Methods and apparatus for optimizing electrical interconnects on laminated composite assemblies

• US 8,723,052 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BWP Group
• Original Assignee: Boulder Wind Power, Inc.
• Inventors: Sullivan, Brian, Eisen, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawyer, Steven T
• Application Number:
  US13/778,415
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 174/266
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0201 Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0206 by printed thermal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0207 using internal conductor planes parallel to the surface for thermal conduction, e.g. power planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0265 characterized by the lay-out of or details of the printed conductors, e.g. reinforced conductors, redundant conductors, conductors having different cross-sections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0298 Multilayer circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09727 Varying width along a single conductor; Conductors or pads having different widths
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0979 Redundant conductors or connections, i.e. more than one current path between two points

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system includes a conductor on a first layer of a laminated composite assembly. The laminated composite assembly has an input, an output, a first electrical interconnect which couples the conductor on the first layer of the laminated composite assembly with a second conductor on a second layer of the laminated composite assembly, and a second electrical interconnect which electrically couples the first conductor with the second conductor. A width of the second electrical interconnect is greater than a width of the first electrical interconnect. A resistance of the laminated composite assembly as measured between the electrical input and the electrical output is less than the resistance of the laminated composite assembly as measured between the electrical input and the electrical output if the width of the first electrical interconnect were substantially equal to the width of the second electrical interconnect.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of conductors of a laminated composite assembly; and

a plurality of electrical interconnects including a first electrical interconnect and a second electrical interconnect, each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects electrically coupling each conductor from the plurality of conductors to the remaining conductors from the plurality of conductors, the plurality of conductors including every conductor electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical interconnects, each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects having a width different from a width of at least one remaining electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects, each conductor from the plurality of conductors defining a first region between a first side portion of the first electrical interconnect and a first side portion of the second electric interconnect, each conductor from the plurality of conductors defining a second region either (1) extending from a second side portion of the first electrical interconnect opposite the first side portion of the first electrical interconnect or (2) extending from a second side portion of the second electrical interconnect opposite the first side portion of the second electrical interconnect, both the first region and the second region of each conductor from the plurality of conductors configured to be part of a current path,

a first conductor from the plurality of conductors is associated with a winding of a coil, a second conductor from the plurality of conductors is associated with the winding.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects has a shape different from a shape of at least one remaining electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the width of the first electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is greater than the width of the second electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects, the second electrical interconnect configured to be in a path of the current flow before the first electrical interconnect.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first conductor from the plurality of conductors is disposed on a first layer and a second conductor from the plurality of conductors is disposed on a second layer, the first layer and the second layer are separated by an insulating layer, and at least one electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects mechanically couples the first layer to the second layer through the insulating layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is at least one of a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen having a non-conductive material disposed therein, a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen having a conductive material disposed therein, a solid electrical interconnect, or a pressed pin.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a resistance value associated with the first electrical interconnect is different than a resistance value associated with the second electrical interconnect.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the width of the second electrical interconnect is different than the width of the first electrical interconnect to achieve at least one of a predetermined current density of the laminated composite assembly, a predetermined thermal profile of the laminated composite assembly, or a predetermined mechanical coupling profile of the laminated composite assembly when a current flow is induced in the first conductor.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of conductors of a laminated composite assembly; and

a plurality of electrical interconnects including a first electrical interconnect and a second electrical interconnect, each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects electrically coupling each conductor from the plurality of conductors to the remaining conductors from the plurality of conductors, the plurality of conductors including every conductor electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical interconnects, each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects having a width different from a width of at least one remaining electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects, each conductor from the plurality of conductors defining a first region between a first side portion of the first electrical interconnect and a first side portion of the second electric interconnect, each conductor from the plurality of conductors defining a second region either (1) extending from a second side portion of the first electrical interconnect opposite the first side portion of the first electrical interconnect or (2) extending from a second side portion of the second electrical interconnect opposite the first side portion of the second electrical interconnect, both the first region and the second region of each conductor from the plurality of conductors configured to be part of a current path,

a first conductor from the plurality of conductors includes an end turn of a coil associated with a second conductor from the plurality of conductors.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the width of the first electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is greater than the width of the second electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects, the second electrical interconnect configured to be in a path of the current flow before the first electrical interconnect.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a first conductor from the plurality of conductors is disposed on a first layer and a second conductor from the plurality of conductors is disposed on a second layer, the first layer and the second layer are separated by an insulating layer, and at least one electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects mechanically couples the first layer to the second layer through the insulating layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects has a shape different from a shape of at least one remaining electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is at least one of a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen having a non-conductive material disposed therein, a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen having a conductive material disposed therein, a solid electrical interconnect, or a pressed pin.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a resistance value associated with the first electrical interconnect is different than a resistance value associated with the second electrical interconnect.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the width of the second electrical interconnect is different than the width of the first electrical interconnect to achieve at least one of a predetermined current density of the laminated composite assembly, a predetermined thermal profile of the laminated composite assembly, or a predetermined mechanical coupling profile of the laminated composite assembly when a current flow is induced in the first conductor.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of conductors of a laminated composite assembly; and

a plurality of electrical interconnects including a first electrical interconnect and a second electrical interconnect, each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects electrically coupling each conductor from the plurality of conductors to the remaining conductors from the plurality of conductors, the plurality of conductors including every conductor electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical interconnects, each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects having a width different from a width of at least one remaining electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects, each conductor from the plurality of conductors defining a first region between a first side portion of the first electrical interconnect and a first side portion of the second electric interconnect, each conductor from the plurality of conductors defining a second region either (1) extending from a second side portion of the first electrical interconnect opposite the first side portion of the first electrical interconnect or (2) extending from a second side portion of the second electrical interconnect opposite the first side portion of the second electrical interconnect, both the first region and the second region of each conductor from the plurality of conductors configured to be part of a current path,

the first electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects electrically couples at least two of a power distribution conductor of the laminated composite assembly, an internal bus bar conductor of the laminated composite assembly, or an end turn of a coil on the laminated composite assembly.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the width of the first electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is greater than the width of the second electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects, the second electrical interconnect configured to be in a path of the current flow before the first electrical interconnect.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a first conductor from the plurality of conductors is disposed on a first layer and a second conductor from the plurality of conductors is disposed on a second layer, the first layer and the second layer are separated by an insulating layer, and at least one electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects mechanically couples the first layer to the second layer through the insulating layer.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects has a shape different from a shape of at least one remaining electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each electrical interconnect from the plurality of electrical interconnects is at least one of a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen having a non-conductive material disposed therein, a plated electrical interconnect defining a lumen having a conductive material disposed therein, a solid electrical interconnect, or a pressed pin.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a resistance value associated with the first electrical interconnect is different than a resistance value associated with the second electrical interconnect.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the width of the second electrical interconnect is different than the width of the first electrical interconnect to achieve at least one of a predetermined current density of the laminated composite assembly, a predetermined thermal profile of the laminated composite assembly, or a predetermined mechanical coupling profile of the laminated composite assembly when a current flow is induced in the first conductor.