Patent ID: 6574094
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: F28D,H02G,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for cooling bus bars in order to increase their current-carrying capacity while saving space and weight, comprising the steps of:providing a housing having an interior wall; locating a distribution manifold within the housing, the distribution manifold comprising a pair of hollow bus bars; communicating to the manifold a supply of an evaporative coolant; and delivering the coolant under pressure so that upon exiting the manifold, the coolant impacts an external surface of one or more bus bars adjacent to the manifold or other adjacent surfaces, so that at least a portion of the coolant undergoes a phase change from the liquid to the vapor state, and heat is extracted from the manifold and at least some of the one or more bus bars adjacent to the manifold at least as quickly as heat is generated by the flow of current, the extraction of heat by the flow of coolant and evaporation thereby maintaining or lowering the temperature of the bus bars and enabling a given size of bus bar to carry more current without a significant rise in temperature.