FI12454U1 - Arrangement for cooling a busbar - Google Patents

Description

Arrangement for cooling the busbar

Background of the Invention

The invention relates to cooling of busbars.

In high power solutions, wires called busbars are commonly used to transmit electrical energy. The busbars are metal structures such as plates or rods. Busbars are used, for example, in device enclosures. Depending on the energy requirement, the cabinets may have several busbars.

The busbars, when operating, produce heat which is harmful to energy-using equipment. It is known to use forced air circulation to cool the busbars, which is often accomplished by using a fan that blows air into the busbars. However, this is a very inefficient method.

Brief Description of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a cooling solution in connection with the busbars, whereby the cooling can be enhanced. The object of the invention is achieved by an arrangement for cooling the busbar, which is characterized by what is stated in the independent protection claim. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.

The invention is based on the fact that one or more cooling elements in contact with the busbars can effectively cool the busbars by transferring heat from the busbars to a coolant, such as air or liquid.

An advantage of the solution according to the invention is that by increasing the cooling efficiency the use of expensive copper in the busbars can be reduced and the device cabinets can be assembled more cheaply. The proposed solution also supports the mechanical construction of the busbars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further described in connection with preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an example of an apparatus cabinet or frame;

Figures 2A and 2B show examples of a cooling element according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figures 3A and 3B illustrate examples of the location of cooling elements;

Figure 4 shows an example of a cooling element according to another embodiment of the invention; and

Figures 5A and 5B illustrate examples of the location of cooling elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows an example of a cabinet or rack 100. The cabinet in the figure is shown without outer walls, but in practice the cabinet or rack may comprise one or more outer walls which protect the devices in the rack.

The racks are generally provided with DC and / or AC busbars 102, 104. There are typically at least two DC busbars. There are at least three AC (alternating current) busbars. The rails are electrically conductive material, typically metal such as aluminum, copper or steel.

In prior art solutions, the busbars are cooled by forced air circulation, i.e. the air is directed to the busbars, for example by means of a fan. The mechanical design of the busbars, such as the quantity and quality of the material used, cannot generally be optimized due to the uncertainties associated with the power transfer capacity and heating of the busbars. If these issues were better managed, substantial cost savings could be achieved in the implementation of busbars.

In order to provide better cooling of the busbars, an arrangement has been developed for cooling one or more busbars, which comprises one or more cooling elements in contact with one or more busbars, which transfer heat to the coolant.

Figures 2A and 2B show an example of a cooling element 200 according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 2A shows the element obliquely from the side and Figure 2B from below (or above). In this heatsink, the coolant is air. The cooling element comprises a grate 202 inside the element, the air inside which receives heat from the surface of the element and, when exiting the grate, removes heat. The rib 202 forms channels within the cooling element 200, preferably vertically, whereby the air in the channels heats up and cooler air from the bottom becomes into the element.

In the example shown, the rib or rib structure is between two walls. The element may also be implemented with a single thick wall having a rib structure on one side open on the opposite side. The cooling element may be of aluminum or other metal construction, for example. Cooling can be further enhanced by placing a fan to blow air from below into the cooling element, further improving air circulation in the grid and increasing cooling capacity. The solution is very cost-effective and easy to install.

Figures 3A and 3B illustrate examples of the location of cooling elements. Fig. 3A shows a DC busbar structure 102, 104 having two parallel busbars 102 upstream and three parallel busbars 104 two downward, respectively. The upper and lower rails have different potentials. In the solution of the figure, cooling elements 300, 302 are disposed between the upper busbars and cooling elements 304, 306 are disposed between the lower busbars. If the busbars are long relative to the cooling elements, two or more cooling elements may be provided in succession.

Fig. 3B shows a DC busbar structure with two busbar 102 upstream and two busbar 104 downwardly, respectively. In the solution of the figure, a cooling element 308 is attached to the rear wall of the upper bus rails, and a cooling element 310 is attached to the rear wall of the lower bus rails.

Figure 4 shows an example of a cooling element 400 according to an embodiment of the invention. In this cooling element, the refrigerant is a liquid. The cooling element comprises, at the bottom of the element, interfaces 402, 404 by means of which fluid can be introduced into and removed from the element. Each of the connectors 402, 404 may serve as either a fluid inlet connector or a fluid outlet connector. The liquid may be, for example, water, oil or water-glycol mixture. the liquid circulating in the element effectively cools the element and at the same time the busbars. The arrangement may comprise a pump for circulating liquid within the elements. The liquid receives heat from the surface of the element and exits the element to remove heat. The element may be of, for example, a metal structure coated with an electrically insulating material, for example plastic. The element may also be entirely plastic.

Figures 5A and 5B illustrate examples of the arrangement of liquid-filled cooling elements. Fig. 5A shows a DC busbar structure 102, 104 having two parallel busbars 102 upstream and three parallel busbars 104 two downward, respectively. The upper and lower rails have different potentials. In the solution of the figure, cooling elements 500, 502 are disposed between the upper bus rails 102 and cooling elements 504, 506 are disposed between the lower bus rails 104. If the bus rails are long relative to the cooling elements, two or more cooling elements may be provided in succession.

Fig. 5B shows a DC busbar structure having two busbar 102 upstream and two busbar 104 downwards, respectively. In the embodiment of the figure, a cooling element 508 is attached to the rear wall of the upper bus rails 102 and a cooling element 510 is attached to the rear wall of the lower bus rails 104. Fluid flow can be controlled by a pump connected to the pipeline (not shown in the figures).

Both air and liquid cooling elements can be attached to busbars in different ways. One possibility is to use clamps to tighten the elements tightly against the busbars. Another possibility is to use brackets that fasten the elements to the rails. Figure 4 shows an example of fasteners 406, 408 and Figure 5A illustrates their use for fastening the element to the busbar.

The solution does not increase the number of components in the cabinet because the positioning of the cooling elements eliminates the need for additional support structures between the busbars.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above, but may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims (7)

Protective requirements 1. An arrangement for cooling one or more bus rails, characterized in that the arrangement comprises one or more cooling elements (300, 302, 304, 306J) contacting the one or more bus rails (102, 104J) for transferring heat to the refrigerant. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the refrigerant is a liquid 4. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the cooling element comprises inlet and outlet ports (402, 404J) for The fluid inside the element can be exchanged 5. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding protective claims, characterized in that the cooling element is a metal coated with an electrically insulating material. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arrangement comprises one or more cooling elements between two parallel bus rails. Skyddskrav 1. Arrangemang för kylning av en eller flera strömskenor, kännetecknat av att arrangemanget omfattar et eller flera village (300, 302, 304, 306) som bringats i contact med en eller flera strömskenor (102, 104) och som överför color till ett frost. . 2. Arrangemang enligt skyddskrav 1, kännetecknat av att kylmediet är luft. 3. Arrangemang enligt skyddskrav 1, kännetecknat av att kylmediet är vätska. 4. Arrangemang enligt skyddskrav 3, a rotary encoder of the att ompattar inlopps-och utloppsanslutningsdon (402, 404) for the element, the element of the element. 5. Arrangemang enligt något av de föregående skyddskraven, kännetecknat av att villelet ja metall som som belagd med et ämne som isolerar electric kit. 6. Arrangemang enligt något av de föregående skyddskraven, kännetecknat av att villelementet plast. 7. Arrangemang enligt något av de föregående skyddskraven, kännetecknat av att arrangemanget omfattar beside the strömskenor et eller flera village element.