ES348589A1 - Electrical conductor configuration providing length stable with temperature - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical conductor comprises a metal strip in which bending areas are formed to take up longitudinal stresses exerted on the strip so that the conductor may be deformed in its plane in response to thermal expansion or contraction without any change in its overall length when its ends are fixed. As shown, the bending area is formed by making two sets of parallel slots 2 in the conductor blank (Fig. 1, not shown) and bending the blank in its plane until the sides of each slot nearly touch each other. Rectangular notches may be cut out of the blank abreast of the slots so that the overall width of the conductor remains unchanged (Figs. 3, 4, not shown). Alternatively, the conductor blank may be cut to a zig-zag shape and sets of slits are cut parallel to the sides of the angles thus formed (Figs. 5, 6, not shown). The conductor may have a coating, or be provided with inserts in the form of wire, of super-conductive material (Figs. 10, 11, not shown), and a number of such conductors may be stacked within a tube in such a way as to form a central duct for cryogenic fluid (Fig. 7, not shown). Alternatively, the conductors may be stacked in groups insulated from each other to form a polyphase cable. The conductors are stacked with their slotted portions in register. The conductors may be arranged as a coaxial cable. For conventional applications, the conductor may be standard grade copper or aluminium electrolytic aluminium or copper is used for hyperconductivity applications, and, for superconductors, electrolytic aluminium coated with lead, niobiumzirconium, niobium-titanium or niobium-tin alloys.