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Application of Busbars in High power spacecrafts

Conference Paper · February 2014

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 A Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing (FAVIT 2014)
Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 20-21 Feb 2014

Application of Busbars in High power spacecrafts

Anima Sahu*, Puneet Kumar Mishra*, Renuka R.*, S.K.Nagesh*, M.R. Thyagaraj*, G.V.C. Rajan*,
K.V.Govinda*
* Scientist/Engineer,ISRO Satellite Centre,Bangalore,Karnataka,560017

Abstract

High power spacecrafts are increasingly coming into picture in the spacecraft technology domain due to
their numerous advantages. ISRO is in the process of developing high power spacecraft, with power
generation capacity of greater than 14kW. Power distribution network of high power spacecrafts is under
development. It is to be noted that busbar ensures distribution of constant energy to the loads
irrespective of the operational environment. Further, it also reduces the power loss (1% of total power)
due to interconnecting media as compared to the conventional wire harness (2.1% of total power). This
paper discusses the necessity and advantages of busbars over conventional harness in high power
spacecrafts. It also throws light over the various aspects of busbar design for spacecrafts

1. Introduction

With the advancement in space technology, busbars have made their way into the space arena, owing to the
numerous advantages they provide, when compared to the conventional wire harness. In this paper, the various
aspects of using busbars as a power distribution media in spacecrafts is considered and analysed.

High power spacecrafts, with total spacecraft power greater than 10kW, are being increasingly designed and
manufactured to cater to the various requirements. Conventional wire harness used for power distribution gives rise to
several issues, like power dissipation, heat dissipation (thermal), EMI coupling etc., when used for high power
applications. Busbars, on the other hand, if used for the power distribution, in case of high power spacecrafts, will lead
to an effective distribution of power from source (solar array/battery) to the respective sub-systems. Busbars also
minimises the I2R loss which is majorly responsible for thermal related issues on spacecraft.

Using Busbar systems on spacecrafts are associated with a number of concerns. Major factors which determine
busbar’s feasibility criteria on satellites are power dissipation and heat generation, EMI coupling and interference,
weight and cost issues. It may be possible that employing busbars for low power/current distribution may not be
advantageous in terms of weight and cost. Thus, optimization is required to be achieved in order to provide a break-
even between better electrical performance and other associated issues. But, in case of high-power satellites, the use
of busbars becomes mandatory, as minimizing the power dissipation becomes the primary factor for consideration.
Various design considerations should be accounted for in order to utilize the advantages of the busbars and to ward off
any associated limitations.

2. Design Criteria of Busbars

Busbars are primarily used for power distribution and therefore, should qualify the required voltage and current ratings
depending on the spacecraft nominal voltages and currents. The design of a busbar system is quite a complex issue. It
requires an iterative approach to arrive at a size and disposition that delivers the appropriate energy efficiency levels of
the application while ensuring good reliability and safety.

Busbar power ratings are based on the expected surface temperature rise of the busbar. This is a function of the
thermal resistance of the busbar and the power it dissipates. The thermal resistance of the busbar is a function of the
surface area, the orientation of the busbar and the material from which it is made. The power dissipated by the busbar
is dependent on the square of the current passing through it, its length, and the material from which it is made. Optimal
ratings are achieved when the bar runs horizontally.

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 A Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing (FAVIT 2014)
Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 20-21 Feb 2014

A. Shape
The shape of a busbar may be cylindrical, tubular or rectangular in general. The design criterion for the shape is
primarily heat dissipating capacity, which in turn depends upon the surface area. The rectangular shape of busbar
provides greater surface area and thus, more suitable in terms of heat dissipation. Therefore, ideally a thin plate will
serve as a better option. But, the mechanical strength is an extremely important factor as well to determine the shape.
The width to thickness ratio of the busbar can be optimised to be approximately between 7:1 to 5:1, as per the area of
cross-section requirement.

B. Area of Cross-section
The area of cross-section of busbar is an important aspect of design. The current carrying capacity of a busbar is
directly proportional to its area of conducting cross-section. Thus, depending on the current requirement, the cross-
sectional area has to be decided.
In general, the current capacity for copper conductors is 400 amperes per square inch. For aluminum busbars, the
amperage is lesser than copper due to higher resistivity. In general, the current capacity for aluminum conductors is
225 amperes per square inch.
The current rating of conductors is decided by the maximum allowable temperature rise at the operating
environment, which in turn depends upon the thermal conductivity of the conductor material. Thus, the area of cross-
section of conductor depends upon all the above mentioned factors.

