Method and system for additive manufacturing of electrical devices
A system and method for forming electrical devices via additive manufacturing processes that utilize starting materials that are in a solid state at least prior to, as well as after, the formation of the electrical device. A first solid starting material can be configured to form one or more insulator layers of the electrical device, while another solid starting material can be applied to form one or more electrically conductive layers. The starting materials can be applied layer-by-layer during formation of the electrical device such that the electrically conductive layers can become automatically embedded within the insulating layers, and vice versa. The additive manufacturing process(es) utilized to form the electrically conductive layers from solid starting materials can be different than the additive manufacturing process(es) utilized to form the insulator layers.
1 . A method of forming an electrical device, the method comprising:
depositing, on at least a portion of a central core, one or more layers of a first solid starting material to form a first insulator layer;
depositing, on at least a portion of the first insulator layer, one or more layers of a second solid starting material to form a first conductor layer, the second solid starting material comprising an electrically conductive material; and
depositing, on the first conductor layer, one or more layers of the first solid starting material to form a second insulator layer,
wherein the first conductor layer is electrically insulated by the second insulating layer and by at least a part of the first insulating layer; and
subsequently depositing a portion of the second solid starting material on the central core to form a direct electrical connection between the central core and the first conductor layer,
wherein the central core is an electrically conductive conductor; and
wherein at least one of the one or more layers of the first solid starting material comprises a lattice structure having a plurality of hollow regions encasing at least one of an electrically insulating gas or a vacuum.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the second solid starting material includes distributing a powder comprising an electrically conductive material to form a powder bed on at least a portion of the first insulator layer.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising fusing the deposited second solid starting material by applying a high-energy source to the powder bed.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing one or more layers of the first solid starting material to form the second insulator layer comprises depositing a polymer or ceramic.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating the depositing, on at least the portion of the first insulator layer, the one or more layers of a second solid starting material and the depositing, on the first conductor layer, the one or more layers of the first solid starting material to form a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of insulator layers.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of conductor layers are at different radial position relative to at least the electrically conductive conductor.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of an axial starting position and an axial ending position of at least one conductor layer of the plurality of conductor layers is different than a corresponding axial starting position or axial ending position of another conductor layer of the plurality of conductor layers.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the first solid starting material to form the first insulator layer and depositing the first solid starting material to form the second insulator layer are performed using a first additive manufacturing process, and wherein depositing the second solid starting material is performed using a second additive manufacturing process, the second additive manufacturing process being different than the first additive manufacturing process.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
determining whether an insulating capacity of the first insulator layer satisfies a predetermined threshold; and
continuing the depositing the one or more layers of the first solid starting material at least until the insulating capacity of the first insulator layer satisfies the predetermined threshold.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical device is a condenser bushing.
11 . A method of forming an electrical device, the method comprising:
applying, by a first system head, one or more layers of a first solid starting material, at least one layer of the one or more layers of the first solid starting material being applied onto a central core of the electrical device;
fusing the applied one or more layers of the first solid starting material to form an insulator layer;
determining that an insulating capacity of the applied one or more layers of the first solid starting material does not satisfy a predetermined threshold;
continuing the applying the one or more layers of the first solid starting material at least until the insulating capacity satisfies the predetermined threshold;
applying, by a second system head, one or more layers of a second solid starting material onto at least a portion of the insulator layer;
fusing the applied one or more layers of the second solid starting material to form an electrical conductor layer;
repeating the applying the at least one layer of the first solid starting material, the fusing the applied one or more layers of the first solid starting material, the determining whether an insulating capacity of the applied one or more layers of the first solid starting material satisfies a predetermined threshold, continuing the applying the one or more layers of the first solid starting material at least until the insulating capacity satisfies the predetermined threshold, the applying the one or more layers of the second solid starting material, and the fusing the applied one or more layers of the second solid starting material to form a plurality of insulator layers and a plurality of electrical conductor layers;
applying, by the first system head, one or more layers of the first solid starting material to form an outer insulator layer about an outermost layer of the plurality of electrical conductor layers; and
wherein at least one of the one or more layers of the first solid starting material comprises a lattice structure having a plurality of hollow regions encasing at least one of an electrically insulating gas or a vacuum.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming an electrical connector directly between the central core and at least one of the plurality of electrical conductor layers, and
wherein the central core is an electrically conductive conductor.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein forming the electrical connector comprises distributing one or more layers of the second solid starting between the central core and at least one of the plurality of electrical conductor layers, the second solid starting material being a powder comprising an electrically conductive material, and sintering the distributed one or more layers of the second solid starting material.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further including applying an over coating to the electrical device to decrease a gas permeability of the electrical device.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein applying the one or more layers of the second solid starting material comprises either extruding or printing the second solid starting material from the second system head.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein fusing the applied one or more layers of the second solid starting material comprises applying a high-energy source to the second solid starting material.
17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first additive manufacturing process comprises Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), and wherein the second additive manufacturing process comprises Selective Laser Melting (SLM).