Tech Briefs Magazine - June 2023 - 17

needed to create a busbar system that
would distribute the same amount of
power yet fit within a smaller geometry
(Figure 1).
Jain and his team created a 2D simulation
to ensure that their design was
suitable to reduce the cumulative impact
of the electromagnetic forces.
The 120° alignment of the panels
serves to balance the forces acting on
the busbars.
" The simulation gave us confidence
that the design would work, " Jain explained,
" We could tell that the electromotive
forces would be balanced by
the 120° alignment. "
Ensuring Thermal and
Structural Integrity through
Simulation
Another important consideration is
the overall structural soundness of the
power box. For this, Jain and team developed
a structural simulation of the
power box that would allow them to
evaluate its durability. From a time-dependent
study of winds of up to 103
m/s blowing against the structure, it
was determined that the power box was
structurally sound (Figure 2). The engineers
also slowly increased the
boundary load until the induced stress
reached a critical value and determined
that the design is safe up to a
wind velocity of 570 m/s.
A transient heat transfer analysis of
the complete panel assembly was done
to ensure the thermal integrity of the
system in operation. The validated simulation
allowed the team to calculate
the temperature rise for conditions
that could not be evaluated experimentally.
The thermally optimized
connectors make the final design safer
and more efficient than its predecessors
(Figure 3). The resulting design is
also modular and scalable.
Versatile Modeling for Better
Design
Jain and his team were able to create
a design that is much smaller but can
still dissipate the same level of power
and current as traditional power boxes.
The final power box design takes up
the least amount of space of all power
boxes on the market and is thermally
sound and efficient.
" Using multiphysics simulation, we
were able to ensure the integrity of the
final contemporary design, " Jain added,
" We think that the benefit and imTech
Briefs, June 2023
www.techbriefs.com
17
pact will be far-reaching as it is adopted
across the world. "
The final design (Figure 4) includes
smart features such as a safety and
theftproof system as well as the capability
for remote monitoring of energy,
fuse health, and the thermal profile. It
includes fuse housings that are insulated
and safe to work with while the system
is operating as well as connectors
with lower resistive losses.
Suffice to say, in developing a power
box that is a fraction of the size of the
industry standard, with its reimagined
and efficient busbar system, Jain and his
team succeeded in reinventing the power
box, using multiphysics simulation at
every step.
This article was provided by COMSOL,
Inc. (Burlington, MA). For more information,
visit www.comsol.com.
http://www.comsol.com http://info.hotims.com/84480-724 http://www.techbriefs.com
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