C. Material
The conductor material for busbar can have numerous choices. Fig. 1 shows the various conductor choices along
with the conductivity and weight comparisons. Wire harness, for spacecraft applications, are made up of silver coated
copper. Copper being an excellent conductor of electricity is an ideal option and are commonly used for busbars in
industrial and ground applications. But, for spacecraft purposes, a copper busbar may result in a significant increase in
weight of the power distribution system. Considering the economic and availability aspects, Aluminium happens to be
an excellent alternative to copper. Table I shows the comparison of various properties of aluminium and copper. The
mass ratio of Al:Cu is 0.46:1, density ratio is 0.3:1 and resistivity ratio is 1.64:1. Thus, usage of aluminium for busbars
can help in satisfying the mass budget without considerably hampering the conductivity.

Fig. 1 Comparison of different conductor materials for busbar

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 A Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing (FAVIT 2014)
Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 20-21 Feb 2014

TABLE I Comparison between Aluminium and Copper

Property Aluminium Copper

Density in kg/dm3 2.7 8.9
Mass/unit length in kg/km 2.8 6.0
Yield strength in kg/mm2 15 25
Coeff. Of thermal expansion in
23 17
ppm/°C
Thermal Conductivity in W/m/°C 210 290
Resistivity in U.m.10-8 2.85 1.73

D. Insulation
The insulation material has profound effects on the electrical characteristics of the busbar. The insulation’s primary
requirement is its dielectric breakdown strength. Therefore, it is needed to be taken into account the dielectric constant
(“K” factor) of the insulation. Table II shows the various insulation materials with their dielectric properties. Insulation
material greatly determines the system’s maximum operating voltage, capacitance and inductance. The dielectric
thickness and conductor width greatly affects the capacitance and the inductance as can be inferred from equations 1
and 2. So, to increase capacitance it would be advantageous to use as thin a dielectric with as high a “K” factor as
possible.

. ε
Capacitance in pF = (1)

.
Inductance in nH = (2)

Where l = conductor length

w = conductor width
a = dielectric thickness
ε = dielectric constant

TABLE II Various Insulation materials for busbar and their properties

Dielectric Dielectric
Material
breakdown voltage constant
Epoxy powder
10.0KVAC (10 mil) 4.0
coating
Kapton® 13.8 KVAC (3 mil) 3.70
Mylar® 10.0KVAC (3 mil) 3.30
Nomex® 1.6KVAC (3 mil) 1.60
Tedlar® 4.2KVAC (2 mil) 11.0

3. Advantages of using Busbars in High Power Spacecrafts over Conventional Harness

A. Voltage Drop and Power Dissipation
For any DC power distribution line, the voltage and power drop should be as less as possible in order to make an
effective transmission of power. Thus, this forms the most essential aspect of the design of busbar. The resistance
offered by the busbar is the determining property for quantifying the voltage and power drop. Voltage and power drop
calculations have been performed for a sample 1m busbar and comparison has been carried out with 1m of
conventional wire harness having the same ampacity of 100A (nominal value) as shown in Table III.

The Busbar considered for calculation is a 2XI type with Al-6061 conductor material and a 2-layer epoxy and
ceramic insulation coating. The cross-section of the busbar is so designed as to carry 100 A current.

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 A Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing (FAVIT 2014)
Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 20-21 Feb 2014

The conventional harness considered for calculation is SPEC 55 wire of 20AWG and 12AWG. The harness bundle
contains a number of wires so as to carry 100A current. Therefore, the 20 AWG harness bundle contains 31 wires and
the 12 AWG harness bundle contains 8 wires. These calculated values neglect the contact resistances etc. and is an
ideal representation of the losses, but give a conceptual basis for further analysis.

Table III. Voltage and Power drop for busbar and harness

Wire Harness Wire Harness

Busbar
(20AWG) (12AWG)
Resistance in mΩ/m 0.4 1.04 (considering 31 wires in parallel) 0.81(considering 8 wires in parallel)
Voltage drop in mV/m 40 104 81
Power drop in W/m 4 10.4 8.1

B. Heat Generation and Dissipation

The heat generation and dissipation forms the basis of the thermal aspects of any spacecraft system. Heat energy is
generated in transmission lines due to the power dissipation during transmission. Considering the calculated values in
table III, it can be inferred that the heat generated in case of busbars will be less as compared to conventional harness
owing to its lower power dissipation values.

Current flowing through the conductors will generate heat, and the resistance of the conductor will then
proportionally increase with heat. Eventually the system will come to an equilibrium determined by the amount of heat
dissipated by the bus bar. The rise in temperature and the effective resistance of the conductor should be minimized
for better performance as a power distribution system. Thermal analysis of busbars and its comparison with harness
has been carried out using software simulation as well as experimentation.

The busbar and equivalent harness bundle with 100 A ampacity was 3D modeled and the maximum temperature
rise for both cases was determined. In this simulation, the mounting brackets were also taken into account as they
cater to the heat dissipation. During the simulation, the ambient temperature was at 50°C. The absolute final
temperatures for busbar and harness obtained in the simulation are given in table IV and table V.

