Abstract:
Low leakage electrical joints and wire harnesses for simplifying the electrical infrastructure associated with solar energy utilities are disclosed. The low leakage electrical joints include fused wires that have been sealed, encased and configured to plug into other joints to form wire harnesses. The wire harnesses are particularly well suited for coupling a plurality of solar collector junction boxes to a combiner box.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional application of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. application Ser. No. 12/502,395, having a filing date of Jul. 14, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    (1) Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to electrical components and, more particularly, to low leakage electrical joints and wire harnesses for simplifying the electrical infrastructure associated with solar energy utilities. The low leakage electrical joints include fused wires that have been sealed, encased and configured to plug into other joints to form wire harnesses. 
         [0004]    (2) Related Art 
         [0005]    The problems associated with the world&#39;s dependence on non-renewable resources have resulted in increased attention to so-called alternative energy, such as solar and wind power. As a result, small-scale production of alternative energy, for example by installing residential solar heaters or wind turbines, has become more popular. While these actions may provide psychological and possible long-term financial benefits, their actual effect on society&#39;s consumption of non-renewable resources is minimal. In short, permanent and significant changes necessitate the implementation of alternative energy generation on a large-scale utility basis. 
         [0006]    Utility scale production of solar energy, however, is often considered financially imprudent given the high cost of materials, know-how, and labor. For example, conventionally wiring solar panels typically requires a qualified electrician to measure, cut, connect and crimp wires on site, by hand, between each individual solar panel&#39;s junction box and the combiner box, and the combiner box and master fuse box. In addition, this extensive wiring often further requires the labor and expense of troubleshooting and repairing. 
         [0007]    In addition, conventional solar utility infrastructures often have technical shortcomings that further drive up the price. For example, conventional wire connections leak precious energy, thereby decreasing the efficiency, and increasing the price, of the system. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, the interests of being environmentally responsible often conflict with the financial realities of building and maintaining a solar energy plant. 
         [0009]    Thus, there remains a need for components for use in solar plants that decrease the materials, know-how and/or labor associated with building and maintaining the electrical infrastructure. 
         [0010]    There also remains a need for components for use in solar plants that decrease the cost associated with the materials, know-how and/or labor in building and maintaining the electrical infrastructure of a solar plant. 
         [0011]    A need also exists for components that decrease electrical leakage. Ideally, these low leakage components are relatively simple, safe and inexpensive to manufacture, transport and use. 
         [0012]    A method of making the aforementioned components is also needed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS 
       [0013]    The present inventions are directed to low leakage electrical joints and wire harnesses for simplifying the electrical infrastructure associated with solar energy utilities. The low leakage electrical joints include insulated photovoltaic wire which has been partially stripped, with the portion of exposed wire welded to a portion of exposed wire on another, separate photovoltaic wire. The section encompassing the exposed wire and weld is coated in a synthetic rubber sealant and allowed to cure. After curing, the section of exposed/fused/sealed wire is encased in a molded polypropylene material including a UV stabilizing agent. These resulting joints can be shaped as T&#39;s, crosses or Y&#39;s, and be fitted with various lengths of insulated wire, female connectors and/or male connectors for attachment to at least one other joint. Wire harnesses can be assembled using a plurality of these joints, usually with lengths of insulated wire there between. 
         [0014]    The nature of the present inventions will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  schematically represents the electrical infrastructure of a solar energy system; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates a wire harness, including enlarged male and female connectors; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a tee joint; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a cross joint; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a y joint; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a tee joint encasement; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a cross joint encasement; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a y joint encasement; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  depicts some steps in constructing a tee joint. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. It should be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the inventions and are not intended to limit the inventions thereto. 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  provides the general scheme of the electrical infrastructure of the present inventions. Each solar collector has junction box, with each junction box wired to a central combiner box via wire harness  10 . The central combiner box bundles the output into trunk  15 , which goes into the master fuse box. Electricity from the master fuse box travels to the inverter, then transformer, then power line. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , wire harness  10  is constructed of a plurality of joints, potentially including tee joint  20 , cross joint  22  and/or y joint  24  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ). The joints are connected one to another via insulated wire  30 , and include female connector  26  or male connector  28  at various junctions. It should be understood that a multitude of electrical configurations may be achieved by varying the number and choice of connectors and joint types, and that  FIG. 2  merely represents the preferred configuration for coupling a plurality of junction boxes to a combiner box. 
