THERMAL EXTENSION STRUCTURES FOR MONITORING BUS BAR TERMINATIONS
An electrical system comprising an equipment enclosure configured to hold one or more DC power bus bars therein. The system also comprises one or more thermal extension structures. Each thermal extension structure is connected to one or more of the bus bars. Each thermal extension structure has a projection element whose thermal state reflects an electrical connectivity of the one or more DC power bus bars that the thermal extension structure is connected to. The projection element is viewable from a location outside of the equipment enclosure.
1 . An electrical system, comprising:
an equipment enclosure configured to hold one or more DC power bus bars therein; and
one or more thermal extension structures, each thermal extension structure connected to one or more of the bus bars, and each of the thermal extension structures having a projection element whose thermal state reflects an electrical connectivity of the one or more bus bars that the thermal extension structure is connected to, wherein the projection element is viewable from a location outside of the equipment enclosure.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical system is a power distribution system.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal extension structure is connected to a termination of the one or more DC power bus bars.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal extension structure is connected to an electrical component of the system that is connected to a termination of the one or more DC power bus bars and the thermal extension structure is located in a vicinity of the termination.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal extension structure is a continuous part of one of the DC power bus bars.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the thermal extension structure includes a mounting element, the mounting element having an opening therein and a termination that passes through a termination hole of at least one of the DC power bus bars also passes through the opening thereby connecting the thermal extension to the DC power bus bar.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the projection element extends to an outside surface of the equipment enclosure.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the projection element is located inside of the equipment enclosure and includes a surface that is viewable from the location.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an outside surface of the equipment enclosure further includes an opening through which the projection element can be viewed.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the projection element has an oblique or perpendicular angle with respect to a mounting surface that the thermal extension structure is connected to.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the equipment enclosure includes a platform and at least one cabinet, the platform being coupled to an end of the cabinet, the platform holding the DC power bus bars and the thermal extension structures therein, and, the cabinet holding electronic component modules that are electrically coupled to the one or more DC power bus bars.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal state of the projection element is signified by a temperature of the projection element.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal state of the projection element is signified by a relative temperature of the projection element as compared to a second projection element of a second thermal extension structure that is connected to a second DC power bus bar of the system.
14 . The system of claim 1 , further including a heat imaging device configured to detect the thermal state of the projection element.
15 . The system of claim 1 , further including a non-contact infrared thermometer configured to detect the thermal state of the projection element.
16 . The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal extension structure is composed of a material that is thermally conductive and electrically insulating.
17 . The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal extension structure includes an electrically conductive metal core that is coated with an electrically insulating layer.
18 . A method of measuring the electrical connectivity of the one or more DC power bus bars of the electrical system of claim 1 , comprising:
passing a direct current through at least one of the DC power bus bars; and
measuring the thermal state of the projection element.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein measuring the thermal state of the projection element includes measuring black-body radiation emitted by the projection element.
20 . The method of claim 18 , further including comparing the thermal state to a database to determine if the desired direct current is reliably passing through the bus bar.