CONNECTION LINE FOR HIGH CURRENTS AND/OR VOLTAGES, TESTING DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A COMPENSATION REGION

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a connection line for high currents and voltages, the connection line having an electrically conductive strand bundle enclosed by an electrically insulating cable sheath, and at least one compensation region for compensating angle tolerances, position tolerances and relative movements between two portions of the connection line. The cable sheath may be interrupted in the compensation region. The strand bundle may be widened in a spindle-like manner to form at least three arcuate strands.

Claims

1. A connection line for high currents and/or voltages, comprising: an electrically insulated cable sheath; at least one compensating area configured to compensate for: angular tolerances, positional tolerances and relative movements between two compensation regions; and angular tolerances, positional tolerances and relative movements between two subregions of the connecting cable, and wherein the cable sheath is: interrupted in the compensation region and the strand package includes at least three arcuate strands and is expanded in a spindle shape.

2. The connection line according to claim 1, wherein the strand package is untwisted in the compensation area opposite to a lay direction of the strand package.

3. The connection line according to claim 1, wherein the strand package is configured to be axially compressed in the compensation region.

4. The connection line according to claim 3, wherein the strand packet is arranged according to a compression factor of between ⅙ and ½.

5. The connection line according to claim 1, wherein the strands are individually insulated in the compensation area.

6. The connection line according to claim 1, wherein the strands comprise a plurality of wires.

7. The connecting lead according to claim 1, wherein the compensating region comprises an electrically insulating resilient sleeve.

8. The connection line according to claim 7, wherein the elastic sheath comprises a bellows shape.

9. The connection line according to claim 1, wherein the strand package comprises between 3 and 30 strands.

10. The connection line according to claim 1, wherein the string package comprises a line cross-section smaller than 100 cm.sup.2.

11. The connecting line according to claim 1, wherein each of the strands comprise a cross-section between 1 mm.sup.2 and 50 mm.sup.2.

12. A testing device for testing high voltage components using high currents and voltages, the testing device comprising: an electrical contact element movably mounted on a bearing device for contacting the high-voltage components; test electronics configured to provide the high currents and/or voltages; at least one connecting lead for high currents and/or voltages comprising an electrically insulated cable sheath, at least one compensating area configured to compensate for: angular tolerances, positional tolerances and relative movements between two compensation regions, and angular tolerances, positional tolerances and relative movements between two subregions of the connecting cable, and wherein the cable sheath is interrupted in the compensation region and the strand package includes at least three arcuate strands and is expanded in a spindle shape; and wherein the at least on connecting lead is arranged to electrically conductively connect the contact element to the test electronics and is configured to test electronics and is designed to compensate for angular tolerances, positional tolerances and relative movements between the contact element and the bearing device.

13. A method for producing a compensation area for compensating for angular tolerances, positional tolerances and relative movements between two subregions of a connecting line for high currents and/or voltages, wherein an electrically insulating cable sheath of the connecting line interrupted between the subregions, and an electrically conductive strand package is expanded into at least three arcuate strands in the form of a spindle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The above and other aspects of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing exemplary embodiments in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1 depicts an illustration of a connection line with a compensation area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 2 depicts an illustration of a thick connecting line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 3 depicts a representation of an angularly offset connecting line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0031] FIG. 4 depicts a laterally offset connection line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] The figures are merely schematic representations and serve only to explain the invention. Identical or similarly acting elements are provided throughout with the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] As used throughout the present disclosure, unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “or” encompasses all possible combinations, except where infeasible. For example, the expression “A or B” shall mean A alone, B alone, or A and B together. If it is stated that a component includes “A, B, or C” then, unless specifically stated otherwise or infeasible, the component may include A, or B, or C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, or A and B and C. Expressions such as “at least one of” do not necessarily modify an entirety of a following list and do not necessarily modify each member of the list, such that “at least one of A, B, and C” should be understood as including only one of A, only one of B, only one of C, or any combination of A, B, and C.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a connection line 100 having a compensation region 102, according to an example embodiment. The connection line 100 is designed to compensate high transmitted currents and/or voltages. The connection line 100 can also be used as a high voltage cable. A cable sheath 104 of the connection line 100 is missing in the compensation area 102. In sections 106, 108 of the connecting cable 100 adjacent to the equalizing section 102, an electrical conductor of the connecting cable 100 is enclosed and electrically insulated by the cable sheath 104. The electrical conductor is formed as a bundle of strands 110 comprising eight similar electrically conductive strands 112. In the equalizing region 102, the strands 112 are curved laterally and are spaced apart from adjacent strands 112, whereby the strand package 110 has an overall spindle shape. In this regard, the strands 112 of the strand package 110 enclose an interior cavity in the equalization region 102.

[0035] As a result of the strands 112 not being adjacent to each other in the equalization region 102, and bent laterally, the connecting lead 100 has a substantially reduced bending resistance, compression resistance and tensile resistance in the compensation area 102 compared to the insulated sub-areas 106, 108. Thus, the connecting lead 100 can be bent in the compensation area 102, with little force, within a tolerance range, and shortened or lengthened.

