Terminal Block Assembly Bus Bar Routing for Sealed EV Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Establishing reliable electrical connections between high voltage components in electrified vehicles, such as electric motors and inverters, is challenging due to the heavy electrical currents involved and the need to prevent fluid ingress from wet environments.
Innovation Solution
A terminal block assembly comprising a housing, bus bars, and seals is used to electrically couple the components, with the seals blocking fluids and the bus bars routed in a circuitous manner within the housing to ensure reliable connections and prevent moisture ingress from a wet environment to a dry one.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct electrical connection between high voltage components is established, then electrical conductivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to fluid ingress risk
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal block assembly is nested within the housing, with the seal embedded in the housing wall and the bus bar terminating within the enclosed space. This nested structure allows the terminal block to be integrated into the housing while maintaining sealing, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing overall assembly complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The seal acts as an intermediary element between the wet environment outside the housing and the dry environment inside the housing. It provides fluid barrier protection while allowing the bus bar to pass through and establish electrical connection, thereby maintaining both reliability and electrical conductivity without requiring complex sealing mechanisms
2Object-affected harmful factors
If seal is added to prevent fluid ingress, then protection is improved, but electrical conductivity path becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bus bar is formed with a curved configuration that allows it to bend and follow the contour of the housing interior. This curved path enables the bus bar to route around the seal and connect to the terminal block without requiring additional connectors or complex routing mechanisms, thus maintaining electrical conductivity while providing fluid protection
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is implemented as a thin film or gasket that can be integrated into the housing wall. This thin film approach provides effective fluid barrier protection while minimizing the space required and avoiding interference with the bus bar's electrical connection path, thereby protecting against fluid ingress without significantly 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
The solution provides simple and reliable electrical connections between high voltage components while effectively sealing wet environments from dry ones, ensuring the integrity of electrical connections and preventing fluid ingress.
Implementation Method 1
a first seal adapted to seal the second electrical component from a wet environment of the first electrical component
Implementation Method 2
a bus bar... electrically couple the inverter to the electric motor for outputting AC power to the electric motor
Data Source
AI summary
An electrified vehicle includes a first electrical component, a second electrical component, and a terminal block assembly adapted to electrically couple the first electric component to the second electrical component. The terminal block assembly includes a housing, a bus bar, and a first seal adapted to seal the second electrical component from a wet environment of the first electrical component.