Title :
Overheating of flexible tinned copper connectors
Author_Institution :
MB Interface, Montreal, Que., Canada
Abstract :
Overheating of flexible tinned copper connectors has been observed at a number of power stations. These connectors are used to connect the generator to outgoing busbars and transformers, thus serving to counter the effects of vibration and thermal expansion forces. It is shown that the main cause for the observed overheating is a result of a combined action of the high initial contact resistance, fretting, stress relaxation, differential thermal expansion and the formation of intermetallics at the copper-tin interfaces.
Keywords :
busbars; contact resistance; copper; failure analysis; interface structure; metallisation; power stations; power transformers; stress relaxation; thermal expansion; tin; vibrational modes; wear; Cu-Sn; copper-tin interfaces; differential thermal expansion; flexible tinned copper connectors; fretting; generator connection; initial contact resistance; intermetallic formation; outgoing busbars; overheating; power stations; stress relaxation; thermal expansion forces; transformers; vibration effects; Connectors; Contact resistance; Copper; Counting circuits; Power generation; Thermal expansion; Thermal force; Thermal resistance; Thermal stresses; Transformers;
Conference_Titel :
Electrical Contacts, 2000. Proceedings of the Forty-Sixth IEEE Holm Conference on
Conference_Location :
Chicago, IL, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5960-7
DOI :
10.1109/HOLM.2000.889913