[0036] In one embodiment, the strands 112 in the equalization region 102 are individually electrically insulated by an insulating layer 114. FIG. 2 shows an illustration of a thick connecting line 100 according to an example embodiment. The connection line 100 corresponds essentially to the connection line in FIG. 1. In contrast, the connection line 100 shown here has a substantially larger line cross-section. For this purpose, the string package 110 has substantially more individual strands 112. The strands are also thicker than the strands in FIG. 1, where the strand package 110 has 18 strands (112).

[0037] FIG. 3 depicts an illustration of an angularly offset connecting line 100 according to an example embodiment. The connection line 100 corresponds essentially to the connection lines shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, the strand package 110 has 12 strands (112). In addition, the strands 112 are stranded wires. The strands comprise many individual thin wires and are more flexible than a single wire with the same conductor cross-section.

[0038] The sub-regions 106, 108 have an angular offset and a lateral offset from each other. The compensation area 102 is thus asymmetrically deformed but can compensate for the angular offset and lateral offset without problems. The compensation area can be bent by up to 30°. For example, FIG. 4 depicts an illustration of a laterally offset connection line 100 according to an example embodiment. The connection line 100 is substantially the same as the connection line in FIG. 3. Here, the sub-regions 106, 108 are laterally offset from each other without angular offset. The compensation area 102 can have a lateral offset of up to three times the diameter of the high-voltage line 100 without difficulty.

[0039] In other words, a compensating element for electrical connections is presented. The approach presented here is used to determine mechanical tensions in electrical connections that occur due to the stiffness of the conductors which should be avoided. Especially in test fixtures for high currents, contact parts with high tolerances are used. For this purpose, the contact elements are mounted elastically or floating in the test fixture housing. Due to the partially direction-dependent stiffness of the connecting leads for high currents, the mobility of the contact element can be and may be restricted and tensions may occur, which may impair the contact with the stop part. The approach presented herein allows freer movement of the contact elements. This freer movement of the two ends of the compensating element relative to each other can also reduce distortions due to thermal expansion especially at high currents, by elastically absorbing the displacement.

[0040] In order to establish the compensation area 102, a cable may be connected thereto. For the present current, the insulation is carefully stripped and the cable is then bulb-shaped by partially untwisting and upsetting it to form an onion shape. As a result, the individual strands no longer touch in the area of the belly and the cable becomes much softer in this area against radial and axial displacements, as well as against bending and torsion. Due to the (radially) symmetrical construction, the directional dependence of the restoring forces becomes minimized.

[0041] (Highly) flexible cables, which come up against natural limits with the cross-sections required for high currents and limited installation space, can alternatively also be laid in loops or with sag. In a test fixture, however, this is not possible for reasons of space. Loosely braided flat ribbon cables can also be used in high-current test adapters. Flat ribbon cables can be used in high-current test adapters, but these are stiffer than what would be required for problem-free mobility of the contact elements. In addition, their stiffness is strongly directionally dependent.

[0042] In the case of busbars, busbars assembled from thin copper sheets may be welded locally so as to be defined by the dissolution of the bond, in order to create highly elastic areas. At best, planar degrees of freedom can be achieved. In the “width direction”, a sheet is always flexurally rigid.

[0043] A thick (and thus stiff) cable can also be replaced by several thinner cables arranged at a distance from each other. However, this is very complex in design due to the many required connection points. The approach presented here improves the possibility to produce products from and for the high current range (e.g., BJBs) in a process-safe manner, and can thus help to avoid time-consuming factory interventions and repetitive testing. The compressed compensation area 102 can be equipped with appropriate shielding and insulation.

[0044] The approach presented here enables the process-reliable contacting of DUTs with coarse tolerances in the contact position. This is also possible with limited installation space. The approach presented here enables the mobility of movably mounted electrical contact parts even with large conductor cross-sections in a large range and with low restoring forces. The restoring forces behave radially symmetrically, which enables uniform mobility in all directions. This facilitates and ensures reliable contacting of test pieces with different position and angle deviations of the contact parts, especially for test contacts.

[0045] This wide-ranging and uniform mobility is not only advantageous in the field of test engineering but can be used everywhere where relative movements between electrically connected parts is desired and/or should be made possible.

[0046] As a useful side effect, the outer surface of the cable is enlarged by the bulking of the conductor strands. Provided that no wide insulation (e.g., in the form of a bellow) is provided, a significantly improved heat dissipation can be achieved. Since the cable insulation is opened anyway, access for measurement sensors of all kinds (e.g., voltage, temperature) is facilitated. A four-pole measurement and/or Kelvin measurement is also possible at this point.

[0047] The bulging results in a locally reduced stiffness, due to the bending radius of the cable which can be greatly reduced. When making a compensation area 102, insulation(s) and, if present, shielding may be carefully removed (e.g., with a knife) from a cable having the required cross-section over a length of a few cm without removing or damaging any cores. Then the exposed part of the cable is compressed and twisted against the direction of impact until the individual strands/card elements stand out from each other. The cable is further compressed until a plastic deformation of the conductors occurs into the desired onion shape. To form the onion shape, individual strands can be slightly straightened if necessary, in order to achieve an even distribution of the conductors.

[0048] Since the devices and methods described in detail above are examples of embodiments, they may be used in a customary manner by the skilled person in a wide extent can be modified without leaving the scope of the invention. In particular, the mechanical arrangements and the size ratios of the individual elements to one another are selected merely by way of example.

[0049] Having described aspects of the present disclosure in detail, it will be apparent that further modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. All matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.