Power distribution connector with thermally conductive polymer heat sink

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494119-B2
Application number	US-201615378136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A power distribution connector is provided, which includes an electrically conductive bus bar configured to conduct electricity between a power-supplying node and an opposing power-consuming node, and has a set of surfaces between the opposing nodes and a thermally conductive polymer having a first surface abutting at least a portion of a subset of the bus bar surfaces and a second surface spaced from the first surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power distribution connector, comprising:
an electrically conductive bus bar having a conductor configured to conduct electricity between a power-supplying node and a power-consuming node, and having a set of surfaces between the opposing nodes; and
a thermally conductive polymer at least partially enveloping the conductor and having an inner surface abutting at least a portion of a subset of the conductor surfaces and an outer surface spaced from the inner surface;
wherein, the outer surface includes at least one of a set of thermal fins or a set of thermal pin fins;
wherein the thermally conductive polymer is configured for (i) removal of heat generated by the bus bar during a current-carrying operation by way of thermal conduction from the at least a portion of the subset of the conductor surfaces to the inner surface of the polymer and (ii) thermal radiation from the outer surface of the polymer.

2. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the second surface of the thermally conductive polymer is greater than the at least a portion of the subset of the bus bar surfaces.

3. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the thermal fins include at least one of straight thermal fins or flared thermal fins.

4. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer has a thermal conductivity greater than 0.8 Watts per milliKelvin.

5. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer is configured to reduce the operating temperature of the bus bar compared to a bus bar without a thermally conductive polymer.

6. The power distribution connector of claim 5 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer is configured to reduce the operating temperature by at least 10 degrees Celsius.

7. The power distribution connector of claim 5 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer is configured to reduce the operating temperature by at least 5%.

8. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer includes a third surface abutting at least a different portion of a subset of the conductor surfaces than the inner surface.

9. The power distribution connector of claim 8 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer envelops at least a concentric portion of the set of surfaces of the conductor.

10. The power distribution connector of claim 9 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer abuts a majority of the set of surfaces.

11. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer includes at least one of carbon black, suspended metal particles, or carbon strands.

12. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer includes a dielectric material.

13. The power distribution connector of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer includes additive material.

14. A power distribution system, comprising:
a power source;
a power-consuming load spaced from the power source;
a bus bar comprising a conductor and having a first contact configured to couple with the power source and a second contact configured to couple with the power-consuming load such that the bus bar electrically couples the power source with the power-consuming load; and
a thermally conductive polymer located along the bus bar at a portion other than the first and second contacts and having at least one of a set of thermal fins or a set of pin fins on an outer surface of the thermally conductive polymer; wherein the thermally conductive polymer is thermally coupled with the bus bar to define a heatsink for the bus bar;
wherein the conductor is at least partially enveloped by the polymer and includes a set of surfaces between the power source and the power-consuming load, at least a portion of the surfaces being abutted by an inner surface of the polymer; and
wherein, the heatsink removes the heat through (i) thermal conduction from the at least a portion of a subset of the conductor surfaces to an inner surface of the polymer and (ii) thermal radiation from the outer surface of the polymer via the set of thermal fins or the set of pin fins.

15. The power distribution system of claim 14 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer envelops at least a concentric portion of the bus bar between the first contact and the second contact.

16. The power distribution system of claim 14 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer is configured to reduce the operating temperature by at least 50 degrees Celsius.

17. A power distribution connector, comprising:
an electrically conductive bus bar comprising:
(i) a positive temperature coefficient and a cross-sectional area;
(ii) a power-supplying node and an opposing power-consuming node, the bus bar being configured to conduct electricity between the power-supplying node and the power-consuming node; and
(iii) a conductor having a set of surfaces between the power-supplying node and the power-consuming node; and
and
a thermally conductive polymer at least partially enveloping the conductor and including an inner surface abutting at least a portion of a subset of the conductor surfaces and an outer surface spaced from the first surface;
wherein, the polymer is located along, and thermally coupled with the bus bar, to define a heatsink configured to reduce the operating temperature of the bus bar by removing heat generated by a current-carrying operation and dissipating the removed heat by way of thermal radiation;
wherein, the heatsink removes the heat through (i) thermal conduction from the at least a portion of the subset of the conductor surfaces to an inner surface of the polymer and (ii) thermal radiation from the outer surface of the polymer; and
wherein, the bus bar has a smaller cross-sectional area compared to a bus bar without a heatsink, due to the reduced operating temperature of the bus bar.

18. The power distribution connector of claim 17 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer envelops at least a concentric portion of the bus bar between the power-supplying node and the power-consuming node.

19. The power distribution connector of claim 17 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer includes at least one of a set of thermal fins or a set of thermal pin fins.

20. The power distribution connector of claim 17 , wherein the thermally conductive polymer envelops at least a concentric portion of the bus bar.

Assignees

• Ge Aviat Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Smith Michael James

Classifications

• H10W40/228

  the projecting parts being wire-shaped or pin-shaped · CPC title

• H10W40/226

  characterised by projecting parts, e.g. fins to increase surface area (leadframes for cooling H10W70/461) · CPC title

• H10W40/22

  characterised by their shape, e.g. having conical or cylindrical projections · CPC title

• B64D47/00 Primary

  Equipment not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H05K7/209

  Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure (H05K7/20909 takes precedence) · CPC title