Flexible electrical connectors for electrolytic cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019165529-A1
Application number	US-201716321740-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	May 30, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible electrical connector assembly is adapted to connect a bus bar of an electrolytic cell to a collector bar of the electrolytic cell. The assembly includes an electrical connector including a plurality of conductive metal sheets, the electrical connector having a collector bar end and a bus bar end. The electrical connector may be adapted for being joined, at the collector bar end, to the collector bar and, at the bus bar end, to the bus bar. The electrical connector may be adapted to implement a change in direction, at a bend along a current-carrying path between the bus bar end and the collector bar end, the bend assisting to define the change in direction as greater than 90 degrees.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flexible electrical connector assembly adapted to connect a bus bar of an electrolytic cell to a collector bar of the electrolytic cell, the assembly comprising:
an electrical connector including a plurality of conductive metal sheets, the electrical connector having a collector bar end and a bus bar end, the electrical connector adapted for being joined:
at the collector bar end, to the collector bar; and
at the bus bar end, to the bus bar;
the electrical connector adapted to implement a change in direction, at a bend along a current-carrying path between the bus bar end and the collector bar end, the bend assisting to define the change in direction as greater than 90 degrees.

2 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 1 further comprising a strap adapted to maintain the bend.

3 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 1 further comprising a fastener adapted to maintain the bend.

4 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 3 wherein the fastener comprises a bolt.

5 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrical connector comprises:
a first electrical connector portion adapted for being joined to the collector bar at the collector bar end; and
a second electrical connector portion adapted for being joined to the bus bar at the bus bar end; and
an intermediate connector block having a first intermediate connector block section attached to the first electrical connector portion, and a second intermediate connector block section attached to the second electrical connector portion, the intermediate connector block providing an intermediate path carrying current between the first electrical connector portion and the second electrical connector portion while implementing the bend.

6 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 5 wherein the intermediate connection block comprises a weld formed between constituent sheets of the first electrical connector portion and the second electrical connector portion.

7 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 1 , where plastic deformation bending in at least one location of at least some of the sheets is used to implement the bend.

8 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 1 further comprising a connector block adapted for joining the electrical connector to the bus bar.

9 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 8 further comprising a mating component adapted for joining the electrical connector to the collector bar.

10 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of conductive metal sheets define a slit along a current-carrying direction and perpendicular to a direction of sheet layering.

11 . A flexible electrical connector assembly suitable for connecting a bus bar of an electrolytic cell to a collector bar of the electrolytic cell, the assembly comprising:
a flexible element; a means of connecting the flexible element to the bus bar, either
directly; or
through an intermediate element;
whereby, when viewed vertically from above, the connection, made via the means of connecting the flexible element to the bus bar, is substantially made at least 5 mm outside of both:
(i) the limits of the collector bar; and
(ii) the extension of the limits of the collector bars if those limits extended out to the fundamental plane defining the inner bus bar surface facing the electrolytic cell.

12 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 11 , where the connection comprises of a fastener.

13 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the fastener comprises a bolt.

14 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 11 , where the connection comprises of a weld.

15 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 11 , where the connections are also made substantially above the fundamental plane defining a bottom of the bus bar.

16 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 11 , further including a non-bonded electrical contact to the bus bar and/or the collector bar, comprising:
a first mating component bonded to the flexible electrical connector, the first mating component adapted to connect the flexible component to the collector bar, or the bus bar, or both, a second matching mating component mounted on, or incorporated into the bus bar or the collector bar; the matching mating components having two or more pairs of mating surfaces across which the two matching mating components are in electrical contact, where the pairs of mating surfaces are neither substantially parallel nor substantially coplanar; and a means of securing the matching mating components against one another, such that a normal reaction force is generated on all pairs of mating surfaces.

17 . The flexible electrical connector assembly of claim 16 , where the normal reaction force is generated on the mating surfaces through the application of a force applied by a fastener or by frictional forces.

18 . The flexible electrical connector of claim 11 , where the flexible element consists of a plurality of conductive metal sheets, and wherein said sheets define a slit along a current-carrying direction and perpendicular to a direction of sheet layering.

19 . A flexible electrical connector incorporating more than one flexible elements in at least two parallel electrical paths, where at least one of the paths include the flexible electrical connector of claim 1 , and where each path:
i) stems from the collector bar and joins to the bus bar; ii) has nominally equal electrical resistance; iii) is separated by at least 10 mm; and iv) does not overlap when looking in the direction of the axis of the collector bar.

Assignees

• Hatch Ltd

Inventors

• Pearen Dale Mackenzie
• Jastrzebski Maciej
• Shahriari Bijan

Classifications

• C25C3/08

  Cell construction, e.g. bottoms, walls, cathodes · CPC title

• H02G11/00

  Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts · CPC title

• C25C3/16 Primary

  Electric current supply devices, e.g. bus bars · CPC title

• H01M8/0202

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title

• H01R35/02 Primary

  Flexible line connectors {without frictional contact members} · CPC title