Adhesive type

Insert type

Rigid fixation

Flexible fixation

Fig. 2: Modeling of harness and busbar with different fixation

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 A Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing (FAVIT 2014)
Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 20-21 Feb 2014

Table IV. Temperature rise for harness

Wire Support-Insert Type Support-Adhesive Type
Harness
(Gauge) Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum
20 AWG 117.2 99.4 116.4 98.6
12 AWG 148.1 111.9 147.6 111.0

Table V. Temperature rise for busbar

Rigid fixation Flexible fixation

Busbar 54.25 59.1

The experiments conducted in order to determine the amount of heat generated (rise in temperature) for busbar as
well as for conventional harness (12 AWG) are as follows.

Ambient environment:
The ambient environment during this test was maintained at 23° C. A current of 100A was passed through the busbar
(1m) and 12AWG harness bundle (1m). The above operating test was carried out until the temperature rise reduced to
<0.5°C/hr. Table VI shows the temperature rise for busbar and harness in ambient environment.
Table VI. Temperature rise for busbar and harness in ambient

Temp. Rise in °C
Busbar 2.2
Wire Harness 11.6

Thermo-Vacuum environment:
During the operating tests carried out in the thermo-vacuum chamber, the temperature and pressure were maintained
at 50°C and 10-5 torr respectively. This was done to simulate an approximate space environment. Table VII shows the
temperature rise for busbar and wire harness in thermo-vacuum environment.
Table VII. Temperature rise for busbar and harness in thermo-vacuum
Temp. Rise in °C
Busbar 16.8
Wire Harness 33.2

C. EMI performance
Many high frequency switching circuits are an integral part of the power distribution system of any spacecraft
system. Switching circuits with fast switching is a known source of conducted mode emissions in the power bus. As
busbars are primarily used for power distribution, the analysis of the EMI performance aspects becomes all the more
important.
An extensive EMI analysis has been carried out and compared with the conventional harness using software
simulations using circuit equivalent models. The lumped parameter modeling has been used to model busbar and
conventional harness. Different cases have been considered for simulation to indicate the sunlit and eclipse phases of
the spacecraft. The solar strings in the sunlit and the Battery Discharge Regulators (BDRs) in the eclipse phases use
switching operation to maintain constant bus voltage and simultaneously cater to the spacecraft load requirement.
The duty cycle of the switching voltage has been varied to determine and compare the amount of noise generated
for each case. Table VII gives the conducted noise (differential mode and common-mode) overriding the power bus in
case of busbar and harness for different cases. The simulation results clearly show that busbars give better noise
immunity than harness bundles.

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 A Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing (FAVIT 2014)
Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 20-21 Feb 2014

Table VIII. Conducted noise overriding the power bus

Sunlit Phase
Differential mode noise Common mode noise
Duty cycle 10% 50% 90% 10% 50% 90%
Busbar 4mA 33mA 42mA 40uA 60uA 45uA
Harness 40mA 1.3mA 1.4mA 500uA 1.12mA 625uA
Eclipse Phase
Differential mode noise Common mode noise
Duty cycle 7% 35% 7% 35%
Busbar 200uA 9mA 240uA 4mA
Harness 10mA 180uA 4mA 425uA

4. Conclusions
Busbar systems provide a highly organized, economical way to distribute power that can reduce the overall costs
associated with the design and integration aspects. Busbars prove to be an excellent choice for the power distribution
network for large systems with huge power requirements, like spacecrafts. The busbars have many advantages as
compared to the conventional wire harness as has been discussed in the previous sections.
Thus, in high power spacecrafts, busbars tend to become an integral part of the power distribution system. With
reduction in the total power loss (I2R loss), it also provides faster heat dissipation, ascertains stabilized power
distribution to loads, minimizes the EMI coupling to other data and control lines, and also facilitates maintenance and
handling.

5. References
[1] Michael Stibgen, Applying Laminated Busbars to Enhance DC Power Distribution Systems, Methode Electronics
Inc., Network Bus Products 4001 Industrial Ave,
[2] Piotr Musznicki *, Jean-Luc Schanen **, Piotr Chrzan, Design of high voltage busbar: trade off between
electrical field and stray inductance
[3] Electrical Calculations, L.M.Photonics Ltd.,2006.
[4] Jerred Davis, The Benefits of Busbar Power Distribution Systems for US & Global Applications, Rittal White
Paper 401
[5] Alex Gouch, Metals for Busbars, Austral Wright Metals
[6] Dennis Simpon, The use of Compression Technology on busbars, 79th EESA Conference, 2003,
Sydney,Australia
[7] Katsutaka Tsuboi, Mineo Tsuji and Eiji Yamada, A Simplified Method of Calculating Busbar Inductance and Its
Application for Stray Resonance Analysis in an Inverter dc Link, , Electrical Engineering in Japan, Vol. 126, No.
3, 1999
[8] A. E. Ruehli, “Equivalent circuit models for three dimensional multiconductor systems,” IEEE Trans. Microw.
Theory Tech., vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 216–221, Mar. 1974.

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