Printed Electronics Sensors in Wound Electrical Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature sensors in high-voltage transformer bushings are expensive, bulky, and not feasible for smaller or cheaper products, limiting their use in condition monitoring and maintenance prediction.
Innovation Solution
Integration of printed electronics sensors on flexible substrates within the wound electrical components, allowing for real-time temperature measurement and controlled overloading by determining if the temperature is below a predetermined maximum, enabling dynamic thermal rating and maintenance scheduling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional temperature sensors are used in high-voltage transformer bushings, then temperature monitoring is achieved, but the sensors are expensive and bulky making them infeasible for smaller products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive conventional temperature sensors with inexpensive printed electronics sensors that can be manufactured at low cost using printing techniques. These sensors are designed to be cost-effective for smaller products like transformer bushings, directly addressing the contradiction between monitoring reliability and manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses printed electronics on flexible substrates (thin films) instead of bulky conventional sensor housings. This allows the sensors to be interleaved between wound layers of the transformer bushing without adding significant volume, resolving the contradiction between monitoring capability and size constraints
2Ease of manufacture
If printed electronics sensors on flexible substrates are used, then cost-effectiveness and integration are improved, but the sensors must be interleaved between wound layers requiring specific installation methods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates the printed electronics sensors between the wound layers during the manufacturing process itself, rather than installing them afterward. This preliminary integration simplifies the overall process by combining sensor installation with component assembly, offsetting the complexity of working with flexible substrates
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sensor integration step with the existing wound layer assembly process. By combining these operations, the patent reduces overall manufacturing complexity despite the specialized nature of printed electronics, achieving cost-effectiveness without proportionally increasing device complexity
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
Enables cost-effective, non-intrusive temperature monitoring and controlled overloading of high-voltage transformer bushings, improving maintenance prediction and extending the lifespan of electrical components.
Implementation Method 1
obtain a temperature from the at least one sensor, measured in real-time
Data Source
AI summary
A wound electrical component includes a wound body comprising a plurality of wound layers of an electrically insulating material around a longitudinal axis of the body. The component also includes at least one printed electronics sensor consisting of printed circuits on a flexible substrate. Each sensor is interleaved between two of the wound layers of the wound body.