Vented High-Voltage Space Connector for Vacuum Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-voltage electrical connectors for the space sector are complex to manufacture, difficult to repair, and limited in scalability, with aeronautical connectors not designed for long-term use in space environments due to airtightness issues and maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
A ventilated high-voltage electrical connector design featuring a male and female portion with structured regions allowing easy separation and a leakage duct for air evacuation, ensuring operation under high vacuum and atmospheric pressure over a long life, using dielectric blocks and complementary structured regions to prevent dielectric breakdown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solid insulator interconnection with overmoulding is used, then electrical connection robustness across pressure ranges is improved, but manufacturing complexity and repair difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate male and female portions that can be independently manufactured and assembled. The electrical contact assembly is separated from the housing, allowing modular manufacturing and simplifying production while maintaining robust electrical connection through the dielectric support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical contact assembly is extracted as a separate component from the housing, mounted on dielectric supports that provide insulation without requiring complex overmoulding operations. This extraction simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the robust electrical connection across pressure ranges.
2Reliability
If solid insulator interconnection with overmoulding is used, then electrical connection robustness is improved, but ease of repair and reversibility worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The connector components are segmented into separable parts (male portion, female portion, electrical contact assembly) that can be easily disassembled for repair or replacement without requiring complex reversal of overmoulding operations, while the dielectric supports maintain robust electrical insulation during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical contact assembly is extracted as a removable component mounted on dielectric supports, allowing easy removal and replacement for repair purposes while maintaining robust electrical connection when assembled, eliminating the need for complex overmoulding reversal.
3Volume of moving object
If electronic part sharing is implemented to supply power to multiple TWTs, then satellite compactness is improved, but connector scalability and handling complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with universal male and female portions that can be configured in various numbers and arrangements to supply power to multiple TWTs. The modular design with dielectric supports allows scalable configurations while maintaining compact form factor for satellite applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector system is segmented into standardized male and female portions that can be independently configured and assembled in different quantities and arrangements, enabling scalable power distribution to multiple TWTs while maintaining satellite compactness through efficient spatial arrangement.
4Stress or pressure
If aeronautical connectors with airtight seals are used, then pressure range operation is improved, but long-term reliability in space vacuum deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The airtight seal requirement is extracted and replaced with dielectric support structures that provide both mechanical support and electrical insulation. The connector portions can be separately sealed or unsealed based on specific application requirements, improving long-term reliability in space vacuum while maintaining pressure range operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing approach is changed from permanent airtight seals to configurable sealing options. The dielectric supports provide robust electrical insulation across pressure ranges without the long-term degradation issues of gaskets in vacuum, allowing parameter optimization for both pressure operation and space reliability.
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 connector enables easy separation and long-term reliable operation under varying pressures, supporting a large number of TWTs in satellites, with enhanced electrical insulation and resistance to dielectric breakdown.
Implementation Method 1
the male structured region is capable of being inserted into the female structured region, or vice versa, in order to allow the electrical contact and so as to create a leakage duct between the female structured region and the male structured region allowing the air included between the female structured region and the male structured region to flow to said at least one opening
Implementation Method 2
a male dielectric block encapsulated by the male shell and having a male structured region... a female dielectric block encapsulated by the female shell and having a female structured region
Data Source
AI summary
A high-voltage electrical connector for the space sector, includes a male portion and a female portion, which are intended to produce an electrical contact (CE) between the portions, the male portion comprising: a metallic male external shell; a male dielectric block encapsulated by the male shell and having a male structured region comprising what is called a male recess; the female portion comprising: a metallic female external shell, a female dielectric block encapsulated by the female shell and having a female structured region comprising a female recess; the male or female external shell having at least one opening, the male structured region having a shape that complements a shape of the female structured region, so that the male structured region is capable of being inserted into the female structured region in order to allow the electrical contact and so as to create a leakage duct between the female structured region and the male structured region allowing the air included between the female structured region and the male structured region to flow to the at least one opening.