Busbar is considered as an advanced solution for dissipating energy during installation, for equipment, lighting fittings, and machinery. Busbar is utilized in numerous types of applications in buildings, including multi-storey buildings and warehouses.
Busbars are considered as an essential component in electrical power grids due to their ability to reduce power loss with decreasing the corona effect, motor controls, switchgears, transformers, and rising application in corona in distribution boards.
Busbars can be defined as the solid metal bars that are used for carrying current.
Usually, they are made from aluminum and copper. These are rigid and flat compare to cables. They are 70% shorter in height. They carry more current compare to cables with the same cross-sectional area. It makes busbars ideal for carrying high-voltage currents in electric vehicles. It is a major component for electrical architectures of future vehicles.
The busbar is widely adopted due to the lack of the space in modern vehicles. Each electronic device, sensor, and actuator require data line and power, besides the packaging space in them. Since, busbars do not sit as high as cables, it allows lower-profile routing to give space for another electrical element.
Busbars can be formed at tight angles accurately, while cable can bend on fitting it closely to vehicle profiles.
Another major factor is the requirement for automated assembly. Still, installing wires is considered as a large manual task. The flexibility of busbars make cabling ubiquitous, and difficult for robotic arm to hold wiring harness, and position it accurately in a vehicle.
It is easy for a robot to shift rigid busbar into place. Automated assembly is economic as it saves labor cost, it requires higher quality, and it is safe.
Electronic vehicles are operated at high power, and thus assembly workers are exposed to powerful electric currents.
In addition, busbars are massively used as they carry more current due to their shape. OEMs are used to improve the power of the electronic vehicles’ batteries in order to reduce the charging times. A busbar supports more than 15% power compare to cable with the same cross-sectional area.
Moreover, the wider surface area of busbar distributes heat in an efficient manner compare to cable in the entire length
Presently, busbars are used to prove the battery interconnects value, linking short distances between modern electric vehicles and battery cell modules.
OEMs must carefully make design decisions in the context of electronic or electrical architectures. The architecture decides whether to utilize the busbars, where to position them, and how to connect them with other components, as well as where to add flexibility or shielding.
The stalwarts of industry are; Schneider Electric (France), ABB LTD., Mersen S.A., Siemens AG, Eaton Corporation plc. and Legrand.
The rising usage of the busbar is led by their capability to carry higher amount of current compare to cables.