STACK OF BUS BARS FOR A POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20110141666A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lineage Power Corporation (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Lineage Power Corporation (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: England, William C. II, Hock, Richard H., Smith, Paul, Fontana, Edward C.
• Application Number:
  US12/775,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20110141666A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/624
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/20 Bus-bar or other wiring layouts, e.g. in cubicles, in switchyards installations of bus-bars H02G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 3/00 Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture, assembly, or maintenance of boards or switchgear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A power distribution system comprising a stack of bus bars having through-hole openings arranged in end portions of each of the bars such that the stack of the bars are connectable to bars of an adjacent stack. One or more connectors pass through the holes in one of the end portions of the bars of the stack. The one or more connectors also pass through holes in one of the end portions of the bars of the adjacent stack. One of the end portions of the bars of the stacks are interleaved with one of the end portions of the bars of the adjacent stack.

Claims

1. A power distribution system, comprising:

a stack of bus bars having through-hole openings arranged in end portions of each of the bars such that the stack of the bars are connectable to bars of an adjacent stack, wherein

one or more connectors pass through the holes in one of the end portions of the bars of the stack,

the one or more connectors also pass through holes in one of the end portions of the bars of the adjacent stack, and

one of the end portions of the bars of the stacks are interleaved with one of the end portions of the bars of the adjacent stack.

2. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the connectors include a threaded fastener.

3. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein:

the one end of at least one pair of odd-numbered bars in the stack are aligned with each other;

the one end of at least one pair of even-numbered bars in the stack are aligned with each other; and

the ends of the odd and even numbered bars are offset by a distance that is greater than a distance from at least one of the nearest-end holes to the ends of the bars.

4. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the end portions of the bars have a row of the holes, the holes in the row being aligned with each other in a direction parallel to a short axis of the bar.

5. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein one of the end portions of each of the bars have a different number of the holes than in the other opposite end portion of the same bar.

6. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein there is an asymmetric distribution of the holes one of the two end portions of each of the bars.

7. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein all of the bars of the stack have a same long axis length, short axis width, and arrangement of the holes.

8. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the adjacent stack has a different number of bars than the number of bars in the stack.

9. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the stack of bars and the adjacent stack of bars are part of a procession of interconnected stacks.

10. The power distribution system of claim 9, wherein all of the bars of the procession of interconnected stacks have a same long axis length, short axis width, and arrangement of the holes.

11. The power distribution system of claim 9, wherein each one of the successive stacks in the procession of interconnected stacks has at least one less bar than the preceding adjacent stack.

12. The power distribution system of claim 11, wherein the procession of interconnected stacks are aligned such that the successive stacks with the at least one less bar than the previous adjacent stack define a stair-step in a first direction.

13. The power distribution system of claim 12, further including a second procession of interconnected stacks that are aligned such that the successive stacks with at least one less bar than the previous adjacent stack define a second stair step in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

14. The power distribution system of claim 1, further including an electrical cabinet that includes electrical feed connections configured to receive DC power from at least one of the bars of the stack.

15. The power distribution system of claim 1, further including a platform configured to hold the stack of bars.

16. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein a power tap is connected to at least one of the bars of the stack and the power tap is configured to deliver DC power to the connected bar.

17. The power distribution system of claim 16, wherein one or more of the bars further include holes located in interior portions of the bar, and is configured to accept a connector that electrically connect the ore or more bars to one or more of the power taps.

18. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the stack is oriented such that one edge of the bars opposes a floor that supports the stack.

19. The power distribution system of claim 1, further including a power tap structure located between two stacks in a procession of stacks and connected to bars in each of the two stacks.

20. A method of assembling the power distribution system of claim 1, comprising:

positioning a first one of the bars of the stack in a target location of the system;

positioning a first one of the bars of the adjacent stack such that a long axis end of the first bar of the stack contacts a long axis end of the first bar of the adjacent stack and the two first bars are coplanar;

positioning a second one of the bars of the stack on the first bar of the stack such that at least one of the holes in the one end portion of the second bar of the stack aligns with at least one of the holes in the one end portion of the first bar of the adjacent stack; and

passing at least a first one of the connectors through the aligned holes in the second bar of the stack and in the first bar of the adjacent stack.