Parallel Plate Electrical Conduit for Low-Loss Vehicle Power Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage electrical cables in vehicles face issues such as inductive losses, material fatigue, and high costs due to complex end connections, which lead to increased electrical resistance and thermal burdens, especially when used in applications with relative motion between electrical components.
Innovation Solution
The use of an electrical harness with parallel plate conductors connected by a coupler featuring electrical bridges and internal coolant passages, allowing for reduced inductive losses and material fatigue, while accommodating relative motion and providing effective thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If high voltage cables are used to transfer electrical energy in vehicle applications, then electrical energy transmission is achieved, but inductive losses and electrical resistance increase due to magnetic field exposure and cable articulation
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical conduit is segmented into multiple parallel conductive plates instead of a single cable, allowing the magnetic fields generated by each plate to cancel each other out when arranged in pairs, thereby reducing inductive losses while maintaining electrical energy transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional wire/cable geometry to flat plate geometry, changing the dimensional characteristics of the conductor. This plate configuration reduces inductive losses and allows for more efficient electrical energy transmission in vehicle applications
2Adaptability or versatility
If high voltage cables are articulated to couple to vehicle components and accommodate relative motion, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but cable material degradation and fatigue occur
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit is divided into multiple rigid plate segments that can be independently positioned and connected, allowing the system to accommodate relative motion between vehicle components without subjecting individual elements to excessive bending stresses that would cause fatigue
Solution Approach 2:
The plate conductor design allows for dynamic adjustment of the conduit configuration to accommodate relative motion between electrical components, while the rigid plate structure maintains reliability by avoiding the flexing and bending that degrade conventional cable materials
3Reliability
If end connections are made robust with terminals and plastic housing to ensure electrical connectivity, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but thermal tolerance is reduced and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical conduit uses conductive plates with surface treatments or coatings that provide both electrical conductivity and thermal resistance, eliminating the need for plastic housing while maintaining connection reliability and improving thermal tolerance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention removes the plastic housing component from the end connection design, extracting the thermal constraint imposed by low-temperature materials and replacing it with metal plate constructions that can withstand higher temperatures while maintaining electrical connectivity
4Temperature
If cable size is enlarged to act as a heat sink to counteract temperature rise beyond plastic housing thermal tolerance, then thermal management is improved, but footprint and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive plates incorporate materials or surface treatments that provide inherent thermal management capabilities, allowing effective heat dissipation without requiring enlarged dimensions, thereby maintaining compact footprint while improving thermal management
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the thermal properties of the conductor through material selection and surface treatment, transforming the plates into effective heat sinks that manage temperature without requiring increased size, thus improving thermal management while maintaining compact form factor
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 configuration reduces parasitic losses, extends the useful life of the electrical conduit, and lowers manufacturing costs by minimizing material usage and heat generation, while maintaining electrical stability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The housing has internal coolant passages configured to flow a coolant to extract heat from the plates
Implementation Method 2
internal coolant passages configured to flow a coolant to extract heat from the plates
Implementation Method 3
The parallel conductive plates may be electrically insulated from one another by a housing, formed of a non-conductive material, that encloses and separates the plates
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for an electrical harness. In one example, the electrical harness may include a first conductor coupled to a second conductor by a coupler where the conductors may be formed of plates arranged in parallel along a length of the first and the second conductors. The coupler may include electrical bridges of varying dimensions to maintain electrical continuity between the first conductor and the second conductor through the coupler.