Wet-Mateable Connector Tortuous Fluid Path Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wet-mateable electrical connectors fail to withstand long-term exposure to high pressure and temperature in adverse environments, leading to seawater or moisture penetration and subsequent short circuits or failure, due to the limitations of complex mechanical components, chambers, and bladders used for insulation.
Innovation Solution
The design eliminates the need for complex mechanical components and chambers by creating a tortuous water/fluid path between the male and female electrical contacts using channels or grooves, which provides a high ionic resistance path, allowing for reliable electrical connections in adverse conditions without insulation media, and using corrosion-resistant materials for the contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex mechanical components, chambers, and bladders containing insulating media are used to protect electrical contacts from fluid infiltration, then electrical insulation is provided, but the device becomes bulky, heavy, and unreliable under long-term high pressure and temperature exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex mechanical components, chambers, and bladders that were previously used to insulate electrical contacts from fluids. Instead, the electrical contacts are directly exposed to the fluid environment, eliminating the insulating media and associated mechanical structures while maintaining electrical functionality through the tortuous path design.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than isolating the electrical contacts from the fluid environment using insulating barriers, the patent inverts the approach by allowing fluid contact but designing a tortuous path that prevents harmful fluid infiltration. The fluid is permitted to surround the contacts, but the labyrinthine structure created by offset channels and grooves prevents direct fluid access to the contact interfaces.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If bladders and mechanical components are used to prevent fluid influx, then electrical contacts are protected, but the connectors become bulky and heavy with high mating forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the bladders and mechanical sealing components that added significant weight and bulk to the connector assembly. By removing these heavy protective elements and relying on the tortuous geometric path formed by offset channels and grooves, the connector achieves fluid protection with minimal additional mass.
3Reliability
If insulating media chambers are used to protect electrical contacts, then electrical insulation is maintained, but the device degrades in performance after exposure to temperature extremes and requires pressure compensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the insulating media and pressure-compensation bladders that degraded under temperature extremes. By allowing direct fluid contact with the electrical contacts while using the tortuous path geometry to prevent harmful infiltration, the system eliminates the temperature-sensitive components that required maintenance and pressure compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tortuous path structure formed by offset channels and grooves automatically prevents fluid infiltration without requiring active pressure compensation mechanisms. The geometric design inherently resists fluid pressure, eliminating the need for bladder-based pressure equalization systems that degraded over time.
4Ease of operation
If current wet-mateable connector designs are used, then electrical connections can be made in adverse environments, but the number of mate-demate cycles is limited before maintenance is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex mechanical sealing components and bladders that limited the number of mate-demate cycles. By using a simpler tortuous path design based on offset channels and grooves without fragile sealing elements, the connector withstands repeated mating and demating operations without degradation.
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 solution enables reliable, durable, and repeatable wet-mateable electrical connections in adverse environments, such as underwater, with reduced risk of corrosion and failure, allowing for a larger number of mate-de-mate cycles and operation over a wide range of conditions without degradation.
Implementation Method 1
creating a tortuous water/fluid path between the male and female electrical contacts and the environment surrounding the connectors... This solution enables reliable, durable, and repeatable wet-mateable electrical connections in adverse environments
Data Source
AI summary
A wet-mateable electrical connection and an associated method are provided for use, for example, within an adverse environment such as underwater. A wet-mateable electrical connection may include a female connector body comprising at least one receptacle. A female contact is disposed within the at least one receptacle. A male connector body having at least one axially directed male contact pin having a forward end portion releasably engages with the female contact body within the receptacle, thus forming a fully-mated engagement. In the fully-mated engagement, the electrical contacts are in contact with water/fluid. Thus, the electrical connection is established even in the presence of water/fluid.