V-Shaped Main Bus-Bar Assembly for High Current Power Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bus-bars, particularly rectangular and hollow circular types, face issues with mechanical bending strength, current carrying capacity, heat radiation, and point discharge due to their design, which limits their effectiveness in power distribution systems.
Innovation Solution
A V-shaped main bus-bar assembly with elongated flat portions joined at a predetermined angle, featuring rounded flanges and internal grooves, and coated with electrical insulation, which allows for improved mechanical bending strength, reduced skin effect, and enhanced heat radiation, while being compatible with existing flat surface branch bus-bars.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a rectangular bus-bar is used, then it is easy to manufacture and has a simple shape, but it has poor mechanical bending strength and small current carrying capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The bus-bar changes from a symmetric rectangular cross-section to an asymmetric hollow circular cross-section with non-uniform wall thickness. The thicker wall portion provides enhanced mechanical bending strength while the hollow structure reduces material usage, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The bus-bar employs variable wall thickness parameters around the circular cross-section, with a thicker wall portion at specific locations to reinforce mechanical strength where needed, while maintaining the overall circular shape for ease of manufacture and optimal current distribution.
2Ease of manufacture
If a rectangular bus-bar is used, then it is easy to manufacture, but the current carrying capacity is reduced due to skin effect and proximity effect
Solution Approach 1:
The bus-bar adopts a circular cross-section instead of a rectangular one. The curved surface distributes the current more uniformly around the perimeter, reducing the skin effect and proximity effect, thereby increasing current carrying capacity while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard circular forming processes.
3Shape
If a rectangular bus-bar is used, then it is simple in shape, but the heat radiating surface is small and heat radiation is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The circular cross-section provides a larger surface area compared to a rectangular section of equivalent material usage. The curved surface geometry enhances heat radiation efficiency by distributing thermal energy more effectively across the bus-bar surface, while the simple circular shape remains easy to manufacture.
4Strength
If a hollow circular bus-bar is used, then mechanical bending strength is improved and material is saved, but heat accumulation occurs inside due to insufficient heat radiating surface
Solution Approach 1:
The bus-bar features non-uniform wall thickness with a thicker portion at specific locations. This local variation in thickness provides structural reinforcement for mechanical strength while the hollow interior allows for potential heat dissipation pathways, balancing mechanical strength requirements with thermal management.
5Adaptability or versatility
If a rectangular branch bus-bar is used, then it can be attached to planar main bus-bar, but it is only applicable to planar main bus-bar and lacks versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The branch bus-bar is designed with a universal connection structure that can attach to both planar and three-dimensional main bus-bars. The connection portion features a standardized interface with mounting holes that can accommodate various bus-bar geometries, enabling one branch bus-bar design to serve multiple application scenarios without increasing structural 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 V-shaped bus-bar assembly offers superior mechanical bending strength, reduced material usage, effective heat dissipation, and avoidance of point discharge, making it suitable for high current applications with minimal material requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a main bus-bar is widely used to transmit power from the outside power supply to various electrical components
Implementation Method 2
The amount of current carried by the rectangular bus-bar is also relatively small due to 'skin effect' and 'proximity effect' of the current
Implementation Method 3
the outside heat radiating surface of the rectangular bus-bar is small and not good enough to facilitate radiating of heat
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2E
Figure 3A~3E
AI summary
A main bus-bar consists of a first elongated flat portion and a second elongated flat portion. A longitudinal side of the first elongated flat portion and a longitudinal side of the second elongated flat portion are arranged to be joined with each other at a predetermined angle. The thickness of each of the first elongated flat portion and the second elongated flat portion is non-uniform. Hence the skin effect and proximity effect caused by current carried in the main bus-bar can be reduced greatly. The main bus-bar can be connected to a branch bus-bar directly or be connected to a branch bus-bar by a transfer connector in a bus-bar assembly or a bus-bar system.