup while maintaining electrical isolation between coupling components.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber-reinforced plastic insulation layer has a porous structure with fibers distributed in a matrix. This porous structure provides pathways for heat conduction while maintaining electrical insulation properties, allowing thermal energy to dissipate through the material without compromising electrical isolation.
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 effectively prevents electrical contact and voltage flashovers while allowing for efficient torque transmission and heat dissipation, with homogeneous and uniform insulation layers reducing coupling temperatures and improving electrical properties across the coupling.
Implementation Method 1
The second hollow cylinder has a substantially complete and at least form fitting contact at least over the entire circumference with the outer lateral surface of the first hollow cylinder and the inner lateral surface of the bore in the coupling half
Implementation Method 2
at least the first hollow cylinder has at least partially a knurling at least on its outer lateral surface on the side facing away from the drive shaft or output shaft and at least the inner lateral surface of the bore has at least partially a knurling in the coupling half
Implementation Method 3
the second hollow cylinder consists of electrically insulating material
Implementation Method 4
using materials like epoxy resin or fiberglass-reinforced plastics with a dielectric constant of at most 9
Implementation Method 5
at least one coupling half, starting from the drive shaft or output shaft and connected to it by form fit, force locking, and/or material bonding
Implementation Method 6
The second hollow cylinder has a substantially complete and at least form fitting contact at least over the entire circumference with the outer lateral surface of the first hollow cylinder
Implementation Method 7
at least the first hollow cylinder has at least partially a knurling at least on its outer lateral surface on the side facing away from the drive shaft or output shaft and at least the inner lateral surface of the bore has at least partially a knurling in the coupling half
Data Source
AI summary
A clutch as used, for example, in vehicle drives, in particular rail vehicle drives. A clutch is specified, by way of which the electric contact between the drive side and the output side of the clutch is prevented reliably, and a simple and inexpensive method for the production thereof is also specified. The problem is solved by way of a clutch, at least consisting of a clutch half on the drive side and a clutch half on the output side, wherein at least one clutch half has at least two hollow cylinders which are arranged above one another and are arranged in a bore of the clutch half, wherein the second hollow cylinder consists of electrically insulating material, and wherein at least the first hollow cylinder, at least on its outer circumferential surface, and at least the inner circumferential surface of the bore have knurling at least in part.