         [0027]    Tee, cross and y joints of  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5  respectively are constructed similarly with respect to each other, but vary according to shape and function. Using tee joint  20  as an example, joints comprise spokes  58  protruding from central hub  56 , terminating in female connector  26  or male connector  28 . Length of spokes  58  may be elongated by including longer lengths of insulated wire  30 . Central hub  56  includes external tee encasement  60 , which defines channels  54  (best shown in  FIG. 6 ) through which insulated wire  30  protrudes outwardly (best shown in  FIG. 2 ). Outwardly protruding insulated wire  30  may not be visible if connector  26 ,  28 , which is attached to insulated wire  30 , abuts channel, as shown in  FIG. 3 . External tee encasement  60  preferably defines securing apertures  52  through which zip ties or other fasteners may be employed to secure tee joint  20  or wire harness  10  to prevent unwanted movement during or subsequent to installation. Also, informational window  45  is preferred for displaying manufacturer, part number, technical specifications and the like. 
         [0028]    Beneath tee encasement  60  lies sealed wire  38 , which collectively includes segments of exposed wire  34 , portions of which are welded wire  36 , covered in sealant  40 . This construction is best exemplified in the scheme set forth in  FIG. 9  wherein it should be understood that encasement  50  is depicted, but similar construction applies employing tee encasement  60 , cross encasement  62  or y encasement  64 . 
         [0029]    Referring specifically to  FIG. 9A , tee joint  20  is constructed by taking two separate insulated wires  30 , and stripping off a portion of insulation  32  to reveal exposed wire  34 , as shown in  FIG. 9B . Preferably, the trunk wire would be window stripped to expose an internal section of wire, whereas a branch wire would be end stripped. Preferably insulated wire  30  includes copper, and most preferably is a 8, 10 or 12 AWG photovoltaic wire which is certified by UL and/or TUV for use with solar applications to carry DC current up to 1000V. A branch wire may be the next smaller size of wire as it will not carry as much current. Preferably insulation  32  is constructed of crosslinked polyolefin copolymer and is 1.7 mm thick. One preferred example of a commercially available and suitable insulated wire  30  is Betaflam Solar from Leoni Studer AG of CH-4658 Daniken, Switzerland. As shown in  FIG. 9C , exposed wires are resistance welded to form welded wire  36 , with the end of the branch wire preferably welded to the center of the trunk wire. Resistance welding is preferably accomplished by using two copper electrodes which pass a high current through the joint causing the wires to be fused to form a solid material at the joint. 
         [0030]    Fused wires  36  and any remaining exposed wires  34  are completely coated with sealant  40 , as shown in  FIG. 9D . Preferably sealant  40  is a synthetic rubber, more preferably a silicone-based rubber sealant, with Plasti Dip® multi-purpose rubber coating from Plasti Dip International of Blaine, Minn. being the most preferred. Preferably sealant  40  is applied with a small brush, in a volume adequate to cure at a thickness of approximately 20 mils. Sealant  40  is permitted to completely cure, preferably at room temperature for approximately 4 hours. Once cured, the assembly is placed in a mold according to methods known in the art, and overmolded to form encasement  50 , as shown in  FIG. 9E . Encasement  50  is preferably formed using a polypropylene material, most preferably including a UV stabilization agent. The preferred polypropylene material is RTP 199 from RTP Imagineering Plastics of Winona, Minn. 
         [0031]    Slight modifications would be necessary to form cross or y joints  22  and  24 , particularly with respect to stripping and fusing wire. Moreover, additional steps would be required to secure female and male connectors  26  and  28  to segments of insulated wire  30 . Namely, the wire will be cut, stripped and terminated with the applicable terminal, then a rubber boot will be installed to insulate the terminal. As assembled, all electrically live components of wire harness  10 , including insulated wire  30 , exposed wire  34 , sealed wire  38  and connectors  26 ,  28  are all in electrical communication one with another. 
         [0032]    In use, an installer would simply select the proper wire harness  10 , preferably based on labeling or packaging, and connect the appropriate parts (ie female connectors  26  to junction boxes of solar collectors, and male connector  28  to combiner box). Wire harnesses of popular specifications can be manufactured in bulk, or specially assembled in advance if lesser quantities are required, or constructed on site as required by employing pre-assembled joints  20 ,  22 ,  24 , connectors  26 ,  29  and insulated wire  30 . 
         [0033]    In addition to the novel construction and substantial savings with respect to materials, know-how and labor, the present inventions provide exceptionally low leakage compared to conventional solar connectors. Specifically, both the MC Solarline 1 connector from Multi-Contact AG of Stockbrunnenrain, Switzerland, and the Solarlok connector of Tyco Electronics in Speyer, Germany, leak 1 mA (milliamp). In contrast, tee, cross and y joints  20 ,  21  and  24  of the present inventions leak less than 50 nA (nanoamps). This is well below the maximum industry standard of 50 mA, as set forth by the solar industry leader. 
         [0034]    Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the scope of the following claims.