METHOD FOR CONNECTING TWO CONDUCTORS COMPOSED OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND CONNECTOR AND SYSTEM THEREFOR

Abstract

A method of electrically connecting a first conductor composed of a first material, preferably aluminum, to a second conductor comprising or composed of a second material different from the first material, preferably copper, with a connector. For that purpose a connector precursor is provided, which includes a conductor core composed of the first material and sheathed by a casing layer composed of another material. The connector precursor has a first end and a second end. According to the method the casing layer is removed in the region of the first end to provide a contact surface. The first conductor is then connected to the first end in the region of the contact surface and the second conductor is connected to the second end of the connector. A connector and a system are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of electrically connecting a first conductor of a first material to a second conductor of a second material different from the first material with a connector, comprising: preparing a connector precursor including a conductor core of the first material that is sheathed by a casing layer of a material different from the first material, wherein the connector precursor has a first end and a second end; removing the casing layer in a region of the first end to expose a contact surface; connecting the first conductor to the first end in a region of the contact surface; and connecting the second conductor to the second end.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein connecting the first conductor to the first end includes joining the first conductor and the first end using a joining method, including at least one of welding, WIG welding, soldering or brazing, or a pressing method, including at least one of pressing connection or pressing welding, to produce an electrical connection.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein to connect the first conductor to the connector, an aperture is provided at the first end in the region of the contact surface and the first conductor is at least partially introduced into or passed through the aperture at the first end.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising: introducing an aperture into the second end of the connector for connecting the second conductor.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the aperture is a bore and the connection between the second conductor and the connector is produced by a screw connection in which a screw is secured with a nut, or the aperture has a bore having a thread and the second conductor is secured with the screw by the screw connection in the thread.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein removing the casing layer includes performing a cutting method.

7. A connector for connecting a first conductor of a first material that is aluminum, to a second conductor of a second material that is copper, comprising: a core of the first material; and a casing layer, of a material different than the first material, sheathing the core, wherein the casing layer is removed in a region of a first end of the connector to provide a contact surface for connection to the first conductor.

8. The connector according to claim 7 wherein at the first end in a region of the contact surface, the connector has an aperture having an opening geometry substantially corresponding to a cross-sectional geometry of the first conductor.

9. The connector according to claim 7 wherein arranged at a second end opposite to the first end is an aperture that is a bore through the connector, wherein the aperture has a thread.

10. The connector according to claim 7 wherein the casing layer is applied to the core by at least one of plating or pressing such that a presence of or penetration of oxygen in a transitional region between the core and the casing layer is mitigated.

11. The connector according to claim 7 wherein the casing layer is removed by a cutting method.

12. A wind turbine, comprising: the connector according to claim 7; the first conductor connected to the first end of the connector; and a second conductor connected to a second end of the connector.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 12 wherein the first conductor is an aluminum form-wound coil.

14. The wind turbine according to claim 12 wherein the second conductor includes a copper cable that is a copper braided cable or a copper cable shoe.

15. The wind turbine according to claim 12, comprising: a wind turbine generator including a plurality of connectors which are respectively connected to a form-wound coil of the wind turbine generator.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first material is aluminum and the second material is copper.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material of the casing layer that is different than the first material is the second material.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein the aperture has an opening geometry which at least substantially corresponds to a cross-sectional geometry of the first conductor.

19. The connector according to claim 19 wherein the aperture has a thread.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Further configurations will be set forth by reference to the embodiments by way of example which are described in greater detail in the Figures in which:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a wind turbine,

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a connector precursor for producing a connector,

[0050] FIG. 3 shows two conductors connected by a connector,

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a connection of a first conductor to the connector, and

[0052] FIG. 5 shows the steps for connecting two conductors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a system which is a wind turbine 100 according to an embodiment. The wind turbine 100 has a tower 102 and a nacelle 104 on the tower 102. Provided on the nacelle 104 is an aerodynamic rotor 106 having three rotor blades 108 and a spinner 110.

[0054] In operation of the wind turbine the aerodynamic rotor 106 is driven in a rotary movement by the wind and thus also rotates an electrodynamic rotor or rotor member of a generator coupled directly or indirectly to the aerodynamic rotor 106. The electric generator is arranged in the nacelle 104 and generates electric power. The pitch angles of the rotor blades 108 can be altered by pitch motors at the rotor blade roots of the respective rotor blades 108.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic view of a connector precursor 10 having a conductor core 12 composed of a first material which is aluminum. The conductor core 12 is sheathed by a casing layer 14 consisting of copper. The conductor core 12 and the casing layer 14 are fixedly connected together by a pressing method. The connector precursor 10 has a first end 16 and a second end 18 opposite the first end 16.

[0056] FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows a first conductor 20 connected to a second conductor 24 by way of a connector 22. The connector 22 has been produced from the connector precursor 10 by removal of the casing layer 14 at the first end 16.

[0057] The first conductor 20 is diagrammatically shown here in the form of a form-wound coil 26 having a coil end 28. The connector 22 is connected at its first end 16 to the coil end 28 of the first conductor 20. For that purpose the casing layer 14 has been removed from the connector precursor 10 at the first end 16 of the connector so that this provides a contact surface 34 with the aluminum. Provided within the contact surface 34 is an aperture 36 through which the coil end 28 is passed. The coil end 28 is then connected to the connector 22 by a joining method in the region of the contact surface 34.

[0058] The second conductor 24 includes a cable shoe 30 which is pressed on to a copper cable 32. The cable shoe also substantially comprises copper which is galvanized. At the second end 18 of the connector, that is opposite the first end 16, the connector also has an aperture 38. Arranged above the aperture 38 is the cable shoe 30 which also has an aperture 39. For connecting the cable shoe 30 to the connector 22, a screw is passed jointly through both apertures 38, 39 and screwed in place.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the first end 16 of the connector 22 which is connected to a first conductor 20 by a welded connection.

[0060] FIG. 5 shows the steps in a method of connecting a first conductor 20 to a second conductor 24 by a connector 22 according to an embodiment. Provided in a step 40 is a connector precursor 10 comprising a conductor core 12 and a casing layer 14 sheathing the conductor core. The connector precursor 10 is then processed in a step 42 in such a way that the casing layer 14 is removed at a first end 16 of the connector precursor 10.

[0061] In a step 44 an aperture 36 is then produced at the first end in the region of the removed casing layer 14 and in step 46 a further aperture 38, in particular a bore, is then produced at the second end 18 that is opposite the first end 16. In step 48 the first conductor 20 is introduced through the aperture 38 at the first end 16 into the connector 22 while in step 50 it is connected in the region of the contact surface 34 to the connector 22 by welding. In step 52 the second conductor 24 is then connected by a screw connection to the second end 18 of the connector 22.